Patricia B. McConnell

Maddie McGowan understands dogs. She has a PhD in applied animal behavior, and has a practice treating dogs with an excess of anxiety, aggression, or other problems. She also has a flock of sheep and Jack, a border collie to herd them. Together, they compete in sheepdog trials, having been schooled in the sport by her mentor and friend, George, whose training skills are legendary. On the day she greets him at a trial where she hopes Jack will put in a good showing, he seems unusually tense. show more After he tells his dog “away to me” – a command to start rounding up sheep, as they begin the competition – a rifle shot rings out and he falls to the ground. His dog, confused, herds the sheep to his body as George’s friends try to revive him, to no avail.

Did a hunter make a terrible mistake? Surely nobody would shoot George on purpose. But there are reasons to doubt this was an accident. Maddy is devastated by the loss, but soon has her hands full with another puzzling situation. The head of a local animal shelter asks her for advice about a dog that was brought in half dead. The German shepherd won’t eat or drink, and even in its weakened state tries to attack anyone who comes near. Intrigued, she agrees to help. It’s only when a staff member approaches and the dog feebly sits up that she realizes he’s alerting. He must be a trained K9 dog. But how could a dog that costs police organizations thousands of dollars end up in a vacant lot, nearly dead from neglect and abuse?

Away to Me is an absorbing story, well told in a conversational voice by an author who is, like her protagonist, knowledgeable about dogs and their behavioral problems. Though this is her first work of fiction, she does an excellent job of braiding together elements of a complex plot while keeping up the pace and developing characters, including Maddie who has a dark past that threatens to invade her peaceful existence on a farm in rural Wisconsin. In many ways, the small mysteries of why the dogs in the story behave and how Maddie decodes the things they are trying to tell her is as absorbing as the murder investigation.

In addition to a solid plot and a complex, compelling heroine, the setting is brought to life beautifully, including Maddie’s observations of nature and her vivid depiction of her work with animals. For example, she describes how sheep behave at a sheepdog trial: “imagine playing chess with all the pieces alive and full of their own opinions, moving at twenty miles an hour.”

Whether or not you’re a dog person, you’re likely to enjoy the company of this intriguing narrator and the dogs in her life.

Reposted from Crime Fiction Review - https://crimefictionreview.com/away-to-me-by-patricia-b-mcconnell/ show less

This is a perfectly delightful little book, and not just about training dogs, but about loving them and recognizing how important the dog-human relationship can be. An animal behaviorist, McConnell obviously knows all the scientific studies and the physiological stuff about dogs, but I especially loved the way she was also willing to get down and dirty in the interest of understanding - crawling around on the floor of her house and sniffing all the nooks and crannies, trying to get a sense show more of what her dogs were smelling down there. And I also appreciated - from harsh experience - how grief-stricken she was when she lost a dog, whether through 'rehoming' or death.

I suppose I could have given this book five stars, except parts of it made me feel guilty for being needlessly - heedlessly? - stupid about how I spoil my dogs. Because I know I do. Fortunately they are both nearly as laid back and forgiving as the author's near-perfect dogs, Luke and Lassie.

Written a dozen years ago, THE OTHER END OF THE LEASH is still relevant, and a welcome addition to my ever-growing collection of "dog books." (My favorite one remains Hal Borland's classic memoir, THE DOG WHO CAME TO STAY.) Highly recommended. show less

Dr. Patricia McConnell is an applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience. The Other End of the Leash is a fantastic read for dog owners or those interested in animal-human interaction. Dr. McConnell very practically illustrates the differences between primate and canid behavior and mannerisms, and explains why many things we as humans do can be difficult or impossible for dogs to understand. She also presents ways that humans can alter their behavior to show more increase communication and understanding between the species (talk less and be very aware of and intentional with your body language/movement).

One month prior to reading The Other End of the Leash, I had been experimenting with my puppy, using mostly hand signals and drastically cutting down on vocal commands. I noticed that my dog obeyed far faster with hand signals without the hesitating look of “Um, let me make sure I understand what you’re trying to say.” A lot of the things I had been learning through experimentation and observation were confirmed in McConnell’s book with an explanation as to why it worked. Everything I tested from her book worked on the first try (such as getting my dog to come right away using solely body language and movement). As an introvert, I love not having to chatter at him, and he doesn’t miss it (dogs’ primary means of communicating aren’t vocal, and I am finally speaking his language).

I highly recommend this book to dog owners. There is so much practical, applicable information, and it may just give you a new paradigm through which to view some of your dog’s “problem” behaviors with great advice for effective interventions. show less

This is the book I should've started with. It's not about training dogs, it's about communicating with dogs: how to read their body language, how we primates misinterpret a lot of what they do, how they misinterpret a lot of what we do. I had no idea that petting a dog on the head or hugging a dog are often perceived as aggression/punishment. It had never occurred to me that if you run after your dog when he grabs the remote he sees that as a fetch game - i.e., as a reward for grabbing the show more remote. It had never occurred to me that if your dog is running away from you at the park the way to make him come back is to move away from him, not toward him. It all sounds pretty obvious *after* Dr. McConnell explains it, but it's actually a lot of counter-intuitive knowledge. So, this book is not about how to housetrain your dog or how to teach it "sit" or "fetch"; it's about all the foundational knowledge you need to have before you even think about training your dog. It's essential knowledge that I didn't even know I didn't have ("unknown unknowns"). Also, Dr. McConnell writes in a superbly engaging style, which is pretty amazing for someone in academia; there is zero jargon and the sentences are short and to-the-point. show less