# Debbie Connolly- 'Better Dog Behavior'



## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

Had a skim of _Better Dog Behaviour_ by Debbie Connolly today at a local book store and was appalled!

This is a book published in 2011...and it's written like it was published in 1980.

Full of dominance/pack structure talk and overly-aggressive attacks on owners (and men!). Every client is given a good bashing first before we even find out the problem...which is often to do with the dog being 'too dominant' and not having 'respect'.

Really annoyed me


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

Her weight loss classes for my Other didn't work either


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Rottiefan said:


> Had a skim of _Better Dog Behaviour_ by Debbie Connolly... and was appalled!
> ...published in 2011... [reads] like it was published in 1980.
> 
> Full of dominance/pack structure talk & overly-aggressive attacks on owners (and men!).
> ...


oh, *dear.* not good to hear - but good to know. :nonod: One i will not be recommending! 
did U review it on Amazon? :huh: if not, i would - U might save someone a lot of grief.


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

leashedForLife said:


> oh, *dear.* not good to hear - but good to know. :nonod: One i will not be recommending!
> did U review it on Amazon? :huh: if not, i would - U might save someone a lot of grief.


I was thinking of. But there is already one damning review there already:

Better Dog Behaviour: Amazon.co.uk: Debbie Connolly: Books


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## davidc (Dec 15, 2010)

Rottiefan said:


> I was thinking of. But there is already one damning review there already:
> 
> Better Dog Behaviour: Amazon.co.uk: Debbie Connolly: Books


Someone may still buy it as it's only one negative review. I remember thinking that with an ebay seller who had 1 negative, they didn't send the item, ignored all communications and then did it to other people too, and theye were eventually removed from ebay.


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

davidc said:


> Someone may still buy it as it's only one negative review. I remember thinking that with an ebay seller who had 1 negative, they didn't send the item, ignored all communications and then did it to other people too, and theye were eventually removed from ebay.


If you read the other reviews of JoJo (the critic) she's never been happy wth a single book she's bought, the other reviews revolve around raw feeding and damn this woman can gripe. Not satisfied with anything. My recommendation would be for her to not shop on Amazon and actually go to a bookshop where she can skim several books to find what she likes.

regards,

Austin


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

leashedForLife said:


> oh, *dear.* not good to hear - but good to know. :nonod: One i will not be recommending!
> did U review it on Amazon? :huh: if not, i would - U might save someone a lot of grief.


So you'd recommend a bad review on a book that had just been skimmed and not actually read? And you wouldn't bother to find it and skim it yourself or actually read it to decide this first? Like you reviewed a collar you couldn't even have bought and without even trying it? I'll bet you would.

Since you've obviously studied psychology, I mean real psychology, are you familiar with 'Folk Devils and Moral Panics' by Stanley Cohen?

regards,

Austin


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

LuvMyDog_Worldwide said:


> a book that had just been skimmed and not actually read?


Rottiefan does actually know what he's talking about. It doesn't take much time to see if a book is totally misleading.
I skim read Dunbar's chapter in CM's new book, which is how I found out that CM had not taught Junior to sit or lie down! 

The other reviews confirm RF's impression about aggression to clients.


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

RobD-BCactive said:


> Rottiefan does actually know what he's talking about. It doesn't take much time to see if a book is totally misleading.
> I skim read Dunbar's chapter in CM's new book, which is how I found out that CM had not taught Junior to sit or lie down!


I prefer to read without skim censorship to fully understand and critique ideas and concepts, hence when I state "totally misleading" I at least totally read it because there may be just one sentence that made a valid point. It's why I don't start a post with "I haven't read all this thread but..." like some of us do. It's like actually watching the film and making a decision rather than doing it from the trailers. Maybe it's just OCD about thoroughly knowing a subject first?

BTW Rob, what other reviews, and what about the reviewers? Did you look at them thoroughly first before deciding if they're making a valid point? Look at post #6, doesn't that clarify anything to you?

regards,

Austin


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

_About Debbie Connolly and SafePets UK
Debbie stars in the first series of the BBC3 show "Dog Borstal" and writes regular opinions and features for several magazines . She appeared in "Britain's Most Embarrassing Pets" in October 2010 and makes many other TV and Radio appearances.

Debbie Connolly is the behaviour consultant for Bengal Cat Rescue and Zep the Dep Rottweiler Rescue and an Associate Member of the British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers. She is the regular feature writer for London Dog Forum and has many other published articles. She is a behaviourist with nearly 30 years experience, currently with bases in London, South Wales, Hertfordshire and the Midlands.

