Dog Aggression and The Canine Aggression Workbook

 

Dog aggression is scary. So scary that owners of aggressive dogs often go into denial about the problem until it gets worse... sometimes a lot worse.

The Canine Aggression HandbookBetter to catch it early, and The Canine Aggression Workbook by James O'Heare can help you do this. Or if it is too late to catch it early, there is still a lot you can do in most cases. (In rare situations, euthanasia is the best choice, and the book looks at this.)

O'Heare has an academic background, and the book is quite technically written in parts, where it describes different classes of dog aggression, learning theory, and treatment modalities.

Mercifully, each chapter has a short summary for dog owners who don't want to wade through all the technical details. As I read it, I found the "Take Home Message" summaries left out a lot of interesting material, so if you are the owner of an aggressive dog, or one that shows some worrisome signs, I'd suggest skimming through the whole book as well as reading the summaries more closely. This book requires some effort, but is worth it for increasing your understanding of canine aggression and what it means. And of course, as O'Heare himself suggests, do consult a dog behavior counselor as needed.

I was pleased that this book uses positive training methods only! If you want to work with a trainer who uses primarily positive methods, there is an international list at the website of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

How do you know if you own a dog with potential aggression problems? O'Heare says, "Have you heard your dog growl at someone? If yes, then you have a problem. Has your dog ever snapped at anyone? If yes, then you have a problem."

The book offers a lot of information on treatment and managing dog aggression, for example, if you have a dog who is nervous around men with beards, then it's up to you to do some training and also to manage situations when men with beards might be around your dog.

THE CANINE AGGRESSION WORKBOOK is available at Dogwise.com.

If you need a wake up call or even if you just want to be more informed about dog aggression, here is a good site to know about: Dogbitelaw.com documents the dog bite epidemic in the US, and provides a lot of information. The attorney who runs it has created a real labor of love, with many articles, tips, and facts.

James O'Heare has written several other books as well. He is obviously quite deeply involved in dogs beyond just dog aggression. Here are a couple of these; the links take you to Dogwise.

Dominance theory and dogsDOMINANCE THEORY AND DOGS An exploration of the theory of dominance and how it applies to domestic dogs. Dominance is one of the most controversial topics in the dog behavior and training field and is ripe with confusion and misunderstanding. This book is an evaluation of dominance theory as it applies to dogs and is a contribution to the ongoing debate.

 

 

 

CANINE NEUROPSYCHOLOGY FOR DOG BEHAVIOR COUNSELORS & TRAINERS, 2ND EDITION Canine Neuropsychology is an introduction to the canine nervous system and endocrine system and how trainers, behaviorists and even dog owners can use this knowledge to train dogs or modify their behavior. The book explains how the nervous system and endocrine system work and how stimuli are Inputted, processed, organized and then outputted in the FORM of behavioral responses. The book describes how this information can be used in treating behavior problems or even just living more easily with dogs. The book describes stress in detail and suggests a treatment plan based on mental and physical stimulation as well as nutritional intervention. The book also describes medications and nutritional supplementation that can help bring a bog back to his mental peak.

If you are dealing with dog aggression, don't procrastinate. How would you feel if your dog bit a child on the face? (That's an all-too-common scenario.)

Rosana and dog

Rosana's Ramblings:

I have had some dog aggression problems myself. When we had three dogs and the third was a Komondor -- a dominant, livestock-guarding breeding -- the Komondor really terrorized our young Australian Shepherd and frequently argued with our Rhodesian Ridgeback. We worked on the problem by keeping the dogs apart unless we were present, and ultimately we gave the Komondor away to a situation where the people knew the story and she was their only dog.

Dog aggression can be very frustrating to deal with. I have written some articles on how to handle dog aggression in my blog. Here is one: Nine Tips if Your Dog Becomes Aggressive.

If you have an dog aggression problems, do order THE CANINE AGGRESSION WORKBOOK from Dogwise.com today!
 
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