The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
by Patricia B. McConnell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Patricia B. McConnellBrand: Random House
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2003-04-29
ISBN: 034544678X
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Book Reviews of The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Book Review: Intoxicating insight between the relationship of dog and human!!
Summary: 5 Stars
Just a warning this is a pretty lengthy review, but you can just skip down to the"Why I Like this book" section to get a good idea.
After finishing this book I felt obligated to write a review as I have simply fallen in love with Patricia McConnell, her life experiences, thirst for knowledge, and of course her own dogs.
Before I began this post, I wanted to see what the people who had given the book a 1-star had to say and it made me want to write this all the more. In one review, the person stated they got the book to, "Gain any insight on remedies to help me along with my dog I rescued who has trauma and is an alpha female dog and can't walk on a leash or socialize with other dogs/people." Their problem with the book was "This book didn't even go into any training techniques, Patricia Connell just was so into her own dogs, that I felt like I was reading a expose' on her dog's lives." I think that this is a great example of ignorance and an excellent example as to why it was such a brilliant book. First of all, on the first page right after the title page under "Notes From The Author," McConnell writes, "There's actually very little that's intuitive about handling and training a dog, especially one with a serious behavior problem, and there's no substitute for getting a helpful coach who can help you one-on-one." This just goes to show that even though McConnell is an expert on this subject(which I feel anyone who writes a book should feel about themselves) that she knows that you cannot solve you or your dogs problems just by reading a book. She gives exactly what the person said they wanted from the book which was INSIGHT to understanding not MEDTHODS to fixing your dog. As for the comment about her dogs, the relationship she has with them is what I feel is a major motivator for her to be so involved in this field and why her book is so popular(I will go into more detail about her dogs later).
A little about the author. Patricia McConnell is an Applied Animal Behaviorist, which she states numerous times throughout the book(another complaint from a 1-star reviewer) with a list of credentials worth mentioning. She did her research for her Ph.D on the relationship between what sounds humans make and the reaction they have on animals. Although I do not know if she is still is as involved in it, McConnell saw cases of dogs with aggression and behavioral issues at her business Dog's Best Friend Training. She tours across the country giving speeches and seminars on human/dog relationships. However a lot of her great insight comes from her experiences on her farm with her many generations of Border Collies and Great Pyrenees Dogs that which are vital parts for raising her sheep. She has competed in sheep herding competitions and I do believe bred or at least studded Border Collies.
With that said let me get to why I loved this book. Patricia McConnel has a wealth of knowledge whether it be from her studies, experiences working with behavioral cases, or from her experiences with her own dogs and uses them all to give great insight to her readers with a goal of helping them to begin to understand what their dog(s) are doing and why she feels they do it. She begins each chapter with an anecdote then goes on to add her information on the topic and supports every bit of it with some sort of research(a quick glance in the back of the book and you will become dumbstruck at the amount of references she uses to support her ideas and thought processes using anything from research on wolves to horses to primates). While some research was over my head, her anecdotes and personal insight are what kept me reading. Her thirst for knowledge and love for her dogs radiates throughout her book and I as well found myself helplessly in love with them enough to the point that it saddened me greatly when I learned that 3 of them had passed. She covers topics like sounds, sense of smell, body language, dominance, playing, how to choose a dog, personalities, and grieving. Her book was not a how-to on tricks or behavior modification, rather it was to help the average dog owner to better understand their dog(s) in order form a desired relationship with them. If you are looking for immediate solutions or answers to your dog's existing problems this will not give you what you want. However, for great insight between the animals on both ends of the leash look no further than Patricia McConnell.
On a side note, I purchased this book along with another highly recommended a positively reviewed book from another author but refused to start the other book until I purchased and read McConnell's other book "For The Love Of A Dog." Happy to report that although I just began it, I feel like I will be writing a similar review for it as well.
Summary of The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
The Other End of the Leash shares a revolutionary, new perspective on our relationship with dogs, focusing on our behavior in comparison with that of dogs. An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.After all, although humans and dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation.
The Other End of the Leash demonstrates how even the slightest changes in your voice and the way you stand can help your dog understand what you want. Once you start to think about your own behavior from the perspective of your dog, you?ll understand why much of what appears to be doggy-disobedience is simply a case of miscommunication. Inside you will learn
? How to use your voice so that your dog is more likely to do what you ask.
? Why ?getting dominance? over your dog is a bad idea.
? Why ?rough and tumble primate play? can lead to trouble?and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of trouble.
? How dogs and humans share personality types?and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than ?alphawannabees!?
In her own insightful, compelling style, Patricia McConnell combines wonderful true stories about people and dogs with a new, accessible scientific perspective on how they should behave around each other. This is a book that strives to help you make the most of life with your dog, and to prevent problems that might arise in that most rewarding of relationships.
From the Hardcover edition.
The Other End of the Leash begins with an eloquently simple premise: "All dogs are brilliant at perceiving the slightest movement that we make, and they assume each tiny movement has meaning." With that in mind, all of Dr. Patricia McConnell's recommendations for communicating with your canine make immediate sense. Don't we all automatically bend forward when coaxing a dog to come and play? Break eye contact when we wish to avoid a confrontation? While these instinctive behaviors are right on target, a number of other habits aren't so positive, and McConnell helps us break them with both humor and common sense.
Chapters are categorized by senses such as sound, sight, and smell; specific pack behaviors such as dominance and play also merit their own sections. McConnell uses the same humor and patience she recommends with dogs on her readers. Whether she's referring to maggots as "a value-added commodity in canine economics" or ruminating on attempts to verbally cue her dogs to exit the house one at a time, her wise and gently self-deprecating book brings training--of both dogs and humans--to new levels. Jill Lightner
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