Customer Reviews

Grrr!: The Complete Guide to Understanding and Preventing Aggressive Behavior

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

 

 

Finally! For those of us who have kept our eye trained on Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis via his TV specials "Woof", and on Mordecai Siegal through his many articles and books, hoping to get more than the already generous advice they both have offerd on dog-basics, "Grrr!" is the perfect companion for understanding dog aggression. And, for those of us who have lived with an aggressive dog and are frustrated with the media in general for not treating the topic in a factual and prescriptive manner - but hyping or hiding it instead - it's about time we have thorough and professional expert advice for a change! The book is divided into 7 tidy chapters focused on helping the reader identify aggression, understand its general and specific roots, and develop skills to deal with it. The content is thorough, motivating, and easy to understand. For anyone who has previously read a Siegal/Morgalis book, this volume does not disappoint in either its customary straight-forward and practical style or its hallmark wit and common sense. As usual, the authors provide clear direction, illustrative examples, and concise reference to back up their assertions. "Grrr!" also offers a welcome departure from some of their early works, which can look somewhat like carbon copies of each other. "Grrr!" provides extensive information exclusively on aggression and leaves the rest of dog basics to the other volumes. For anyone looking to have complete reference materials, "Grrr!" and any one other Siegal/Margolis title - say "Good Dog/Bad Dog" - would certainly do the trick. And, for anyone dealing with the heartache of loving an aggressive dog, "Grrr!" is pretty much the only book you'll need. The book's only pitfalls are that is does get a bit overly preachy about owning up to having an aggressive dog and in an attempt to make each chapter complete, should the reader foolishly skip parts, some of the material is overly repetitive. In fact, chapter 7 could be discarded entirely and the book would still be an absolute gem. Other than that, "Grrr!" would have to be rated as a welocme addition to the general literature of dog training and a must have for aggression issues.

This book saved my dog's life. Literally. She had been on death row twice due to agressive behavior towards people other than myself, and a third time when she started turning on (and biting) me, her master. I hadn't ever been quite able to go through with the euthanasia (though the last time we actually made it into the vet's office before I called it off), but I was sure it was only a matter of time before it would become absolutely necessary. "Grrr!" helped me not only to learn what to do about her snarling and biting, but to understand why the agression was happening in the first place; where it was coming from in terms of how Hannah thinks. It made me realize that she was not the one who had let me down by turning on me, but that I was the one who had previously let her down by not continuing the process I'd begun of being a strong alpha dog for her in our little pack of two.

Within a week of following the advice in this book, she had stopped exhibiting any agressive behavior towards me, and within three weeks I was seeing changes in her behavior towards others as well. I am continuing to do 1/2-hour obedience training walks with her twice a day plus at least 30 minutes of massaging and direct one-on-one attention, as well as allowing her to follow me around the house (still leashed at this point) as I do chores or as I sit at my desk writing all day. We still have a ways to go, but I see improvements almost daily, and in the process, she's becoming an extremely well-behaved creature who I can trust to be a safe and loving companion in my house.

Thank you to the authors for giving me my friend back, and for giving me back to her, too.

As an amateur trying to learn more about canine agression, I was actually quite disappointed with the content of this book. Overall, there is no significantly new or insightful information in this book, and frankly, much of the information about specific types and symptoms of agression problems in dogs can be had for free, often in better detail and more scientifically presented, on the internet, particularly if one searches for information generated by professionals in the field of canine agression, such as scientific papers presented to veterinary journals.
I DID, however, find the chapter on agression testing to be helpful -- I haven't seen this type of testing recommended elsewhere, and I did find it interesting and helpful to see the results of these tests on my young puppy. That being said, I am working on canine agression issues from more of a preventative than a curative or treatment basis, and I would have to give SERIOUS second thoughts about trying some of the suggested tests on a large, mature, and seriously agressive dog. To be fair, the authors also suggest a great deal of caution when performing these tests on older dogs.
The vast majority of the book is merely a recycled basic obedience course book -- sit, stay, heel, come, etc.. And, while I certainly would agree that a firm command of obedience is especially important to a dog with behavioral issues, I alread have several good books on the subject, such as those by the Monks of New Skete. Had I known that most of this book was just a rehashed obedience manual, I would have saved my money and skipped it. Based upon the title, I just expected a lot more out of this book than I got. For someone who really wants a good, in depth book about canine agression issues and their treatments, I'd say to spend your money on a copy of "Clinical Behavioral Medicine For Small Animals" by Dr. Karen L. Overall from the University of Pennsylvania. Although this is a very expensive book (it is a textbook for veterinary students and also a reference book for clinical veterinarians), it had the answers I was seeking and was definitely worth the money.

I bought this book after experiencing a problem with one of my dogs. Because of the reputation of the authors, I assumed (wrongly) that this would be a helpful book. The book seems to be a real cut and paste effort from previous works. It is disjointed and offers the reader no real tools to work with. Worse than that, I foresee someone depending on this book rather than getting professional assistance with this potentially dangerous situation. I was disappointed that these two 'experts' in dog training had nothing better to offer. Save your money, I wish I had.

I was thoroughly disappointed with this book. I have read a couple other books on general dog training, and this one offered absolutely nothing new above what I had seen before. The case studies presented about dogs retrained at the author's institute struck me as nothing more than a blatant advertisement. If you have no experience with dog training whatsoever, then maybe you will find this book useful. But if you already have some knowledge of basic training and are looking for some advanced insight and more effective ways to deal with canine aggression, save your money. The information here is too superficial.

When your best friend that you take everywhere and spend so much time with suddenly turns on you or exhibits aggressive behavior, it is devasting. How can my dog do this to me? It's like any other member of the family turning against you. This book helped me get over that feeling and look at the problem from my dog's point of view. I read the entire book and when I finished, I realized that aggressive behavior in dogs is a dog thing and I learned to understand the factors. I was able to determine that I needed some professional help. I have to say the book is the reason I got help and the reason we're back to normal. I think everyone who lives with a dog should read this book.

Uncle Matty is old stuff. Leave him behind and check out Patricia McConnell, Ian Dunbar, Jean Donaldson, Brenda Aloff, Ali Brown and the like. Uncle Matty is almost as bad as Cesar Millan is rehashing old info that has been debunked and discredited.

This is one of those books that taught me a lot about different types of canine aggression. The only thing I didn't get is he doesn't really go much in detail in solving it. I realize you can only accomplish so much from reading but this is still a great book if you volunteer at your local shelter, or if you are a trainer, dog walker or even if you just like to pet sit for fun. Finally, another book besides Cesar's that I liked and agreed with. Didn't care much for the guy's nickname. Uncle Matty. But he has great insights.

Your pooch bites the postman. Your dog nips at your hands when you pet her. Your canine companion chases cars and bicyclists and joggers. You call this man's best friend? This has got to be one of the best dog-training books we've ever sunk our teeth to, as author Matthew "Uncle Matty" Margolis, the renowned dog trainer and host of "Woof! It's a Dog's Life" (along with Mordecai Siegal), teach how not to allow Fido or Rover to sink their teeth into it as well. The advice is practical and easy-to-follow: The authors identify 10 distinct categories, describing each one and explaining why problems occur. There are also aggression and puppy personality tests that will help owners identify and correct specific behavior. Finally! You can get rid of the problem --- not the dog.