Customer Reviews

Through a Dog's Eyes

5 star:		(56)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

[This review is based on an Advanced Reading Copy]

"Through A Dog's Eyes" is an insightful, humane and knowledgable journey through the mindset of man's best friend. The author, Jennifer Arnold is the founder of Canine Assistants, a service dog school based in Milton, Georgia. At Canine Assistants Jennifer and her team rescue, rehabilitate and train dogs to become service dogs providing aid for children and adults who have physical disabilities, epilepsy and other special needs. Spending her entire life with dogs the author clearly has a compassion for them that transcends all boundaries of emotion. Although sometimes her feelings border on odd there's no denying her passion for animals, especially those within her care. Here are my feelings on this thought provoking book;


Pros

+ Empathetic and passionate view on how to train, teach and understand your dog.

+ Author clearly outlines and explains the basic behaviors, senses and emotions of dogs in an easily understandable and common sense way.

+ Believes the popular dominant/alpha male role of the owner is incorrect. Arnold explains that trust and positive reinforcement through training should be the foundation of the relationship between owner and dog, not fear and submission. She further explains that the alpha male role should be reserved for wild animals (wolves) and not domesticated dogs and their human partners.

+ Speaks out against the use of physically and emotionally harmful training devices such as shock, choke, citronella collars and invisible fences.

+ Quick and informative read with its heart in the right place.

+ Great cover art


Cons

- Author's message can sometimes come across as condescending and overly emotional. This commonly happens when someone is as compassionate about something as Arnold is for dogs. This is especially evident if someone doesn't understand or see her exact point of view.

- Not everyone will feel or comprehend the author's instense bond with dogs and could perceive it as "strange."

- Can read like a research paper at times.

- Can be confusing differentiating between the names of the dogs and their owners as the dog was mentioned much more frequently.

- Too short considering the cover price.


"Through A Dog's Eyes" educates and inspires owners to train their dog appropriately. With 20 years of dog training experience, she shares her stories of canine sensitivity and body/vocal language comprehension. She offers numerous but brief examples of canine intelligence and heroism in efforts to aid their human partners. Arnold emphasizes choice-based, positive-reinforcement-only teaching methods and shares valuable insights that every dog owner should know. Arnold is extremely outspoken regarding the "alpha male - dominance" training/belief taught by many trainers today. While she never says, "I'm talking about you Cesar Millan" you could easily draw the comparison. Arnold balances dog science and observation admirably while elevating our respect and basic understanding of our canine companions to a new level. She gets a thumbs and paws up from me and my dog.

The author specializes in training service dogs for disabled people so she's looking for a specific personality type: interested in humans, submissive, docile. Although I'm not a dog expert, I suspect some of her advice might not apply or may actually be erroneous if you're looking for a dog that is not like the dog she is describing, such as a guard dog or an aggressive active dog, or if you're dealing with a dog that is by nature aloof or dominating with most humans. Although she makes an effort to be scientific, I'd categorize some of her science as pseudoscience and I think actually her main value add here is not her advice or information but the general compassionate attitude she brings.

I would recommend this book to people who want to read heroic stories about service dogs. I do not think this book is particularly informative or helpful in training most dogs. She does not describe very many actual training techniques but mainly emphasizes the perspective of compassion in general as opposed to methods that come from physical dominance of dogs. She seemed to possess a lot of intelligence in terms of being able to understand what the dog is thinking or feeling. I do not feel qualified to remark on whether her criticism of physical dominance is accurate or not but her emotions seemed reasonable and right and were the strongest point of her book.

This is the dog book I have been waiting for!!! For years we've been taught we have to dominate and control our dogs and I never understood why. Finally we have an author who has years of experience working with and researching dogs who tells us we don't have to! Arnold takes us on an emotional journey and helps us understand that dogs do indeed have emotions and deserve the proper treatment and respect. She doesn't just tell us that this is the way to work with a dog but explains WHY it should be done and how important it is. It feels like such a relief to have someone with such a wealth of knowledge instruct dog lovers on how it is very worth it to learn how to communicate effectively with our canine friends. Finally someone who is giving dogs the respect they deserve!!!!!! Dog's around the world are breathing a sigh of relief that "Through a Dog's Eyes" was written for them!

Arnold's book is very well written and is an interesting and emotional read. Her passion for not only dogs but for helping others touches the heart. And who can resist the pictures of such sweet and loving dogs.

