Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog [Perfect Paperback]

Ali Brown (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 15, 2004

When dogs growl at other dogs, lunge at people, and bark at everything it's often mislabeled as "aggression." But most aggression is fear-based and should be treated as such. The appropriate term for this constellation of behaviors is "reactivity."

This book helps the trainer and dedicated dog owner to understand the reactive dog and help him change for the better. The process is not an easy one, but once the changes begin to take shape, owners become so encouraged that the rest of the process suddenly becomes easy!

All training methods and classroom techniques are based on fun and on the development of a working relationship with your dog. 149 pages and 68 photographs and graphics to help you recognize and solve problems.

This revised ediition, updated in April 2009, includes many new pictures and lots of new information.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ali Brown graduated from Ursinus College with a B.S. in Psychology, and earned her M.Ed. in Human Development / Behavioral Science from Lehigh University. Working primarily as a behavior therapist/consultant with mentally challenged children and adults, she made a fulfilling switch to working with dogs seven years ago. She is a board member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. Ali takes great pride in providing non-force training methods for dogs and their people. She lives, trains, works and excells at Rally-O with her two Belgian Sheepdogs, Acacia and Bing.

Product Details

• Perfect Paperback: 149 pages
• Publisher: Tanacacia Press; 1 edition (May 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976641402
• ISBN-13: 978-0976641407
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great advice!, August 22, 2005

By 

Megan A. Brooks (Natick, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog (Perfect Paperback)

After being at my wits' end trying to figure out just what was going on in the head of my scaredy-dog, I picked up Brown's book. On page after page, she described behaviors I was seeing develop, and offered solutions to those behaviors.

Fortunately for me, my dog is not as scared as the ones she describes were. That said, many of the techniques she outlines have been saving graces for me. Most importantly, I now use a crate in the car when I drive with my dog. No more barking wildly at buses, motorcycles, other dogs, and trolleys! No more trying to clamber out the window after those offensive pieces of machinery! I have no more fear about how my dog is going to act in the car, and she has a lot more security while being in the car.

There are many other strategies I will consider using with my scaredy dog. If your dog is the kind of dog who reacts unpredictably in a wide variety of situations and you want to keep your dog, other dogs, and other people safe around your dog, this book provides a strong and solid base from which to begin your work. Highly recommended!

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for Understanding Your Problem Dog, January 3, 2007

By 

C. A. Szelazek "PawsToQuilt" (San Jose, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog (Perfect Paperback)

I read "Scaredy Dog" feeling overwhelmed with my newly adopted reactive dog. The book clearly explained what was going on with my dog, and the step-by-step way I needed to work with her to overcome her reactive behavior. I was very pleased with the common-sense approach and would recommend this book to anyone struggling with a reactive or aggressive dog. I would also recommend "On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals" by Turid Rugaas. It helped to explain what kind of signals I was sending my dog when she reacted to other dogs, and how to send the correct signals to calm down the situation.

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All the basics of dog rehabilitation are surveyed for pros and cons, November 7, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Scaredy Dog! Understanding and Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog (Perfect Paperback)

Aggressive puppy or dog behaviors can be frightening when uncontrollable, but there's hope for the 'reactive dog', as Ali Brown displays in Scaredy Dog! Understanding And Rehabilitating Your Reactive Dog. Tips from dog pros, vets, and even homeopathic applications are reviewed and assessed, with chapters offering explicit tips on conditioning methods which work. From leash and crate work and training management to using clickers and treats, all the basics of dog rehabilitation are surveyed for pros and cons.