THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH: WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AROUND DOGS
Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.
2002
When I read "The Other End of The Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs," I felt like I had met someone who understood my dogs, me, and the importance of our relationships. Patricia McConnell writes as a formally educated Animal Behaviorist, and real-life educated dog owner and dog trainer. Through her writing, she shows her smarts, and she shows her insecurities and mistakes. I love her.
I read this book 9 years ago, so this isn't an actual book review; none of the entries in this week's topic will be. Some authors have touched my heart while they've taught me, and they've inspired me to learn more. Even after 9 years, I feel Patricia McConnell's writing still teaches and inspires me.
These are some of the passages I highlighted while reading "The Other End of the Leash." I hope they reflect why I admire the author so much.
Page 4:
"...dogs are more aware of our subtle movements that we are of our own...it's very much to our own advantage to pay more attention to how we move around our dogs, and how they move around us, because whether we mean to or not, we're always communicating with our bodies. Sure it'd be a good thing if we knew what we were saying."
Page 41:
"Happy, well-trained dogs understand a wealth of information from the sounds that their humans make...But if you analyze our behavior carefully, sometimes I think it's a miracle that our dogs understand us at all."
Page 55:
"Professional animal trainers, who should know as well as anyone how to use sound to communicate to their animals, distinguish themselves from dog owners in one consistent way. They are able to separate their own emotional states from the sounds that they make, making sounds that elicit the response that they want rather than sounds that represent how they are feeling inside."
Page 102:
"...dogs and people both 'self-handicap' and are pretty good at moderating their power if they're playing with someone weaker and smaller than they are. A dog's ability to control the pressure of his jaws, even in an excited frenzy, is truly amazing. But still, mistakes can and do happen, and they can be so serious that it just doesn't seem worth the risk."
Page 119-120:
"Perhaps we, too, reach out to dogs not just to calm them, but to keep their distress from distressing us. But touch doesn't always calm the ones who receive it, not if they are pumped-up and agitated...dogs are as varied as people in how they like to be touched."
Page 148-149:
"Aggression is not a necessary component of dominance...A hierarchical social system allows individuals to resolve conflicts without having to fight. Any individual who truly has a lot of social status has enough power that he or she doesn't need to use force."
Page 165:
"If you have a young, healthy dog, especially one who sleeps in a crate all day long, then either get yourself outside and exercise with your dog or find someone else to do it for you. I say this because a large number of the behavioral problems that I see have their origin in boredom."
Page 166:
"If you want your dog to stop pestering you, then give him what he needs before he has to pester you for it."
Page 170:
"Teaching manners to dogs at the door has become controversial in the world of dog training. Who goes out the door first is significant in human social interactions, and some people think that it is for dogs, too, while other trainers and behaviorists don't. We do know that doorways are significant to humans: we tend to let those whom we hold in high regard go through them first. My own guess, having heard hundreds of clients describe dogfights at doorways, is that there is some social relevance to dogs. What I am sure about is that doorways are another situation in which dogs can either learn to manage their excitement or let their emotions get the best of them."
Page 177:
"Dogs seem to love people who are quiet, cool, and collected and prefer sitting beside them over sitting beside others. We humans, too, are attracted to those rare individuals who have a dignified and quiet sense of power about them."
Page 181:
You may get obedience out of a dog by threatening him, but mostly you're going to get a dog who is afraid of you. Far too often, you'll get a dog who learns to defend himself by getting aggressive back. Aggression leads to more aggression, and many of the dog bites that I see were made in self-defense."
Page 193:
"So much of whether a human and a dog get along, and whether the dog is perceived as being 'obedient,' is based on how their individual natures combine."
Page 212:
"...love isn't always enough. Every dog is different, and that means that, just as with people, every dog needs an environment that brings out the best in her."
Page 213:
"I've come to believe that when an animal comes into our lives, our responsibility is to use our resources and intelligence to provide him with as good a life as possible. The trick is to learn enough about the dog to know what he needs to be really happy and to get our own ego out of the way."
