I read the book, took a seminar and actually had one of her trainers out to the house for Delilah. I couldn’t do it because I just can’t ignore my dogs but I’ve heard people that will swear by this. It is not a dominance based training in terms of physical dominance, but it is ultimately a mind dominance thing.

But I do know one couple with a very temperamental Corgi, who says this method has been a game changer for them.

Jan was the one who first got me realize that physically dominating a dog was not the way to train. Even though I don’t follow her philosophy, I do appreciate that she steered me in a better direction.

As for why this dominance based theory remains, it’s beyond me. I want a dog that runs to greet me, not trembles and cowers when they see me.

Definitely willing — just haven’t had time….

Callie had her CCL surgery today, after our appointment with the surgeon. Poor Shadow misses her older sister very much right now — this is the first time they have ever been separated for more than a few hours — so hubby and I have been giving her as much extra attention as we can without making Ducky feel left out.

I love a lot of these ideas. I often say that what you train your dog to do or not do has to be based on the reality of your lifestyle. Not all “problems” need to be “solved”–sometimes management is the best option.

Thanks for sharing the post, Mel.

Science is fascinating. All the time we hear on the news about some study that makes good press–red wine prevents cancer, for instance. But science is a process. People learn one thing. It’s tested by others. Ideas change.

Dave Mech’s research on captive wolves was so important. But it was the first step. Unfortunately, it’s been seared into people’s minds leaving little room for new research.

I can’t imagine how frustrated he must be.

Oh yes, I come from the same experience. It’s the compulsion trainer we hired to help us with Desmond after we adopted him that led me to enroll in Animal Behavior College. The whole experience with him was uncomfortable and confusing and left me feeling there just had to be a better way, so I looked into it. I think Kristine has a really good point, too, that if you’re never faced with a challenging dog, these kinds of things may never come to light either way. I’m glad I have level-headed people like you to look up to for a less-hysterical point of view. 🙂

And the crazy thing is that dominance theory isn’t even true for wolves now that science has advanced.

It’s all about listening to what the dog is telling you. Yes!

I love the idea of a picket fence around the bed. What a clever and creative solution.

You’re lucky to have found the key to a good relationship right from the start.