I don't know what he ultimate conclusion was for the aggressivness - but when I hear the words "Suddenly became aggressive" the first thing that comes to mind is either pain or illness.

I would be interested to hear further details of just what physical tests were run at that point......

Hi Chris,
If you check the link on Amazon for the book, it starts off by saying the dog came to him with problems. I suspect the problems were never truly fixed, but we will never really know.-Nancy

There are bites and there are bites. I would need to know more about the bites -- but his passing reference to a neck made it sound as if these were indeed serious incidents, and perhaps idiopathic rage syndrome (springer rage).

The author mentioned vets, herbs and training, but not a behaviorist, although I'm guessing he consulted one. Getting advice from a good behaviorist has been essential for me. Following the pioneering work of Tufts's Dr. Nicholas Dodman (check out his books), many behaviorists and vets now recommend drugs like prozac for aggressive dogs as part of a comprehensive behavior modification and management program.

The author's comment about dogs who "break the contract between dogs and humans" is a lot of hooey. Dogs are not furry people, and they do not think like us. Many dogs will bite if the circumstances are right (or should I say wrong) -- it's one way they communicate. It's up to us to know how to read our dogs and to provide proper training and management. Read Jean Donaldson's "Culture Clash" and "Don't Shoot the Dog" for more on this topic.

Don't get me wrong, some dogs and some bites require euthanasia. But the author seems to want our praise, and I'm not ready to give it.

Ditto from me too, Muttlover! I can't applaud his decision either...

Thank you for sharing the link to Mr. Katz's article. When I recently adopted a puppy (without any previous dog experience!!) my vet recommended Mr.Katz's book "Katz on Dogs." In the book, he clearly conveys the powerful bond between humans and dogs, as well as the tremendous amount of work required by humans to train dogs properly. Although I am still at the bottom of a lifelong up-hill struggle, his book has helped me in my commitment to provide my puppy with a healthy and "sane" homelife. It will be a miracle if I can provide my puppy with just a fraction of the devotion Mr. Katz has for his dogs. I wish him well in his decision and hope he knows how many dogs and people he has touched with his books/articles. In the end, I feel strongly that we should all THINK more about how we treat our pets, and JUDGE less those who think about their actions, instead of just taking action.

After reading Mr. Katz's article I felt I needed to add my comments. I've owned my fuzzy kid(a 11 1/2 year old Tibetan Mastiff) his entire life - not a easy breed to live with but I've taken the responsiblity to insure that neither he nor anyone he does not approve of is ever harmed. I wonder it Mr. Katz's let the dog run loose in a unfenced yard, walk off leash, etc. Part of being a good owner is making sure that not only are other people safe with your dog but that the dog is not put into situations where they feel they need to bite to protect owners or themselves. It drives me nuts that some people feel that dog have to "run free" in order to be happy -- a larger fenced yard, dog parks with secure fencing and walking him (on a flex-lead) allow mine plenty of space to sniff and be a dog. I don't allow strangers to approach him unless his body language shows he's not on alert. I guess what I'm saying is if you have a difficult dog you don't need to fence him into a "prison" -- heck fence in part of your yard -it's alot cheaper the a law suit and protects your companion at the same time from all sorts of problems. I could no more imagine putting mine down then I would one of my kids, he's a part of the family and as such we love him as much as any other member.

Right on, Morgan! There is no substitue for intelligent management -- to protect YOUR DOG as well as others. After a somewhat rocky start and a lot of heartbreak, I have lived successfully for six years with a dog who can behave aggressivly when he is afraid. I do my best to keep him in his "comfort zone" and set him up to succeed, not to fail. He has a rich life, and has made my life so much richer that I have a hard time imagining ife without him. Although I don't doubt that Mr. Katz loved his dog, and his dog may have been truly dangerous and required euthanasia, I have to wonder why his dog was given the opportunity to bite THREE people. The time to get real serious about management and behavior modification is after the first bite -- and hopefully long before.