We’ve had Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer (from his book ‘The Man Who Listens to Horses’), with Robert Redford playing him in the movie version – now we have Jan Fennell, the Dog Whisperer. I’d like to see Glen Close playing her in the movie. What’s next, ... Read review
The behavioural problems covered inThe Dog Listenerwill sound all too familiar to anyone ... more
who shares their life with a canine companion. During the 25 years that Jan Fennell has been working with dogs, she's been increasingly aware of the ways in which ...
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Jan Fennell has devoted her life to developing a unique understanding of the canine world ... more
and its instinctive language. This understanding has enabled her to bridge the barrier that separates man from his best friend. Her talent has earned her internat...
The behavioural problems covered in The Dog Listener will sound all too familiar to anyone ... more
who shares their life with a canine companion. During the 25 years that Jan Fennell has been working with dogs, she's been increasingly aware of the ways in whic...
Postage & Packaging: refer to website Availability: Free!
Jan Fennell has devoted her life to developing a unique understanding of the canine world ... more
and its instinctive language. This understanding has enabled her to bridge the barrier that separates man from his best friend. Her talent has earned her international acclaim and the nickname 'The Dog Listener'. In this film Jan demonstrates her technique and the exceptional results which it can provide. She shares her secrets and shows how it can be a much more effective and compassionate alternative to standard 'obedience' training. This easy to follow approach includes case histories of problem dogs.
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Advantages: Simple, kind dog training method and a wealth of practical experience and advice Disadvantages: None
We’ve had Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer (from his book ‘The Man Who Listens to Horses’), with Robert Redford playing him in the movie version – now we have Jan Fennell, the Dog Whisperer. I’d like to see Glen Close playing her in the movie. What’s next, the Human Listener? No, that’ll never happen.
Jan is a dog lover with a difference. She is trained in psychology and has studied wolf ... ...mind of the dog. She was inspired by Monty Roberts – and in fact he wrote the foreword to this book, he is so impressed with her work.
Her approach to dogs is much like Desmond Morris’s (‘Dogwatching’), in that she goes back to the theory that today’s dogs are just domesticated wolves. In the wolf pack there are always two top dogs, a male and a female, known as the Alpha Male and Alpha Female. The other ... more
We’ve had Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer (from his book ‘The Man Who Listens to Horses’), with Robert Redford playing him in the movie version – now we have Jan Fennell, the Dog Whisperer. I’d like to see Glen Close playing her in the movie. What’s next, the Human Listener? No, that’ll never happen.
Jan is a dog lover with a difference. She is trained in psychology and has studied wolf behaviour. This has given her a unique incite into the mind of the dog. She was inspired by Monty Roberts – and in fact he wrote the foreword to this book, he is so impressed with her work.
Her approach to dogs is much like Desmond Morris’s (‘Dogwatching’), in that she goes back to the theory that today’s dogs are just domesticated wolves. In the wolf pack there are always two top dogs, a male and a female, known as the Alpha Male and Alpha Female. The other dogs organise themselves down the hierarchy. It works well in the wild. It doesn’t transfer well to the human home, as most dogs think humans make poor pack leaders.
A dog will assert itself as the alpha only in the absence of another alpha. Most dogs in human homes feel the pressure to assert themselves as the alpha because humans are so obviously incapable of inspiring respect, organising and defending the pack. So the poor dog feels he has to shoulder all the burdens of leading his human pack.
Jan says that when you go out and your dog pines, it is not that he is like a human baby missing his parent. He pines because he thinks of you as HIS baby. Wouldn’t you be upset if your baby went out and you didn’t know where he was or when he would be back?
It all makes perfect sense. Jan feels the first thing to do is take authority of your pack – even if it is only just you and your dog. She says most dogs will be incredibly relieved and happy to have the burden taken off them.
Great. Sounds good. So I decided to give it a try.
My 3-yr-old white Rough Collie, Polo, is beautiful and knows it. I thought his only role in life was to be aesthetically pleasing. Since reading Jan’s book, I have realised that he is convinced that he is the only one in our house with enough brains to run our ‘pack’. All that and be beautiful too? Too much pressure.
I started working through Jan’s 4-step programme (known as Amichien Bonding) to establish my place as pack leader and have a perfectly contented pooch :
STEP ONE Ignore the dog. Jan calls this the 5-minute rule – ignore the dog for 5 minutes whenever you ‘reunite’. That is, when you come home, or come downstairs after being upstairs for quite a while, etc.
When the pack members reunite, the first thing they do is pay homage to the alpha dogs. That is exactly what most dog owners do when they arrive home. Dote attention on their dog. That is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing. It confuses the dog. It makes a timid little lap-dog think he is being paid homage to as pack leader – and it scares the *** out of him. Perhaps that is why so many dog owners have a problem with soiling in the house!
