Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 67
 Help in Understanding Dogs November 13, 2007
Niki Morrissey (Colorado)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I am a dog trainer who works with a lot of novice dog owners. This book is really helpful in explaining to clients what their dogs may really be feeling and why. It is a great book for anyone who wants to understand their dog and improve the relationship. Although it is not a dog training book, it is very helpful to improve training success and communication. It is also an enjoyable read.
Warmly informative - should be on every dog owner's bookshelf November 7, 2007
Joseph A. Soltero (New York, New York United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
My partner and I have a beautiful and loving Shetland Sheepdog as part of our family. I purchased this book in an attempt to better understand him, why he does the things that he does, how to know if he's happy, and what I can do if he's not.
Patricia McConnell writes with such warm concern and intimate tone that you feel as though you're sharing a cup of coffee or tea with her somewhere. Her writing is lucid and witty, her anecdotes personal and insightful, and her level of detail and explanation show a deep, genuine passion for what she does.
McConnell addresses the question of whether dogs (and indeed animals in general) feel emotions, and if they are aware of them. While she presents both sides of the argument down to the scientific explanations either way, she is quick to share her belief and experience that dogs do feel, express, and may be aware of their emotions - though not in the same way as humans - and she devotes entire chapters to emotions such as fear, anger, happiness, and love to show exactly how that is.
She details examples of a dog's facial expressions and posture (with pictures) and then compares them to those of humans to illustrate their physical similarities and how they surface on similar occasions. From this we can argue that just as we show happiness by pulling up the corners of our mouths, crinkling our eyes, and rounding our face, so too must a dog showing these same facial features (plus the added wagging tail) be interpreted as a happy dog. The fact that a dog never exhibits all of these features together and then, say, bites a human can be submitted as proof that the dog is feeling happy. While this may seem obvious to many of us, McConnell is quick to discuss scientists of both today and centuries ago who discredited this explanation as hopelessly anthropomorphic, believing these to be simply automatic and emotionless responses to external stimuli.
McConnell also explains the important differences between human and dog behavior. I had no idea that dogs prefer not to be hugged. I never would've questioned it until seeing her pictures and reading the discomfort in her dogs' faces, and then even trying it out on my own dog and feeling him remain motionless and looking away. Indeed she argues that many adult dogs have learned that hugging is a human expression, which they'll tolerate, but caution must be had with puppies who may feel threatened by this behavior.
These kinds of differences sometimes are the cause of negative relations between a human and his pet dog. McConnell's job as an Animal Behaviorist is meant to bring both human and pet to a kind of understanding when possible, to enable the human to read his dog's signals, and, more often than not, to train the human to be conscious of his actions and movements in order not to mistakenly give off the wrong signal.
This book provides a wealth of information about these topics and more, such as how our brain differs from that of our dogs, how to train or condition your dog to be loyal and obedient, and what to do when you need help, for she reassures owners that they can't always do everything. I greatly enjoyed and recommend reading this book, and am eagerly reading her other book, The Other End of the Leash.
Good story, but not a training book October 17, 2007
Libby Nance (Chesnee, SC)
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I was looking for a book to teach me some training tips. This is not it. I can't seem to find one that simply says, "Do this, and this and the dog will do this and in two weeks he/she will be a happier dog and you will be stress free!" There ain't one. This is a story about her love for her dogs and it is a great story, but buy it for a story, not training.
A non-reader, dog lover and shelter volunteer October 12, 2007
S. Hasson (pittsburgh, pa)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I am not much of a reader and decided to get this cd set to listen to in the car during my commute to work. I just finished the last (10th) cd. I don't know what to do with myself while driving now. The radio doesn't interest me anymore. I began listening to the cds again! I am going to buy 2 of the books, one for me and one for a friend. I will use mine to highlight items I want to reference regularly.
Truly, if you want to understand your dog, and any other, better, you can't beat this book! It was very worthwhile. Too bad every dog trainer hasn't read this book.
I volunteer at a shelter as a dog walker. I walk the dogs who are new to the shelter and they have yet to be behavior evaluated. Tips in this book will help me "read" the dogs and understand what they are feeling.
Get this book (or cd set)!!! You won't be sorry!
 sounds good to me October 10, 2007
Marge E. Ehrenpfort (California)
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
Not all the way thru yet but the book shares much of my own philosophy. Worth reading.
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