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b o o k s Dogs Gloriously Being Dogs

Meg Hannan reviews How to Love and Survive Your Teenage Dog: The Complete Guide to Your Teenage Dog by PPG Australia president, Barbara Hodel

How to Love and Survive Your Teenage Dog: The Complete Guide to Your Teenage Dog is written primarily with the dog guardian rather than the professional trainer in mind. The writing style is straightforward and easy to understand but, at the same time, is based on science. That is, it follows scientific principles while providing clear explanations for the layperson. Having said this, I don’t want to give the impression that the book is just a simple “howto” guide – it is so much more than that. In fact, it contains pretty much everything I believe you need to know to get you and your dog through the teenage phase of life. Not to mention that many dog trainers would also benefit from reading it.

Throughout the book, author Barbara Hodel adopts an empathic approach to the problems dog guardians have when they realize their cute puppy has turned into a difficult teenager. When you are learning a new skill, you will inevitably find yourself – at some stage – unsure of what to do next. There is nothing more annoying that spending time scanning through pages and pages trying to find the salient point you know you read previously. So I loved that, in this book, the 10 chapters are clearly numbered in point form: Chapter 2 and then 2.1, etc. This makes it very easy to find relevant information. There is also an excellent index and reference section at the end.

The text is broken up by some lovely black and white photographs scattered throughout showing some dogs being well behaved and calm, others engaging in typical teenage dog behaviors, such as inappropriate jumping and chewing, and still others training and having fun. In other words, dogs gloriously being dogs.

Ethical Training

Hodel begins the book explaining that ethical training methods can transform lives, and she reassures the reader that they will be able to survive this challenging teenage phase: “Remember: your teenage dog is not giving you a hard time; they are having a hard time! You are not alone and you and your dog can do it!”

The book goes on to explain the similarities and differences in the canine and human brains. Hodel’s explanation of adult vs. teenage

Hodel begins her book explaining that ethical training methods can transform lives, and reassures the reader that they will be able to survive the challenging teenage phase

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brains in humans and dogs will certainly resonate with those who have children or have taught children – particularly teenagers.

Hodel also emphasizes the importance of building a strong and respectful relationship with your dog, and developing the ability to perceive the world through his eyes. She buries the outdated, scientifically unsound dominance theory of using coercion and force to punish dogs to achieve behavior, explaining that, “instead we need to find a way to ‘maintain social unity’.”

One of my favorite chapters poses the question, “Do dogs really have feelings?” What follows is a compelling discussion about the common practice among dog guardians of attributing human feelings to their pets. Of course, most animal lovers need no convincing that this is true, despite some scientists, in the past at least, having cast doubt on it.

Explaining R+

Elsewhere, Hodel explains what positive reinforcement is and how it is important in training behavior. She also covers the importance of good socialization and the dangers of inappropriate socialization, including how it can lead to fearfulness.

What I like about this book is that it doesn’t just theorize about dog behavior. Indeed, the second half of the book is a solid teaching guide designed to support your dog and help you teach him important behaviors like how to be calm and stay quiet rather than bark, as well as many other basic behaviors we all want from our dogs, like walking nicely on a leash and coming when called.

As a dog trainer, I regularly get calls from distraught guardians whose dogs are going through the teenage years and struggling with the very problems Hodel outlines in her book. And, often, the dog is head

As a dog trainer, I regularly get calls from distraught guardians whose dogs are going through the teenage years and struggling with the very problems Hodel outlines in her book. And, often, the dog is heading towards the shelter if the behavior can’t be improved.

ing towards the shelter if the behavior can’t be improved. This book, then, has the potential to save many dogs from reaching this stage while allowing us to, as Hodel puts it, “keep our sanity and help our teenage dog keep theirs.”

Hodel ends with the lovely and memorable words that, when our dogs are grown and we have been able to put that difficult teenage stage into perspective, “… we will spend the next ten years or more in each other’s company! In the meantime, I recommend a healthy dose of patience, humor and willingness to meet your friend halfway.”

I highly recommend this book for its wonderful advice for guardians of any canine teenager. It would also be the perfect gift for anyone getting a new puppy, to provide good guidance for the phases ahead of them. n

How to Love and Survive Your Teenage Dog: The Complete Guide to Your Teenage Dog Author: Barbara Hodel Green Hill Publishing (2020) 200 pages ISBN‐13 : 978‐1922337566