off topic So, someone has too much time on their hands....

Mel Blacke

Mel Blacke

Well-Known Member
It was a beautiful day this past Sunday: The snow had all melted, it was warm, the sun was out: A perfect day to pick up my daughter, granddaughter and have a pleasant day shopping, running errands and perhaps do lunch together. I got out of the car and took a horrible spill on the still icy sidewalk that looked absolutely dry. My left knee took the brunt of it and was not in good shape which resulted in an unplanned and unwanted vacation from work while I wait for it to heal. You can tell from the number of posts that I have WAY too much time on my hands. (There is a reason that I don't have a problem with really active dogs---I am oh, so not a good invalid). Good time to find some good reading material, right? So I came across a list of favorite doggie books, much loved by dog people, that I am offering up as a topic. Maybe some forum members have already read some of them. The Culture Clash, by Jean Donaldson (I think the foreword was written by Ian Dunbar). is a fascinating and enlightening perspective on dog behavior. It also takes great pains to point out how popular or common wisdom about our canine companions differs from their (the dog's) reality. Do you guys have any favorite Doggie Books? Care to offer up titles and perhaps some comments as to why you love them?
 
Ouch! Sorry to hear you've been in the wars, Mel. Hope you're better soon.
I bought a slew of books when we found out Tiree was coming. It's so long since I looked at any of them I really can't remember where I put them. :D I'll have a look around and see.
 
Hope you are ok. Your recommendation looks interesting. I've heard her name mentioned on the forum and I'm interested in dog behavior. You have to read The Dog of Flanders written by Marie Louise in 1872. To be honest, I watched the anime version which is true to the book version. It sort of reminds me of stories from the old Disney TV show. It's an engrossing tale about a boy and his dog. The world was harsh back then with little compassion for child or beast: http://a.co/5B0xCeb
 
Thank you for the tip, Manuel. I just downloaded it for free to my PC through Amazon. The Culture Clash is a really good book, I especially love the part about "unprovoked," dog bites. The author makes the point that what humans cannot grasp is that it is the dog that decides what is spooky and what the appropriate response is. Case in point, I have noticed that Fiona is a little leery of men....just a bit...and probably because she lives with and sees way more women than men. Interestingly enough, when my sister's son-in-law came to visit, their eyes met, he immediately dropped into a football tackle crouch and made "I'm gonna get you hands...." My overjoyed spaniel immediately responded and what followed was 10-15 minutes of exuberant play that made everyone laugh. He rolled her on her back, roughed her up and she adored it!! Go figure.
 
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Mel Blacke said:
I especially love the part about "unprovoked," dog bites. The author makes the point that what humans cannot grasp is that it is the dog that decides what is spooky and what the appropriate response is.
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The reported "unprovoked" bites have to be from non-dog owners. I don't know about you but I can pretty much read a dog's facial expressions and posturing.
 
I can't agree w/you. When I was in high school, I was walking to school. There was a GSD in someone's yard barking at everyone that went past. There was no sidewalk there, so we all walked in the street. When I got in front of the house, the dog came out in the road and started to sniff me. I didn't call it over and made no threatening moves. In fact, I didn't move at all since I wasn't about to take any chances. Then, the dog started to growl. That's when I knew I was in trouble. It lunged for me and I jumped. I didn't even realize until I got to school that it had gotten me in the back of the leg.
 
What an awful experience! But it was the dog that decided that an aggressive attack was warranted.....from a human standpoint, it was unprovoked.....but something caused the dog to go off.....the dog had a reason.....just one that made no sense whatsoever in the human world. Therein lies the rub...sometimes we forget that dogs are another species and don't see things the same way we do at all....and humans tend to forget that sometimes. The author also made a point that dogs and kids don't necessarily go together at all and that dogs and small kids should not be left alone with the family dog(s)--ever. It made me review and rethink my own practices with our 3 dogs and my now 10 month old granddaughter. Fiona adores the baby and I have to be insistent that she gives Amelia her space.
 
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