Barbara Burgess / Times Columnist | Posted: Monday, February 7, 2005 12:00 am
Would you consider your dog challenging?
You are not alone. Many people have difficult dogs with problems ranging from destruction to serious aggression.
Most dog trainers, myself included, get into the business because of a difficult dog. Dogs change our lives in ways we can never predict.
In this vein, I am recommending three books that will make your difficult dog seem like Lassie.
The first two are by Jon Katz, an award-winning and accomplished author.
"A Dog Year" chronicles his acquisition of a high-strung border collie a breeder convinced him to adopt after reading one of his books. Devon, a well bred 2-year-old dog, soon earns the nickname "Helldog."
Formerly a lab owner, Katz realizes that this border collie is not what he/s used to.
While out on a walk shortly after adopting him, the dog breaks loose, jumps on the roof of a moving minivan and hitchhikes down the road.
A dog trainer and friend told him, "If you want to have a better dog, you will just have to be a better … human."
After reading this book, you will run to your problem dog with love and appreciation for how easy he or she is by comparison.
Katz/s most recent book, "The Dogs of Bedlam Farms" is a follow-up about his move to a farm on behalf of his, now three, border collies.
It seems once you get hooked on this breed, it/s hard to own anything else.
Katz makes his living as an author, but he lives his life for dogs.
The third book I recommend is called "Bringing Light to Shadow," by Pam Dennison. It is a densely packed book, written for people interested in working with difficult dogs.
It is not a dog training book per se, but it is packed with training information.
Dennison chronicles her growth as a person and trainer while working with a 1-year-old dog most people would consider to be a lost cause.
Although Dennison knew Shadow was a nervous dog, she had no idea he was people-aggressive. She did not truly comprehend the magnitude of the work, total dedication and commitment required to help him.
As she says, "I had been humbled by a forty pound … Border Collie."
Her only rule in retraining him was to never resort to punishment. Punishment is often a quick fix people use to curb aggression and it is tempting to use it.
This book emphasizes what can be accomplished without it, as well as the repercussions of using it.
After 539 days, Shadow passed his canine good citizen test, no small feat for a dog who was aggressive toward everyone.
Shadow turns out to be a confident, calm, friendly, but most importantly, happy dog.
Dennison includes her actual journal entries as well as training concepts and comments on what she learned in hindsight.
Hindsight is 20/20, and now it/s in a book so the rest of us can avoid making the same mistakes. Although we learn from our successes, it is our mistakes that give us the greatest insight.
All of these books excel in demonstrating just how must time, dedication, and patience it can take to truly have a great dog. Easy dogs are wonderful, but for those of us who have more challenging dogs, the rewards are immeasurable.
* Barbara Burgess owns and operates Happy Tails to You, a dog-training and behavioral counseling center specializing in positive-reinforcement training. She lectures on bite prevention and understanding dog behavior. You can reach her by calling 938-5600 or visiting HappyTails ToYou.com.
Feb. 5, 2005