Customer Reviews

The Cautious Canine-How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

The Cautious Canine, How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears, by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.,
probably saved my fear aggressive Sheltie's life. At the very least, it secured his place in my heart and my home forever. When my sweet, cute, cuddly ball of fur, Pierce, started acting like "Cujo" at 3-4 months of age, it was very distressing to say the least. Trying to take him for a walk was a traumatic experience, every time. He would lunge, growl and bark at anything and everything that moved - cars, children, adults, bicycles, dogs and cats (and many that did not, such as fire hydrants and mailboxes). Less than 20 pounds, he was strong enough to pull me off my feet, causing me to slip on ice and hurt my back.

I had been training dogs in obedience and doing pet assisted therapy for 10 years, so I was not a clueless, first-time pet owner who didn't know which end of the leash was up. I had worked in classes with other people's dogs with aggression problems, but this was the first one to live in my home. I had Pierce neutered, stepped up his obedience training and socialization and enrolled him in agility class to build his confidence. I consulted with 7 different trainers, many of whom said I should rehome him or worse... Although at times I was afraid of him and often frustrated to the point of tears, I wasn't prepared or willing to go down that road. I made a commitment to Pierce and I was determined to find a way.

Thankfully, I found "Cautious Canine". It became my bible. Dr. McConnell's book is written in very easy to understand language, with a great sense of humor and a genuine love for dogs. It offers a common sense approach to solving problem behaviors. The methods are always fair to the dog and easy to understand and apply. Yes, you have to do the work, but the tools are all there for you, and I can say from personal experience, they work.

I am eternally grateful to Dr. McConnell for writing the book. "Cautious Canine helped me to turn "Cujo" into "Cuddles". Not only am I now able to walk Pierce around the block, the training helped strengthen our bond. We now enjoy competing in agility, obedience and rally obedience. To date, Pierce has earned 7 agility titles, his APDT Rally Obedience Level 1 Title, Magna Cum Laude, a leg in novice obedience, is an accomplished Therapy Dog with over 150 visits and has recently taken a few herding lessons.

I highly recommend this book for every dog owner, but it is a MUST HAVE, if you own a dog who is the least bit "socially challenged...

I have an 18 mo old dog-reactive German Shepherd. I've read many of the best trainers: Jean Donaldson, Pam Reid, Pamela Dennison, Emma Parsons, Linda Tellington-Jones, Karen Pryor, Trish King. My dog and I have taken private lessons from a couple excellent dog-reactive specialists. We can now attend certain dog training classes if they're small enough and there's enough distance between the dogs.

I've been working on this problem for over a year, and I'm seeing progress, but some of the approaches from the author trainers seem unrealistic for anyone other than a trainer who has access to a variety of dogs on a daily basis. There are steps and steps and steps and steps and steps and then more pages of steps and steps to take. Then you turn to the next chapter to find out you've got more steps to take. Even the most committed dog owner can get overwhelmed. And with all these steps, you need different dogs at different times of the day with different owners, etc. Or you need 20 friends to come knocking on your door 3 times a day 6 days a week. OK, an exaggeration, but it seems that some of the authors have immersed themselves so much in dogs that they have forgotten what life is like for people who don't have easy access to many people willing to work with them and share their dogs with them. For many of us, that just isn't the case. McConnell gives us 5 steps to work with. That's it, and it's enough. She says in 5 easy steps what others take 28 steps to say and by then I'm so confused I just go throw the kong in the backyard with the dogs rather than go to Petco for some desensitization exercises.

However, Pat McConnell gives realistic, succinct, clear and direct advice in her little booklet. Others have complained about the booklet's length, and I didn't buy the booklet until recently because I felt 30 pages couldn't do this topic justice, either. I learned that, indeed, 30 pages was just right. McConnell has a gift in conveying complicated information in clear, concise, very easy to understand language. And she recognizes that sometimes your very carefully laid out plans to set your dog up for success don't always work out.

Where she differs from many other trainers I've read is in her advice about what to do if your counterconditioning/desensitization session in public goes awry. Every other trainer I've worked with or read recommends something like not beating yourself up, get the dog into a sit, remain calm, and get the dog away from the scary thing, and try again next time. That's it. I always left frustrated knowing I'd screwed up yet again, why didn't I foresee, etc...

McConnell goes much further and says that if you leave the scary thing that suddenly surprised your dog, then the dog might learn that lunging and barking makes the scary thing go away. She says to leave, yes, but to go only as far as the dog can stand to remain calm, making sure the dog can still see the scary thing. Then have the dog sit, and when calm, rub his chest in circular motions (t-touch here?), then feed treats, all the while the dog sees the scary thing.

What I got out of this is a save for the unexpected, rather than a mistake. I've had this happen so many times I hate to admit it. I simply don't have enough vision, intuition, perception to be able to foresee everything, and sometimes we get caught unawares in public. How wonderful to have someone suggest something that actually continues learning in a situation that is going to happen sometime whether I like it or not.

