Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog [Hardcover]

Stephen J. Joubert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 16, 1998

The first truly comprehensive approach to dealing with an aggressive dog.The book looks first at the roots of aggression, examining the different types of canine aggression and what can cause them. It then turns to practical solutions: The physical and mental tools you'll need, patterns of training that can head off trouble and correcting specific problems. Help in setting realistic goals and expectations, and on permanently getting control of an aggressive dog with exercises for a lifetime, round out this very comprehensive, thoroughly researched book.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When you're at the end of your leash with your dog, there is help, there is hope. The straightforward, comprehensive training program you have in your hands will show you how to control your dog's aggression problem, now and for life.
A Howell Dog Book of Distinction

About the Author

Stephen J. Joubert apprenticed with Carol Lea Benjamin before starting his own business as a dog trainer. He has served as a consultant to Powars, the J. Crew Catalog and America's Talking network (now MSNBC). Stephen has been working with aggressive dogs and their owners in New York and New Jersey for the past five years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; 1 edition (September 16, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876053657
• ISBN-13: 978-0876053652
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #798,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Gives realistic idea of commitment needed to change behavior, January 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog (Hardcover)

I think the best use of this book is to get an idea of the time and commitment needed to gain control of an aggressive dog. The focus is on getting your dog to respect and obey you through rigorous basic obedience (sit, down, stay, come) training. The instructions for accomplishing this are rather simplistic. A novice would need a good obedience book, or preferably help from a trainer to understand how to accomplish the goals he lays out. Which brings up the question of whether someone who is that much of a novice should be trying any of this on a truly aggressive dog. His instructions on controlling an angry dog are inadequate for someone dealing with a dog at the high end of the aggression scale. The book can be useful for someone who has a dog in the milder stages of aggression who wants to learn how to stave off severe problems.

The author divides aggression into 3 primary categories: dominance, dog and fear aggression. In each section, the same 11 pages on the training program are repeated with virtually no difference in each section. I would prefer to see more recommendations on recognizing, preventing and dealing with each, rather than repeat the same info over and over again.

While I can see some appropriateness of his treatment of dominance and dog aggression, I strongly disagree with his approach to fear induced aggression. Using his forced training techniques, and the exposure to stimulus that he suggests, can result in a tremendous aggravation of the problem unless used by someone with extreme sensitivity and experience. There is no room for the types of errors a novice is bound to make. I would much rather see a fearful dog trained using strictly positive reinforcement to build up their confidence level. Be extrememly careful with this book if fear induced aggression is your problem!

The book is valuable to help owners of aggressive dogs understand some of the causes of aggression, likely behaviors, how the owners contribute to aggression, and the commitment needed to change it. He also discusses the possibility of euthansia in a fairly sensitive manner. Despite its title, this is not a training manual, but rather a start on self-education of aggression issues.

29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Review For the confused consumer., March 31, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog (Hardcover)

You may find it strange that this book either recieves a five star or a one star rating with very little in between. Final Hope is an excellent book on handling aggression in pet dogs. That said, the ratings posted reflect a rift in philosophy of dog training techniques. Modern techniques involve gadgetry and food rewards - a Pavlovian behavior/reward system. Classic techniques engage the dog as a thinking animal, an animal that is capable of more than simple reactionary behavior. The training is based on building a relationship with the dog. To say that one philosophy is all "good" and the other all "bad" is too simple and shouldn't be debate here. As it pertains to this book, if you are working with a modern trainer who works with food and gadgets this is not the book for you. It will contradict everthing your being told by the trainer. If you are working in the relationship building, classic method, this book will enhance your understanding of process.

16 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Average owner's do-it-yourself manual for a complex subject., November 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog (Hardcover)

Aggression is a complex subject. However, the author appears to simplify it by applying his own theories, many of which the average reader could mistakenly take for fact. Many of the methods recommended are risky, in fact the author makes numerous references to likelihood of your dog attacking you during this program. There are one hundred uses of the word 'attack' in the first nine chapters. The program relies on obedience training using choke collar jerks, scruff shakes, direct eye contact while yelling "NO!", and time outs. The only reference to the high likelihood of your dog biting you while you are teaching obedience (the aggression part of the program hasn't started!) is an anecdotal tale of the author stringing up a dog on a choke collar until it 'calmed down'. I'll bet. The author's understanding of behavioral modification seems to bear little resemblance to behavioral text, and his classification of the various types and presentations of aggression are certainly unique. Obedience plays such an integral role in the program that the first four weeks, which involves taking away all of the dog's priviledges, using force obedience training and avoiding aggressive triggers encompasses 13 pages of text. In stark contrast, the big moment, when you are ready to address your dog's actual aggression problem only needs a page and a half. It is apparent that this program relies heavily on the use of a choke collar and leash to not only train the dog, but to also control the aggression. Interestingly enough, the potential for the dog to discriminate the difference between on and off leash control is never addressed. While it is certain that many desperate owners of aggressive dogs will read this book in hopes of a solution, it remains to be seen how many will attempt the program. It is interesting to note that the copyright page includes a disclaimer absolving the author and the publisher from any legal action as a result of using the information in this book. The book is rampant throughout with references to the potential, in fact, the probability of the owner being attacked or mauled by their dog. On this, at least, the author and this reviewer agree.