You Are What You Eat. So Is Your Dog.

Here's a good article to start with if you think all dog food is the same! What's in the food?

While I certainly feel that just buying from the top brand isn't necessarily better, I think this article does a good job of sorting out why you should make a deliberate choice rather than just pick up whatever is cheapest, easiest, or your dog is most happy to be served (some kibble is coated in sugar...).

Food for thought, people.

Check This Out!

I just found a goldmine!

Behavior.org | Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies

This seems like a great resource. I've only browsed around a little so far, but I think I'll be able to find lots of interesting things here. Hopefully it'll at least help me understand enough to make it easier to continue learning more.

It'll be nice to have some more solid sources than silly little books about being nice to the poor little puppy (not my words), and shove them down the throats of the "one good correction will teach him his place"-people!
(Hello, there's that aggressive primate.)

Reactive Or Aggressive?

As I've drifted over toward the "softer" side of dog training (and back to the other side again, and then over here, there, everywhere, and once around backwards on one leg) I've come across the term "reactive" used instead of "aggressive" when describing dogs who behave like Monster. Finding a clear and agreed upon definition for "aggressive dog" and "reactive dog", or pinpointing the exact difference between the terms - if there is one - has proven more than I can manage.

I'm sticking with "aggressive" when describing Monster, because I honestly see no point in talking around it. Aggressive may not be enough to encompass everything which combines into his behavior, and it may be far from the truth of what lies behind it all, but let's be honest: you see a dog trying to choke himself on his leash, screaming and lunging at you, you don't think the word "aggressive"? Yeah, thought so.

I have an aggressive dog.