When I take my dog where other dogs might be (which I HAVE to do if we are to master this fear), then sometimes I'm not going to be able to predict every possible dog rounding a corner. McConnell, rather than saying, don't let this happen to you, says if it does, here's what to do and make it a better experience, too, and a learning one as well. This is where she goes into detail, gives reasonable workable advice. I think McConnell has kept in touch with the average person and dog, can still remember what first grade was all about and how she felt.

Thirty pages is sufficient, for McConnell seems to have synthesized the most important points of the authors mentioned above into a simple, easy to read and follow manual. She introduces the points, how to do them (doesn't just talk about them), and then gives scenarios, then summarizes the points at the end. She gives several personal examples to illustrate, and what I liked especially - she doesn't only include success stories. She's encouraging, but completely realistic. And her advice it simple, so easy to follow.

This booklet is worth every penny.

This is one of the finest little gems in the dog behavior world--a practical, step-by-step guide to help desensitize and modify unwanted responses, while building confidence in your dog. This book's advice is the very same approach I used to take my juvenile delinquent dog from a problem child to the National Service Dog of the Year. I buy copies of this book and give them out constantly. If your dog has reactivity problems--for whatever reason, this is a book that will change your dog's life.

I knew there would be a lot of baggage involved when I adopted a young greyhound who had been neglected, starved, and beaten prior to rescue. Although his fear did not make him agressive it did pose problems with daily activities: loud sounds, anyone walking behind him on the street, men, angry voices on TV, the clicking sounds from soda cans, cameras, or ball-point pens, anything remotely shaped like a stick...the list of things that completely paralized him went on and on.

My sister, who is active in Aussie rescue, suggested this booklet (she was coping with a rescued fear-biter at the time). The suggestions in this book enabled us both to help our very different animals blossom into the confident, well-mannered, loving, envy-inspiring dogs they are today.

Of special help to me was understanding that 'comforting' behaviour on my part just gave my dog the certainty that there really was something to worry about. As soon as I changed that he began to act less anxious. When rescued he was never supposed to be allowed to be an only dog because of his nervous anxiety and self-destructive coping methods. So when my elder grey passed some months back we worried about regression. Thanks to this booklet he is more happy, playful, and calm than ever before. He even lies tummy-up on the grass a few feet away as my husband swings his golf clubs and works on his game. His utter indifference to a big stick was something I never imagined possible and would never have happened without the wisdom in this little booklet.

Thank you, Ms. McConnell!

Brilliant little book. Did not teach me anything new in the way of sit, down, stay but gave me a plan to follow with my 2yr old abused, re-homed (for the third time) Rottweiler. With in 7 days and many treats she gave me her first glance when one of her many 'triggers' (other dogs, running children, fast bikes, strange men) came close. A sure sign we were going in the right direction. If you have a dog that will not listen to you while on your walks and lunges for other dogs YOU NEED THIS BOOK!

This isn't really a "book" per se, but more of a booklet. It IS filled to the very last page with great information for owners of shy or aggressive dogs. My puppy was a bit shy (not a biter, though, thank goodness), and I used some of the tips in this little book and, lo and behold, I now have a much more confident, happy dog. He still won't walk up to a complete stranger for petting, but he's a lot more tolerant of them coming a little closer without cowering behind my legs. I absolutely recommend this!

I am a canine obedience instructor and I recommend this booklet to any of my customers with dogs who exibit mild to severe fear. Often times people are afraid to even bring thier dogs to class because they don't know how the dog will behave- so I recommend this booklet to start a desenitization program at home. Many times they come back thrilled with the results and ready to sign up for a class because thier dog has shown so much improvement. This is a 29 page booklet that is pretty much a 'how to' help your dog overcome it's fear. You very likely will have to put a lot of work in to this- but it will be well worth it.

If you have any of the problems described in the summary for this book, and you are willing to read carefully, then this little book will help you and your dog.
If you are looking for easy one-liners, glossy photos, or snappy humor, it's not for you.
It's a serious dog training book and solved our problems completely in exactly the amount of time the introduction said it would. We were dedicated and followed the steps perfectly.

Wonderful and detailed step by step guide for the novice, as well as the more advanced trainer. Provides useful suggestions and easy to understand information, to help with all levels of training, from the most serious transgressions, to the simple mistakes common to most puppies. Easy to read and absorb. Useful to keep for repeat reference. Arlene Millman, author of BOOMERANG - A MIRACLE TRILOGY (The tale of a remarkable Boston Terrier).

Just be aware that this is a small booklet, and not an actual book. It surprised me when it arrived in the mail since I was expecting a soft bound book. The information is helpful, but I could certainly benefit from a larger compilation of examples and tips.