I bought this book today and could not put it down! Anyone that does not fall in love with all this book has to offer is crazy. Through a Dog's Eyes really is both touching and inspiring for any person whether a dog lover or not. If you are not, you will be after reading how these amazing animals change life after life. The author captivates your heart in portraying the compassion of a human and dog relationship. I strongly recommend this book for all you dog lovers out there, as it is a light and easy read, but heavy on the heart. The first thing I did when I finished was give my golden retriever a hug and thank him for the companionship he has brought in my life.

Dogs deserve better. Period. Our ever faithful companions are brimming with unconditional love and generally try their best to please us. But many persons believe training them requires a "tough love" approach defined by physical dominance that borders on abuse. Jennifer Arnold makes an eloquent and thoughtful case: If we'll simply look at the world "Through a Dog's Eyes," we'll discover that they always do what they do for reasons that are perfectly clear to them, if not always to us. Understanding those reasons is key to modifying behavior with kindness, compassion and mutual respect. Training based on rewards -- lots of treats at first, lots of praise ongoing -- makes for a much better relationship and it's stronger because it is steeped in love, not fear. Arnold is disturbed by the popularity of the notion that we have to bend dogs to our wills with brute force. She says it doesn't make sense, isn't necessary and doesn't accord dogs the treatment they've earned by generations of loyalty to us. Do your dog a favor. Read this book cover-to-cover and give Arnold's methods a try. They're based on 20 solid years of experience training dogs to assist the disabled. I predict that you'll conclude they make a lot of sense, are more effective and will produce an ongoing relationship with your dog that will delight and astonish you.

This book covers topics in which I am very interested. Unfortunately, it is more about how the author wants to see dogs than about how dogs really are. If you believe that "dogs manage to maintain an unwavering trust that human beings are good despite our occasinal behavior to the contrary" (page xiv), then perhaps you may enjoy this book. If you believe that dogs are real beings, and that some do, very much, display a lack of trust in humans, either through poor socialization, bad experiences, or genetics (or a combination thereof), then I expect you will be disappointed in this book. If you believe dogs have ESP, then you may well enjoy the chapter "Canine Mystique". I believe that dogs can be very perceptive, but I do not believe that there is "communication between each member of a group regardless of how far away they may be from one another" (page 57).

There are a variety of questionable "truths" presented throughout the book, which have been pointed out by other reviewers.

The author also seems to want to be a "martyr" for dogs. Repeatedly we are told about how poorly understood and poorly treated dogs are and the author is willing to stand up and point out the stupidity of others for the "cause" of dogs. That's great, but I'm disappoited about the self-rightousness and "holy" attitude that comes with it. For example, in the intro we are told "Those who endorse differing methodologies and whose economic interests will be threatened by my approach may well direct their wrath my way, but that will not deter me."

Overall, the book is so full of what the author WANTS dogs to be, that it is not about what dogs actually ARE. My interest is in my dogs and all dogs, but not the author's beliefs.

Jennifer Arnold writes passionately and descriptively about something she knows extensively. As the founder of Canine Assistants, a non-profit that has been growing out of Atlanta for the past twenty years, you could say she has learned a thing, or maybe more than a millions things, about dogs. In this debut book, she weaves stories from her experience and provides insight from her Own findings as well as her in-depth research.
She takes you through the history and evolution of dogs, making a case for man's best friend through the ages. She describes the inherent nature of dogs backed by moving first-hand accounts. She packs twenty years of proven training into a concise training manual based on positive re-enforecement, proving there are better ways than the unfortunate dominance-based methods made popular by certain individuals. She gives plenty of examples of what people, including herself, can overcome when faced with what can seem like life's toughest obstacles, including illness and loss of physical abilities. Most incredibly, she shows how dogs can help people overcome such things. And to take it a step further, she proves how dogs can sense the slightest emotion or even something awry, able at times to prevent an impending disaster.
Whether you own a dog or not, you will enjoy reading this book. You get the sense that you know the author and will trust what she is writing. Her stories will make you laugh and make you cry, her research will leave you feeling like you couldn't have learned nearly as much if you googled "dogs" for a year, and certainly not as comprehensively if you tried. And, if you have a dog, the training tips and manual will surely prove essential. That being said, more than ever I wanted (and still want!) to become a dog-owner (for so many reasons) after finishing Through a Dog's Eyes.

As a rehab foster for troubled shelter and rescue dogs, I read as many different dog training and behavior books as I can get my hands on. This one disappointed me. I think the value in this book is in the stories of heroic dogs and such, but that is where the value ends. The author contradicts herself many times. For instance, in one part she talks about someone who's dog knew better than to steal food from the tables or counters, according to the dog's owner. The author said she had serious concerns about that dog because of the owner's concept that the dog was able to know better than to do something. But later on the author herself mentions her own dog stealing snacks from a drawer and closing the drawer because he knew they would hide them better if he were found out. So on the one hand the other dog couldn't have known better (according to her "expertise") but yet her own dog could. She also tells of an incident in which a malamute visits her business and her own dog possibly thought the malamute was a wolf. Oh really? Based on what experience? Perhaps her dog mistakenly thought the malamute was a polar bear - about as plausible.

