WHEN GOOD DOGS DO BAD THINGS

An informed, step-by-step guide to solving common dog behavior problems, from the team that produced the obedience training classic Good Dog, Bad Dog. Most undesirable dog behavior can be eliminated, say the authors, by consistently applying a fairly simple teaching/correcting technique. This calls for catching the pet in the act, correcting it by means of a leash jerk (a special collar is used) or the shake of a noisemaker combined with an authoritatively delivered ""no,"" and then following up such action with lavish praise. It also calls for creating a good environment for the dog, particularly ensuring that a nutritious diet and the proper amount of exercise are provided. To help owners understand why their dogs misbehave, Siegal and Margolis trace the origins of each of the 30+ problems discussed back to natural wild dog behavior. A car-chasing canine, like its ancestors, for example, has a tremendous need to defend its territory and attack intruders, and may also be responding to a primordial hunting instinct. An intelligent and explicit behavior-modification (as distinguished from an obedience training) manual, for the owner serious about teaching a dog acceptable behavior.