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From Louisa

Hello,

A friend showed me the article in today's Tacoma News Tribune and I almost didn't read it. I thought, 'Not another macho dog guy.' I almost didn't make it through the first half of them recounting all the horror stories of 'bad' dogs. I hear enough of those in my line of work. Then I read what prompted me to write:

"...the secret to taming the untameable is not being tough. It's giving dogs their space until they are ready to let him in..."

I then found your blog and like what you said in 'A Word of Advice'. Not many people quote Turid Rugaas. :)

Ah, sweet relief! Someone who gets it. I am a veterinarian with a special interest in behavior problems. I have been working and studying and learning about pet behavior for 25 years and have seen the whole alpha thing come and go and come back again. I see the pain we inflict on our dogs in the name of training or from misguided trainers. I see dogs that are merely defending themselves and get deemed 'aggressive'. It breaks my heart, especially when I get the whole 'dog whisperer' garbage spouted. Sigh...

Thank you for spreading the word.

Posted on December 13, 2009