Behavior Problems in Dogs

by William E. Campbell

Here is the book veterinarians refer to when solving challenging behavior problems. Humane, efficient and effective ways of dealing with negative behaviors. All veterinarians and most dog owners should have this one!

Genres: Animals, Dogs, Nonfiction, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Tububa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally written in 1975, and then was revised (and apparently self-published?) in 1999. Given how old it is, it is quite good, and it appears to be an early example of the "ignore the bad, reward the good" style of approach to animal behavior that is widely recognized as the best today.

Campbell has a few basic techniques in his repertoire.

* Cold shoulder: ignore except to feed and walk. This is used with dogs that have gotten the upper hand in a household, as a signal that things are about to change, socially-speaking.

* Jolly routine: laugh and pretend that the situation is no big deal. This is used with dogs that are fearful, no matter how the fear manifests itself (cringing, aggression, etc.) Basically, a method to defuse the situation and refocus the dog.

* Nothing in life is free: petting, food are only given on condition of obeying a basic command.

* Consistency: everyone in the household is engaged in training and taking care of the animal. This comes up in the discussion of differential aggression towards some but not other family members.

Campbell explicitly, repeatedly argues against physical punishment and even non-violent punishment like social isolation (being shut off in the bathroom, crating, banishment to the yard). He has some advice that people might disagree with--but then dog training is extremely contentious, everyone has a goddamn opinion. For example, he argues against training with treats. I've seen successful trainers train with treats, and others who do without. I am of a pluralistic bent and would posit that multiple methods work, and they should be judged by their effectiveness, not ideology.

On effectiveness: I first became aware of Campbell sometime in 2005 or 2006, back in the early days of the internet. He had a nice website called BehavioRX, with weekly case studies from his practice, and a description of how he handled them. In the book, too, there are many telling anecdotes and case studies from his own decades of behavioral practice that illustrate his points. They are presented in a deadpan clinical style, but often laced with a dry humor that I rather enjoy. Anyone who has shared "jokes" with their dogs will recognize a kindred spirit here.

The book is self-published, and it isn't proof-read well. There are probably some places where tighter editing would have helped. I also had some head-scratching moments at the end where the leash training aids are discussed. While it isn't perfect, it is the product of experience and success. It also makes one point very clear: in virtually any problem dog situation, look at the owner first.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an extremely outdated book, but is interesting from a historical perspective. Studies in canine cognition have really taken off in the past 20 years, and you can tell how far we've come in our understanding in the more science-based parts of this book. Campbell still subscribes to a dominance theory-based approach to canine behavior and training, although eschews the more traditional physical punishment used by conventional dominance trainers. Whether punishment is used or not, dominance theory as an explanation for human-canine relationships in itself has been debunked.

[Jennifer Eskridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

truly a read for every one whose ever loved a dog.