Describes a six-week program to get people and dogs off on the right paw. Clear descriptions of humane and scientifically-based methods to teach basic exercises including sit, down, come, heel, stay and no jumping up. As importantly, the book emphasizes how to make training fun for those at both ends of the leash, and how to ensure reliable responses while still being your dog's best friend. Includes trouble-shooting tips for what to do when your dog hasn't read the training books and doesn't respond as expected. Equally useful for training classes or for people who are "home schooling." This is a book that many trainers will want their students to read.

The Other End of the Leash shares a revolutionary, new perspective on our relationship with dogs, focusing on our behavior in comparison with that of dogs. An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.

After all, although humans and 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 and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation.

The Other End of the Leash demonstrates how even the slightest changes in your voice and the way you stand can help your dog understand what you want. Once you start to think about your own behavior 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 and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble–and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of trouble.
• How dogs and humans share personality types–and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alphawannabees!”

In her own insightful, compelling style, Patricia McConnell combines wonderful true stories about people and dogs with a new, accessible scientific perspective on how they should behave around each other. This is a book that strives to help you make the most of life with your dog, and to prevent problems that might arise in that most rewarding of relationships.


From the Hardcover edition.

How to prevent and treat Separation Anxiety. If you worry about leaving your dog home alone, both because you love your dog and your house, this book is for you. Most dogs can be left home alone during the day and lead happy, fulfilled doggy lives without destroying your house. Of course, some of them get into trouble at home when you're gone because there's so much fun stuff to do without you to stop them. But a small number of dogs suffer from a serious problem called Separation Anxiety, in which they panic at your departure and stay panicked until you return. This book is designed to help those whose dog really suffers from Separation Anxiety, to help you prevent it from developing, and to help you raise a dog with good "house manners."

New from Dogwise Publishing! Have you ever caught yourself wondering just what your dog is thinking when he suddenly drops to the ground and rolls around in ecstasy on his back? What about when he lowers his head and slinks away after a stranger walks up to him and pats him on the head? Join best-selling author Patricia McConnell in looking at the behavioral interactions of dogs and people and how the similarities and differences between us impact our relationships.