I just got a copy of Aggression In Dogs by Brenda Aloff, along with her book Canine Body Language. I have to say that I am very impressed with both books. I now own an encyclopedia sized amount of information on dog behavior.
I'm curious if anyone here has done the work from Aggression In Dogs, and if they have had any success with it.
A good portion of it is stuff that I either can't do on my own, or isn't really a good idea with my dog (for example, expecting her to be a polite butt sniffer may not be realistic), but I'm just wondering if people here have had any success with the stuff that can be done outside of a class setting.
steve strom Webboard User Reg: 03-17-2006
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I don't know whats in the book, but with dogs I think polite is relative to which dogs they meet. There are dogs that mine will have no problems at all with and others that I'm sure they will.
I'm just real selective about which ones they have contact with and its generally dogs that I've seen and owners I've talked to quite a few times at the right distance. Other then that its obedience and leave it for me.
Theres a lot of desensitizing exercises in the book. Everything from physical handling to dog/dog stuff. I have to say that the information about body language, communication and behavior is amazing.
But a lot of the training exercises assume that the dog simply doesn't have social skills. For example, a dog who was taken from his littermates at three weeks is one of the case studies. According to the author he would greet people with an odd mix of very aggressive body language and inviting facial expressions. So the work was all about teaching him how to greet people appropriately.
My dog, like a good portion of reactive dogs, already knows how to sniff butts and can be very social with the right match. Thats why I wanted to ask what exercises (if any) people found helpful.
Not to change the subject off of that book BUT;
Hands down the best works on dog behavior is the three volume set, Handbook of APPLIED DOG BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING by Steven R. Lindsay.
My dog library goes all the way back to my first book I got in the 50s. I have a ton of them but this is light yrs ahead of the rest.
More like a college text but it's full of tremendous info.
Be prepared to sell a couple of kids or your best car but they are worth every penny.
I have seen that set on here and considered buying it a few times. I like that the first volume is all about how the brain works, and learning based on ethology. That stuff is really super interesting to me.
Like you said, its really expensive. That has been the real obstacle to picking it up. Plus, I'm not as smart as I used to be and with working full time I'm not sure that I would have the mental capacity to absorb all that!
Not to change the subject off of that book BUT;
Hands down the best works on dog behavior is the three volume set, Handbook of APPLIED DOG BEHAVIOR AND TRAINING by Steven R. Lindsay.
My dog library goes all the way back to my first book I got in the 50s. I have a ton of them but this is light yrs ahead of the rest.
More like a college text but it's full of tremendous info.
Be prepared to sell a couple of kids or your best car but they are worth every penny.
Thank you Bob for this info, I had not heard of this author but really looks like the most comprehensive trio of books out there to date. You aren't kidding on how expensive they are sheesh!
But for someone wanting to really delve into how dog's minds work and for all trainers, it sure looks like something to save for. Or, ask for gifts on birthdays etc.
Just wanted to say thanks for the info!
I just want to say that I own two of Brenda Aloff's books, "Canine Body Language," which I recently finished and found very enlightening, and "Get Connected With Your Dog," which I haven't had the pleasure of reading yet.
I don't have her book about aggression so I can't really comment on it, but Brenda is well-known and well-respected by a lot of people I know in my local dog training community. A couple of my instructors have been students of hers and have had success working out problems using her methods.
As far as the series Bob recommends, "Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training," I'd love to add that to my library, but as noted, it's a little pricey. Of course, I could point out to my husband that it's nowhere near the money he just spent for his tractor......
Mine were paid for with a heavy helping from LB gift certificates. The wife and kids know I'm an easy buy for Bday, Christmas, etc.
LB gift certificates also paid for most of my ME DVDS this past yr.
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