Gotta Do Somethin' 'Bout That Dog! (Electronic book text)

More American homes than not are graced by the presence of one or more canine creatures. Yet, canines are greatly misunderstood by the vast majority of those who own them. Their abilities and potential are rarely realized or even considered. Usually considered "pets," canines are anything but that. The simple fact of domestication to exist among humans does not take the "wild" out of an animal. Descended from Canis lupus" (wolf), dogs are complex animals possessing great intelligence, speed, strength, and agility. Their instinctual habits and behaviors are a fascinating study all their own. Few of us actually take the time to undertake such a study. Our misunderstanding and lack of knowledge of canine behavior often results in the removal of a dog from a family setting with an unfair brand of "behavior problem" or "bad dog." Be it housebreaking, mouthing, destructive chewing, or hyperactivity, these behaviors can be corrected with proper conditioning and training. This book teaches the reader about the canine mind - the "whys" of particular behaviors and how to condition and correct in ways a dog will respond to. Proper training ensures a dog's lifetime with his owner. Contrary to America's Hollywood-type view of the family dog, a "good dog" is led by his alpha pack member, his owner, and is happiest and most productive in doing so. Dogs' innate working mentality and basic instinctive needs are, for the most part, misunderstood and thereby ignored by the average dog owner. Rather than realizing his dog's potential, the typical dog owner actually fosters behavior problems by his cozy, familiar view of what the family dog should be. However, dogs are not capable of understanding human reasoning and usually pay a big price for improper instinctive responses to our fuzzy emotional dealings with them. A dog should not have to run away from home or wreak havoc in the home. He need not be shuffled from shelter, to adoptive home, to shelter, to euthanization because of our lack of understanding. Knowledge and application are the keys to being a responsible dog owner and enjoying a dog for the duration of his lifetime. Dogs die daily from our lack of such knowledge. This book's entire focus is on helping dogs survive by using these keys.