Plenty in Life is Free

Reflections on Dogs, Training, and Finding Grace

by Kathy Sdao, ACAAB 

Plenty in Life is Free challenges the traditional leadership-based approach to dog training. Instead of focusing on dominance or requiring dogs to "earn" everything, Sdao advocates for a more compassionate and science-based approach; one rooted in generosity, reinforcement, and partnership.

Drawing from her decades of experience training marine mammals and dogs, Sdao shares her journey of rejecting coercive training methods in favour of a relationship built on mutual reinforcement. This book encourages dog guardians and trainers to rethink outdated hierarchies and embrace a more humane and effective way of interacting with their dogs.

With warmth, humour, and deep insight, Plenty in Life is Free is an essential read for anyone looking to strengthen their bond with their dog while fostering a positive, trust-based relationship.

📖 Key Details

• Author: Kathy Sdao, ACAAB
• Pages: 112
• Publisher: Dogwise Publishing (2012)
• ISBN: 9781617810640

What animal behaviour experts are saying about Plenty in Life is Free:
This extraordinary book fills the gap between contemporary training technology and ethics. With indelible wit and wisdom, Sdao exposes the naked emperor of excessive control and replaces him with the keys to healthful behavior and lasting relationships. This book will improve more than a dog's life it will be required reading for the students in all my behavior classes.
Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, Utah State University, www.behaviorworks.org

Kathy Sdao is as wise, witty, warm, and adventurous on paper as she is on the lecture platform. This is a wonderful book about an issue deep and dear to all of us: how to learn to be thoughtful, kind, and generous to our dogs, to each other, and to ourselves, in a world that pressures us to be harsh, resistant, and controlling instead.
Karen Pryor, Author of Reaching the Animal Mind, founder of www.clickertraining.com

Kathy Sdao is an Associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist who has spent 26 years as a full-time animal trainer. She teaches about a dozen seminars annually, for trainers around the world. Kathy lives in Tacoma, Washington where she runs Bright Spot Dog Training and lives with her two dogs.