New Reading and Book Recommendation

I recently started reading Coaching People to Train Their Dogs by Terry Ryan, and I’m currently on the second chapter, Ethology, which explores the fundamental question: What is a dog?

One of the most interesting parts so far has been the discussion on different theories about how the human-dog relationship began. My favorite speculation comes from Nobel Prize winner Konrad Lorenz, who imagined that it all started when a cave-child stole a wolf pup from its den and brought it home. The family decided to keep the dog-like creature, and over generations, our bond with dogs slowly formed. I’m not sure how much truth there is to this theory, but the idea definitely gave me a good laugh!

Terry also breaks down the infamous alpha roll and debunks its use. He quotes ethologist Erich Klinghammer, Ph.D., who states: “The so-called alpha roll-over practiced by some is complete nonsense. The context in which people do it with dogs does not coincide with the situation in which a wolf would actively submit to a high-ranking wolf.” The book explains that, in the wild, alpha rolls are rare and are used to instill fear rather than to teach—meaning no real learning takes place.

So far, I highly recommend this book. It’s incredibly detailed, and no matter where you are in your journey as a dog trainer, there’s something valuable to learn. I’m only on chapter two, but I’ll be updating my blog as I continue reading!

On a side note, the picture for this blog post is of Briar, who I took to Home Depot yesterday for desensitization training. We worked on getting her comfortable with new sights, sounds, and smells. I’ve been training her at the dayschool in Jamaica Plain for a few months now, and I’ve learned so much from working with her. She’s been making amazing progress!