Dog Talk: Lessons Learned from a Life with Dogs

In the newest life-with-dogs memoir, veteran dog trainer and radio show co-host Forbes forgoes the maudlin for some genuine insight into dog behavior and psychology. Beginning with Lex, a German Shepherd that attacked its owner's wife, Forbes chronicles the challenges and victories of rehabilitating and living with aggressive dogs that others would have given up on. Forbes doesn't offer a program for dog training, but readers will benefit from his insights on the importance of a consistent training regimen and his approach to managing aggression. Arguing that dogs' behavior is 75 percent genetic and 25 percent environmental, Forbes doesn't offer any pat answers to handling a challenging dog besides a lot of patience and hard work. Still, those interested in the hows and whys of dog attacks and aggression will find the book useful, and Forbes' tone of love and respect for his charges is itself both instructive and encouraging.