The APDT Chronicle of the Dog Summer 2020 | Page 56

EDITOR'S CHOICE | BOOKS, DVDs AND MORE
The beauty of this book is that it provides information that is
useful for both the novice and veteran pet owner. It is easily
readable, full of humor and punctuated with Zazie’s own
experience in dealing with Ghost and Bodger’s behaviors. It
addresses dogs’ behavior, but also how human behavior — good
or bad — impacts our canine companions. “Wag: The Science of
Making Your Dog Happy” deserves its space on your bookshelf
or with your e-book collection. — The editor
Canine Agression
Rehabilitating an aggressive dog
with kindness and compassion
Written by Tracey McLennan
Hubble and Hattie Publishing, Veloce
House, Parkway Farm Business Park,
Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset, England. July 17,
2018; 160 pages. Where to purchase: Amazon $12.99 paperback,
$7.99 Kindle.
On reading the title, my initial thought was “Can love and
kindness be ‘enough’?” In 160 pages, Tracey McLennan
makes a strong case that compassion and understanding are
powerful training tools as she recounts her journey with a
good dog turned “difficult.”
This is not a “how-to” book. As Tracey herself says, “There
simply is no quick fix way to deal with behavior problems.”
Instead, this is a tale of a harrowing incident and the training
twists and turns that followed as the author sought to help her
dog. The book will appeal to invested guardians of challenging
dogs and anyone who has ever felt alone when working with
their canine companions. Undoubtedly, many readers will enjoy
the book as it confirms beliefs they already hold — the trap of
“confirmation bias” the author readily admits had a bearing on
her own early training decisions.
But I encourage anyone who can avail themselves of an open mind
to give this book a chance. Not only may doing so introduce you
to other training approaches (Tellington Touch or “T Touch” for
example) but it might also remind you not to blindly accept what
the “experts” have to say. Or to expect others to do so of you. As
trainers we should encourage a questioning reflective attitude in
those we teach. Change can be hard and often takes time. It is
inconsistent for us to forget this in our human students and yet,
at the same time, see sudden behavioral change in our companion
animals as a warning that something is not right.
Throughout the book, a number of parallels are drawn between
people and dogs. Whether human or canine, we must see the
student for who they are. That communication between dogs
is complex and was one of the most useful things the author
learned along her journey — “even the briefest encounter
between dogs can be incredibly significant.” We could all
benefit by keeping that in mind about people, too. We are most
effective as teachers when we appreciate our student’s struggles,
and motivate them to think about things differently rather than
dictating for them to do X or Y.
While reading this book, the “stay-at-home” orders came into
effect and the world changed overnight. No longer are we able
to place an understanding hand on another’s arm, give them a
hug, or snuggle with clients’ dogs. I, for one, have seen real life
affirm Tracey’s position — the ability to touch another being is
powerful. — Alexandra Tytheridge-Allan, CPDT-KA
OLDER DOG?
NO WORRIES!
Maintaining physical, mental
and emotional wellbeing in
your golden oldie
Written by Sian Ryan
Hubble and Hattie Publishing, Veloce House, Parkway Farm
Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset,
England. March 17, 2020; 72 pages. Where to purchase: Amazon
$13.99 paperback, $7.99 Kindle.
This is the complete guide to helping your senior dogs live
their best lives! I was drawn to read this book, as I have a
15-year-old Australian Shepherd “golden oldie” at home.
Since she has canine cognitive dysfunction and arthritis, we
are always looking for new ways to keep both her mind and
body engaged with senior-friendly tasks. This 72-page booklet
delivers on that and more!
From the first page, I was immediately taken in by the bright,
colorful photographs demonstrating various enrichment tools and
training activities. The author demonstrates throughout the book
that her purpose is to help the readers to maintain or even increase
their senior pets’ quality of life. She achieves this by offering sound
management advice that takes both medical and behavioral issues
that elderly pets face into account.
I especially enjoyed her detailed instruction on introducing senior
dogs to scent games, tracking, and exploration to provide mental
stimulation. As a veterinary technician and certified professional
dog trainer, I was pleasantly surprised to add to my repertoire
new knowledge of senior friendly enrichment toys and even some
creative training solutions for pets with decreased hearing and
54 Building Better Trainers Through Education