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THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH - WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO AROUND DOGS

Author: Patricia McConnell, Publisher: Ballantine Books, Edition: 2002, Paperback, 240 pages.

The Other End of the Leash discusses a revolutionary, new perspective, on our relationship with dogs: focusing on our behaviour in comparison with that of dogs.

An applied animal behaviourist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species. She muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behaviour & how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.

 After all, although humans & dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates whereas dogs are canids (like wolves & foxes). Since we each speak a different "native tongue", a lot gets lost in translation.

 The Other End of the Leash demonstrates how even the slightest changes in your voice & the way you stand can help your dog understand what you want. Once you start to think about your own behaviour from the perspective of your dog, you’ll understand why much of what appears to be doggy-disobedience is simply a case of miscommunication.

Inside you will learn:

• How to use your voice so that your dog is more likely to do what you ask.
• Why “getting dominance” over your dog is a bad idea.
• Why “rough & tumble primate play” can lead to issues, instead, how to play with your dog in ways that are fun & keep him out of trouble.
• How dogs & humans share personality types & why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “dominant alpha wannabes”

The Other End of the Leash has single handedly changed our relationship with Hudson (Lovehound cover boy). Hudson was a very shy & anxious rescue dog a year ago (rescued late 2008). He would also get very excited at the approach of bigger male dogs. We had tried many ways of building his confidence & reduce his anxiety towards other dogs. The readily accessible references that we could find advised us to show our dominant position on our dog & used techniques like the “pin-down” etc. All these methods only made Hudson more fearful & introverted.

Patricia McConnell dismisses much of the “dominance” method. First, she explains the canine species versus humans & how misunderstanding may arise from our differences. Then she indicates how dogs’ body language may be interpreted & what dogs like/dislike or find acceptable/unacceptable behaviour from other dogs or from humans. McConnell also provides very valuable advice on how to modify our own body language & interaction with our dogs to promote their well-being. Since we’ve put her techniques into practice, Hudson has become a completely different dog: more social & less anxious happy chap. We strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs

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