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Old November 4th, 2007, 01:44 PM
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JanM JanM is offline
Young at Heart
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mid Vancouver Island
Posts: 1,847
I read almost to the end of the book - and I, too, found some very odd instructions. The eating a cracker while the dog is watching you seems to be to be a little off the wall but some of the stuff I think is pretty good. I do leave and return from my dogs with no fuss, no bother and I do wait for a minute or two until I acknowledge them - this isn't an alpha thing, it's just what I do - mostly because I want to be able to walk away and close the gate without dogs crashing to get out and when I come in I often have groceries or whatever to put down - then I acknowledge the dogs.

I disagree with the "no tugging" with your dog too - I've played tug with both my dogs and they and I enjoy it - ergo - we keep doing it.

I didn't realize she was taking her examples from "tamed" wolves... egad... Dogs do have a pack instinct though and when working with dogs, that has to be considered. I am rethinking the separation anxiety she mentioned - she noted that the dog is worried because it thinks it is Alpha and destroys things in frustration - worry about it's pack... That may have some merit but it will take me a while of observation and thinking to either accept it or reject it.

The author's persistence in mentioning calmness is a good thing...

When I was about half-way through the book I was starting to skip pages and jump ahead - and I did lose some of my enthusiasm for the book about then too - but it does have some good points in it. The problem is for a new dog owner, how to know the good points from the bad.

I did notice she frequently states that when she goes to a new dog for a session she "impresses the dog with her Alpha status" but she never says how she does this... hmm
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