She currently owns 5 dogs and 7 cats, but doesn't rule out more!_

Better Dog Behaviour - Debbie Connolly - - The London Dog Forum Ltd

Debbie Connolly, Better Dog and Cat Behaviour books - Client's stories

A behaviorist? They can't be wrong, can they? Seems pretty well qualified to me. The top link is a favourable review by someone who read the book cover to cover. The bottom link shows actual experience training clients dogs.

Now who to believe? Perhaps if we read the book ourselves instead of believing a skim read and some completely unknown habitual moaner on Amazon? Just a thought.

regards,

Austin


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

i looked this up on Amazon, & was very puzzled to see only ONE review - but it was glowing!  *5 stars,* 
saying it is laugh-out-loud funny, 'inspiring' [in that the reviewer did not want Ms Connolly to find fault with her], 
& a polite way of letting one's relative, friend or neighbor know that their dog's "cute" problem behaviors 
are not actually cute. 
Amazon.com: Better Dog Behaviour. by Debbie Connolly (9780716022749): Debbie Connolly: Books


> COPY -
> _*5 out of 5 stars - Move Over, Victoria Stilwell!*, May 1, 2011
> By Dawn A. Marcus, MD (Pittsburgh, PA) - *Amazon Verified Purchase*
> This review is from:
> ...


_ 
then it dawned on me that this is USA - so i went to UK-Amazon - Quite a different slice: 
Better Dog Behaviour: Amazon.co.uk: Debbie Connolly: Books 



COPY -

"most helpful" -
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
*4 out of 5 stars* Better Dog Behaviour, March 8 Mar 2011
By Carrie 
This review is from: Better Dog Behaviour (Paperback)

Although the author certainly doesn't suffer fools gladly and tells it as it is, I found her advice very helpful. 
It may be simple common sense but I'd never thought that when buying a dog I should get the seller to groom it 
in front of me or to walk it past traffic to see how it reacts. And her hard-hitting warnings about being conned 
by puppy farmers are absolutely spot on: if you buy a dog from one, you're not saving one dog's life but simply making 
more space for them to breed another one! 
Overall, I think the point behind her book is that we should all think about our relationships with our dogs and how 
our behaviour affects them. She admitted she hadn't always got it right which was refreshing to hear. I don't know 
whether she's got any letters after her name from learning about the theory of dog training but I certainly felt 
that she knew what she was talking about from her own practical experience, but I can understand that some people 
might not like her bluntness. 

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
*1 out of 5 stars* Appalling!, 6 March 2011
By JoJo (UK) 
This review is from: Better Dog Behaviour (Paperback)

This is one of the worst books I have read in general and THE worst book I've read that has been written about dogs. 
Do NOT buy this book if you are looking for any solutions to problems. This book is just a messy account 
of the author's training career. The problem solving pages are laughable - you can Google better information 
than is found here. Connelly's aggressive contempt for her clients comes through on nearly every page. 
For a work that is supposed to be factual, many of the stories don't really ring true. On top of this is an incredible 
lack of any true understanding of dog behaviour or the science behind it. This reads like something published twenty 
years ago, not in 2011, I'm surprised the publishers touched it as it doesn't reflect well on them. 
I can't believe that people are still putting out all the old rubbish about dominance. It's clear from the book 
that Connelly has no academic training in dog behaviour and it would seem likely that she would list these 
in her credentials had she had any qualifications whatsoever.

I really can't stress what an awful book this is. Connelly doesn't come across well - I can only hope this means 
people needing help will find themselves a qualified behaviourist/trainer in the future. Do not buy this book - 
it is an utter waste of money - mine is going straight back! I've had to give it one star - would have preferred none.


Click to expand...

very different... one thinks it's terrific; one blunt but good; & one, *Awful* - don't buy it, 
mine is going back.

after RottieFan's summary of his impressions, i would not spend money on this book. 
it's unfortunate that the *Search inside* function is not available - i'd love a peek. _


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

leashedForLife said:


> very different... one thinks it's terrific; one blunt but good; & one, _*Awful* - don't buy it,
> mine is going back._
> 
> after RottieFan's summary of his impressions, i would not spend money on this book.
> it's unfortunate that the _*Search inside*_ function is not available - i'd love a peek.


Ok, so, 2 for, 1 against. Lets just see the track record of the 1 against shall we, the ever enlightened JoJo?

Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health 
*Not useful for first time raw feeders* (3 stars)
This book is interesting and well written but doesn't provide enough of a guide to starting out raw feeding. Tom Lonsdale's Works Wonders book is better, this one explains the theory but I didn't find it practical enough to be worth the money and returned it.

