The Official Guide to Living with Dinos

For me it was not a guideline how to act in certain situations (though, there are many interesting tips on the topic), but a book that assured me that I am not alone, there are plenty of dog-owners living with DINOS actually. Living with DINOS is not only doing a lot of things in training, like desensitization, controlling reactivity etc, for me it also ment living with a permanent sense of guilt - what have I done wrong during my dog childhood or later - that was a permanent question in my mind. A question is good by itself, but thinking it over and over again can drive you mad! This book helped me to accept the fact that it is OK to have a DINOS in the family, and that you can not do everything right, you can not know what kind of everyday events can influence your dog so that he/she can become a DINOS. Great book that has change my way of thinking about some behavioral and psychological issues! Thank you!!

“Notes from a Dog Walker” was a superbly funny, endearing blog so when I heard Jessica Dolce was going to be speaking, DogEvals purchased her book. I had missed her blogs but finally knew why she had not been posting – a book was being born! Personality Plus Ms. Dolce is quite the personality and has quickly become known in training circles and to dog walkers and dogsitters, no doubt. Her closing presentation at a recent animal behavior conference was perhaps more touchy-feely than many animal behaviorists were comfortable with, being analytical, with advanced academic degrees - so this may have caused them to stretch a bit – a good thing. Back to the Book The Official Guide. . . . it isn’t, but since there is no official guide on this subject, I guess Dolce has as much right to the term as anyone. It certainly sounds professional and official and the guide is informative for the average newbie dog person. For the trainer, the book organizes everything in one place. The first chapter (lesson) defines DINOS, the major take-home lesson of the book: not all DINOS (dogs in need of space) are leash reactive: don’t forget dogs recovering from surgery who need to take it ‘slow and easy’ for a while but still want ‘walkies,’ the dog-in-training, the blind dog or elderly canine and even service dogs (with an ID vest or not). This expands the definition of DINOS that we need to remember to them the space they need (we cross the street to avoid any walked dog that I do not know, just to be on the safe side). Eleven chapters later, you will have hope if you have a DINOS. You will have laughed and you will have a slew of references to help you and Fido, from websites to books and everything in between. Dolce describes equipment assists with pros and cons (there is nothing wrong with a muzzle – the first thing I teach puppies and the first thing in my Red Cross Dog First Aid classes). You can’t take a fence on a walk but you can take dog treats and spray deterrents in case you meet an off-leash dog. You can also take another person along (or a cell phone). Page 22 tells you what to do if you see a loose dog, if that dog follows you: things everyone needs to know, even if they don’t have a dog. And each chapter ends with a recap and some humor – don’t leave home without it! The book will get you started and the DINOS website will hook you in with the most fun and varied information we have ever seen in a dog site. Do not miss it or you will miss out on additional interviews and articles for every chapter plus a support group and Dolce also has an online class and provides online coaching. All this will give you help and hope and ideas for indoor exercise, to boot.