Since it's been ages since I've posted any kind of book review (but plenty in the archives!) I thought I would share a quick thought on how Malcolm Gladwell's What The Dog Saw changed my life.
The key was his chapter on Cesar Millan, 'The Dog Whisperer', a dog trainer who helps owners create supportive environments for their problem pets. Gladwell notes that Millan believes many owners create their own problems by forgetting that their dogs are animals (yet another reason why I think it's crazy to give pets human names). One consequence is an inability to read the animal's cues and respond appropriately to the pet's needs, this inability often being at the root cause of any eventual conflict between animal and human.
The chapter goes on to describe some strategies. The life-changing idea was symmetry - Gladwell writes that many animals don't see the world in our detail, instead relying on shapes and movement. Animals are therefore more likely to comprehend symmetry and humans who present themselves with balance and posture have a better chance of commanding respect from an animal.
I've followed this advice to the letter in the ensuing years. I almost always greet dogs and cats by squatting down to their eye level and extending both palms directly in front of me. Whether this is making any difference or not is beyond me, but I'm often described as being good around animals, including those viewed as shy, territorial, or generally problematic by their owners.
Footnotes / endnotes
0. Obviously...
The book's title comes from the chapter I describe in the post.
Millan has been at the center of criticism for his method (perhaps this is why Gladwell found him appealing). This ancient post from Gladwell's blog puts forth an interesting defense - what you see on TV is highly edited.