The author wants nothing to do with any dogs except a couple of breeds and even within those she limits her training mostly to dogs she has raised herself, shunning rescued shelter dogs in the process. Therefore her training experience, and behavior modification experience, is limited at best. 20 years of limited experience is still.....limited experience. While such limitation no doubt works fine for the mission of training service animals, such limiting views, experience, and methods should not be considered all encompassing with regard to the many other fine dogs out there.

The author also mentions haphazardly various theories of evolution, both of dogs and man. Apparently she believes that mankind's sense of smell diminished over time due to man having dog as a companion. Take that for what it's worth. I found it silly. And there's plenty more of that kind of drivel in the book.

The stories of dogs helping humans in the book are heartwarming and are the only reason I gave this book two stars. Otherwise, if only based on training and behavior information, it would have been a stretch to give it one star. I did read the entire book, hoping to be impressed at some point and to be fair to the author. Utter disappointment. Save your money if you're looking for real dog behavior information.

Jennifer Arnold's book offers a giant step forward in the humane treatment of dogs as feeling and thinking beings. No doubt about it, required reading if you have a dog or are thinking of getting one.

Through a Dog's Eyes offers clear insight plus a one-page chart on how to assess both dog and human personality. On a scale from 0 to 28 each individual falls into four main overarching categories: Analyticals, Drivers, Amiables and Expressives. This book offers sound methods for getting the right dog personality for you and your family.

Choice Teaching, a method Arnold successfully uses to prepare Canine Assistant dogs, fills an entire chapter. She details how to employ this method with specifics on what to do. Plus she summarizes this Choice Teaching method in Appendix A. Charts provide spoken cues, physical cues and teaching tips. Given the fact that dogs lack vocal cords and cannot speak in human words, patient teaching brings the best results. And Arnold shares inspiring true stories of the choices and the "thinking" Canine Assistants dogs do.

Read this book before you get a dog.
Read this book first before you choose a training method.
Read this book immediately when you take in a new puppy or dog.

Spare yourself and your four-legged friend harsh training methods. Jennifer Arnold once thought methods of dominance and negative correction were necessary, but her dogs at Canine Assistance taught her otherwise.

For twenty years, Jennifer Arnold has adopted, raised and taught service dogs for people with special needs. She has learned to "teach" dogs to make choices not to simply "train" them to follow commands. Using kindness and encouragement, her dogs do amazing feats of thinking, take life saving actions, and provide their recipients with devotion and love.

Arnold advocates for humane and kind treatment of dogs. And her lifelong love of dogs and keen observation of them inform each chapter with authority. She clearly understands the difficulty our canine friends have in figuring out what we want them to do and has developed a working method for letting dogs think over complex tasks. Given choices, Arnold's dogs show how much they want to please and how fast they can think on their feet.

I first heard about this book listening to NPR on the radio as I drove to an appointment. When I arrived to my destination, I stayed in the car until the program was finished, I was that captivated by what she had to say.

If you work with dogs, or have a dog who is rescued, or having issues with your dog,you must read this book. If you want to get a dog from a shelter but think they are less shiny than a brand new $800 one...... think again, and read this book!

The author writes about all dogs, rescued dogs, shelter dogs and what they go through, how their minds work, how they love us and how you can love them back. How you can help them, train them..it's just so full of everything we need to know, it should come strapped to every dog upon arrival into your life. Yes, I love it that much.

I work with animals in my healing practice, and have had experience and a deeper knowing of their thoughts, emotions and their energy. I highly recommend the information in this book just based on what I have gleaned in my practice.

Jennifer Arnold also gets deep into the heart of dog training and the misconceptions on how to do that. She talks about how a dog's one goal in life is to love and to please you. She has trained many dogs, including those who go to rescue work and to people with special needs.

Her method of training is based on the belief that you teach dogs through kindness and encouragement, not with "I'm bigger than you and you must listen to me or be intimidated or shamed." I think we have all seen that kind of training. She is very much against the use of physically and emotionally harmful training and her results are amazing. If you have trained your dog through those other methods, you can still heal what was done and rework the relationship through Jennifer's methods.

This book will change the way you relate to your dog in so many ways, or the dogs you work with. Truly understanding and communicating with your dog.