~~ POLO’s STEP ONE PROGRESS ~~ He didn’t much like this one. He and I have always our special time whenever I come home. This involves mutual admiration and cuddles. When I walked in the door and past him the first time, my husband tells me he blinked, looked after me, looked at my husband, looked after me again and almost shook his head in disbelief. The next time I did it he went and sat by the telephone. We are pretty sure he was trying to decide which psychiatrist to ring as I was obviously in dire need of help.
STEP TWO Danger signals. Jan says that dealing with what the dog perceives as moment of danger is very important. When visitors arrive, many dogs are a problem. Jumping up, licking, barking, forcing their attention on the visitor, all are common complaints.
Jan recommends warning visitors in advance to ignore the dog. This tells the dog that this person is the alpha from another pack and not someone to mess with.
~~ POLO’s STEP TWO PROGRESS ~~ Polo has always barked furiously at the postman. Our postman is a friendly chap but he remains unconvinced by my entreaties to come in and ignore Polo. I’m working on this one.
I have had more success with friends. One in particular (Debrini here on Ciao) Polo has always suspected as being a visiting alpha, as she is a teacher and knows how to use her lungs! So we are making good progress there.
STEP THREE Taking charge of the walk. If a dog pulls in front of you on the lead he has leadership ambitions. Jan’s method is simple : stop walking every time he pulls. When the lead is slack, start walking again.
~~ POLO’s STEP THREE PROGRESS ~~ Polo stood this for 5 minutes before he cracked. He kept looking at like me like I had lost my mind, but he walked beautifully to heel for the rest of the walk. I keep having to do this every time we go out, though, which means it takes a long time to get anywhere.
STEP FOUR Food power. In the wild, pecking order is seen most clearly at feeding times. The alpha dogs eat first, their subordinates wait patiently. That’s PATIENTLY. Most domestic dogs don’t know the meaning of the word when it comes to food.
Jan’s method eliminates all the problems of feeding quickly and simply. She recommends preparing the dog’s food in front of him and leaving the bowl on the kitchen counter. Then from behind it, but making it look like you are taking it from the bowl, take a piece of human food and eat it. All the members of the family need to do this. Only after everyone has eaten if the dog’s food given to him. This reinforces his position in the family – firmly at the bottom of the pack.
Why do this? It is bad enough when a dog thinks he is higher in the hierarchy than adults, but when he believes that children are subordinate to him, there is danger. Dogs use aggression to keep subordinates in order.
Jan particularly stresses that it is important not to leave food accessible for a dog. That is, feed him at his dinner time/s, give him chance to eat it then REMOVE the bowl. If you always leave his bowl available in case he gets a bit peckish, or have biscuits or chews strewn around the house, you are asking for trouble. That is because only the top dogs have ready access to food. If your dog can eat whenever he wants, he is probably convinced he is the alpha in your house.
~~ POLO’s STEP FOUR PROGRESS ~~ Hmmm. Polo is a fussy eater – a big indication, in Jan’s opinion, that he has leadership ideas above his station. We have always left food out for him, because it is so rare that he eats. Of course, he would never be able to do this in a pack situation, somebody else would pinch the food. We have started giving him food at mealtimes only and he has been eating most of it. The rest of it gets stolen by a visiting Samoyed that we look after, so we think Polo will get the “eat quick or starve” message pretty quickly.
This book contains lots of help and advice for various doggie problems. There is a story about an oriental-type dog that was a fussy eater. It’s owners even bought it a Chinese take-away, in case it needed some food from home! Jan sorted it out.
Removing the burdens of leadership from the dog turns it into a relaxed, happy creature. Jan’s method is kind and simple. She does say that people often object to having to ignore their dog, believing it to be cruel. She is convinced that it is more cruel to allow the dog to carry a burden of pack leadership that it is not designed or equipped for. She says there is lots of time for play and cuddles after the pack leadership has been established. After the first 5 minutes of ignoring the dog, she recommends giving it lots of attention, just as an alpha dog in the wild would play with his/her subordinates.
The book’s chapter headings are : 1. The Lost Language 2. A life with dogs 3. Listening and learning 4. Taking the lead 5. The first test 6. Amichien Bonding : Establishing leadership of the pack 7. Separate lives : Dealing with separation anxiety 8. Mean & Moody : Dealing with nervous aggression 9. Peacemaking : Dogs that bite 10. The Bodyguards : Overprotective dogs 11. The up-and-down game : Dogs that jump up 12. Non-total Recall : Dogs that run wild off the leash 13. Dog v. Dog : Taking the heat out of canine confrontations 14. Tales of the Unexpected : Fear of noises 15. New Dogs, Old Tricks : Introducing puppies to the home 16. Gremlins : Dealing with problem puppies 17. The House on Pooh Corner : Soiling in the home 18. Situations Vacant : the problems of extended packs 19. Biting the Hand that Feeds : Problem eaters 20. Have Dog, Won’t Travel : Dealing with car chaos 21. Feet-Chewers and Tail-Chasers : Nervous wrecks and how to salvage them 22. The Yo-Yo Effect : Overcoming the problems of rescue dogs 23. Toys not Trophies : the power of play 24. “How’ve Ya Done That, Lady?” (a quote from Monty Roberts)
I highly recommend this book, both for dog owners and dog haters. It is especially important to be perceived as an alpha if you don’t like dogs, that way they will leave you alone. If you have ever had problems with dogs jumping all over you, now you know what to do – ignore the dog, especially if it has you pinned to the floor and covered in slobber.