Grow Your Pups with Bones: BARF Programme for Breeding Healthy Dogs and Eliminating Skeletal Disease
*Not very impressed* (2 stars)
I bought this book, entitled "Grow Your Pup with Bones" expecting to find a comprehensive guide to feeding my puppy. What it is a comprehensive guide to WHY you should feed your puppy raw. All very well and good but there is one scant chapter on actually HOW to feed your puppy and then it says, "for more information read Chapter 17 'Feeding Your New Puppy' in Give Your Dog A Bone!! The cheek! I don't expect to buy a book for £23 that is supposed to deal exclusively with feeding a puppy only to be told to go and buy another over-priced book to find out the information that should have been contained in this book!

Dr Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
*Useful but not that useful* (3 stars)
I was a bit disappointed with this book. I assumed that 'natural health' remedies would include more herbal treatments, use of vitamins and minerals and store cupboard remedies but there's a heavy emphasis on homeopathy which should really be reflected in the title of the book or something. I found the descriptions of the dog breeds and their hereditary illnesses odd and not in line with the UK which isn't really surprising as it's written by a US author... but this book is not aimed at the UK market at all. I wouldn't recommend it to UK readers if they were only going to buy one natural health book.

Somehow I doubt this reviewer would have ever been completely happy with whatever book she chose. But...at least she read it rather than skimmed it.

As for Rottiefan's review, lets compare:

JoJo: reads like something published twenty years ago not in 2011

RF: This is a book published in 2011...and it's written like it was published in 1980.

JoJo: I can't believe that people are still putting out all the old rubbish about dominance.

RF: Full of dominance/pack structure talk

JoJo: Connelly's aggressive contempt for her clients comes through on nearly every page.

RF: and overly-aggressive attacks on owners (and men!). Every client is given a good bashing first before we even find out the problem

Very original, and all that from a skim. But JoJo goes on:

top of this is an incredible lack of any true understanding of dog behaviour or the science behind it.
It's clear from the book that Connelly has no academic training in dog behaviour and it would seem likely that she would list these in her credentials had she had any qualifications whatsoever.
I can only hope this means people needing help will find themselves a qualified behaviourist/trainer in the future.

When the bio states:

Associate Member of the British Institute of Professional Dog Trainers
Debbie is a dog and cat behaviourist who also treats goats, pigs and other pet livestock.
She is a behaviourist with nearly 30 years experience.

Obviously RF and JoJo are right, aren't they? I don't think so, having not read the book myself I have no opinion of it being right or wrong or anything about the content, but I do object to someone not having the courtesy to read the book and poo-poo it on a public forum and then being backed up by others who haven't read the book either with one sour review by a random habitual moaner with no name being the 'proof' their buddy is right...complete with likes and an attempt to justify their decision. Pathetic, and very small minded. Tell you what, lets start a petition for a book burning basedon this non information and rid the world of this obviously inferior book.

Sheesh.

regards,

Austin


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

i went hunting [since i cannot see into the book] for similar info, & found this site / page - 
Debbie Connolly, dog behaviourist, animal behaviourist, Dog Borstal, SafePets UK dog trainer
the story of "King", a GSD - NOTICE this segment - 


> EXCERPT -
> 
> _I cried all the way up to Newark and all the way home after leaving him there. [SNIP] For the first week
> I mourned. ... In the second week things changed. I began to realise how stressful having King had been.
> ...


this was a *'dominance-reduction'* strategy; the dog was trained / re-trained during boarding, 
so we have no details other than the owner's "after" view, not the during-part. 
obviously the shake-bottle was negatively conditioned/associated, since it works, QUOTE, _'immediately'_ 
to stop barking on his return home - tho this fades, over time.

EDIT: 
i want to add from Ms Connolly's intro these phrases - 
_'King [is] a *much-loved* GSD with a *rather bossy* personality. He turned out to be a *bit of a bully* 
& was a delight to train. He was *initially trained with a Dazer sound unit & training discs'*._ 
* implies he's indulged or cossetted - his owners have spoilt him
* 'bossy' & 'bully' 
* aversives are used: two noisemakers, typically used to interrupt & suppress behavior


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

the Dalmatian, George - 


> _ *George had tried his dominance tactics*, they didnt work, but he became increasingly protective
> of the house and garden as well as aggressive with food. *He did not like being touched when he was eating.*_


how much do U enjoy being bothered while eating? if someone strokes Ur hair, rubs Ur shoulders, 
sticks their fork into food on Ur plate, hugs U while Ur eating, & so on - how would U feel? Pleased, 
or irritated & fussed over?... 


