How to Train a Husband

I beat the hell out of my ex for treating me like this, had to go to "cdvip" for a year, you know what they taught me? Empathy! Walk in the others shoes! Treating someone like a dog is only going to make them angry. You have to try to understand why your spouse doesn't want to do something instead of coaxing them to do it.

Oh, how funny! I suppose this sort of "S and M" control is about as close as the uninitiated, (or uncreative) can get to Classical Conditioning without resorting to electric shocks. I imagine that this conditioning approach IS effective on a certain type of person, especially one who trusts you unconditionally. Assuming you get caught, however, this trust relationship is violated. And for the price of a momentary victory (huzzah! Socks are off the floor!!) you lose something priceless, and the basis of a truly intimate relationship has been thrown aside for a short-term petty control. Grats on your "Groundbreaking" book lady, I can hardly wait to pick-up the newly divorced women your method will create. They'll make wonderful additions to my life as fresh notches on my bedpost, and I'll be sure to repay them ten-fold for all the childish manipulations you've pandered to them.

Thanks for the enlightening viewpoint you share of your husband. I found it intriguing and may try some of those simple tactics on my wife. After all what's good for the goose must be good for the gander. I personally think you would be much more effectively recieved if you didn't use the Man as the only problem in a marriage. Although good advice; it would work better if you treated us as equals and not Pets. I personally don't wear a leash and won't be waylaid by such mental trickery. I Love My Wife and we have been married for a long time but she has her quirks and I have mine! Acceptance and reasonable discussion seem to be an effective tool for us when there is something amiss! Besides I like Milkbonnes and she doesn't!

I thought it was hilarious! My husband thought it was pretty funny as well. People train other people all the time, they just don't label it as training or compare the trainee to a dog. Some forget the fact that we are animals, a little smarter than others, but animals just the same. And I find it rather intersting that those who are truly insulted by this article don't seem to know how to spell...

What if a book was titled "How to Train a Wife" This is sad staement to both men & woman. Something to think about?

To women out there. If I find out I am being manipulated like this article suggest the relationship I am in is over. That instant. I am not a dog. I am not a whale. I am a human being. If you have a problem with something I do, tell me. And if laying the socks on the floor, and other small annoying habits, are such a big deal maybe you shouldn't have married the guy. Odds are he was doing that stuff before you got married. That is after all the point to dating someone first. To hopefully fall in love with someone special and to see if there is anything about them that you just can't tolerate. Not to figure out what it is you don't like about the guy so you can attempt to change him after you get married. If a guy tried to do something like this to his wife you would be trying to skin him alive.

Here's how to have a man that will do whatever you want and be courteous to your needs:

Oral Sex.

Most married women forget this concept even exists shortly after they get married.

And she discovered behaviorism after 1 year of training animals which are much more primitive than a human being? I thought we have sort of moved on back in the 70s. You know, positive and negative reinforcement to a very limited extent. Was it Thorndike or some other big behaviorist that used this same kind of model on his children? Well, his children abandoned him when they grew up. I will have to agree with the other comments on this page. Its advices like this that put the strain on relationships. People read these little columns in cosmopolitan and decide to experiment in their relationship without real understand of underlying theories. My advice, just go with your heart and don't listen to people that had some short-lived 'success'. No relationship is the same and for you to really apply anything will take at least a degree in psych.

I don't think it's terrible to praise someone (be it husband, child, friend) for doing positive things to help at home (dishes, laundry, bed-making). It sure beats screaming, moaning, tantrums and fights. For that matter men could use the same treatment with women, praise for the things they do help you, and not picking fights and arguing! What alternative suggestions do you have? Finger pointing? Accusatons? Fights? I think commond sense tells you to use positive reinforcement for helpful behaviors and trying to ignore or change the things you think you can't live with. That goes for men or women in my opinion.

This is totally stupid. Man bashing again.

Did you not hate how women were treated in the fifties as dumb airheads?

Why are you trying to breed sexism, what happened to equal rights, isn't this a petty revenge book for all those decades, equal means equal so stop it grow up and try not to be sexist.

I believe we should picket you.

Who approved this? I have sat by and seen men portrayed as fools on comercials, tv shows book and now newsweek, and yahoo, well I'm done just watching, this is stupid, and I bet you that author spent our tax money with some off the wall grant to fund that stupid book.

If I have to write you 57,000 emails I will.

Men and Women need to say enough is enough and we need to treat each other with respect.

I dont know why any man is being offended by this. If you dont want to be "treated like an animal" or simply be praised for doing a good job, then grow up and stop treating your wifes like mom's, (i.e picking up after you, cooking, cleaning, etc). Im not a feminist but men take advantage of women and its about time we take a stand. Its not about finding this "perfect man" to marry, its about helping your man be an ADULT!

To be quite honest about this I have never been so offended as a woman in my life. To even think about doing what this author asks is complete bull*hit!!! No one deserves to be treated in such a manner and it makes me feel disgusted just to be a woman. If you and your spouse can't get along without you treating him like a dog, then get a divorce and call it even. There is no excuse whatsoever for someone to demean another human being like this. I don't know why in the world the publishers would allow this book to even get past a first read, but in my opinion they need to be informed on the ignorance that they have published and how stupid it makes them look. Unfortunately in today's society, the more of a fuss you make over a controversial item, the more it sells no matter what kind of crap it is. All I can say is SO SORRY MEN...not every woman is like this brainless twit that calls herself a writer.