There's A Baby in the House: Preparing your Dog for the Arrival of your Child

The book is short, direct and to the point. It's well organized and heavily cross referenced making it easy to use. I highly recommend it.


An awesome help   April 11, 2003
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

My wife and I bought this book when she was six months pregnant and I must say that of all the preparatory books we bought for her pregnancy, this was one of the most helpful.

It very directly addressed every issue we faced with our own dog and simply and directly helped us to resolve them.

I was inspired to write this review as a response to the one that preceded it where the reviewer suggests that the exercises contained in this book could lead to methods that are harsh. Clearly the reviewer has not read the book himself, for nothing could have been further from the truth. None of the methods suggested in this book are by any stretch of the imagination harsh and by no means did they create fear. In fact, since working with what was outlined in this book we now have the best relationship we've ever had with our dog - one based on mutual trust and respect. It is clear that the author of this book has had extensive experience and a deep understanding of the psychology of dogs as everything he suggested worked beautifully and most importantly, humanely. And the proof of the pudding was that when our baby arrived the transition was, as the last chapter in the book suggests, seamless. We are all one big happy family in large part thanks to this book.

If you're having concerns about how your dog will receive your child this book is a must!


Caution: Flawed information   March 27, 2003
Jeff Harper (Tampa, FL United States)
9 out of 14 found this review helpful

Even in Amazon's excerpted text here online, you will find that this book presents quite a bit of misinformation as fact and profound insight.

This book, as many do, bases advice on an incorrect understanding of canine rank and leadership. These popular miconceived assertions originate from a common but unrealistic view of wolf pack behavior. But those premised behaviors/interactions simply don't occur in reality, according to genuine wolf biologists, and according to genuine dog experts such as Suzanne Clothier.

What's the harm? The harm is that many authors with such misconceptions recommend treatment and exercises that are harsh, unecessary, and unproductive. Worse, in some cases they can undermine trust and actually create fear.. And mistrust and fear are the primary reasons most dog bites occur.

Take such instructions and falsely authoritative explanations with a grain of salt and a bit of caution.

Jeff


The best book on the subject   November 29, 2002
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

When faced with my own pregnancy I looked over the handful of books available on the topic of dogs and babies and found every answer I needed in this book. The others, while helpful in some ways, were not nearly as comprehensive and succinct. This book is not theoretical in the least and does not bother the reader with long abstract tracts on the psychology of dogs. It simply provides a host of immediately helpful advice with enough explanation to help the reader understand why they're doing what they're doing. It's a practical, hands on, well written and user friendly guide that helped me ease myself and my dog through a huge transition with the arrival of my baby. There are tons of photographs and illustrations that make this book as easy on the eye as on the mind. Hurray to this author for cutting away the fat and giving us what really works.

It's no wonder it was featured on "Good Day New York," and in Fit Pregnancy Magazine.


A few headaches less.......   July 18, 2002
Marie J. Walker (Santa Fe, NM)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful

We expected our first baby and were very concerned about our dog who had been our "baby" until now. We searched the web for help and came across this book. It was exactly what we needed. We read it, followed the simple instructions and as a result have a great baby and a happy dog, therefore as said, quite a few headaches less. Great book!