Why Does My Dog...? [Hardcover]

John Fisher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1992

Why does a dog bark when the owner is on the phone? And why does a dog nip at someone's ankles? The answers to these and other questions are explained through John Fisher's examination of canine behavior, from ancestral instincts to daily routine.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Fisher worked with dogs professionally for more than 20 years. He was a regular contributor to What Dog? and Pet Dog magazines and is the author of Think Dog and Dogwise: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 231 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House (November 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087605792X
• ISBN-13: 978-0876057926
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,994,709 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Get into the mind of the dog, February 7, 2004

By 

bok "bokster" (Singapore) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Does My Dog . . . ? (Why Does My . . . ? series) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book. i believe all dog owners who love thier best friend must read it.

john fisher is a dog behaviourist, read: dog shrink. reading between the lines of this book, i believe he is very dedicated and is driven strongly by his love for dogs.

in the first chapter of this book, he explains what it is he does - he listens and looks at how a dog behave, or what the problem behaviours are; he would use then his vast knowledge of how a dog would behave/think to recommend a solution.

next, he would explain how modern society/living clashes with having a well behaved dogs. the crux of most dog problems is social ranking. modern society sets this basic instinct in dogs awry at times. in a short chapter, he tries to tell us how we can re-establish ourselves as masters in the eyes of the dog.

the rest of the book lists from A-Z a long list of behaviourial problems and how to deal with it. most problems will be attached a related real life problem he encountered, and the solution he advised.

the book concludes with a 10 page appendix. this is where he lists his techniques to olve problem behaviours, there are only 1 or 2 techniques though.

i suspect 'Think Dog! An Owner's Guide to Canine Psychology' by the same author is a newer version of this book, which was first published in 1991. so you could check that book out.

if you love dogs, understand their mentality, read this book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very illuminating, excellent resource, January 19, 2003

By 

Avid Reader "Avid Reader" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Why Does My Dog . . . ? (Why Does My . . . ? series) (Paperback)

Written by an experienced pet behaviour councellor, this book is a must-read for dog owners, especially inexperienced ones. One of the most educational books on dogs I've ever come across. Explains many misconceptions we have about the way dogs interact and behave and assumptions we make that lead to negative results when training our dogs. Every topic discussed is supported by examples from Mr. John Fisher's practice in his work with problem behaviour, or rather what we label as problem behaviour according to our value system. I'll definitely buy Mr. Fisher's other book "Dogwise: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog" as soon as I find it.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Think Like Your Dog!!, November 27, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Why Does My Dog . . . ? (Why Does My . . . ? series) (Paperback)

This book is a must for dog owners! Dealing with a dominant puppy was such a frustration until I read Mr. Fisher's book. My puppy's attitude changed the first day I implemented these training ideas. He is now a joy to be around. All it took was me learning to think like a puppy!