Customer Reviews

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

5 star:		(80)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I'm blown away by this book. I really liked McConnell's first book, "The Other End of the Leash," but this book blows even that away.

And here's why:

This book is an uncommon combination of 3 things that usually don't go together.

1) Entertaining and moving (yet educational) stories of dogs and their humans (many from McConnell's long career as an animal behaviorist),

2) Immediately useful knowlege about dog behavior and the "clues" dogs give about what is going on with them, and

3) Relentless scientific backup for what she says, while NOT being hard to read or "science-y."

For instance, do you know what it means when a dogs mouth is closed?

Do you know what it means if a dog is pointing her muzzle away from you, but looking in your direction?

Do you know what it means if a dog is pulling the corners of his mouth forward?

You should, because these are all critical clues about what the dog is going to do next -- it may even prevent you from being bitten by the next dog you reach out to pet!

Do you know the government-tested 30-second puppy-exercise regime that helps them grow into dogs that are gentle, flexible, and tolerant?

You should, it might make a huge difference in the next dog you get!

Along the way McConnell provides TONS of useful and entertaining knowledge about dog and human brains, how we learn, developmental phases (and how to impact them!), the nature of happiness (and how to be more happy!) and a whole lot more.

. . .even how to tell if a dog might be laughing at your hairstyle.

And it's so well written it's hard to put down.

I'm sorry if this sounds like an ad for the book . . . I'm not selling the book, just reviewing it, and I really liked it.

I think that if you like dogs and spend time with them, your relationships with them will be noticibly enriched by your reading this book.

Patricia McConnell has written a wonderful book filled with engaging stories and much practical advice for dog owners. She incorporates the latest research findings on the workings of the dog's mind in presenting her own cases from her behavior counseling service. Her discussion of counterconditioning covers an extremely valuable concept that is not stressed (or even utilized) enough by other behaviorists and trainers. This technique is invaluable and of nearly limitless potential in alleviating many emotional distresses and disorders in dogs.

Especially pleasing to see is that in her discussion of counterconditioning and other techniques the author diverges from the decades-old approach of addressing "behavior problems" (a term that should be killed off and unceremoniously buried - it's not the animal's problem any more than if your husband had a habit of talking too loudly to your liking would you tell your friends that he had a behavior problem) by focusing on simply eliminating the behavior. This mechanistic behaviorism approach may be effective in eliminating the behavior but frequently does nothing to relieve the dog's underlying emotional distress that is causing the behavior. For example, if a dog is suffering from loneliness because he is tied up alone in a backyard and barks endlessly for human attention and companionship there are plenty of ways to eliminate the barking. But there is only one correct one: alleviate the emotional pain of loneliness. McConnell understands this and focuses on this underlying emotional distress when working with the dogs to change unwanted behavior. In light of the advances in neuroscience, comparative psychology, and brain imaging, this places McConnell on the leading edge of the changes underway in how unwanted behavior in dogs should be addressed. The primary focus in treating behavior "problems" is to help the dog rather than the owner. McConnell gets this. Most dog behaviorists and trainers don't.

I strongly recommend this book for all dog owners who want their dogs to get the best emotional care and support in all behavior-related matters.

I made the mistake of getting the audio book expecting a light but informative read... big mistake: this is one read chock full of morsels... the type of book that has stuff you want to come back to, cross reference, read backwards and forwards on, and really get into, and that's why I like this book so much... Though written for a lay audience, after reading this book you may very well find yourself wanting to do what the author does (technically speaking she's an animal beahviorist, but her approach is so multi-disciplinary, you'll find yourself dabbling in a wide variety of fields from social psychology, animal beahvior to the neurosciences and beyond.) And yes... there are heard warming doggie stories that draw you into the heavy anecdotes about how the chemistry of our brains and our pets brains make us think and behave the the way we do... McConnell also makes some compelling arguements that may very well change the way you think as well... or atleast how you read, understand and react to your dog. - - though not a how-to book, she does offer plenty of ideas... in fact, I'd say that although this is not a dog training book, I wouldn't suggest getting a puppy, and training your dog UNTIL reading through it. (I got a real kick out of her suggested experiment with lifting your dog's back leg and noting how his licks... its true!)

(Note: some of her conclusions may have to be taken with a grain of salt... but they will get you thinking.) All in all, this is one book that never gets boring... and is definitely puppy chow for the medula oblongada (if you don't know what that is she'll explain.)

Think of it as EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE for doglovers!

Once again McConnell has delivered a wonderful book written for people who love their dogs and want nothing more than to strengthen the bond between themselves and their canine companions.

