We will review a new book or DVD title and feature it on this page on a regular basis.
For the Love of Dog (DVD)
by Patricia B McConnell, PhD
Reviewed by: Helen Reynolds Bsc (Hons) & VN
World renowned Ethologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviourist Patricia McConnell, Ph.D. shares a four part DVD set (running time 5 hours 50 minutes), “For the love of a dog”. The recorded seminar explores the biology of emotions in people and dogs and includes solutions to problems motivated by fear and anger. Emotions are our fundamental connection to dogs and within the DVD’s, Trish explains what are emotions, how primitive some emotions are, and the controversy within the scientific field over which emotions mammals experience and why. The main focus is on the emotions of fear, anger, happiness and love but topics also covered include nature versus nurture, genetics, and early development. In addition, is an in depth-focus on the similarities in body language and facial expression between dogs and people. With clever use of photo’s, video and demo dogs at the seminar, the DVD’s provide treatment strategies when fear and anger are the motivating emotion. She explains step by step classical counter conditioning and operant conditioning and how these methods can be used successfully, in treatment plans.
Trish is full of energy, passion and enthusiasm to share her knowledge within this field and the DVD’s are delivered at a nice pace. Trish is very personable and engages the audience to make these DVD’s a “must have” set. For those of you who attended the Patricia McConnell conference in Auckland 2010, it does cover the same material, however; instead of thinking ‘I’ve heard this all before’, I instead found it an excellent means of retaining information and enhancing my understanding of the topic. Having watched the DVD’s twice, I am still learning new stuff each time and I can highly recommend this DVD set. I am now enjoying Trish’s book of the same title, both of which can be ordered through this website and final words go to Trish. “Our relationship with dogs should not be trivialised, our connection with dogs is based on emotion – on the joy they give us, the love we feel for them and from them.”
To buy this book – click here
