New book offers something to chew on
As a Dog Thinketh is full of simple, easy to follow advice to make life with your pooch more palatable
If you forget to shut bedroom and bathroom doors at our house you will face the wrath of Sally Jo.
Sally Jo is a six-month-old mini Australian shepherd and she takes no prisoners. Socks are shredded. Shoes are savaged and toilet rolls, well forget it, those babies don’t stand a chance.
Recently Sally Jo — who is now an Olympic-level high jumper — came racing out the bedroom with Victoria dog trainer Monique Anstee’s book As a Dog Thinketh in her mouth.
Was it a cry for help? Well maybe not intentionally but I took it as a sign to grab the book and get reading and what I discovered was an easy to read support manual that didn’t preach but rather gently pushed me toward paying closer attention to Sally Jo and her Sally Jo’ness and checking in with myself and how I was behaving.
Anstee delivers daily reflections and advice on how to be in the moment with your canine pal.
Designed as a daily check-in, the book offers up common examples of behaviour and then offers simple, easy to follow advice to help guide you toward a better dog and a better you with your dog.
A 25-year veteran of dog training and the owner of Victoria’s The Naughty Dogge, Anstee writes often with humour and a folksy charm that is both soothing and inspiring.
Once I pulled the book from Sally Jo’s snappy little jaw and I replaced it with a chew (by the way this, according to Anstee, is the right thing to do, so I was happy I was doing something right) I immediately sat down and started reading and learning.
Sure, I admit that I still sometimes ask myself ‘why the hell did I get a puppy?’ Then we have a really great walk and she listens to me, kind of.
I’ve taken some good tips from As a Dog Thinketh and built them into my daily dog routine.
Currently we are trying out the concept of walking a reactive dog (a.k.a. idiotic puppy that wants to lunge at everything that moves) is like driving a car. I am staying focused. I’m staying in our lane and keeping a keen eye on what lays ahead.
Now if I could only find the ignition switch.