I have read, and enjoyed, Monty Roberts' book "The Man 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 Fennell Is _____________________
Jan Fennell is a dog expert 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 to deal with badly-behaved dogs. Despite claiming to have a foreword by Monty
Roberts on the front cover, this is really just to get the Horse Listener association going - he has only written about 700 words on his relationship with dogs. After an introduction, Fennell uses the first few chapters (there are 24 in all) to explain her special relationship with dogs and the events that shaped this. She goes on to discuss specific problems in chapters like:- "Peacemaking: Dogs That Bite", "Gremlins: Dealing With Problem Puppies" and "Have Dog, Won't Travel: Dealing with Car Chaos". These are again written by Fennell herself about her experiences of problem dogs. She often explains her methods of dealing with such problem dogs by comparing their actions to those of wolves.
The chapters are each about four pages long and are set out in one long body of text. There are no summary boxes or lists of instructions for dog owners trying to carry out her methods on a dog at home. There are also no illustrations guiding you through the processes - just photographs of Jan and her dogs.
________________________________________ The Problem with The Dog Listener ________________________________________
We've been building up to this. The problem for me is that this book is neither a guide for dog owners on making their dog behave, nor a rewarding read for animal lovers. I think Jan has tried to do too much in one book and it just doesn't work. People training their dogs need pictures and numbered instructions are helpful, too. Instead, her advice for teaching your dog is hidden within long paragraphs, and if you try to read book in between looking down at your dog, you often loose your place and have to re-read the page to find it again. There is a fair bit for animal lovers in here, but again they won't be satisfied. Because the information about the way dogs think is muddled up with writing about Jan's life and some vague training tips for owners, you'll have real difficulty in finding the information that interests you in the body of the text.
So what about dog owners who are animal lovers, too? Well, I fit myself into this category, but I haven't found this book to be a great help. You see, I either want to train my dog or I want to read an interesting book about dogs - the actions are very separate and don't need compiling in one single book. A dog training book should be accessible and offer tips; an interesting insight into the inner thoughts of our best friends should flow smoothly from one idea to another without any distracting sidelines added in. This book fulfills neither of these briefs in my opinion.
__________________________________ The Verdict on The Dog Listener __________________________________
You might still enjoy this book if you have a dog and want to understand it better, but The Dog Listener won't satisfy any specific purpose - it won't give detailed instructions and diagrams on training a dog, although it might give general information that could help you indirectly. If you do want either a dog training book or a general interest book about dogs, though, I suggest you look at my suggestions under Other Dog Books. So yes, this book will tell you more about understanding dogs, but it will do it in a very muddled-up way.
_____________________________________________ Detailed Information on The Dog Listener _______________________________________________
Where To Buy - Amazon is a good place to get it new, but Half.com often have them second-hand, too (maybe I could off-load my copy to you!).
____________________________ Other Dog Books ____________________________
The Dog Whisperer : A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training - by Paul Owens. Despite being another Horse Whisperer spin off, this is much more concise than Fennell's attempt. For $8.76 on Amazon, you get a lot more in the way of useful tips than Jan Fennell can offer. Not a bad book, but not highly recommended.
The Perfect Puppy : How to Raise a Well-Behaved Dog -by Gwen Bailey. A good all-round training book, mainly for owners with young dogs. This is the book I have used to train my puppy and she's very well behaved. At around $15, it's worth a look.
Dogs : A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution - by Raymond Coppinger. This is an interesting read and will fascinate the animal lover and dog owner alike. Not a training book, though. The retail price is around $25.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
I brought this for my german shephered, i found her way of thinking good but practical training in the book not enough, i agree i need instructions not stories. karen
mr-zeeman 09.08.2003 20:27
Crumbs ... this sounds like a real hotch-potch of a book. I do find the idea of this 'listening' stuff to be rather a load of bull: I'm currently reading a book by a woman who didn't 'train' her dogs at all, but left them to rely upon their own instincts ~ so far, so good (haven't finished yet!) Cheers ... Paula.
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: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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 ...
Postage & Packaging: £2.75 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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...
Jun 12th, 2002
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