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Bones would Rain from the Sky

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#1 ·
If Carlsberg made dog books.... (sorry for the ....s! :p)

This might sound really geeky, but I wondered if anyone fancied a wee discussion thread about this book?

What did you think of it?
Has it made you do/view things differently? If so, what?
What were the top 3 things that stood out for you?

I'll start :lol:

Overall, I thought the book was very thought provoking. I think the author was skilled at getting her points across by hanging them on real examples or analogies. At times I thought it was a bit waffly, but on reflection, I think it might've been the examples that I already had a reasonable grasp of that I found to be so. Whereas, other parts of it weren't waffly to me at all probably because these were the parts where I personally needed more examples and explanations. I always like people and books that get me thinking and reflecting on my values and questioning whether I'm really walking the walk. This book certainly did that.

I'm prone to getting frustrated with the dogs and I know I need to work on that. This book really underlined that point for me. It was also quite enlightening to learn that when a dog is highly aroused it literally cannot hear you. Makes perfect sense, why didn't I think about that before? I learned a lot about dog 'possession' rules. No wonder Bracken was iffy about retrieving for a while, since in canine terms, I'd been being very rude to her!

What has it made me do differently? A difficult one. I think since reading it, I've just been trying really hard to look at myself and when I'm irritated that the dog isn't doing what I want it to do, ask myself what is it about me that's the problem here. I think we all bang on about knowing that it isn't the dog's fault, it's ours, but sometimes I'm not always sure what exactly it was I've done (or omitted to do) that really didn't help matters!

I'm debating about giving the book to my mum to read. I think she could learn a lot from it. Whether she wants to listen to what is said is another matter entirely though :wink:
 
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#27 ·
So many knowledgable "doggy" people think it is a wonderful book, so many think it has bought about some great epiphany and I want that too
I started to say this to you yesterday but I think how someone feels about this book might depend on the sort of dog person they are at the start.

If someone was a no nonsense doggy person I imagine they either pick it up and think it's a load of tosh or they have a great epiphany.

I read this a few years back, cover to cover on a plane. My view was it was a *nice*read, I found the style quite flowery too and self indulgent in parts from the author, dare I say it was very american in tone (was she?)

I don't remember that paragraph you've quoted above Jules - I must have skim read those bits.

I do remember picking titbits from it but certainly nothing revolutionary because i suppose I've always leaned towards being more soft and accepting (and ridiculously analytical by nature!) as a pet owner anyway than say a more 'doggy' person and to me that was what the book was about in a nutshell.
Probably due a re-read from me really.
 
#28 ·
" If someone was a no nonsense doggy person I imagine they either pick it up and think it's a load of tosh or they have a great epiphany. "


There is noone more no nonsense than me, and to be honest I sit somewhere slightly short of a great epiphany. I think that each chapter has something in it, especially for the more novice dog trainer or owner. Something to go 'bloody hell' at.... I see a hundred LF posts a month that could have a greater understanding of 'why' and 'how' and 'where do we go from here' by reading the book. But, possibly, moving through the parts that are more biographical than factual or educational.

Anyway, horses for courses, it has been enjoyed here both by myself and Allan.

Di
 
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#29 ·
So ok.....I skipped to page 203 and read from there. :wink:

My first and over-riding thought was "My parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles had it right all along".

We were taught from very young, to respect the animals, ALL the animals, from that rotten Cockeral who would chase us and try to score our backs with his spurs as we ran away, to the ancient cat who slept in a paper bag on the dining room table. If one of their grumpy dogs growled (which quite often they did for various reasons) we were told to stop pestering them, come away and leave it alone.

On the odd occasion curiosity got the better of us kids, as it does, and while we thought no one was looking, we would continue to try to make friends with the growling dog and invariably two things happened. One...we got snapped at/bitten and Two....we got a clump from a grown up, who obviously HAD been watching, and we were told it was our own stupid fault the dog went for us, as it had warned us first and we hadn't listened. It was NEVER the dogs fault in their eyes, always ours and that was the same if the old cat scratched us, or the cockeral ripped our clothes and skin.

This way of thinking has changed so much over the years and dogs are now expected to be either Small Furry Humans or Perfectly Behaved/Controlled Robotic Beings. I guess I just don't see them that way and never have thanks to the way I was bought up.

But yes I do agree with you Di, I do think there are many people, especially New to Dogs people or people who believe in the often quoted Dominance Theories, who could learn a fair bit from this book.... That's if their hearts and minds are open enough though.
 
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