"For the Love of a Dog" is McConnell's second novel-like book on the relationships between humans and canines. In her previous book, "The Other End of the Leash," McConnell explored problems caused by the inherently different ways that humans and canines communicate. In "For the Love of a Dog," McConnell explores the emotional human-canine connection. Jam-packed with research to back up her points, McConnell's depth of knowledge, combined with her obvious love of dogs and respect for their owners was a deeply satisfying read. Especially useful were all the photos she included depicting various dogs' emotional states. I've always been leary of large dogs - unsure what's going on in their minds, what they'll do next, wondering if I'm in danger. Having read this book (as well as "The Other End of the Leash"), I find myself feeling much more comfortable around dogs, probably because I have a greater understanding of them. McConnell's books make sense, and they've changed my outlook on dogs. I can't thank her enough!

I had heard many of my dog friends rave about Patricia McConnell -- people who had read her previous book, "The Other End of the Leash" and people who had attended her canine behavior seminars and workshops. But nothing could have prepared me for how amazing this book is!

I assumed since the book was about emotions that it would be a mushy book without much substance. But I could not have been more wrong! McConnell presents an intelligent argument about emotions -- a perfect mix of scientific backup and anecdotes. You will learn so much about reading a dog's body language and predicting behavior.

The one very minor thing that would have made the book even more perfect was pictures. There is a section in the middle with a nice photo spread comparing dog and human expression. However, it would have been nice to have the pictures in the text to show exactly what she was describing as you were reading.

What I found most interesting were the parts on development. I also, unexpectedly, learned a lot about HUMAN development and brain function. You will probably approach child rearing differently after reading this as well!
For the Love of a Dog is an incredible book that is a must read for ALL dog owners!

This book is packed with well-researched information about interpreting dogs' behavior, but it's still fun and easy to read. I used to be scared of dogs because I thought their behavior was unpredictable, but now I feel confident that I can determine when a dog is feeling playful and when it is anxious (and may be about to bite). A very, very helpful book!

I think it goes without saying that pretty much everyone who has a pet dog love's their dog and is convinced their dog loves them. But let's be honest. Most of us are pretty ignorant when it comes to really understanding dogs (and certainly in my case, many other things). So while it is true that you don't have to have great knowledge and understanding in order to love some other being, including your pet, you can certainly enhance and nurture any relationship through better knowledge and understanding. And that is what this book can do for anyone who wants to have their relationship with their animal companion to be the best it can possibly be. Not only is this book a great source of information and knowledge for understanding the emotional bonds we have with out 'best friends' and how to make the most of those bonds, it has riveting true stories that tie in beautifully with the different emotions we see and experience. When you combine this book with Dr. McConnell's earlier book "The Other End of The Leash" you will have perhaps the most comprehensive understanding of your dog and your relationship with your dog that is in print today. And a fun read too.

This is one of the best tools I've found for helping me understand the world my dog lives in. As a sidebar - there is a series of photos including both humans and canines, showing expressions and pointing out what they mean. Having looked through it thoroughly, I was in hysterics after logging in to a blog and seeing a group of "happy party photos" - once I'd looked at her photos, the *real* message of the party shots was unavoidable, from the smile that said "take one more photo and I'll drown you in the gazpacho" to the frozen, fear-filled shy person, barring her teeth in one of the most uncomfortable smiles I've ever seen. So this is not only good for understanding your dog - but also for paying attention to the real messages on the people faces around you!

This book is outstanding. I've been reading a lot about dog behavior lately and I am thrilled to have acquired this particular book. Dogs are fabulous because they aren't human. If it's a choice between a dog or a human, the dog wins hands down. I can tell when my dogs are happy or sad or irritated or disgusted. Their expressions are very similar to my own. But this book is teaching me so much more and alerting me to behavior which could become distructive if not addressed and to "let it be" if my dog doesn't want to do something I want her to do. Each and every one of my dogs have a distinctly, different personality from the other but they all get along famously. Humans can't learn that, not all the treats in the world can make them......

There is honor and grace between these pages. I feel so much gratitude to Patricia for putting this work out in mainstream society. It's a book that needs to be cherished, memorized and of course, drooled on....
My dogs and I are all better souls for having read it.....
Buy it for yourself, but read it for your dog....

Much to my surprise, Dr. McConnell took the good work she started with "The Other End of the Leash" and carried it on for miles and miles! In this book, Dr. McConnell demonstrates what can be accomplished when the mind and the heart work together. In this case, her brilliant scientist's mind has absorbed, processed, interpreted and mastered the science of behavior (both canine and human) and made that all available in a form anyone can understand. From her heart she's analyzed and embraced the emotional side of our best friends and our relationship with them. By combining the two, she gives us the ability to understand our relationships with dogs, both intelligently and emotionally, with neither side, mind or heart, having to apologize to the other.

I hope "For The Love Of A Dog" is in every dog owner's Christmas stocking!