The Love Dog starts as an explanation into Tamar’s past and why she feels a deep connection with dogs and a urgent need to protect and help them in any way she can. She lived through an extremely abusive childhood and obviously sees much of her own past in how many dogs are treated like objects rather than living feeling beings. Her dog training method she calls “coaching” rather than training and while this is an apt description of what many dog “trainer’s” do these days it has a certain “L.A.” feel about it that may turn more traditional people off.
Tamar asserts her methods are a “Playful, nonaggressive way to teach your dog good behavior”. Indeed they are. She feels it is never OK to use abuse or violence to teach your dog good behavior. Too back this assertion up, many studies have shown that using games and encouragement to teach proper behavior works better than violence and discouragement for adults, children and dogs! This being said many of her methods are based on dominance theory she has picked up from watching desert wolves in the wild. Unfortunately having no actual behavioral observation training, she makes some assumptions about what she saw that are faulty if not dangerous. She also misuses some key behavioral definitions that make her look more uneducated than she probably is. As an example she talks about teaching dogs “English” rather than teaching dogs word association. To her credit she also really drives home the point of how to teach your dog word association “learning English” rather than just saying “good girl, or good boy” you can actually give the dog feedback by saying “Good Sit or Good Down”.
She also uses the idea of domesticating your dog with coaching, although dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years, so I can only assume she means teaching your dog manners. These misuses of terminology aside she has obviously had much success with her training methods and coaching humans in alternatives to physical violence can only be a good thing!
I think my biggest criticism of this book is the pathetically blatant name dropping of her LA clients.
My favorite thing about this book is her idea of showing your dog a range of emotions, make sure he knows when you are happy with his behavior and when you are disappointed. Too many people forget to praise the good behavior and overreact to the bad behavior which doesn’t help the dog to actually learn anything!
