The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Patricia B. McConnell
Language: English
Pages: 246
ISBN: 034544678X
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
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.
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new family. Katherine knows she made the right choice. Tasha is happy in her new home, Katherines remaining dogs get along well, and both she and her dogs are enjoying the peace that comes with a good decision. And yet, even years later, knowing that she made a good choice, Katherine has moments when the pain comes back, thinking of the day that her dog slipped so neatly into a new pack, when she herself felt as if her own had shattered. Greater Love Hath No Owner Some of the hardest cases
known that she hadn't lived here all her life. Lassie loves me dearly now, I am sure of that. I am equally sure that if something happened to me, Lassie could be happy with someone else who communicated clearly to her, who rubbed her belly at night, and who had sheep for her to work. I am not saying it's acceptable to pass dogs around like an old paperback book. What I'm saying is that, although Lassie needs someone who loves her, love isn't always enough. Every dog is different, and that means
weather of Chesapeake Bay, they are famous for being tough, independent, and just a little bit stubborn. Although I try to avoid stereotyping breeds, because it can blind you to the true nature of the dog with which you re working, Chester looked like a cartoon of a classic male Chessie when he trotted into my office. He had the huge square head that goes along with a lot of testosterone in dogs and humans. (Think of the jaw structure of a classically handsome man compared to that of a
other words, if I found a way to exert enough force, I could get you to comply, but I'd only need it if I didn't have enough power in the first place. “Status,” “dominance,” and “aggression” are completely different things, and it does our dogs no good when we confuse them. Status is a position or rank within a society, while dominance describes a relationship among individuals, with one having more status than others in a particular context. Aggression is not a necessary component of dominance.
night, but during the daytime onslaught, theyd settle down by my feet. I thought Luke was managing. I was wrong, and it almost killed him. Luke must have left the yard when the roofers arrived to resume their pounding. I had gotten on the phone when my neighbors, John and Connie Mudore, appeared with Luke a few minutes later. Lts a miracle that he wasnt killed. Fve never seen the road so busy. I love all my dogs so much that it hurts sometimes. But as much as I love each of them, it is
