An obedient dog is an owner's pride and joy. All those many months of clickers, choke chains, stern commands, and an occasional rap on the nose with a rolled up newspaper have paid off. Perhaps you've taught Fido to sit or roll over on command. Congratulations! You now have a disciplined, and, according to Jan Fennell, stressed out dog. In The Dog Listener, Fennell shows readers that instead of bending a dog's will to get him to do what the owner wants him to do as traditional dog training incorporates, an owner should learn how to communicate with his dog.

The British-born author spends much of the early part of her book describing her personal story and her relationships with the various dogs in her life. One particular dog caused her much heartache. Purdey had become too much for her to control, and once the dog bit Fennell's young child, Fennell felt she had no choice but to take the dog to the vet and have it destroyed. Years later Fennell realized Purdey's problem and has since helped other dog owners in a variety of situations.

Fennell developed her techniques based on two things. First, she watched Monty Roberts (The Horse Whisperer) work with a friend's horse and felt that similar methods could be applied to dogs. Next, surmising that dogs are instinctively pack animals, she started watching videos of wolves and noted how they interacted with each other. She found that each pack was led by an alpha male and an alpha female. At the time, Fennell owned several dogs and soon noticed the similarities in how her dogs interacted and discovered that one behaved much like an alpha towards not only the other dogs but with her as well. She developed Amichien Bonding as a way to convince the dogs that she was the alpha of the pack. By doing so, she found a way to coexist with her dogs in a way that they understood.

Word soon got out about Fennell's method and she has since helped many dogs and dog owners. Her book not only describes in detail Amichien Bonding, but also shows readers the various situations in which it has proven beneficial. Most dog owners are resistant to Amichien Bonding, primarily because it sounds too easy to work. About the only thing it has in common with traditional training methods is consistency. The owner must continue to reinforce that he is the alpha of the pack. Fennell demonstrates how easy it is without choke chains, rolled up newspapers or any means of distressing force.

The Dog Listener is a wonderful book, not only for the dog owner who is truly at wits end, but also for anyone who wishes to better understand manšs best friend.