I read this book 9 years ago, so this isn't an actual book review; none of the entries in this week's topic will be. Some authors have touched my heart while they've taught me, and they've inspired me to learn more. Even after 9 years, I feel Patricia McConnell's writing still teaches and inspires me.
These are some of the passages I highlighted while reading "The Other End of the Leash." I hope they reflect why I admire the author so much.
Page 4:
"...dogs are more aware of our subtle movements that we are of our own...it's very much to our own advantage to pay more attention to how we move around our dogs, and how they move around us, because whether we mean to or not, we're always communicating with our bodies. Sure it'd be a good thing if we knew what we were saying."
Page 41:
"Happy, well-trained dogs understand a wealth of information from the sounds that their humans make...But if you analyze our behavior carefully, sometimes I think it's a miracle that our dogs understand us at all."
Page 55:
"Professional animal trainers, who should know as well as anyone how to use sound to communicate to their animals, distinguish themselves from dog owners in one consistent way. They are able to separate their own emotional states from the sounds that they make, making sounds that elicit the response that they want rather than sounds that represent how they are feeling inside."
Page 102:
"...dogs and people both 'self-handicap' and are pretty good at moderating their power if they're playing with someone weaker and smaller than they are. A dog's ability to control the pressure of his jaws, even in an excited frenzy, is truly amazing. But still, mistakes can and do happen, and they can be so serious that it just doesn't seem worth the risk."
Page 119-120:
"Perhaps we, too, reach out to dogs not just to calm them, but to keep their distress from distressing us. But touch doesn't always calm the ones who receive it, not if they are pumped-up and agitated...dogs are as varied as people in how they like to be touched."
Page 148-149:
"Aggression is not a necessary component of dominance...A hierarchical social system allows individuals to resolve conflicts without having to fight. Any individual who truly has a lot of social status has enough power that he or she doesn't need to use force."
Page 165:
"If you have a young, healthy dog, especially one who sleeps in a crate all day long, then either get yourself outside and exercise with your dog or find someone else to do it for you. I say this because a large number of the behavioral problems that I see have their origin in boredom."
Page 166:
"If you want your dog to stop pestering you, then give him what he needs before he has to pester you for it."
Page 170:
"Teaching manners to dogs at the door has become controversial in the world of dog training. Who goes out the door first is significant in human social interactions, and some people think that it is for dogs, too, while other trainers and behaviorists don't. We do know that doorways are significant to humans: we tend to let those whom we hold in high regard go through them first. My own guess, having heard hundreds of clients describe dogfights at doorways, is that there is some social relevance to dogs. What I am sure about is that doorways are another situation in which dogs can either learn to manage their excitement or let their emotions get the best of them."
Page 177:
"Dogs seem to love people who are quiet, cool, and collected and prefer sitting beside them over sitting beside others. We humans, too, are attracted to those rare individuals who have a dignified and quiet sense of power about them."
Page 181:
You may get obedience out of a dog by threatening him, but mostly you're going to get a dog who is afraid of you. Far too often, you'll get a dog who learns to defend himself by getting aggressive back. Aggression leads to more aggression, and many of the dog bites that I see were made in self-defense."
Page 193:
"So much of whether a human and a dog get along, and whether the dog is perceived as being 'obedient,' is based on how their individual natures combine."
Page 212:
"...love isn't always enough. Every dog is different, and that means that, just as with people, every dog needs an environment that brings out the best in her."
Page 213:
"I've come to believe that when an animal comes into our lives, our responsibility is to use our resources and intelligence to provide him with as good a life as possible. The trick is to learn enough about the dog to know what he needs to be really happy and to get our own ego out of the way."
1 comment:
I like the first quote about dogs being aware of our subtle movements and that we should be "aware of what we're saying." It reminds me of when I took Sammi for her Dog Obedience trial for the first time. I had read that many dogs who are perfectly well trained totally bomb at their first show because the owner is so nervous that he or she is not even recognizable to the dog. So I decided to take time for some deep breathing, relaxation, etc., before going into the ring.
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