PUBLISHING YEAR: 1995
SUMMARY: Sample behaviour therapy cases with the author’s diagnoses and proposed treatments.
AUDIENCE: Written for an audience of dog owners, but the book is unfortunately showing its age. This has shifted the audience from dog owners to professionals who are curious about that unmissable dog training figure.
REVIEW: Given that the book was published mid-1990’s, it is predictably sprinkled with speculative references to dominance.
Aside from that point, I found the book extremely informative. Particularly the chapter about herbal remedies (as he is also a self-confessed sceptic, so it sold me) and nutrition.
The book covers some common behaviour issues in dogs, and the recommended protocol for them. Although it does not cover them in nearly enough depth for professional use, I shall definitely be re-using it as a quick look-up reference.
The author’s credentials (founding member of the Association of Pet Behaviour Consultants, self-tagged advocate of modern training methods) were at odds with his position on dominance. Granted, he only advocates positive methods, not confrontation (at least in this edition), but he does nothing to combat the excessive use of the dominance concept.
Still, credit where it’s due: John Fisher was one of the most influential characters for the early positive dog training professionals (he is THE symbol for cross-over trainers, who went from traditional to positive methods).
So, I thought it was a really nice book, but to be taken with a pinch of salt.
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