> _One occasion, George had been full of life in the garden and brought some tree bark into the lounge.
> *I tried to take it off him and he promptly sank his teeth into my hand.* He looked surprised and worried
> at what he had done. I wasnt too impressed either. _


this is not, or shouldn't be, surprising; there are better ways to get a hunk of bark out of a dog's mouth 
than to grab it & pull. Being rude & intrusive is not a winning strategy; dogs do not TAKE things from 
other dogs, even pups - they generally wait until the desired object is abandoned & up for grabs.

OTOH if he had been taught *leave it* or *drop*, this would not have been a problem - 
he'd have dropped it, she could pick it up once relinquished, there's no confrontation.


> _Despite best efforts with George, he continued to be obsessed with people knocking on the door
> and latterly the doorbell (we moved house in July 2007 to Scotland which he took surprisingly well).
> We hoped... this change might help... *overcome his protectiveness* but we were proved wrong. _


he is not _*protective - *_ he's scared; intruders worry him. 


> _His instinct is to charge at the door, nip & run off before finding out who it is, as I found out to my cost. _


this is not a bold dog - but a cornered one, doing his best to chase off a trespasser. 


> _ On her first visit to my home, she came across a *very manic, angry dog*.
> He barked & barked & was *so angry that barking did not make her go away*.
> This day he had a muzzle on and was behind a child gate (he could have hopped over it!) for her safety.
> *Every time Debbie started to speak George would set off barking, if she tried to move in the lounge
> ...


* he is not "angry" - he's frustrated [barriers] & frightened [a stranger].

* extreme sensitivity to environmental change is a sign of chronic anxiety & hypervigilance.

EDIT: from Ms Connolly's intro - 
_'George... was completely *out of control* & very *dangerous*. He *could not be disciplined*... 
as he would bite... highly strung, afraid and unstable. He *would not even lie down & wanted 
his own way*. [snip] 
His behaviour was frightening... he had to stay behind a baby gate for the first two times I saw him. 
...I wasn't convinced he was *mentally stable enough* to learn. 
...the difference in a couple of months... was amazing. He was still though not safe... we made a new 
[protocol] & he continued improving. ...we were still left with the *house aggression*... so he came 
for a residential stay... 
he is back at home & improving... even calming down when people visit...
Professionally George [was] a huge challenge. Everything has to be devised for him personally, 
there is *no "normal" response* for George, he *isn't capable of the normal* dog responses.'_ 
in sum - 
* out of control, dangerous, cannot be disciplined 
* wouldn't lie-down *on cue*;  as i'm sure he slept lying down? 
* 'wanted his own way' - bossy, willful... dominant?
* mentally unstable; abnormal, bizarre or idiosyncratic behavior


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

BTW Dog Borstal is a not very good programme, which has the gimmick of humiliating the Dog owners, they camp out on some disused base & the dogs are kenneled indoors seperately. Some instructors are militaristic.


leashedForLife said:


> very different... one thinks it's terrific; one blunt but good; & one, _*Awful* - don't buy it,
> mine is going back._
> 
> after RottieFan's summary of his impressions, i would not spend money on this book.
> it's unfortunate that the _*Search inside*_ function is not available - i'd love a peek.


One read what she expected to read, but confirms RF's impression about her dealings with clients. The other Jo-Jo obviously has done more research and appears in agreement with RF's skimming. The American seems to be gushing, but it's early enthusiasm and she hasn't hit problems yet, but it conforms to her expectations that she must buck up and not be sloppy.

So we have far from another posters 2:1 score with an attempt to dismiss what Jo-Jo said, it is obvious that the 2 likes were less knowledgeable and the 2 dislikes are by people who actually have done some modern studying on dogs.

This seems to be the core problem in dog training, the stall is marketing to the already held prejidices of the public. For an entertaining rant on this see YouTube - Effective Dog Training - Ian Dunbar about general public doing everything the opposite to correct, bound to have many forum professionals nodding or anyone who keeps an eye out around them on dog walks.

Anyway I can't see a reason to be curious about this, most of the dog books I saw in bookshop weren't worth the paper they're on.


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

Since LMD Worlwide is having trouble understanding the ability of an educated person to skim read a short, concise book in 10 minutes, I'll offer a few examples of why I didn't like it.

1. Connolly promotes doing 'dominance handling sessions', whereby she puts hands on the dog to reduce their rank and make them submissive. One of these was to get owners to _cup the testicles of their dog_, to show the dog who is more dominant.

