THE INVISIBLE LEASH: A Better Way to Communicate with Your Dog

by Myrna M. Milani ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 19, 1985

Further behavioral guidance from the author of The Weekend Dog (1984)--with emphasis on the role of the ""invisible leash"" (communication and love) in the dog-training process. To understand why a dog behaves the way it does, veterinarian Milani explores how the five senses operate (for both dogs and humans), and how those senses play a primary role in the creation and resolution of canine behavioral problems. ""Only when we expect our dogs to respond to sensations the same way we do does the communication break down and create problems."" Using detailed case histories, Milani offers thoughtful solutions to some of the most common problems encountered by dog owners: house soiling, aggressiveness, timidity, destruction of furniture and/or clothes, mounting, miffing, straying, and food-stealing. For each case, the problem solving starts with recognizing the existing behavior as normal, defining the problem (when and why it occurs), listing all possible solutions, and then selecting and implementing the best one. According to Milani, training can be successful only if the owner is willing to either change his feelings toward the problem or change his own or the dog's behavior. Also included are helpful tips for training deaf and blind dogs. (For a dog who is losing its sight, one should spray cologne lightly on the tops and bottoms of stairways, as well as on any new furnishings.) All in all, a welcome, upbeat training guide for the serious dog-owner, and one which renders the old food-reward and rolled-up newspaper techniques obsolete.

Pub Date: Nov. 19, 1985

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: New American Library

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 1985

Categories: NONFICTION