Man Meets Dog

Mr. "Kelley" hasn't read or understood the book and certainly doesn't know much about dogs or training. If he'd checked he might have noticed the first edition was in 1953 and based on research/observations going back to the 1920's. Dogs as 'pets' are a new concept. Until fairly recently dogs were strong, aggressive working animals used for herding, hunting, police, military use. I suggest Mr. "Kelley" look at training manuals from those days. He will see that trainers used a lead with a three foot length of dowling rod attached to hold the dog off of them during training. Not because the dog was vicious, simply because it was known and accepted that they were attempting to train a big tough carnivore (not a lap dog) and it only made sense to take reasonable precautions. I've talked to breeders and trainers who've had to separate some big (150+) pound males by beating them apart with shovels. Extreme? Well, the fire hose didn't work and that was a last resort. It managed to distract the dogs long enough to separate them. It turned out someone had brought a female in season into an area that was clearly marked as off limits to intact females. A cursory look at my copy (Penguin Books reprint 1988) shows two "beatings": p22:". . .a dingo . . .his manner changed entirely when he was about one and a half years olf: he still accepted every form of punishment, even a beating, without resistance, but, as soon as the business was over, he shook himself, gave a friendly wag of his tail and ran off, inviting me to chase him." p. 100: ". . . activities were thus to be interpreted: 'Dear Master, Please do not be cross, but, for the moment I much regret to say, I am quite unable to let go of this dirty dog, even if you should think fit to punish me later with a wacking or---as God forbid---at this instant with a bucket of cold water'" In the first instance it doesn't appear the Dingo was terribly impressed with the 'beating' and in the second, it was entirely hypothetical, used to described the meaning behind a dogs body language. However on page 70 he describes his disgust with a person carrying a whip to use on his dog and on page 77 when his 6 year old daughter is caught between two dogs fighting he merely separated the dogs to rescue his daughter. No 'beatings' and the dogs weren't killed as they probably would be in these more "enlightened" times. IF Mr. Kelley had read this book he would have seen that Konrad Lorenz had a tremendous amount of sympathy and love for all animals. True, many of his ideas, especially about evolution, are dated. But all science is provisional and old ideas are superceded with new information. Lorenz's observations, compassion and love for all animals and especially dogs has not been superceded. Suggested reading: Adam's Task by Vicki Hearne Bandit: Dossier of a Dangerous Dog by Vicki Hearne King Solomon's Ring by Konrad Lorenz The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One, Second Edition by Jack Volhard and Wendy

I first read "Man Meets Dog" over thrity years ago and I've nerver forgotten some of his insights and the love he had for Chows. I recenlty purchased the book for my mother-in=law and decided to reread it myself. Other fine books giving us insights and jokes about animals and our love of them have been written since. But his is still the best for combining scientific insight and humanity into one small package. If you are not hooked on the book after the first two pages, then give your dog away. You don't deserve him.

As usual with Konrad Lorenz the book deserves 5 stars. He has the most charming writing style and writes of his many dogs, and cats, in tones of wonder, friendship, joy, surprise and love. Here is a man who found his life task, he simply couldn't do anything else, it is his love, his joy his purpose in life. Its rare that this happens so easily in someone's life and in that sense he is a most fortunate man as well as the fact that he recognised this path early on in his life, even as a young boy.Lorenz not only enjoys writing but does so from both a practical and deeply knowledgeable orientation. In this book he describes the many remarkable experiences he had with his dogs and also gives plenty of practical adice: such as when to buy a dog, what sort of dog to buy, dogs and children, canine personalities etc etc. As with his other book "King Solomons Ring" the book is full of his wonderful little drawings which are most expressive of each character trait of his dogs and cats. The book is simply invaluable as a guide to sharing your life with your very own devoted friend, whether it be a jackal or lupus dog. there is much that was unknown to me such as the previous distinction between dog types or the fact that a dog's eyesight is poor and that dogs are capable of lying, astonishing.The book is worth every penny and then some.

A slim and witty volume with many anecdotes from Lorenz's work as an animal behaviorist. But the jewel in the book is a single chapter where he lays out how to train a dog so that the dog understands what you want of him. Train your dog in two weeks, 30 minutes a day.