2. All of the problems I read (must have been around 4-5) were about dominance and lack of respect for the owner. She raised a good point about play fighting and the troubles it can cause, but proceeded to say that, whilst rehabilitating a dog, _she was bitten a number of times in a matter of weeks_. This worries me, as most professionals have a knack for not being bitten. It makes me assume that she was 'rehabilitating' through force and/or intimidation.

3. Her manner was incredibly aggressive. It was full of moans and whinges at owners, but that's her style apparently. I read an article by her on aggression, where she recounted a story about meeting an unfriendly dog in the park and told its owner that if they didn't call it back, she'd set her 'unfriendly' GSD on the dog to kill it! Not only did she advocate putting her dog into a fight, but she accepts to owning an 'unfriendly' dog unabashedly herself! Very hypocritical.

4. In her book, she is very against playing any kind of tug-of-war games with dogs, but gives no reason really, other than the 'Why would you have power struggles with an animal sufficiently stronger than yourself?!' argument, which comes back to a very elementary and misconstrued understanding of behaviour.

The book is not very long or difficult to take in, so skimming it was very easy. It was also very easy to see Connolly's viewpoints.


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

Who the heck is Debbie Connolly? :blink:


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

RobD-BCactive said:


> The other Jo-Jo obviously has done more research and appears in agreement with RF's skimming.


Obviously?? How is it obvious? What are you basing your assessment of her doing 'more research' on? As for her view 'being in agreement', she wrote her review before RF posted here...and he's 'obviously' plagiarised that review.
Again, putting words in peoples mouths that weren't there and making completely unfounded assumptions on actions and information that isn't there.



RobD-BCactive said:


> So we have far from another posters 2:1 score with an attempt to dismiss what Jo-Jo said, it is obvious that the 2 likes were less knowledgeable and the 2 dislikes are by people who actually have done some modern studying on dogs.


YOU DON'T KNOW THAT. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THIS JOJO IS OR WHAT HER EXPERIENCE IS OR ANYTHING ABOUT HER RESEARCH LEVELS OR ABILITY TO TRAIN OR LEARN FROM BOOKS, YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW HER REAL NAME AND UNTIL THIS POST CAME OUT YOU DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHE EXISTED. YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE 2 FAVOURABLE REVIEWERS, NOTHING, NADDA, JACK, ZIP, ZILCH, NIL, YET YOU STATE THEY'RE LESS KNOWLEDGABLE THAN A COMPLETE STRANGER YOU KNOW AS MUCH ABOUT.

In short Rob, you're making all this up...it's just a figment of your imagination.



RobD-BCactive said:


> Anyway I can't see a reason to be curious about this, most of the dog books I saw in bookshop weren't worth the paper they're on.


And unfortunately the current fad in the dog training book genre is promoting "kinder, gentler methods"....so why aren't you reviewing and correcting morelikely purchases that won't be of any use to buyers? All talk, no action eh Rob? Perhaps if it appeared on YouTube instead....

regards,

Austin


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

ClaireandDaisy said:


> Who the heck is Debbie Connolly? :blink:


apparently, the TV-exposure on *Dog Borstal* made her something of a household-name.

here's her website - 
Debbie Connolly, dog behaviourist, animal behaviourist, Dog Borstal, SafePets UK dog trainer


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

RobD-BCactive said:


> Her weight loss classes for my Other didn't work either


I think that's Rosemary Connolly, Rob:001_tongue:

Never heard of her, never want to hear of her, but I certainly wouldn't let her within 100 yards of my dogs. What is it with these people? Every other profession tends to stay up to date with the latest advances and discoveries, yet for some reason so called dog trainers cannot read.


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> What is it with these people? Every other profession tends to stay up to date with the latest advances and discoveries, yet for some reason so called dog trainers cannot read


It's a self-selecting group, they have been able to get away with it in dog training in past, so were drawn into the field. They seem to be unable to adapt, so stick to what they know. As the Leerbug guy said, in US Pro trainers are in a hurry so don't bond with dogs, hence they force them. That can be a temptation in classes here, despite emphasis on coaching owners to train dogs.

What other profession could they do?


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

it's not as tho i pored over her page when i read the synopses; i chose 2 dogs of the 12 & read about them. 
both have 'dominant' traits, are bossy, bullies, impossible to control.

so let's look at the other 10...

