Leader of the Pack

Rating:
Summary: Someone's got to be top dog
Review: People forget that dogs do have a lot of the wolf in them. Pack structure is extremely important. If one of the owners is not top dog (Alpha) then the dog will take it upon himself to be the Alpha. Even small dogs have attitude. That does not mean you rule him with an iron fist. It all comes down to discipline. This book tries to illustrate dominance in a non physical way. Very helpful if you have a dog with attitude (big or small) and want to work with him and overcome some of your training difficulties. Any dog with an uncontrolled dominating attitude is a liability. Some owners have the best intentions, but when they become lax in their training and their dog gets "attitude" they are fearful of trying to work it out. Sometimes YOU have to be an Alpha every day if you want to keep your dog. All dogs are not Lassie and sometimes owners forget that training is a lifetime commitment. It's not over in 1 year. With a dominant dog you must constantly be in charge. And for some people maybe owning a dominant dog or a dog like a rottie or Shepherd shouldn't be for them. Vigilance is the key.

Rating:
Summary: Dominance isn't everything
Review: The most important thing about this book is that it helps readers (as do other books of its ilk) understand the world through dogs' eyes. Some of the biggest problems that arise among dogs and their owners stem from owners' human-centered perceptions of canine behavior. We love to ascribe human motivations and dispositions to our dogs - this makes us feel like they are even more a part of our family (I know plenty of childless people, for example, who treat their pets, which are clearly surrogate children, exactly like human parents treat their own offspring). So, books that give us a "dog's eye view" on the human world are essential for promoting good pet-human relations.

On the other hand, I think any book that focuses so much attention on dominance relations as central to the lives of dogs (and I'm not denying that they are very important), itself falls victim to anthropocentrism, and, more specifically, ethnocentrism. American society feeds on the myth that people who eat first, control interactions, maintain a dominant posture, go first, control their space and possessions, are aggressive towards outsiders, and exude confidence and, well, social dominance, SHOULD be leaders. In truth, this is only one model for human leadership and it may not be the only model used in dog society either.

On a related note, one of the reviewers below claims authoritatively that dogs don't have a neocortex.

CORRECTION: Dogs DO have a neocortex. Humans (and other primates) have a larger neocortex with greater surface area, but they are not the only creature blessed with the faculties that a neocortex affords. The reviewer who made this claim is attracted, for whatever reasons, to literature and folklore that identify a clear boundary between humans and the rest of animal-kind. However, like it or not, neurological research shows us that this boundary is fuzzy at best.

Anthropocentric worldviews abound and we should take them all with a grain of kibble!

Rating:
Summary: Dominance isn't everything
Review: The most important thing about this book is that it helps readers (as do other books of its ilk) understand the world through dogs' eyes. Some of the biggest problems that arise among dogs and their owners stem from owners' human-centered perceptions of canine behavior. We love to ascribe human motivations and dispositions to our dogs - this makes us feel like they are even more a part of our family (I know plenty of childless people, for example, who treat their pets, which are clearly surrogate children, exactly like human parents treat their own offspring). So, books that give us a "dog's eye view" on the human world are essential for promoting good pet-human relations.

On the other hand, I think any book that focuses so much attention on dominance relations as central to the lives of dogs (and I'm not denying that they are very important), itself falls victim to anthropocentrism, and, more specifically, ethnocentrism. American society feeds on the myth that people who eat first, control interactions, maintain a dominant posture, go first, control their space and possessions, are aggressive towards outsiders, and exude confidence and, well, social dominance, SHOULD be leaders. In truth, this is only one model for human leadership and it may not be the only model used in dog society either.

On a related note, one of the reviewers below claims authoritatively that dogs don't have a neocortex.

CORRECTION: Dogs DO have a neocortex. Humans (and other primates) have a larger neocortex with greater surface area, but they are not the only creature blessed with the faculties that a neocortex affords. The reviewer who made this claim is attracted, for whatever reasons, to literature and folklore that identify a clear boundary between humans and the rest of animal-kind. However, like it or not, neurological research shows us that this boundary is fuzzy at best.

Anthropocentric worldviews abound and we should take them all with a grain of kibble!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: This book is excellent, especially for first time dog owners. I have a very stubborn Boxer/American Bulldog puppy that just would not do things when told. This book has really help us out, especially with are walks. I would recommend this book to anyone with obedience training as well. It is worth every dollar spent.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: This book is excellent, especially for first time dog owners. I have a very stubborn Boxer/American Bulldog puppy that just would not do things when told. This book has really help us out, especially with are walks. I would recommend this book to anyone with obedience training as well. It is worth every dollar spent.

Rating:
Summary: Leader of the Pack
Review: This book is something every dog owner should read! I bought it because I was having an aggression problem with one of my dogs. It not only gave me the answers I needed for that problem, but opened my eyes to many other problems I had created in all three of my dogs. I considered myself pretty knowledgable when it came to handling dogs, but this book was an eye opener. Things I thought were cute, are NOT, and that was a shock to me. This book is great if you are having problems, and great if you just want a heads up to be informed on dog behavior, as well as people behavior! With this book I realized it was really a problem with me, and not so much my dog. She was just doing what I was allowing her to do. This is a must read!!!!

Rating:
Summary: The answer to an obedience trainer/behaviorist's prayer
Review: This book is the most succinct, well-written treatise in print on what is takes to own a dog. A previous review of this book criticized it because it discusses the dog's ancestry to the wolf and ignored the years of domestication of dogs. The wolf ancestry of domestic dogs cannot be ignored when owning a dog. Alot of people are not meant to be dog owners or should only own certain breeds. This book delivers critical information on behaviorism. We teach dog training using Karen Pryor's technique's of positive reinforcement, but this alone is not enough to be a successful dog owner. Owning a dog is a lot of work and owning a rottweiler is not the same as owning a golden retriever. People must understand the canine psyche and be equipped with the knowledge of how to demonstrate pack leadership over a dog, along with training, in order to have a 'good dog'. Pack leadership is needed along with the principles of positive reinforcement to elicit good canine behavior. One is not a replacement for the other. This book is required reading for the beginner dog class. It equips the students with the knowledge of canine behaviorism they need. Every dog owner should have this book. Every potential dog owner should read this book and use it to decide if they are meant to be a dog owner. It is an excellent book.

Rating:
Summary: A must have for all dog owners!
Review: This book provides a clear, concise explanation of how to establish dominance with your dog, an all too often ignored aspect of sharing your life with our canine companions. If this book were included with every puppy or dog, we would have far less dogs brought to shelters due to behavioral problems. I highly recommend this book to all of my clients!

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic book to build a great relationship with your dog
Review: This book saved my dog's life! I was at my wit's end with him until I read this book. I didn't realize I could do so many things wrong! With a few weeks of several minor lifestyle modifications, my dog went from a holy terror to the most wonderful thing in my life. Thank you to the authors for their fabulous insight!

Rating:
Summary: Helpful to Some
Review: This book would be most helpful for people who are having problems with an aggressive dog. I was looking more for something that would give suggestions for a less severe way of keeping these problems from arising. The author assumes that you have a large dog. My pup, at 13 pounds, does not fit into some of the situations. - I just read the first part of each chapter.I would only recommend this book to people with larger, aggressive dogs.