Customer Reviews

Leader of the Pack

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is something every dog owner should read! I bought it because I was having an aggression problem with one of my dogs. It not only gave me the answers I needed for that problem, but opened my eyes to many other problems I had created in all three of my dogs. I considered myself pretty knowledgable when it came to handling dogs, but this book was an eye opener. Things I thought were cute, are NOT, and that was a shock to me. This book is great if you are having problems, and great if you just want a heads up to be informed on dog behavior, as well as people behavior! With this book I realized it was really a problem with me, and not so much my dog. She was just doing what I was allowing her to do. This is a must read!!!!

This book is the most succinct, well-written treatise in print on what is takes to own a dog. A previous review of this book criticized it because it discusses the dog's ancestry to the wolf and ignored the years of domestication of dogs. The wolf ancestry of domestic dogs cannot be ignored when owning a dog. Alot of people are not meant to be dog owners or should only own certain breeds. This book delivers critical information on behaviorism. We teach dog training using Karen Pryor's technique's of positive reinforcement, but this alone is not enough to be a successful dog owner. Owning a dog is a lot of work and owning a rottweiler is not the same as owning a golden retriever. People must understand the canine psyche and be equipped with the knowledge of how to demonstrate pack leadership over a dog, along with training, in order to have a 'good dog'. Pack leadership is needed along with the principles of positive reinforcement to elicit good canine behavior. One is not a replacement for the other. This book is required reading for the beginner dog class. It equips the students with the knowledge of canine behaviorism they need. Every dog owner should have this book. Every potential dog owner should read this book and use it to decide if they are meant to be a dog owner. It is an excellent book.

This is the best text for owners who are having difficulty attaining leadership status with their dogs. The lessons are written in plain English while drawing on sound, non-confrontational behavioral theory.

The authors take the angle of basing each lesson on what is known about the functioning of a wolf pack. The position of dominant vs. lower-ranking wolves is explored. Who eats first? Who sleeps where? Who initiates play? Who goes through narrow passageways first?

Especially interesting to me was the explanation of how meaningful body posture and physical positioning is to dogs.

I especially recommend this book to dog trainers working with the general public or to any dog owner whose dog who perhaps has JUST BEGUN to exhibit dominant behaviors such as pulling on the leash, ignoring known commands, guarding of food or objects, or giving warning growls when disciplined.

I would not recommend this book to owners trying to correct biting problems with a dog who already has a history of fear or dominance aggression. If that is your problem, you need to ask your vet for a referral to an animal behaviorist.

This book would be most helpful for people who are having problems with an aggressive dog. I was looking more for something that would give suggestions for a less severe way of keeping these problems from arising. The author assumes that you have a large dog. My pup, at 13 pounds, does not fit into some of the situations. - I just read the first part of each chapter.I would only recommend this book to people with larger, aggressive dogs.

People forget that dogs do have a lot of the wolf in them. Pack structure is extremely important. If one of the owners is not top dog (Alpha) then the dog will take it upon himself to be the Alpha. Even small dogs have attitude. That does not mean you rule him with an iron fist. It all comes down to discipline. This book tries to illustrate dominance in a non physical way. Very helpful if you have a dog with attitude (big or small) and want to work with him and overcome some of your training difficulties. Any dog with an uncontrolled dominating attitude is a liability. Some owners have the best intentions, but when they become lax in their training and their dog gets "attitude" they are fearful of trying to work it out. Sometimes YOU have to be an Alpha every day if you want to keep your dog. All dogs are not Lassie and sometimes owners forget that training is a lifetime commitment. It's not over in 1 year. With a dominant dog you must constantly be in charge. And for some people maybe owning a dominant dog or a dog like a rottie or Shepherd shouldn't be for them. Vigilance is the key.

My husband and I became the reluctant parents of a bulldog lab mix. Devoted as she was to us she was unruly, hyperactive, and randomly aggressive toward other dogs. At the end of our ropes, we bought this book. It helped us realize that we had been unknowingly giving our dog the message that she was the leader of our pack. When we assumed leadership positions she not only behaved better, she seemed relieved that she no longer had to fill a role that she did not want. She is now a relaxed, obedient dog that we have grown to love and cherish more and more. Most wonderful of all she no longer displays aggression towards other dogs. No matter how happy and relaxed she is...we are much more. This book is worth far more than we paid for it.

I thought this was an excellent book. My boyfriend and I adopted a jack russell terrier. It was an older dog with some pretty severe dominance/aggression issues. This book was recommended twice to me. I think the two biggest reasons that this dog is still in our family is because of the size of our hearts and this book! We learned that our dog will always have problems, but we also learned that he can be controlled. He still slips into dominant/aggressive mode, but with the book in mind, we put him(humanely)right back into his place.

I took in a young Lab/Akita mix without a home. As he quickly grew, so did his attitude. When I finally braved obedience training, I was amazed. He was a very smart dog (almost too smart:) The trainer recommended this book to help us. It was a savior, every step that we took, the house bacame more and more peaceful! It even added some structure to our already chaotic house! He turned out to be a better dog than we ever imagined possible. The step by step instructions were very well laid out and very easy to implement. I also liked the correlation between domestic and wild dogs. All it takes is patience and determination!

This book provides a clear, concise explanation of how to establish dominance with your dog, an all too often ignored aspect of sharing your life with our canine companions. If this book were included with every puppy or dog, we would have far less dogs brought to shelters due to behavioral problems. I highly recommend this book to all of my clients!

I have had dogs my entire life. Unfortunately, I never realized how poor my understanding of dog behavior was. (I currently have 4 dogs--the introduction of an exuberant 1/2 American bull dog/beagle/lab mix has required the tutorial!).

I would recommend that every dog owner read this volume. In fact, no one should even own a dog without understanding and implementing these basic concepts. (I know that sounds didactic; however, I would humbly submit to being called on this by any who have read no books on dog behavior and who, having read this book, finds that my comment rings false.) I read Cesar Milan's book, but felt that I was only introduced to concepts with no meaningful means to engage the concepts--more autobiographical. This book not only introduced the concepts but provided specific guidance on how to implement.

This is not a book solely for problem dogs. Rather, it is a book for any person or family that wants to enjoy problem-free habitation with a dog. Providing for our dogs confident leadership, clear boundaries, safety and comfort are our responsibilities as dog owners. You will feel well-equipped to carry out these responsibilities by starting here.