I already agree with Arnold's principles, especially in ridiculing the idea that we should behave like wolves. I couldn't agree more with Arnold over the importance of play for both our species. I've spent hours observing and photographing my own dogs' play habits, and I've never read such detailed, accurate accounts of dogs' play behaviour, with each other and with humans. My favourite chapter, however, was that on play it made me want to rush outside with my Great Pyrenees and bounce. I enjoyed all the tales of how various service dogs have enabled their new owners to live fuller lives. I was already fascinated by dogs' unexplained capacity to predict epileptic seizures, so it was interesting to read of how this emerges in the training of Canine Assistants. I trust her integrity and her anecdotes ring true, reminding us of how wonderful the relationship between dog and human can be, beyond the current explanations of science. This personal context is the basis of the whole book and I found the author to be good dog-loving company, with extensive experience in a particular sector of the dog world. The opening chapter describes Jennifer Arnold's personal circumstances and the background to her life's work as founder of Canine Assistants, one of the USA's largest canine service associations. What a treasure for a dog-lover! A rich mix of anecdotes, teaching suggestions and thoughts on current research, based on twenty years' experience training golden retrievers and labradors as companions for people with special needs. I will highly recommend this book to my clients, along with Sophia Yin's "How To Behave So Your Dog Behaves" and Jean Donaldson's "Culture Clash." These books should be on every dog owner's "Must Read" list. The book finishes with several chapters on basic behavioral "training" (I use the word "training" in quotation marks as she does not like this term) for many common issues dog owners face. She intertwines personal stories from her experiences with her non-profit organization (Canine Assistants) with brief synopses of canine behavioral research. Unfortunately, Cesar Milan is more prominent in the media (I usually like Oprah, but I am still very angry at her for the introduction of Cesar Milan to the mass public). And her views are not unique - many other prominent researchers, behaviorists, and veterinarians also have proven these methods. Jennifer Arnold promotes positive reinforcement, and truly understands how a dog thinks and works. Also, dogs may have evolved from wolves, but they are NOT wolves! We have selected traits and behaviors over thousands of years that have created a completely different species with their own unique set of behaviors. Yes, he does say some common sense things that make sense (such as the importance of exercising your pets), but many of his methods are based on old research of wolf packs that were artificially formed in captivity and do not reflect how true wolf packs actually work. This is a fantastic book - I'm a veterinarian with a special interest in behavior, and on an almost daily basis I find I have to battle against information that trainers such as Cesar Milan employ - dominance methods do NOT help in the vast majority of cases, and can often make many problems worse. Stories drawn from Arnold's life and the lives of the dogs who were her greatest teachers are convincing, unforgettable, and compelling testimony and make this book a heart-warming, captivating read that will forever change the way you see your dog by showing you the way your dog sees the world. Arnold's firsthand experience-from what moved her to start her exemplary nonprofit and how she developed her methodology-guides this book and gives it a powerful emotional heft. Relationships between dogs and humans go awry when we fail to understand our dogs and when we send them confusing, mixed signals. To Arnold, dogs are neither wolves in need of a pack leader nor babies in need of coddling rather, they are extremely trusting beings attuned to their owners' needs and they aim to please. Her training method is based on teaching dogs to make choices-as opposed to following commands-through kindness and encouragement rather than fear and submission, and her results are extraordinary. Arnold has developed a unique understanding of dogs' capabilities, intelligence, sensitivity, and extra-sensory skills. A stirring, inspiring book with the power to change the way we understand and communicate with our dogs.įew people are more qualified to speak about the abilities and potential of dogs than Jennifer Arnold, who for the past twenty years has trained service dogs for people with physical disabilities and special needs.
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