ChowChow.org

Hello Everyone,

One of my favorite things is to curl up with a Chow and a good book. Members recommended "The Other End Of the Leash" by Patricia B McConnell.

This is one behavior book that I could not put down. It did seem to have a lot of reference's to primates but it helped to get the point across. As many of you know I am a reformed "Alpha Roll" person. This book made sure I stay converted.

But nobody told me about the chapter about Mist, one of her dogs. I did have to but the book down as you can not read with tears in your eyes.

Good read, highly recommend if you are interested in animal behaviour.

So what is next on our must read books?

Larry

I just got this book today (The Other End of the Leash)...only a little way through it so far, but I really like it...not just for the training stuff, but the science behind the interaction between people and dogs.

Katalin (Chowfrnd88), you should get some advertising kickbacks from your recommendations of the book . I think I would like to read some of her other stuff when I finish this one. I'll have to check the library to see if they have anything.

Did something sad happen to Mist?

If it did, I'm skipping that chapter.

I'm reading 'Culture Clash' by Jean Dondalson. She has a chow (and was at NorCal Chowfest...) Very very informative. I like the writing style as well, a little different

I just read No dogs in heaven. It is good, no chows but good. The petfinder book has a few chows in there and brought tears, I hate when I do that and yet keep reading dog books. I finally forced myself to read marley and me, thought it was over rated. I thought Amazing Gracie was so much better, and sadder. I will have to look for The other end of the leash

dogdad

Not a dog training book, but I just finished reading Break No Bones by Kathy Reichs. It has a chow in it called Boyd. He must be in some of her other books as well as she (Dr. Tempe Brennan) is the recurring character and the chow belongs to her ex-husband. Anyway, I thought it was kinda cool.

It's actually very rare that I read animal books...training type books or just animal stories. A few years ago, my younger sister bought me Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover's Soul because she knew that I love the Chicken Soup books (I'm a sucker for touching stories), and I'm a huge animal person. I read half of one story in the book and had to return it for a differnt one. I bawled...not just got teary, bawled...never even got through the story but for the next week, every time I thought about it, it made me cry again. No more animal books for me.

I bawled...not just got teary, bawled...never even got through the story but for the next week, every time I thought about it, it made me cry again. No more animal books for me.

It is amazing how they touch our lives. We read about a story with a sad out come and even though we have never met the animal companion they tap such strong emotions from us.

Larry

Larry, I'm glad you liked it. I like all the primate references too because it helps to undertsand why we do some of the things that we do, but I'm not biased or anything since I work with monkeys. I think you're right though, that there might be a bit too much prmate info there for those who really did just pick it up to read about dog behavior.

I still have to read the Jean Donaldson book, it's on top of my reaidng pile.

Amanda, she also has one that just came out in paperback called "For the Love of a Dog."

Finally finished The Other End of the Leash...I really liked the book. It puts a lot of dog behaviors and training issues into perspective. There are so many small things that I started using with my dogs that worked so much better now (the turning away from after calling them to "come" is so helpful). I'm going to go back through it because there was some other stuff I wanted to work on with the girls, but can't remember the specifics.

Someone checked this book out at work this week and I wondered if anyone had read it and what they thought about it:

Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog - Gently and Reliably
by Dale Stavroff

I just ordered 'the other end of the leash' and I can't wait to read it,thanks to larrys tip

Hello Everyone,

In my quest for "How train dogs?" information I have found an excellent book. It is not the normal training book. You know the ones, "This is my way" to train.

This book actually explains what the dog is trying to tell dogs and people around them in their movements.

I am currently reading two others, all three books reference being alpha. It is very interesting to me that this term according to the authors is being used incorrectly and we has humans do not and should not be the pack alpha.

Highly recommended.

On Talking Terms with Dogs:
Calming Signals
Author Turid Rugaas

I'll have to check that out, it sounds interesting. That's why I like Patricia McConnell's books, she has a strong educational background in behavior. The applied animal behaviorists have to have the deep understanding of behavior, that's why there books on training, etc work so well because they're grounded in scientific fact like you said, not the "this is my way to train" type of books.

The incorrect use of alpha and dominance is what I was referring to in one of my repsonses in your other thread here: http://chowchow.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7489&start=0. It's why I hesitate to use the terms in my classes unless I go into a detailed explanation. It's a stark contrast to my work as a biologist. There is some contention among behaviorist as to whether humans can be alpha, it's one of those debated hot topics you'll see pop up over and over in your books.

I loved "Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs" by Caroline Knapp.


Marley & Me??? I cried my cynical, bitchy eyes out!!

Someone checked this book out at work this week and I wondered if anyone had read it and what they thought about it:

Let the Dog Decide: The Revolutionary 15-Minute-a-Day Program to Train Your Dog - Gently and Reliably
by Dale Stavroff
_________________
~Renae

Just finished this one, has some very interesting ideas and some different ones. It is a "this is how I train book" worth the read but I would get it from the library and not purchase it. The author is a dogs do not belong on the bed pet owner.

Larry

The incorrect use of alpha and dominance

This is showing up in more and more of the books I am reading. Authors are stating most studies were done in the 40's and 50's and used wolfs as the data point. Most are of mind that the studies were flawed.

Only one author recommend the alpha roll. Makes you wonder? Many are now asking do you really even want to be the alpha.

Having a large pack I feel blessed, I can now see many of the behaviors quoted in the books some right and some not so.

Larry

Spelling edit

'Culture Clash' by Jean Dondalson

Reading this one now, interesting writing style indeed. Has very strong opinions. Good reading so far.

Larry

zingara_princepessa wrote:I loved "Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs" by Caroline Knapp.


Marley & Me??? I cried my cynical, bitchy eyes out!!

Marley & Me was definitely a tear jerker and a belly laughter book! I didn't even want to read the ending because I knew what was going to happen. My Dad read it first and said he could just picture Sid doing some of the stuff Marley did so I had to read it. I personally loved that book. Not a dog training book at all, just a story of a man and his dog, and as bad as a time he had, that man never gave up on his dog and give him away.

I have a lot of books on my list... Shopping tomorrow.

Marley & Me

One of the first ones I bought to read. Better have some tissue with this one. I did enjoy the story. Seem to remember they have a new dog now. Might be old age but didn't the author and his family have a spot on the dog whisper?

Larry

"Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs" by Caroline Knapp.

Anyone else use Amazon.com just ordered this one for $.88


Larry

While at the flea market last weekend, I picked up The Incredible Journey for nostalgic reasons mostly. I read it when I was a kid and plan to read it again.

[quote="Larry Harris The author is a dogs do not belong on the bed pet owner.

Larry[/quote]

My husband is one of those too. He now knows he can sleep on the floor if he would like but our doggies do ot have to unless they choose to! Some people still think of dogs as animals...I think they are just anouther form of family. It's racism of the furry kind if you ask me!

I just ordered Rescuing Sprite (through the cc.org link to Amazon which helps fund this site).
"Rescuing Sprite is a stunningly intimate look at the love between a family and a dog, one that movingly shows, in Mark Levin's words, that "in the end, we humans are the lucky ones."

let me know how it is, I have it on a wish list

David