*Ollie - * 
"4-YO GSD-cross... previous owner (male) beat him senseless [while] drunk" 
[we] "loved him too much... completely mollycoddled"

they go to meet Ms Connolly; QUOTE: 


> _"Ollie... was his usual self  *not listening... to us*, sniffing around & ...berserk when the lead was picked up.
> Debbie had a little bottle full of pebbles... every time she lifted the lead & Ollie would jump up, she shook it.
> After the third time, Ollie didnt jump up when she lifted the lead."_
> Ms Connolly's summary -
> ...


another indulged, bossy dog; sensing a pattern?... :huh:

*Mukka - * 
Ms Connolly: _"Rottie cross... territorial aggression and *no respect*..._

Owner - 


> '[adopted at] 6 months [age]... *he'd been bought* [via a classified-ad mag] *at 6-weeks-age*...
> ...he was a little *unconfident & hated being told off* but... generally... friendly & well behaved...
> he has bitten dogs & the wounds have needed stitching. He was also *becoming a lot more dominant
> in the house* and would *behave aggressively to strangers... altho he was still always friendly to people he knew.*


Ms Connolly - 
_"Mukka was not psychotic but... saw himself as the *dominant male*... _

owner - 


> 'we were given some exercises & suggestions... to *demote him*, eg. not allowing him free [rein!]
> of the house.
> We... arranged for a two-week residential retraining... my first update ... I was... told that Mukka
> had terrible obedience problems... *he'd only do as he was asked when he wanted to* & would do
> *the minimum to avoid being told off.*


*Nessa - *
Ms Connolly: _"...cocky little spoiled brat!
...hyperactive, vocal & *over confident*.... I have been to the home and seen for myself this improved but *rather cocky* dog!" _

Owner - 


> 'We first saw Nessa when she was about 15-WO. [We] thought she was lovely. She was the *last in the litter
> & had not been outside the familys home, apart from... the vets*. This highly significant fact regarding
> her *lack of socialisation* was totally lost on us... we had no idea of the problems to come...'


BIG neon-sign for future problems.

despite classes, the owner says - 


> 'Nessa was *confrontational* with dogs, cats, people  in fact basically everything!
> She had an *attitude problem* that we just didnt seem to make any real progress with. ...one day our postwoman
> came to the door. Nessa knew her & Sarah was a dog person. ...*suddenly Nessa leapt out of the door & nipped her*.
> ... we were mortified; this must not be allowed to happen again. We struggled on... being *stricter*
> ...


i m highlighting the obvious - TO ME - predictable problems of an undersocialized dog in *red*.

they meet Ms Connolly, 2-week board & train - 
owner: 


> 'Nessa, within days, had earned herself the *reputation of a being like a spoilt child*, who should
> have pink ribbons and ringlets in her hair, & if she could do, would threaten to scream & scream until Im sick & I can,
> if she didnt get her own way!!' [SNIP]
> 
> ...


that's 5 dogs of 12, the last 3 in precisely the order they were listed; i'm not cherry-picking. 
as RottieFan said, she appears to be a one-trick pony, similar to a certain TV-host: *Dominance is bad, 
the root of evil, the source of virtually all problem behaviors.*


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

leashedForLife said:


> another indulged, bossy dog; sensing a pattern?...


Yes.

Owner is unhappy with dog and is resentful
Dog and owner visit trainer
Dog and owner have success and are now happy.

All in all a positive trend. Well noticed. All encouraged with ongoing training.
Perhaps they should just have ignored the issues and not rewarded them, then maybe they'd have gone away all on their own by magic.

regards,

Austin


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

LuvMyDog_Worldwide said:


> Perhaps they should just have ignored the issues and not rewarded them, then maybe they'd have gone away all on their own by magic


Extinctions is *science* : a systematic approach for seeking and organizing knowledge about the natural world around us; to achieve a thorough understanding of the phenomena under study. See Operant conditioning - Wikipedia.

Everyone experiences similar when they struggle with an unpracticed foreign language, or long division arithmetic & mathematics. "Getting Rusty".


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

RobD-BCactive said:


> As the Leerbug guy said


You mean the world renowned Ed Frawley? The same one you just referenced? The man who's forgotten more about dog training in his sleep than you ever knew? The man with a successful track record in more training diciplines than you could even mention? The man with more acclaimed dog training videos and dvd's than any other trainer?

C'mon then Rob, lets hear a little about your 'no name brand backyard training' than you've picked up somewhere and only seem to tell us about and critique Ed with examples of your own successes.

