From the Publisher
Beautifully written and deeply engrossing, Your Dog Is Your Mirror is destined to change the way we think about dogs.”
—Lee Charles Kelley, dog trainer and bestselling mystery novelist
“A fascinating read.”
—Modern Dog
“There are scores of books on how to change the outward behavior of a dog. But Kevin Behan challenges us to look deeper, to examine the dog’s behavior as an emotional reflection of its owner, revealing our own unresolved issues. Your Dog Is Your Mirror is beautifully written, with entertaining and insightful examples from throughout Kevin Behan’s remarkable career. This book will forever change your relationship with your dog, and you will never look at your dog in the same way again. It is a must-read for every committed dog owner.”
— Kyra Sundance, internationally bestselling author of 101 Dog Tricks and 101 Ways to Do More with Your Dog!
“Your Dog Is Your Mirror is a very thought-provoking book that will force you to reconsider who we are and who dogs are and why we are so attracted to one another….Whether you agree with Behan’s provocative theories or not, the age-old adage that no one knows you like your dog clearly rings true. I learned a lot from this wide-ranging and unique book.”
— Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals and The Animal Manifesto
Library Journal
Scientific evidence on the extent of dogs' emotions has been slow in coming, but the concept has recently become more widely accepted and studied (see, e.g., Stanley Coren's The Modern Dog). Here, veteran dog trainer Behan takes a quantum leap, theorizing that dogs are driven by nothing but emotions, which manifest as energy; he argues that training a dog involves knowing how to change energy states. Behan expands on the method he explains in Natural Dog Training, which emphasizes the roles of prey and predator and their complementarity, completely opposing both Cesar Millan's pack theory (Cesar's Way) and Karen Pryor's positive-reinforcement approach (Don't Shoot the Dog!). VERDICT Part biography and part New Age philosophy based solely on Behan's observations, this is a difficult read, replete with abstract concepts such as "group consciousness," "heart energy," and "emotional counterbalance." Patrons seeking a training manual would be better served by Pat Miller's Play with Your Dog. Those wanting a novel interpretation of dog behavior and the human-canine bond will find Behan's work thought-provoking.—Florence Scarinci, Nassau Community Coll. Lib., Garden City, NY