The Dog Listener (Paperback)

Having recently enrolled in more traditional dog training classes with my "naughty" 10 month old collie, I have been provided with an understanding into my dogs behaviour that has astounded me -I never realised a dogs world was so complex or that the main reason dogs misbehave is a result of human action rather than simply having a "naughty" dog.

I am now learning a new approach to dealing with my puppy and have had incredible results after only a few days, much more than after 2 months of dog training lessons.

I am now the Alpha female in our household and our wolf pack is calm and organised - no panicking would be puppy dog leaders!! Read the book to comprehend further.

A worthwile read, my friends think my new behaviour with my dog is a bit barmy, but my pup thinks its great, think like a dog to get on the same level of understanding - cooperation in dog training is always much better than force.

I hope I have done justice to Jans words of wisdom in this review and I would recommend it to all dog owners - of both good dogs and "naughty" ones too.

Ms. Fennell, through her open-mindedness, and with a keen eye for "dog watching" has eloquently outlined the key role that the human must play in order to have a successful human/canine relationship. Through her own trial and error, she has realized that we as humans cannot bring a dog into our homes and expect him to live like "one of us". She reminds the reader that dogs can only cope and think from a dog's point of view. However, as humans, we are able to cross species and adjust our behaviour to fully communicate our wishes to our canine partners. We can "think" like a dog, and Ms. Fennell shows us how.

I wonder how many misunderstood dogs would have been saved from abuse, abandonment and euthanasia had her book "The Dog Listener" been mandatory reading prior to dog ownership. And how many dog owners would have been spared the trials of living with a dog they just couldn't understand or communicate with.

All of my family and friends, including my veterinarian, received gifts of this book for Christmas (from me!) Through following the author's amazingly simple guidelines on taking the role as "head of the pack", immediate results can be had in improving your dog's behaviour. In fact, the book is not a "dog" training book - it's an "owner" training book! Enjoy!

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.