[.ca] Jellybean Versus Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (ISBN 0960129251)

This Book Changed My Life. And My Dogs Thank You Too!:
I came across this book about five years ago, and finally, after having read so much literature on dogs, this was something that made sense, that was palatable, and that dispelled prevalent and dangerous beleif systems about how dogs need be physically forced, intimidated, and abused in the name of dog training, and the tragic consequences as a result. This book reveals so much about the true unique, and willing nature of dogs, and includes a tremendous amount regarding dog psychology, and the impact we as owners have on their behavior. Thank you Dr. Meisterfeld, for your wisdom, your intuitive depth, and insight, and your unwavering respect for dogs. Man's Best Friend has a true friend indeed. His name is Dr. Meisterfeld. Thanks Alexandra Weynerowski Victoria, BC

Thank God for Dr. Meisterfeld:
I took my puppy to obedience class as recommended by my veterinarian because she was said to be aggressive and dominant. After 8 weeks of puppy class our dog Soma was worse than when we started. She was biting more and not listening at all. I started looking on the internet for information about aggressive dogs and what to do. Thankfully I found Dr. Meisterfelds website (...). After I read his book on Psychological dog training I faxed him a letter and explained what we were up against. HE CALLED ME AT MY HOME. He cares that much. He also faxed my fax to a trainer in our area and she contacted me thru email. We have a dog named Kira/Soma now after 6 days of training who is on her way to being the wonderful, affectionate pup that we love. We still have 7 weeks of more training that I am doing at home with her. I am positive that at the end of those weeks we will be even more thankful to Dr. Meisterfeld for all his kindnesses to humans and animals. Please, if you love your children and your pets read this book and visit his website. If I had not read JELLY BEAN VS DR JEKYL AND MR HYDE I would not have known there was hope for our dog. She was very similar to Doc. Her history and Doc's co-inside with each other. Forced to obey by trainers using the alpha method of being dominant and if the dog doesn't do it he is forced to do it. In his book Dr. Meisterfeld explains how he rehabilitated Doc without using any kind of force. There are several other case histories also. I flew through the book and couldn't wait to read Dog Whisper. A totally satisfied customer who is going to get the rest of his books.

I have only loved her:
I thought I knew how to raise a dog, growing up with 4 dogs and owning 4 as an adult. My schnauzer puppy started to exhibit undesirable behaviors like barking incessantly, growling, snapping at me while grooming her, taking books out of the library and shredding them etc. I havn't left her at home alone or abused her in anyway, oh contraire, I take her to doggie daycare every day, walk her every night, train her with positive reinforcement, sleep with her in my bed, take her shopping with me. Why was she behaving like this? I have only loved her. I searched books and websites for answers, then I found JellyBean. Meisterfeld knows dogs and enlightend me about dog behavior. If you are confused about your dog's behavior or about who to believe, let the results convince you. Read this book.

Am I Missing Something?:
I was disappointed with this book. True, it does have a lot of interesting information and I totally agree with his method of training with respect and trust, not using force or aggression. But I bought the book expecting to find the answer to an aggression problem I'm having with an adopted dog, who IS being trained only with respect and positive methods. Instead, the book is full of examples of dogs with behavioral problems, and if you find one that correlates with a problem you may be experiencing, as you hurriedly turn the pages to find the solution, instead you read "the dog was brought to me and I retrained him...and now he's a happy faithful friend." No where did I find any information about Mr. Meisterfeld's training program. He admonishes dog owners for causing their dog's behavioral problems by catering to the dog and treating it like a human, not giving it territorial and psychological boundaries, not giving it a job, but again no specifics are given. Just what is his definition of these boundaries? Dog stays outside? Dog is restricted to one room in the house? And psychological boundaries - dog's every move and waking moment are dictated by the owner? What constitutes a job? Are daily obedience lessons enough? I am not new to the breed that I have and my previous dog was obedience titled so I'm quite familiar with training. This new dog was put on the "nothing in life is free" program from the day I got him and it has been very effective in establishing me as his master and setting behavioral boundaries for him. However, an aggression problem is new to me. I was hoping to find the answer in this book but instead am no closer to a solution than before.

A must read for dog owners or potential dog owners!:
Dr. Meisterfeld is amazing with dogs. I thought after having dogs for 48 of my 49 years I could fix any problems. Not so! I had 2 large dogs, male and female, and the male almost killed the female twice. I bought this book trying to find an answer for the problems, and learned that my male didn't seem to have a "will to serve", verses his very strong "will to power". I than called Dr. Meisterfeld (phone no. in back of book) and made an appointment for him to evaluate my dogs. I live 500 miles south of Petaluma and am not rich, but knew I needed an experts consultation. It turned out we made many mistakes in training with both dogs, but the male really had no interest in serving humans. He is in a placement facility and will make a wonderful business guard dog or only dog with no children. The female's behavior is now so good, it's amazing. I feel we owe this peace in our family to Dr. Meisterfeld and his books Jelly Bean versus Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, and Psychological Dog Training Behavior Conditioning with Respect and Trust. The 1000 miles round trip, the money and the books are definitly worth it for anyone with dog problems. The books are excellent and Dr. Meisterfeld is kind and extremely knowledgeable.