cover image The Invisible Leash

The Invisible Leash

Myrna M. Milani. Dutton Books, $14.95 (212pp) ISBN 978-0-453-00500-5

Milani, a veterinarian and author of The Weekend Dog, emphasizes the importance of communication in dog-training. The key is that owners understand that dogs perceive the world differently from people and have completely foreign behavior patterns. Once that is understood, notes Milani, owners will perceive how their own behavior may unwittingly have a negative effect on their pets, and they can modify their actions to obtain excellent results in training. Milani explains how an owner's misinterpretation of a pet's activities can also create training blocks. The author describes the way dogs' senses differ from those of people (their hearing and sense of smell are more acute than ours; their sight, on the other hand, is far inferior) and she offers case studies that depict typical pet problems (chewing on treasured objects, snapping at strangers, etc.) with step-by-step training advice that stresses reinforcing positive and countering negative behavior without punishment. This is a sensible, informed approach to dog-training. November 19