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The Dog Listener: Learning the Language of your Best Friend
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Amazon.co.uk Review
The behavioural problems covered in The Dog Listener will sound all too familiar to anyone who shares their life with a canine companion. During the 25 years that Jan Fennell has been working with dogs, she's been increasingly aware of the ways in which communication between man's best friend and ourselves has broken down. Inspired by Monty Roberts, Fennell embraces similar ideas to those found in The Man Who Listens to Horses. Rather than trying to fit human psychology to animals, the starting point is observing how animals communicate, how they structure their groups in the wild and what they think their role is.
Initially Fennell looks at the role that dogs have played historically--primarily a working role, in which human and animal worked side by side to the same goal. Many owners flinch as the idea of a dog "working", with associations of oppression and hierarchy. But dogs naturally form a hierarchical society with the strongest, most intelligent dog leading the pack. Humans might thrive on the concept of democracy but dogs don't automatically feel the same way. When we understand and respect a dog's mindset, effective training can be done with intelligence and compassion.
Each chapter deals with a different case study and owners of problem or "challenging" dogs will be kicking themselves as they realise just how wrong they've been getting it all this time. Some myths dispelled: "Tugging games are fun and it makes my little dog happy to think he's the winner." Wrong--if you let the dog win it reinforces the idea that he is the top dog in the group. "My dog can't bear to be left in the house ... because he loves me so much." Wrong--your dog thinks that he is responsible for you, the acute anxiety that results from separation can be likened to that of a mother who's has a toddler wander off by itself into untold danger.
Much of what we do to show affection to our dogs actually has the result of creating insecurities and confusion. In this respect many ideas are similar to those in John Fisher's Think Dog, particularly on remedies for anxious and aggressive dogs. Here though, the use of real life case studies offers encouragement that following this advice can initiate a rapid transformation in your dog's behaviour. Jan Fennell writes with affection and a real conviction that sharing her work with others can make a real difference. Her wide and admiring audience of happy dog owners would indicate that the title of "dog listener" is a highly appropriate one.--Tony Martin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
Jan Fennell is a dog owner who had always subscribed to the 'obedience' school of training. But two things happened to make her reassess her methods. First Purdey, her Border collie-whippet cross, pushed Fennell's small son through a glass door, then bit her daughter and had to be put down. Then she met the famed Monty Roberts, author of The Man Who Listens to Horses. Fennell's attitude to dogs and her life changed entirely on that afternoon in 1990. Enthused by what Monty could achieve with horses, she decided to try to apply his principles to canines. Watching videos of wolves, dingoes and wild dogs, she saw exactly the same behaviour replicated in her own home by her pack of five dogs. The light dawned when she realized that obedience training meant trying to impose a human framework on the dogs. Instead, it was necessary to look at things from the dog's point of view as it operated within a pack mentality. The dog, unless convinced otherwise, believes it is the leader of a pack in which its human partner is a subordinate. Once the author had learned to understand the dog's way of thinking everything else fell into place. A dog jumping up at a visitor was attempting to establish hierarchy, a dog barging in front while walking to the door was protecting the den. Gradually she developed a technique called Amichien Bonding. This consists of four separate elements that need to be repeated constantly day in, day out. Following the success of her technique with her own dogs, Fennell was increasingly called on by friends to help with their dogs. The second half of the book is devoted entirely to sorting out dog problems: fussy eaters, car chaos, fear of noises, difficult puppies and soiling in the home. The author's ideas are not entirely new. The same philosophy can be found in John Fisher's Think Dog, and Amir Avnit also bases a similar training programme on years of researching wild canines. But Fennell wins hands down for the simplicity of her technique and the easy-to-follow instructions. In a number of case histories, she sets out exactly what has to be done if certain negative types of behaviour occur. The book is extremely well written, recording setbacks and triumphs along with details of her family life. The techniques are still so revolutionary to most of us that even non-dog owners will find it a fascinating page-turner. (Kirkus UK)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
62 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound insights into dogs simply explained.,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Dog Listener: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (Hardcover)
Jan Fennell's methods are based on insights into the psychology of dogs which she developed from observing wolves. Her suggestions are so simple that, as a dog owner for many years, I thought they could not possibly work. I was so wrong that I was amazed. Within days my two labradors were so much more relaxed and better behaved that I experienced a fresh delight in keeping dogs.I leanrned that the way we instinctively treat dogs, based on human perspectives, is against the best interests of the dog. What we perceive as being kind is often, to the dog, a source of anxiety. Much - indeed most - dog care and training is really anti-dog because we have never taken the trouble to understand the true nature of the animal. Every dog owner, including those in the police and armed services responsible for dogs, should read this book. The result would be fewer problem dogs, more contented and well behaved dogs and many people would discvover a pleasure and satisfaction in owning dogs they could scarcely have imagined. Over the years I have read many books on dog training and this is the best. From the pages of Jan Fennell's book the dog emerges from his lupine past as an admirable animal who deserves to to treated in accordance with his true nature. What is so exciting about the principles described here is that they can be applied quickly and simply in the home. The reason is that they are based on profound insights into the nature of the dog. After reading this book I will never see dogs in the same way again. Read the book and neither will you.
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting but a bit too based on dominance reduction .,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Dog Listener: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (Hardcover)
Jan fennell obviously loves dogs. Jan believes that all the problems we encounter with our dogs are dominance related. I believe this theory could be partly true and it will do no harm to anyones dog to practice humane and sensible dominance reduction techniques.I found Jans idea for a dog suffering stress when being home alone very amusing as she advised the owner to leave her house by the living room window!.Some lovely pictures of her own dogs and some very honest accounts of her own mistakes. This would be a good book for a lot of dog owners.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A helpful contribution - with limitations,
By Some Bloke (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Dog Listener: Learning the Language of your Best Friend (Hardcover)
First impressions? I was really impressed. Someone had actually looked at the mind of a dog and communicating with them in their language rather than forcing them to try ours. Then I would have given five stars - or more!
On reflection there is a good foundation but the story is a little overblown. I applaud her for bringing this form of training to the masses but there are limits. To start with, there is a very heavy reliance on just a few methods of bonding. There isn't much flexibility in dealing with individual behaviour. The case studies are a bit monotonous - all sorted with recourse to the same methods. I was also concerned about how much of the book is about the writer. Is this an ego trip or a help-you-dog book? And does she notr realise that many canine problems are caused by the overpopulation and homelessness of dogs that is related to the breeding of dogs she seems to support? I'm confused and wonder what the motivation is. I've just had a dog expert visit my 2 boys and although she employs a similar approach, she went a lot further and I wonder why she doesn't write a book - there was more information, flexibility and practical information that Jan Fennell put into her book. In summary, there are some good principles and I think this could help people and their dogs. But it is not the solve-all or final revelation it may seem to be.
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