Advantages: Some good tips for training a pet dog. Disadvantages: Some methods may seem severe.
The Dog Listener "Learning the Language of your Best Friend" is a guide to learning the psychology of dogs in the hope that, with better understanding we can train them to be obedient, social pets.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan Fennell from Lincolnshire began her career as a successful English Springer Spaniel breeder and went on to become a dog behaviour specialist making frequent contributions to radio and television programmes.
THE FOREWARD
The foreward ... ...of horses that Jan found the inspiration to develop his techniques to canine advantage.
THE PRINCIPLE- AMICHIEN BONDING
Dogs were once "pack animals" and although lifestyles and appearances have changed over thousands of years the wolf pack instinct still remains.
The "alpha pair" was the strongest, healthiest and most intelligent .Among the pack it is only the "Alpha pair" who breed, ensuring a strong line of descendants. They are responsible ...
bluebunny 21.05.2005
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
Advantages: East to follow, easy to read Disadvantages: A bit repetitive
...a gentle soul most of the time. The only aggression he has shown is to other dogs if there is food about, or to certain dogs we meet on our walks. He has suffered mildly from separation anxiety. This was recently added to when our pack broke apart and there was just me and him left.
I had heard of the Dog Listener, but had never read anything, nor had I seen her on television. In the hopes of helping both Ben and myself, I bought the book.
The ... ...about training a dog in the usual sense of the word. The underlying principle seems to me to be, to paraphrase the book, that we act in such a way towards our dogs that they become confused about their position in the pack, this triggers all kinds or reactions that we, as humans, deem intolerable but which are perfectly natural to the dog in his/her perceived position.
But, I digress, on to the book. Did I like it and is it any good?
Personally ...
Mojoly 10.07.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
Advantages: A simple, effective way to train a dog which requires no special equipment. Disadvantages: Requires persistence.
...should not be allowed in the house, as it tells humans things that they should not know.
I’m sure that you’ll have noticed that they’re not very intelligent - no dog would sit in front of a PC all day, and then watch television all evening to relax, so really it’s essential that an intelligent dog takes charge. I took over as pack leader here five years ago and I’d got things licked into shape. Two years ago I was joined ... ...routine - first thing in the morning we’d take the female human out for a walk, towing her down the road like flotsam and then running her ragged as she tried to control us in the park. I do feel it’s so important to make certain your human gets plenty of quality exercise: just walking is not enough if you want to avoid all those dreadful visits to the Doctor later on and there’s nothing more shameful to a dog than having a fat ...
SueMagee 21.07.2001
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
Advantages: A well trained dog in all situations Disadvantages: You need willpower and dedication to succeed
The Dog Listener by Jan Fennell is a dog behavior book which if you follow claims to put your book on the straight and narrow. Jan Fennell claims to have used the skills developed by the horse whisperer Monty Roberts to use the dogs inate desire for alpha dog status, so if you become the alpha male than the dog should obey your every instruction.
So the book itself is split into easy chapter designed to reinforce the pack, make you the pack leader ... ...Jan Fennell is according to the authors notes, a trained psychologist, she like Clint Eastwood knows about people (or in Jans life dogs), so establish yourself as the pack leader and the dog will follow, allow it to be the pack leader and you will follow not the dog.
So does it work, well the book has easy to follow instructions, such as ignoring your dog when you enter the room which stops the dog dominating you and therefore placing his alpha ...
alderman55 08.06.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
Advantages: Some useful training information, a few good insights. Disadvantages: Jan's life, dog training and points on behavior are all muddled together.
...Who Listens to Horses" (he's the official "horse whisperer"). But this isn't the same calibre of book because it doesn't really seem to know what its purpose is... I ordered this off Amazon.com with an expectation that it might match up to the Monty Roberts book. I have two dogs, one of which is a boisterous puppy and the other a well-behaved dog. I hoped that The Dog Listener would help me to understand them better. _____________________
Who Jan ... ...in the UK. She has been a successful breeder and won prizes at Cruft's. She contributes her knowledge to the BBC's TV and radio shows and visits "delinquent dogs" to try and cure them of their problem. ______________________________
Format of The Dog Listener
______________________________
The Dog Listener is essentially a record of Jan Fennell's experiences with dogs - how they react to situations, what they are really thinking and the best ways ...
freelancer1 12.06.2002
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of The Dog Listener - Jan Fennell
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