| The Culture Clash | 
 enlarge | Author: Jean Donaldson
Publisher: James & Kenneth Publishers,US
Category: Book
List Price: £15.95
Buy New: £5.00
You Save: £10.95 (69%)
New (32) Used (7) from £5.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 8604
Media: Paperback
Edition: 2nd Edition
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 1888047054
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70835
EAN: 9781888047059
ASIN: 1888047054
Publication Date: December 31, 1996
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 25 more reviews...
 Not worth it August 26, 2008
I had high expectation from this book, but was totally dissapointed. Firstly, it was very badly written. Secondly, after I have read on one of the first pages a shocking information that "dogs don't learn by observing" which is completely false, I was ready to throw the book away and never look at it again. Eventually I forced myself to finish it, but did not find anything I did not know before, plus my confidence in the author was long time gone, anyways.
If you really want to understand your dogs, you will be better off with books by Patricia McConnell.
 the best dog behaviour book I have read June 7, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Culture clash is without doubt the best dog behaviour book I have read and I have read A LOT!
It is well worth buying.
A seminal 'must read' for all dog owners May 20, 2008
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is one of those 'change your life' books for dog owners - often the first they come to that clearly and concisely sets out the species differences in language that makes sense and should stop forever the inane (but common) assumptions that a) dogs are furry children, b) they speak English from birth, c) they can read their owner's mind and d) if they don't immediately do what the owner wants, they're being deliberately difficult.
It's well written, thoughtful, intelligent, funny and immensely compassionate with a clear care for dogs at its core. Definitely read it.
DISAPPOINTING January 22, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
AFTER ALL THE GOOD REVIEWS I READ I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THIS BOOK DID NOT LIVE UP TO EXPECTATIONS AT ALL. IT IS BADLY WRITTEN AND OVERLY COMPLICATED.
 Confused - dig for the nuggets. Jean is a dog lover not an author. April 13, 2007
17 out of 18 found this review helpful
A strange book, which unfortunately seems to be based on really sound principles, but loses lots of marks for its strange style and layout. The book is a mix of a classic "how to" train/modify dog behaviours, social commentary on how society treats dogs, and some behavioural psychology which explains why dogs do certain things.
As many reviewers have commented, the social side of things is a bit off-putting, and while as a dog owner I fully agree with the underlying sentiment (don't punish dogs for being dogs!), the way in which this is blended in with the psychology and training material is unhelpful to the reader. It is also interesting to note the authour has a huge amount of sympathy for dogs, but seems to show no such understanding for well meaning owners that have simply been wrongly taught themselves.
The behaviour section is where the book is strongest, and the book explains the causes of common dog behaviours very well. If this is your main interest then I recommend this book.
If however you are more interested in training, I can't recommend this book. While there is good information is buried deep in the book, the illogical layout and lack of index mean that it is largely useless as a training reference book. If it is training you are after, I suggest a book on clicker training (by Karen Pryor), as this approach is at the heart of this book too.
All in all, the book comes across as written by someone who (i) deeply understands dogs and trains them very well, (ii) is very frustrated that society does not share this understanding or ability, and (iii) is a terrible author, which is a shame.
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