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The Practical Dog Listener
The 30-day path to a lifelong understanding of your dog
Jan Fennell
For Sasha, Barmie and Raffie
Also to Sadie, the star of this book 5/12/1995–28/10/2005
Table of Contents
It is important to state here that my method cannot remove the aggressive tendencies of any dog. Certain breeds have been raised specifically for the purpose of fighting, and my methods will never be able to alter their potentially savage nature. What my method can do is allow people to manage their dogs so that this aggressive instinct is never called upon. Please exercise the greatest of caution when working with such dogs.
The response to the publication of my first book, The Dog Listener, has been truly humbling. I seem to have struck a chord with so many people who share my belief that humans and dogs can enjoy a peaceful and rewarding coexistence. The thought that many of these people are now successfully implementing the compassionate training method I outlined, and so are learning to understand the dog’s own language, heartens me enormously.
The many words of support I have received since publication echo those I first heard on a much smaller scale when I began treating problematic dogs almost ten years ago. At the time, people raised on the idea of ‘obedience training’, of sublimating the dog’s will to that of its human ‘master’, were overwhelmed to discover that dogs could coexist with humans while still exercising their own free will. They were amazed to discover that, as I like to put it, the best form of control is using the dog’s self-control.
People’s responses to the practicalities of applying my method have conformed to an equally familiar pattern. And it was here that the seeds of the idea for this book were sown. From my earliest experiences in dealing with owners on a one-on-one basis, I quickly learned that no two dogs, no two homes and no two relationships between dog and owner are the same. On the one hand, this is one of the main reasons why my work remains such a source of fascination to me. However, this also makes it natural that my work divides itself into two distinct phases: the home visit itself and the post-visit, or backup, service.
During the crucial first consultation, it is my job to explain and demonstrate the principles that underpin my work. From there, I go on to offer owners basic instructions on how to implement my method. Many owners are able to replicate my method almost instantaneously, yet just as many require ongoing supervision. This is no criticism of any of them: while, at heart, my method is a simple one, the practicalities of implementing it are at times demanding. Some people don’t have the time or the resources to devote themselves as fully as others. Some have tried so many different methods, they cannot separate mine from the others. Equally, while I believe all dogs understand and react to my signals in the same way, every dog has a personality that can manifest itself in a different form of behaviour. Some dogs are simply more strong-willed and resistant than others. As a result, I make sure I am always at the end of a telephone line to guide owners through the difficult moments.
My first book was, in many ways, the equivalent of the home visit. Within its pages I outlined my ideas and explained how they evolved through long and hard experience. It was, if you like, my mission statement. Now I have produced this second book as the backup, the practical guide to putting that philosophy to work. The reaction to the first book has helped shape the content of this companion volume. Many of the people who have contacted me since reading The Dog Listener have asked me to develop specific ideas touched on in the first book. Most of them have wanted to apply them to the practical realities of their own situations. Many people, for instance, own more than one dog. Others find it hard to impose themselves on their dog, to present the signals consistently and to interpret their dog’s reaction correctly. Some find it difficult to incorporate my method into their hectic lives. Others have dogs that have displayed behaviour so bizarre, it simply hadn’t occurred to me it existed! I have no doubt there are dogs out there with traits that I still haven’t imagined. Nevertheless, I have done my best to cover as many of the unexplored areas as I can in this book.
My goal is to allow anyone to implement my method. So, to make it as accessible as possible, I have divided what follows into a guide through the key phases of the crucial first thirty days. I am adamant in my belief that the work of a responsible and caring owner begins even before a dog arrives within the home. With this in mind, I have included a section on the all-important preparations required too. From meeting and corresponding with people, I know how many readers enjoyed hearing of my adventures in treating problem dogs, so I have made sure I have included as many anecdotal examples as possible to illustrate my points. In response to readers’ comments, there are also step-by-step photographs.
There are goals that can be achieved at regular intervals throughout this method. For instance, it is my belief that most dogs and their owners can attain a basic new understanding of each other within two days. Within