I wonder if Lou's met him and can give us any insight to the man himself?

regards,

Austin


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## LuvMyDog_Worldwide (Apr 1, 2011)

RobD-BCactive said:


> See Operant conditioning - Wikipedia


Are you now stating operant conditioning is the be all and end all of learning theory? Funny, I always thought it was just another small factor in the larger picture of learning, motivation and behavior. You do like putting all your eggs in one basket, eh?

regards,

Austin


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

LuvMyDog_Worldwide said:


> Somehow I doubt this reviewer would have ever been completely happy with whatever book she chose. But...at least she read it rather than skimmed it.
> 
> As for Rottiefan's review, lets compare:
> 
> ...


Dear Austin,

I find it funny how Jojo and I have said very similar things. For your information, I didn't even look at that review until after I posted here...so much for jumping to conclusions, eh? Mr Holier Than Thou...

Whilst you may not possess the ability to skim read and synthesise information from a small book (128 pages) in 10 minutes, I do and can get the idea of what the author's views and opinions are. It is clear that Connolly's views are very old-fashioned. She does speak about the dominance controversy, but completely washes over it, saying that 'she knows what she sees'.

Yet, she calls herself a 'behaviourist'- an occupation to do with _animal behaviour_, which is the study of behaviour in its natural environment- but completely ignores the science behind it.

She is a glaring hypocrite and shouldn't be able to call herself a behaviourist, quite frankly...but what's new?

Now, I have no doubt she has improved problem behaviours over her 30 years and has good clientele...but just because some behaviours have been improved does not mean she uses the correct methods. However, I didn't read anything much of her methods in the segments I read at the book shop, so I cannot comment that much on them.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

leashedForLife said:


> it's not as tho i pored over her page when i read the synopses; i chose 2 dogs of the 12 & read about them.
> both have 'dominant' traits, are bossy, bullies, impossible to control.
> 
> so let's look at the other 10...
> ...


Does this woman even _like_ dogs? Doesn't sound like it to me. Any proper behaviourist would expect a dog that has been beaten by some p*ss artist to have problems, and the very last thing they are likely to stem from is domination.

What utter unadulterated codswallop


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## Rottiefan (Jun 20, 2010)

newfiesmum said:


> Does this woman even _like_ dogs? Doesn't sound like it to me. Any proper behaviourist would expect a dog that has been beaten by some p*ss artist to have problems, and the very last thing they are likely to stem from is domination.
> 
> What utter unadulterated codswallop


I have no doubt that she likes dogs and has devoted her life to the better welfare of them- but in what way? This is the question nowadays...we're in an odd stage of limbo where there are many old-style trainers and new-style trainers, with the two, clearly, arguing with each other.

I know the Rottie rescue that Connolly visits in the North East and, thus, am sure she has best intentions at heart.

But when these old views are published in a book in 2011, some of which could seriously mislead owners and, instead of making their and their dogs' lives safer, could hinder training as owners feel they need to show who's boss, gain respect etc., etc.


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## newfiesmum (Apr 21, 2010)

Rottiefan said:


> Dear Austin,
> 
> I find it funny how Jojo and I have said very similar things. For your information, I didn't even look at that review until after I posted here...so much for jumping to conclusions, eh? Mr Holier Than Thou...
> 
> ...


You wouldn't have to actually read the thing, though, would you? Simply knowing that she thinks everything is dominance and wants to establish people as the pack leader is enough to tell anyone that she is living in the dark ages.


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

seems like an excellent label, as an overall summary, NewfsMum. :yesnod: at least 2 of the dogs 
were IMO very profoundly affected by undersocialization, one by leaving home WAY too-early, 
the other left home WAY too-late & missed her entire critical-socialization period.

leaving dam & litter at only 6-WO means the pup has lad all of 1 week of active-play up on their legs 
with littermates - nowhere near long-enuf to establish the beginning of a solid *inhibited bite*, a crucial skill.

leaving home at 15-WO when all the other pups have long-since gone, & without a concentrated effort 
by the breeder to introduce the last-pup of a litter to friendly strangers, novel environs, & so on, means a puppy 
who has *no resilience around novelty or strangers - * & GSDs, who are prone to over-attach to one person, 
bark at strangers & be somewhat paranoid without good socialization, are a sensitive breed - especially about 
*movement*, which they share with the other herding breeds: visitors can sit still on the couch, but as soon 
as they move - cross a leg, reach for the coffee-cup, lean forward to rise,... _*bark, bark, bark!...*_


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

Wm Campbell has been around for a long, long time... 
Amazon.com: The New Better Behavior in Dogs: A Guide to Solving All Your Dog's Problems (9781577790181): William E. Campbell: Books

this book was published in 1999, & contains more pack-theory stuff than i like - but even with that flaw, 
he gives more sound, simple advice than Ms Connolly, IMO & IME. 
this book DOES have *Search inside*, & 'dominance' brings up 18 instances. CHeck it out.

