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The Culture Clash: A Revolutionary New Way to Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs |  | Author: Jean Donaldson
Brand: James & Kenneth Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $17.95
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Seller: booksrushed2u
Rating:  165 reviews
Sales Rank: 5471
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6
MPN: 1020
ISBN: 1888047054
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70835
EAN: 9781888047059
ASIN: 1888047054
Publication Date: January 19, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9781888047059 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
Aby Jean Donaldson A revolutionary new way of understanding the relationship between humans and domestic dogs. Jean Donaldson offers an exciting new perspective on the age-old relationship between mankind and dogs. Donaldson's work with the rehabilitation of aggressive domestic dogs has brought her to the understanding that biting is natural, normal dog behavior. Aggressive behavior within a community of dogs does not fracture relationships; it's all taken very much in stride, much as we humans accept the occasional exchange of heated words. Problems arise when dog rules and standards conflict with human values. This book will help you to understand the difference between our world and the canine world. How our actions can many times cause more problems than they solve.The Cluture Clash discusses the following topics: The dog's perspective (dog intelligence and morality) What the dog comes with (predatory and social behavior) Socialization, fear, and aggression (biters and fighters) It's all chew toys to them (behavior problems and solutions) Lemon brains but we still love them (how dogs learn) Nuts and bolts of obedience training (sequences for training and proofing) James & Kenneth Publishers (2nd Edition, Copyright 2005, Paperback, 203 pages, 5 1/4 inches x 8 1/4 inches )
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
 If you love dogs, you should read this book February 22, 2010
E. L Wagner (Sacramento, CA United States)
When I read this book, I already knew a lot of what Jean Donaldson says about animal behavior. But somehow, it never occurred to apply it to dogs....at least not in my heart of hearts. Her idea is that dogs are not audacious creatures who are plotting a coup and that most of their less than desirable behaviors (and many of the things we find "cute" as well) are not, in fact, attempts to become the "pack alpha" but are just dogs being dogs and doing the things that they think (or have learned) will be rewarding to them. And dogs do not think the way we do. As with any other organism with a nervous system, we can get dogs to do the things we want without punishing them and shutting them down but simply by rewarding the things we DO want them to do in ways that are salient to them and failing to reward (or allow them to be rewarded) for doing the things we do not like. Maybe, just maybe, we will enjoy a stronger bond with our dogs if they associate us with "good things" that they like rather than with punishment. WoW! A couple years later, I started agility training and that reinforced my "conversion" to reward based training. I got to see the amazing things you can get a dog to do in a very distracting environment (full of strange dogs and strange people and fascinating smells)using only rewards for desired behavior (since the goals in agility are speed as well as focus and accuracy, you do NOT achieve success by punishing a dog until it becomes "cautious" and shuts down).
Why am I reviewing this book now? Because it amazes me that after so many years, so many dog lovers have not read this book or any of the others by various experts on scientifically based "positive dog training" such as Paul Owen, Ian Dunbar, Karen Pryor or Sheila Booth. Everything from web sites to popular TV shows and even some vets still promote the idea that pretty much all of the things dogs do that we don't like (and even any sign of spontaneous behavior at all, even if we do like it) is a sign that your dog "thinks he is alpha" and needs to be "put in his place" by forcing the dog physically, using "corrections" and flooding the dog with stressful stimuli until it shuts down. The "miracle" result of the training regimen is a canine robot who obeys not "to please his master" (as so many seem to want to think) but out of a canine form of "learned helplessness." Of course, trainers who invoke scientific data about animal learning and who advocate using treats or other rewards that are more meaningful to most dogs that a simple pat on the head and who cajole us to avoid the use of aversives (aka positive punishment) in training are often dismissed as "impractical egg heads" or "hippie tree huggers" (when did it become so cool to hate trees and what do they have to do with dogs anyways)?
I've had discussion with many people about positive dog training over time and have convinced very few naysayers. No one likes to consider that the attractive trainer on their favorite TV show, their dog's breeder (who really knows "their" breed), or their uncle who has always had dogs may, in fact, be promoting some training methods that are, at best, unfair to the animal in question and at worse, downright dangerous. I also have this sinking feeling that we humans find the act of inflicting punishment on others to be emotionally gratifying and will do so with the slightest amount of "permission" from an authority figure who says it is for the greater good, even as they feel conflicted about it (anyone else remember learning about the Milgram study in school). So punishment is always a touchy topic and people tend to get very emotionally invested in their world view about punishment in general. At this point, when people start pontificating about how some behavior or another is a sign that a dog needs to learn not to be "alpha" or when they start rhapsodizing about such and such a show on TV and how wonderful that trainer is...I just say I am a big "fan" of Jean Donaldson, Ian Dunbar and Paul Owens as trainers. When they ask what that means, I suggest they start by reading The Culture Clash. This book is not a "how to" training manual that gives direct advice on how to solve various canine behavioral issues (I'd suggest books by Booth, Dunbar and Owens for those) but it does explain what we actually know about how animals (including dogs) learn, and provides some very accessible analogies about our behavior towards our "best friends."
This is a must read if you have recently rescued a dog November 22, 2009
L. Orens (Baltimore,MD)
I wish I had purchased this book first; before the four other books on dog training and behavior. Jean Donaldson explains her theories and techniques clearly and succinctly. It really helped me understand how to tackle our german shepherd's fears and anxiety, and gave me a good idea of why he had been in 2 shelters and 3 (maybe 4) homes before we adopted him at about 14 months old. Ms. Donaldson writes beautifully and has a delightful sense of humor and optimism. If you own a dog or are considering adopting one, read this book! It will make your relationship with your dog so much nicer.
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A must read for every dog owner November 15, 2009
Ivis Casillas (ca)
This is a must read for all dog owners. Jean Donaldson does a great job explaining in layman's terms how dogs learn, and why they behave the way they do. People need to stop humanizing dogs, their emotions, and intentions and realize that they are still animals. This book was informative and entertaining. I work in the veterinary field and will definitely recommend this book to anyone with dog behavior questions.
GREAT DOG BEHAVIOR BOOK October 19, 2009
Deborah Birmingham (Palm Coat, FL, USA)
As a Dog Trainer and Canine Behaviorist, I have read many, many books on canine behavior and training. This book is one of best I have ever read. The dog training and veterinary behaviorist world also acknowledge this book as an icon. It is well written, sensible, and an enjoyable read. If you are a canine professional or just want to understand your dog better, this book will be invaluable. Buy it!!
A Powerful, Useful Book for Anyone Who Owns a Dog July 26, 2009
Kay Puttock (Ames, Iowa)
This is an extremely well-written and useful book. It's also heavy-hitting in the sense that is emphasizes the work involved in responsible dog ownership. The author, Jean Donaldson, pulls no punches. She says, for example: "It is my overwhelming experience that [dog] owners who absolutely demand fast fixes to undesirable behavior need to downgrade from organic to plush animals. Dogs are time-intensive and not for every body. It is a huge privilege to own one, and we've got to start feeling some obligation to do right by them." And she certainly provides the detailed carefully-thought-out advice to enable anyone who is willing to take the time and trouble to do just that. At the same time, she is not sentimental about dogs and does not anthropomorphize them. As the title of her book indicates, she emphasizes that dogs and humans belong to entirely different species that do not naturally live harmoniously together,that dogs are predators with "small, smooth, lemon-sized brains" but, as she says, "I like them anyway." Indeed, her realistic, unsentimental affection for dogs shines through this book.
The whole book is packed with detailed, useful advice, but the final chapter in particular is worth the price of the whole book. This chapter, "The Nuts and Bolts of Obedience Training," takes six fundamental commands/behaviors(sit, down, stay, stand, recall/come, and heel)and breaks them down into training levels: kindergarten level through college and even PhD level. Detailed advice is given for each level. The useful (but often ignored) distinction between heeling and loose-leash walking is also explained and illuminated. (The only better advice on heeling that I have found anywhere is in Morgan Specter's book "Clicker Training for Obedience.")
The book also gives excellent advice on playing with your dog. Especially useful for me was her discussion of "predatory games" such as tug-of-war. Since most dogs I've ever owned have been big and powerful (bull-terriers, a bloodhound, Rhodesian ridgeback, German shepherd and shepherd mixes, and now a Newfie) I have until now tended to avoid games which I believed encouraged aggression and could get out of hand. Donaldson points out that such games are highly motivating for dogs, that many dogs prefer playing tug to any kind of food reward, and that's it's a pity for trainers to deprive themselves of this motivating power. The whole point is to teach the dog to play by the rules, your rules, and at the same time to teach the dog to obey even when s/he's in a highly aroused state.
Along the same lines, she points out that motivating fun like chasing squirrels and rabbits, playing with other dogs etc. should be identified and named and then deliberately put into the training schedule as rewards. ("Good dog. Now go chase rabbits" etc.)
Donaldson is informed about clicker training, but she does not write as if no other method of successfully training a dog is possible.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 50
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