The Well-Adjusted Dog: Dr. Dodman's 7 Steps to Lifelong Health and Happiness for Your Best Friend
By Tanya Turgeon
by Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman
Houghton Mifflin, 2008
224 pages
$24.00
"I know that I don't appreciate people sticking their hands in my food while I'm eating, and if a waiter did that to me in a restaurant, I would probably growl or snap at him," writes Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman. "I can empathize with dogs in that situation and do not think they should have to tolerate such an intrusion." It's hard to argue with this clear simple analogy, yet don't expect a plethora of such comparisons. As director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts University, Dr. Dodman more often reflects an amalgam of scientific, clinical, and medical experience in his newest doggie self-help book.
Impatient dog owners looking for a fast fix beware. Sifting through sometimes redundant and long-winded explanations is required to find the essence of each concept, which involves long-term commitment. It is worth the extra effort though, as Dr. Dodman goes well beyond the typical diet and exercise suggestions we've come to expect from most dog experts. Along the way, he gives dog owners intellectual credit by using big words (like piloerection and brachycephalic) and delving into the biological chemistry behind behavior and solutions instead of just telling us what to do.
An example of the more innovative ideas is a conductive cape for dogs suffering from storm fear. Dr. Dodman's grasp of the various breeds and what they are prone to has also led to the development of his own behavior modification courses, which are uniquely prescribed on a case by case basis. Even using drugs, such as Valium, Prozac, and Ritalin, are a valid option in the eyes of Dr. Dodman, who fairly believes a good life with the help of medication is better than no life at all.
With
dog adoption being such a hot topic as a result of the economic crisis and the resultant increase in pets being abandoned at animal shelters, Dr. Dodman's most touching thoughts come in Chapter 11: Adopting a Dog. Not one to stray far from his analytical persona, he opens with a heartbreaking statistic: "Only about 1 million out of 4 million dogs passing through United States shelters each year (25 percent) are adopted, while 2.4 million (60 percent) are destroyed....not many shelter dogs are puppies and not many are strays." One realizes that Dr. Dodman's advice is meant as much for prevention as for repair.
For many dog owners, simply reading about disorders like Acral Lick Dermatitis, fear aggression, partial seizures, and coprophagy (eating stool) will make their own fido seem like a furry little cherub, whose faults now seem comparatively tolerable. And for those who relate to a serious disorder or two, Dr. Dodman's answers are a haven of relief and hope, where abandonment is not an option.
Available at Amazon.com.
