BONES WOULD RAIN FROM THE SKY (Non-Fiction)

[Dawn]

What did you think of this book?

[Dawn]

I'm afraid I could't get into this and abandoned it pretty quickly - maybe too soon. Be keen to hear what others thought.

[Bob]

3.5 stars for this one. But be warned: it's not a book for a casual read. It requires some intensity of focus and attention. But if you give those to it, I think you'll find it informative and valuable.

Clothier approaches training in a different manner than many other books I've read. She's very concerned with understanding the "why" of a behavior, before attempting to adjust that behavior. And so she believes it's essential that we adjust OUR attitudes and expectations first, and learn to think like a dog. Only then can we properly address dog issues and behavior in ways that will steer them effectively.

Seems to me that makes good sense. But how do we do it? How do we change a lifetime of viewing situations and events from a human perspective and start seeing them the way a dog does? How can we even know how a dog views things?

This book seems like a good start. Clothier tries to show us how to throw away our pre-conceptions and attitudes, and learn the importance of observing our pups' actions and body language to get the answers. It's not an easy read and there's a lot that may seem irrelevant, or even "out there." But focus and study of those "irrelevant" tiny details seems (to me) to be a key to understanding her methods; and learning to apply them successfully.

Not very sure I could ever develop her eye for connections with a dog, but I wish I could. Sure would like to ask her some specific questions!

[Bob]

Dawn wrote: "I'm afraid I could't get into this and abandoned it pretty quickly - maybe too soon. Be keen to hear what others thought."

Give it another try, Dawn. It's not a casual read, so better to try it when there are no distractions vying for your attention. I thought it was hard going at first, too. But after doubling down and starting again, found it was worth the read.

[Dawn]

Great review and advice Bob. These discussions are always open for books past read, so if I give it another go, I'll let you know what I think. Thanks for persevering.

[Bob]

Would love to know that, Dawn. There aren't many answers about how to do stuff here. And I wish there were. It's more a description of her philosophy with some intriguing observations about how to approach training and communication with our dogs. I was especially moved by her "Fruits and Veggies" game. And really, that experiment sums up her whole point. Very intriguing. And when I put myself in the game situation, very hard, too.