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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: betterworldbooks_
Rating:  163 reviews
Sales Rank: 11101
Media: Paperback
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 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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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 163
 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.
 Just opinions & where is the science? July 8, 2009
Rosina Kamis (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
After reading just 10 pages, I decided that it would be waste of my time to read more. First, she states that dogs are incapable of observational learning. Well, I just wrote an article that talks about observational learning in dogs by citing scientific peer review journals. So, J. Donaldson didn't get that right. Perhaps the research about observational learning in dogs came after she wrote Culture Clash. Second, she states that dogs are incapable of abstract thinking, etc. Now, how does she know that? I doubt that there is any research to date that is able to tap into a dog's cognition. Studying human cognition is complicated enough. But dogs? Anyway, for someone who is into science, this book is a disappointment.
 Disappointing June 4, 2009
N. Markova (NJ)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I went to three different book store to find this book and now I can hardly get through it.
The information is very disjointed and waffly where in contrast I was looking for a guide that would teach me how to solve problem behaviors through positive reinforcement - with the culture clash addressed in a documented rather than theoretical manner.
Middle ground is sorely needed in this writer's perspective because pack mentality and extreme aversion training seem to have been lumped together in one terrible package. Canine dominance over humans is merely imaginary also, which raised a red flag for me.
I don't twist my pet's ears or use a choke chain, however, a calm assertive ah ah or uh-oh along with body blocking, body language and restricted access to food, my bed and the couch has been excellent in calming him down. I have a VERY dominant Jack Russell terrier and after 4 years of living with his top dog attitude no book can convince me that the dominant behavior is imaginary. I see it every time we go to the dog park and he mounts dogs 4 times his size. I also see the improvements when I give him rules and make him work for his food.
Motivating an animal with only food based rewards can often cause them to chain behavior (if I jump on the couch, then get off I get treated!) - I am a firm believer in positive reinforcement for wanted behavior and gentle retribution or just plain ignoring the dog for unwanted. It works.
Asserting yourself as the dog's guardian/pack leader/alpha etc is to me essential to ensure the animal feels secure and protected but also respects you enough to obey commands if you leave your bait bag at home.
Donaldson scoffs at those who ask the dog to wait before bolting through a doorway but personally I love that it gives my dog time to stop and think and wait for me to say that it's OK to go out there (after I have scoured for squirrels, cats etc) rather than follow the initial instinct of freeeeeeeeedommmmm!!!
I am currently reading everything I can find to not only train my dog but educate me towards my dream of being a dog trainer and the most helpful book I have found so far is Be The Dog by Steve Duno as it actually provided clear, workable solutions to scenarios I am trying to solve.
I would certainly read Culture Clash but take it with a grain of salt, I bought it hoping it would be the positive training bible it has been reviewed to be but I can't help but be suspicious of someone who doesn't even suggest how to control aggression - the reason why so many dogs end up in the SPCA in the first place. Coddling my dog also lead to the seperation anxiety I am now trying to fix.
So far I prefer the style of Victoria Stillwell who proves that pack theory and positive training can go hand in hand.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 163
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