Book review by Joseph E. Schumacher, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Scientist Practitioner
"Aaron has dug deep into the psyche of the dog for an analytical understanding of dog behavior, cognition, and emotion. His book is for the dog parent who is interested in understanding behavior and how to negotiate and establish a productive, safe, and mutually rewarding relationship with their pet. Instead of a table of “how to” strategies that can be applied to all dogs and all behaviors, Aaron offers a three dimensional paradigm that gives the parent an understanding of “why to” think, act and emote in any particular manner.
Sure, the unified model is complex, but I think about it more as parsimonious with an unlimited capability for input and output, diagnosis and intervention, and process and outcome analysis. Plug in your own dog’s characteristics into Aaron’s unified model of dog behavior for a unique “DNA” analysis, understanding, and solution.
This book gave me the insight that dog parenting is not as much about strategy as it is about relationship and that each relationship between a dog and a parent is unique. Some of my favorite parts of the book are the four elements of planning, the concept of dog psychopathology, and the use of dog-centered terminology like "parent" versus "owner" and "education" versus "training."
Aaron’s anecdotal accounts from his own personal experiences make me think of my own: how Snoopy, our beagle, was able to find his own way home from our lake cabin to our city house 45 miles apart; why I can’t trick Buddy, our boxer, to think I’m an intruder; and how Doc, our blinded boxer, adapted using his other senses and never complained.
If you want to understand dog behavior, if you want to have a relationship with your dog, and if you want answers and solutions to “why” questions, the Three Dimensional Dog is your resource. The Three Dimensional Dog is a thoughtful contribution to the scant literature on theory of dog behavior designed to facilitate the development of a unique relationship between you and your dog."
Andon Briggs, M.Ed., LPC, NCC Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor
"The bridges between Aaron’s work with canines and my own work within the field of psychotherapy are immense. Such concepts as boundaries, limit setting, ranking behaviors and complex relational communication patterns are just a few of the areas that Aaron provided training and insight. Aaron’s ability to decode canine behavior is a skill that ultimately leads to more self-awareness for the owner on the other end of the leash.”
"Aaron McDonald and his team at Three Dimensional Dog totally transformed the way our family approached the training of our new dogs. We are long time dog owners and active members of the AAT community. This is what training really should be. Thank you Three Dimensional Dog!"