Pets and Their People Blog

Stories and Solutions for Humans with Dog Problems and Dogs with Human Problems

“Clear and Empathetic”

In her new book, “How to Live with a Dog, stories and solutions for humans with dog problems and dogs with human problems,” author and dog behavior consultant Laurel Saville offers a rich mixture of great information and highly personal, compelling, real life case examples, in a style both highly insightful and plain entertaining.

Each chapter focuses on an important issue such as leash reactivity, the distorted expectations humans have about dogs, and the necessity for dog trainers to also function as family therapists. I have two personal favorites, “A Shaggy Dog Story” and “Bite Me.” The first explicates Saville’s work rehabilitating a puppy mill dog fraudulently advertised and sold for thousands of dollars as a 6-month-old, supposedly fully trained therapy dog. As she tells this dog’s story, she weaves in information about human-dog co-evolution and the intensive breeding practices that have resulted in the ubiquitous Doodle breeds. In “Bite Me,” she digs deep into the biting background of former President Joe Biden’s dog, Commander, illuminating why dogs bite, why they don’t, and what we can and should do about it.

In my own practice as a certified dog behavior consultant, I have often found the two topics –Doodles and bites – overlap. Dogs and the profit margin do not mix well, and Saville’s unflinching exploration of how the rush to breed “hypoallergenic” Doodle mixes, combined with a human desire to maximize profit, neglected any concern for canine temperament or even whether the resulting mixes lived up to their hype as the ultimate family dog. Clearly not, if the studied Doodle predilection for biting is any indication.

Saville does not simply raise difficult issues, like why do dogs bite? She puts herself on the line with clear and empathetic answers.

“In almost every case, it’s because they’re trying to tell us something, something they’ve likely tried to tell us many times before, but we didn’t or couldn’t or wouldn’t hear them. When I work with a human who has a dog bite problem, I’m also working with a dog who has a human communication problem. My first and most important job is to figure out what the dog is trying to say, not because I’m a soft touch around dogs, but because this is the only effective way to make the biting stop.”

I have many favorite quotes from “How to Live with a Dog,” but this one resonates most deeply. The reason is that it reveals the book’s consistently compassionate, dog-centered perspective.

If you are thinking about adopting a dog in the future or are already living with one (or more, as is often the case), read this book. Your dog(s) will be profoundly grateful that you did.

– Review by Dr. Laura Donaldson

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“We loved this book.”

The most important aspect to any behavioral issue with a dog is the relationship between the dog and its owner(s). In her new book, “How to Live with a Dog, stories and solutions for humans with dog problems and dogs with human problems,” Laurel Saville deeply explores and beautifully captures this relationship in all its forms. Even further, and perhaps even more important, she explains the vital role that relationship plays in “fixing” what’s “wrong” with the dog, which more often than not, starts with fixing what’s “wrong” with the human. We loved this book. Saville’s insights about dogs are on par with Dr. Temple Grandin’s about livestock. Her very well-written and deeply empathic book will take you on a fascinating ride into the complexity and beauty of the human-dog partnership and will have you laughing and crying as you gain a nuanced understanding and appreciation of your dog, while learning how to make the most of your relationship.

Reviewers:

• James Ha, PhD, CAAB, Emeritus Research Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, Co-author of “Dog Behavior: Modern Science and Our Canine Companions” and “Breed Differences in Dog Behavior: Why Tails Wag Differently”

• Renee Robinette Ha, PhD, Professor, University of Washington, Seattle, Co-author of “Breed Differences in Dog Behavior: Why Tails Wag Differently”

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IN LOVING MEMORY

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