Don't remember where I heard this, but ... I remember reading that they (the monks) don't OFA hips, elbows, etc. Anyone else heard this?

Now that I'm thinking about it, they do have a video.

I have actually read both books and watched all three videos. The book "How to Be Your Dog's Best Freind" is in my opinion a great book. I think it really brings a heigtened level of understanding between people and their dog's. The videos on the other hand are another story. To get right to it, they were just down right weird. They would always like fade in and out with weird camera angles and music and this was intentional. It was like they were trying to force their spirituality on you with the videos. Whereas the books they only did that in the back of the book.

HI all I really enjoyed their books and make it a requirement for any of my dog clients or puppy buyers. I love their books, they try and get the reader to go to that plain with their dogs like a good owner/handler/trainer should. I think as a trainer you should try and get your clients to get to that place where they connect. Some times it happens and sometimes it does not. But I believe as a goal, if they, the owners go away with a better understand of their dog, they have half the batttle won, dont you think. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />aw:

I've read all of them, including the first, which included the alpha roll. Someone suggested wolves only roll to kill, earlier on another thread but in that book, they said they roll when fighting, and don't fight to the death, just to establish pack order, which is they fight until one gives up, submits, as in ok, you win. It's not really the alpha rolling but the beta submitting. When a human does it, it's the Alpha rolling.

A friend gave me that book when he asked me to watch his 95 lb 6 onth old Malamute, and I rolled his ass for 3 days, and he knew where the borders were, and behaved well, save for wanting to dance with my then 7 yr old who wasn't too keen on the fact that this pup was as big as he.
That was twenty years ago, and they no longer include this technique in the revised edition. Rolling is something they understand, but unless you enjoy dOgfu (love it), it is
dangerous, but so is a dog thinking he's the boss.
They also wrote the The Pursuit of Happiness, which though
has nada to do with our K9 pals, was a good read on contemplative thought.
Soft? I don't think so, a bit more cerebral, maybe!
That's a good thing, in my book.

I prefer the exploding elbow technique, followed by a back splash. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Here's a pop quiz for you guys.

How many years old is this thread?

hahaha.... thats pretty bad.

They have written a new verision of the book since this thread was started.

The Alpha Roll was a tool that was described in the first edition of this book. It's been left out of the second edition and with good reason. The Alpha Roll only teaches the dog something that he already knows, that you're bigger and stronger than he is. It can ruin a good relationship and can get you seriously injured if the dog decides not to permit it.

Dogs don't "roll" one another. If you watch it closely you'll see that the dominant dog does NOT push the submissive dog to the ground and then roll him over. The dominant dog merely puts his paw on the submissive dog's shoulder and the submissive dog does all the work. He goes to the ground and then rolls onto his back. That's completely different than what happens when a human follows the protocol in the Monk's book.

It's a good way to get yourself bit on the face if the dog decides to fight it. There are better ways to establish dominance. Do a search for a post I wrote called, surprisingly, "Establishing Dominance."

So the "exploding elbow" would be off the list??? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />