Let's Bust A Recap : Think Dog!

Are you cracking up? Wondering if this is a joke? 

It's not. 

I totally read an entire book on dog psychology. I mean, I do have a dog, remember?

Shaggy mess that he is.

Anyway, this book obviously wasn't on my book list--or even on my radar--but I read it on assignment from my husband. We actually bought this book for my brother for Christmas, and then when we got Colonel back in March, he recommended that we read it and lent it to us. Cody read it right away and got a lot out of it. Then a few weeks ago, he told me he wanted me to read it so we could, you know, understand our dog and the best way to train him.

First of all, I think it's hysterical that people can make a living off animal psychology. But they do. And a good one at that! I guess that's natural when we value animal life more than human life.

Having said that, the book was actually really interesting. I literally read it cover to cover. The chapter on how diet affects behavior was a bit boring, but other than that, this book was informative and entertaining even. Scattered throughout, Fisher included anecdotes of different clients he had seen and what their issues were with their dogs. One woman came to him wondering why her dog was being aggressive toward her baby during the baby's feeding time. After some questioning, it came to light that she had been BREASTFEEDING THE DOG. I can't make this up, people. Someone had told her that giving your dog your excess breast milk creates a bond between your dog and baby. But instead of thinking that one out rationally and either dismissing it as hogwash (which is exactly what it is) or at least pumping the milk before giving it to the dog, she straight-up let him go to town on her boob. Y'all. I can't.

So I mean, the book was enjoyable, and I legitimately feel like a more competent dog-owner now that I've read it. Fisher takes the time to break down how a dog might think if, for example, you tell him to come, he runs away, you catch up to him, and proceed to give him a beating for disobedience. The next time you tell that dog to come, he's not going to be very motivated to respond the way you want since the last time you got ahold of him, you hit him. Seems obvious, but when you're frustrated and that's the way people have always trained dogs (or so it seems), you don't think about it that way.

Like I said, there's a lot of helpful information and the book wasn't a complete bore. Obviously, this book is not for everyone, but if you own a dog or are thinking of adding a dog to your family, I would definitely recommend this.

Do you have a dog? What's the most random thing you've ever read? How do you feel about animal psychologists?