August 28, 2014

Reading With Ruby: Bark and Lunge by Kari Neumeyer

I have been following Kari Neumeyer's blog since starting my own almost a year ago, and was honored to receive a copy of her new reactive dog memoir, Bark and Lunge, for review. The memoir's subtitle is 'Saving My Dog From Training Mistakes' and chronicles Kari's experience with her dog Isis, a German shepherd from protection/security dog lines.

As the guardian of a reactive dog, I could relate to Kari's struggles with Isis, and I appreciated the honesty with which she describes her journey through several different trainers and methods. Isis was an especially challenging case, exhibiting leash aggression toward dogs and a dangerously unpredictable reactivity toward people, resulting in several instances of biting. (I'm not giving anything away since the back cover asks "How do make sure the dog you love never bites anyone (again)?.") This is one of a dog owner's worse fears, one that often results in a dog being given up, and one that requires immediate attention

I applaud Kari for the lengths she went to in finding a training solution for Isis that did not exacerbate her stress and anxiety, evolving from an early start with an old-school trainer who pushed prong collars, to a positive reinforcement trainer who helped to rehabilitate her. I also appreciate the variety of training methods described, the assertion that force-free trainers make mistakes too, and that not only do you need to seek out the training method that works best for your dog, but the individual trainer. 

There were a few parts of the book that didn't hold my interest as much, such as the lengthy description of Isis's favorite toy, but as a pet blogger who photographs and documents every move the ginger sisters make I can understand the desire to remember every last detail in tribute to a beloved dog. The introduction of her second dog, Leo, was when the story became most riveting, as Kari makes admirable and creative accommodations to maintain their multi-dog household. 

Kari's love for and dedication to Isis are apparent on every page, and although she fully admits her early mistakes I think many of us stumbled through training and relationship with our first dog(s). I read this book in a weekend, cheering on Isis's progress and holding my breath in those tense moments of reactive outburst that I know all too well. The most affecting lesson of this book is one that Kari quotes from Maya Angelou: 

You did then what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better.

I recommend this book to anyone who has loved a difficult dog, wants to read a heartfelt dog story, or is interested in the benefits of force-free training. Enter below to win a copy of your own!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Open to U.S. residents only, winner must respond to notification by email within 72 hours)

Disclaimer: I was given a copy of Bark and Lunge in exchange for my honest review.

19 comments:

  1. Sounds like those of us who love their reactive dog(s) unconditionally will love this read. Thanks for posting this review!

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  2. Thanks for your review! I've enjoyed Kari's blog for a while now, and I'm proud of her for publishing her book!

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  3. I really liked the book, too! I didn't know she had a blog until after I finished it.

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  4. Clicker training made a big difference for us.

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    1. Congratulations! You are the winner of the giveaway!

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  5. as a reactive dog owner myself, I'm super interested in reading this book!

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    1. Thank you for visiting! What kind of dog do you have?

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  6. It's so great that there is much more reactive dog information out there now than a half a decade ago. The people who are brave enough to share their mistakes as well as their successes have helped Habi and me immensely on our journey. Looking forward to reading Bark and Lunge and checking out Kari's blog - thanks for letting us know about them. And that Maya Angelou quote brought tears to my eyes. I've made my share of mistakes along the way. What a forgiving way to accept that I did, and that indeed I do better now - and will do better yet in the future.

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by. Ruby is my second reactive dog, and although I learned a lot from my first, Ruby is a much more challenging case. I spent many hours in the beginning blaming myself for Ruby's reactivity, but now we focus on management and simply enjoying life together. I adore her for exactly who she is. What kind of dog is Habi?

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    2. Border collie - "beyond the bell curve for a border collie" as our trainer said when she sent us to a behavioral vet - the start of our long process of learning. It took us four years to be able to loose-leash walk in the neighborhood and farther afield, and six years in, she's now walking with a relaxed and happy face most of the time. Every time we go out, I pinch myself - is this really us???!! I am so, so proud of her.

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    3. Ruby is Border Collie AND Jack Russell. I didn't know that when I adopted her, two breeds I knew better than to have myself - ha ha! I love hearing stories of progress on a longer timeline. It gives me hope!

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    4. I thought I posted a reply, but maybe it didn't go through. Thanks for your comment, Chris and Mike. I hope you enjoy reading out story. Like you, I searched and searched for answers to help her reactivity in 2007-2009 and found nothing. I'm so glad there's more info out there now, and hope my book will help people going through the same thing.

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  7. Great review! I look forward to reading this. I'm so glad that the information about reactive dogs is becoming more readily available. One of my regrets is waiting as long as I did to get a professional trainer with Buster. I think that the perspective of someone who does this day in and day out is invaluable, even though I am grateful that easy to follow training books make it easy to train your dog at home. Buster's training has taught me more about him, general dog behavior, and even myself than I ever would have thought.

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  8. Just wanted to say I love the new header!!!!

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  9. I also follow her blog and am excited to read her book! :)

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  10. I've got this book on my Amazon wish list -- just in case I don't win. I also follow Kari's blog and am looking forward to the book.

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  11. I want to click "like" on all your comments. Thanks, everyone, and I hope you enjoy the book!

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  12. Nice review! And just wanted to say that I love the photo - the faces match!

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