Dr. Nicolas Dodman's The Well-Adjusted Dog just re-released in paperback

June 16, 11:17 AMBoston Animal Advocacy ExaminerMaureen Harmonay

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When dogs are behaving badly or inappropriately, their people often don't know where to turn, or what to do.  And it's tragic that unaddressed behavioral problems are in part responsible for the demise of the estimated two million dogs who are euthanized in U.S. shelters each year. 

The lives of chronic canine offenders can literally be saved by consult ing an animal behaviorist, and Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts in Grafton, MA, is one of the best.

If you can't arrange an appointment with him, you'll want to pick up a copy of Dr. Dodman's insightful book, The Well-Adjusted Dog: Dr. Dodman's 7 Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your Best Friend, which has just been re-released in paperback.

One of the book's most important contributions is that it dispels prevalent myths and misconceptions about what works and doesn't work when it comes to curtailing unwanted or destructive canine behavior patterns.  Dr. Dodman's philosophy is simple and straightforward:

"Your job as a dog owner is to try to understand your dog's life from his point of view, and to lead and protect, not to dominate, punish, and force a dog into submission. . .Real leaders do not dominate; they listen, think, and often defer.  Real leaders do not intimidate; they instill confidence. . .The human-companion animal bond is not forged through the metal of the choke chain or prong collar but rather through mutual trust and respect."

Even compassionate, well-intentioned, and experienced canine caretakers may be astonished to learn that some of their assumptions about what their dog requires for nutrition, exercise, and training are just plain wrong.  For example, the amount of exercise a dog really needs may really blow your mind.  Let's just say that a simple stroll around the block twice a day isn't nearly enough.

When it comes to dogs who display territorial aggression, Dr. Dodman's pioneering research has been able to prove that there is a direct correlation between the amount of protein in a dog's diet and his tendency to lash out.  In his controlled study, there was a demonstrable reduction in aggressive behavior when dogs were fed a low-protein (17%) diet:

"Territorial aggression was significantly reduced on the lower-protein diets.  The decrease in aggression was almost linear when plotted against protein level--less protein equaled less aggression and the finding was statistically significant.  A subset of territorially aggressive dogs motivated by fear or anxiety responded particularly well."

There are excellent chapters on "The Fearful Dog" ("The first rule of desensitization is not to expose the dog to whatever he fears"), "Environmental Enrichment" ("The worst-case scenario for a dog is to be raised alone and live alone"), and "Healing Potions" (When pharmacological intervention becomes the last resort).

You may disagree with some of Dr. Dodman's prescriptions, but all in all, The Well-Adjusted Dog is a practical, compelling set of recommendations for anyone who puts a premium on her dog's well-being and wants to enjoy the pleasures of canine companionship.