The Dog Who Would Be King

by John C. Wright, Judi Wright Lashnits

In these witty and entertaining stories about misbehaving dogs, John Wright, one of the country's top behaviorists--and probably the only one who's been making house calls for 16 years--takes you with him on his rounds to show how he helps beleaguered dog lovers come to terms with their misbehaving pets. Wright has used his intimate knowledge of animal psychology to solve behavior problems ranging from the serious to downright funny. A great storyteller, Wright shares hilarious and insightful first-person anecdotes to help clients understand and appreciate why their dogs act the way they do, and to solve some unusually knotty problems--and, of course, to keep Fido out of trouble in the future!With the skill of a seasoned mystery writer, Wright gets to know the families and their lifestyles first, even the layout of their homes, before analyzing all the vexing doggy clues. He sheds expert light on topics such as coping with puppies and new dogs, right and wrong ways to discipline a pet, and specifically canine behavioral problems like aggression, having "accidents," phobias, and more.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs

288 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 1999

About the author

John C. Wright, Ph.D., one of the country's leading animal behaviorists and pet psychologists, applies thoughtful principles to common problems pet owners encounter. With humor and empathy, Wright shares his anecdotes of case histories to help owners learn how to alter behavior rather than try to alter their unique pet's personality.

Reviews

[Ava Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned a lot from the book.

[Piepie | The Napping Bibliophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an EXCELLENT book, something I really enjoyed reading, and one of the best dog books I've read in a very long time. This book is a collection of stories about dogs with behavioral problems: chewing up the house; separation anxiety; etc. -- The author, Dr. Wright, has met with owners and helped (or tried to help) their dogs. Wright does state a couple of times that some solutions don't work for every canine, and a couple of solutions he ordinarily doesn't recommend. However, I really enjoyed reading this - I couldn't put it down! :)

[Kara · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author of this book is a pet psychologist, and over all the book was rather sad. In his profession he only sees the worst situations, if all is well with your dog, then there is no need to call in a pet psychologist.

As I mentioned the stories were rather sad, making you wonder why some people even had dogs. I would only recommend this if you are very interested in the subject or thinking of a career in pet psychology.