EDITOR ' S CHOICE | BOOKS, DVDs AND MORE
Editor’ s Choice
Aggressive Behavior in Dogs: A Comprehensive Technical Manual for Professionals – 3rd edition
Written by James O’ Heare, illustration by Jaq Bunn BehaveTech Publishing, Ottawa, Canada, www. BehaveTech. com, published 2017, 248 pages. Where to purchase: Dogwise Publishing, $ 49.96 for paperback, $ 17.95 ebook; Amazon, paperback, $ 49.95, Kindle, $ 9.99.
“ Does society really have an‘ aggressive behavior problem’ with dogs?” James O’ Heare examines this question and more in this third rendition of his technical manual for dog training professionals. The manual has been revised and updated from its 2014 second edition.
In his 2017 version, O’ Heare discusses various aspects of aggressive behaviors and offers practical protocols and approaches for various dog aggression scenarios, including leash, possessive and territorial aggression; aggression brought on by medical or genetic conditions; and many more. He also includes an example of a thorough behavioral assessment review that dog training and behavior professionals can use for information gathering and eventually creating a behavior management plan.
This book is geared to a professional audience. I highly recommend it to dog trainers who want to learn more about handling aggression cases, as well as those already working in this area.— reviewed by Tatiana Yastremski
Worzel Says Hello! Will You Be My Friend?
Written by Catherine Pickles Illustrations by Chantal Bourgonje
Hubble & Hattie Publishing, a division of Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, England, published September 2017. Where to purchase: hubbleandhattie. com; Amazon and BN. com for around $ 9.99 hardcover.
“ Worzel Says Hello! Will You Be My Friend?” is a delightfully illustrated children’ s book on how to teach children to interact with their own dogs and the pets of people they meet. The author, Catherine Pickles, in her introduction explains this is what her mum taught her about being around animal.“ When we met new dogs out and about, we knew to wait until the owner invited us to say helot to their dog, and we stood still and waited for the dog to come to us, rather than excitedly rushing up to them. These are the lessons I passed on to my children, and they are skills that every child should know,” she said.
The book’ s foreword is written by Steve Mann, chairman of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers, who wrote“ Knowledge is a great ingredient, but it’ s not the complete recipe. If we’ re to educate our children and enable them to receive the kind of love we( you!) know only a dog can give, there are other essential ingredients we need to throw into the mix: empathy, perspective, patience, and kindness. Combined with the rock-solid wisdom threaded throughout“ Worzel Says Hello!,” these essential ingredients blend together to produce a beautiful and important book for all to enjoy.”
The book’ s star is shy Worzel Wooface, a Lurcher( sighthound mix) who is afraid of new people because of a rough beginning at a previous home. Through Catherine’ s gently rhyming stanzas, Worzel explains how quiet and calm behavior will help him trust new children he meets:
“ When you meet me, please stand still And I will come to you. Let me sniff you once or twice. It’ s not that hard to do.”
The yeoman’ s work is in the illustrations, and Chantal does not disappoint. Her drawings of a dog’ s various stages of emotion are
54 Building Better Trainers Through Education