this one - 
Amazon.com: Better Dog Behavior and Training: Correcting and Curing Bad Habits (Training Book Series) (9781593783792): Charlotte Schwartz: Books 
is an author i'm unfamiliar with, but this book also allows *Search inside* & 'dominance' has 3 results, 
1 in the index; she suggests that having a dog DOWN before certain privileges [a NILIF variation, 
the dog downs vs sits] can be helpful in 'establishing human dominance' - it's a bit of a stretch, but IMO 
this is not a bad thing, for the average or any confident dog. It's not a fix, but it's not going to hurt.

fearful dogs would have a very hard time with this, tho, as lying-down makes them even more vulnerable; 
if we ask a fearful dog to lie-down in the presence of a frightening stimulus, we are IME very unlikely 
to get immediate compliance - unless we give the dog distance, a lure or otherwise accommodate for 
or compensate for their anxiety about _*X*_ over there.


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

leashedForLife said:


> fearful dogs would have a very hard time with this, tho, as lying-down makes them even more vulnerable;
> if we ask a fearful dog to lie-down in the presence of a frightening stimulus, we are IME very unlikely
> to get immediate compliance - unless we give the dog distance, a lure or otherwise accommodate for
> or compensate for their anxiety about _*X*_ over there.


I jused about the implications of that a while back, having seen someone advise keeping dog standing, which is actually what I did to when DS/CC-ing.

Very often natural inclination with reactive dog is to require a sit, for control reasons. Might that actually be counter-productive to the *counter-conditioning* process, with good safe walking system there's less reason to demand dog to sit or lie down?


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## leashedForLife (Nov 1, 2009)

RobD-BCactive said:


> I [mused] about the implications of that a while back, having seen someone advise
> keeping [a fearful/anxious] dog standing, which is actually what I did to when DS/CC-ing.
> 
> Very often, [the] natural inclination with [a] reactive dog is to require a sit, for control reasons.
> ...


definitely - :yesnod: _U have done well, grasshopper... _ 

seriously, yes - asking ANY dog who's close to threshold to sit or down or even stand/stay is problematic. 
dogs are always more relaxed when they're moving - even moving *toward* their trigger, so long as they're 
not over-threshold, is better than the trigger stationary & the dog stationary, or worse, the dog stationary 
& the trigger *approaching... * :yikes:

an emergency U-turn which is practiced as a game before it is needed is a good option; so is *jogging* 
toward the trigger, with YOU on the inside & the dog on the outside, if U must approach & pass it. Keep it brisk, 
keep it jolly, don't stop, stand, hesitate or become comatose & stare... _*Move*__!_


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## RobD-BCactive (Jul 1, 2010)

And my wet ware assisted me in finding the original question which somone engaged with http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-training-behaviour/166729-occasional-lunge-traffic.html#post2490022


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## ClaireandDaisy (Jul 4, 2010)

leashedForLife said:


> apparently, the TV-exposure on *Dog Borstal* made her something of a household-name.
> 
> here's her website -
> Debbie Connolly, dog behaviourist, animal behaviourist, Dog Borstal, SafePets UK dog trainer


Not in my household. Is she the one who got the sack?


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

leashedForLife said:


> apparently, the TV-exposure on *Dog Borstal* made her something of a household-name.
> 
> here's her website -
> Debbie Connolly, dog behaviourist, animal behaviourist, Dog Borstal, SafePets UK dog trainer


Can't see any mention of any qualifications on her website.


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## Colette (Jan 2, 2010)

I haven't seem the book myself yet so can't comment on it.... but there are a couple of points I want to make regarding what has been stated on here (mainly in Terry's descriptive post).

1) She attributes behaviour problems to dominance even when a clear cause is stated (lack of socialisation, abuse etc.) 

Assuming a dog is behaving in a certain way because of dominance because you can find no other explanation is bad enough - but to fall back on that despite knowing the dogs history and likely cause of its issues is to simply ignore the facts. It's ludicrous in my opinion.

2) How successful is she really?

We have one dog who continues to be hit in the face, and indeed shows high levels of distress as a result, after training. And who still has "temper tantrums". Another who still "always tries to dominate" and needs pebble cans in every room.

I think it is fairly obvious her methods are having little effect - her actions (hitting, noise aversion, etc) are not acting aseffective punishers because they do not appear to be stopping the unwanted behaviours. All that seems to be happening is dogs getting distressed, but their behaviour improving very little.

I'd be asking for my money back quite frankly.


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