Customer Reviews

Final Hope : Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

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.

As a professional trainer and behavioral counseler (graduated from San Francisco Dog Training Academy's Counseling Certificate course with honors), I find the information in this book inaccurate and appalling. The author has a garbled understanding of true behavior modification techniques and actively advocates a method that is recognized in my profession as likely to exacerbate the problem (referring to his recommendation to 'flood' the fearfully aggressive dog). His belief that simple obedience (taught in a forceful, confrontative manner) can 'fix' an emotional state such as aggression is simplistic at best. A professional who understands animal learning laws and behavior modification techniques whould immediately recognize that this book is one for the burn pile. This book earned one star only because I wasn't given a 'no star' option.

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.

As a professional dog trainer that specializes in behavior (approximately 85-90 % of my business is dealing with aggression of all sorts) I have to advise that people skip this book. I can foresee people using this book and getting hurt by their dogs and/or making their dog's aggression problems worse.

The Final Hope: Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog is a very good book and very helpful. I actually started reading a copy elsewhere and decided I wanted a copy for myself so that I can refer back and highlight in it if I feel the need. The book I ordered is in great shape and I'm glad I order it.

Stephen Joubert must be applauded for writing a book that specifically addresses the most severe and problematic forms of canine misbehavior: aggression. He talks about this often tabooed topic in a sympathetic but nonetheless firm voice. His philosophy is that an aggressive dog will always be a potentially aggressive dog, capable of inflicting serious injury to owner, family members, strangers or other dogs, but that aggression, in most cases, is managable to a point where it can be de facto eliminated from a dog's behavioral repertoire. Another strength of this book is Joubert's firm stand on the owner's responsibility for his dog's behavior and the emphasis that managing an aggressive dog is a life-long committment to air-tight obedience training -- that there is no "quick fix" or 10 minute-miracle cure. The book offers typical examples of aggressive dogs, based on the author's own extensive experience as a professional dog trainer and ways to go about managing the animal. A more detailed discussion of how to best assess the kind of aggression problem a dog has and how to adapt the procedures described in the book to less well defined cases could have added to the book's value. END

As a professional dog trainer and behaviorist I frequently recieved requests for literature on aggressive dogs. I came across this book, and I now require all my aggressive dog clients to read this book. It is the most complete book I have seen on this subject. It includes all types of aggression. It is also very well written. It can help even the most aggressive dogs.

This book is one of the most dangerous books out there. It simplifies the motivation and mechanisms of aggression and buys into the anthropomorphic view that aggressive dogs are 'bad' and just need to know who's 'boss'. The author needs to learn about learning principles and stop fooling the public into thinking he knows of which he speaks. He is related to Carol Lea Benjamin through marriage. It is obvious from his book that he is a rank novice when it comes to aggression. It is amazing that with all the brilliant minds out there, Dunbar, Donaldson, Pryor, Rogersen, etc, etc, that Stephen Joubert could think he could write a book on aggression that would not be scrutinized.

This method of "tough love" behavior modification is THE answer to dog aggression. This is the best and most compassionate alternative to the usual responses to dog aggression: isolation or death.