The Story of Your Dog

A Straightforward Guide to a Complicated Animal

By: Brandon McMillan

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Length: 7 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's Summary

Get to know your dog.

Renowned expert dog trainer and best-selling author of Lucky Dog Lessons Brandon McMillan unpacks the unique and often misunderstood 15,000-year evolutionary history governing a dog’s every move.

Most dog owners know the truth - their dogs are totally incompatible with the modern world. Instincts like herding, chasing, and protecting have no natural outlet and frequently result in chewing, barking, nipping, jumping, lunging, and worse. However, as McMillan argues in these chapters, the solution isn’t as simple as mastering “sit” and “stay”. 

No matter what kind of dog you have, no matter how old or young or well-trained or well-bred, your beloved companion is strongly influenced by his DNA. The result of these genetic distinctions shows up in every inch and action - from the size and shape of a dog’s head (and the brain inside it) to the length and curve of his tail, from the texture of her fur to the webbing (or lack of webbing) between her toes. It’s in their lung capacity, their tolerance for heat and cold, their appetites for food and exercise, and whether and how they bark. It goes beyond their structure and deep into their psychological profiles. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have a dog with more than a few breeds mixed in, which makes this information all the more crucial to know and understand. 

In The Story of Your Dog, McMillan breaks down why your dog acts the way it does, so you can train better and easier, with fewer missteps and miscommunications, and bond in ways you never thought possible. It is an invitation to get to know the sometimes frustrating but always incredible dog at the other end of the leash.

©2022 Brandon McMillan (P)2022 HarperCollins Publishers

Great Insight into Dogs Especially New Owners

This book really breaks down breeds so you can get a feel for what kind of dog might fit into your home.
If you are unfamiliar with dogs, especially if you're getting a dog for the first time, this is a book that will be helpful.

If you're like me and just love dogs, it has many interesting insights. But you might be bored on some sections of the book.

I did like the portions where Brandon talks about his younger years and how his training and insight into dogs has changed over the years. I relate to this as I too have changed the way I see dogs, and my relationship with my dogs is much richer and enjoyable. Thus, I have regrets about training techniques that don't recognize that dogs, like people, are thoughtful, emotional, individual, loving and thoughtful creatures that should be respected and not forced to act like robots.

Know Your Dog!

4.5+ rounded to 5 stars
This is an excellent survey of various dog breeds, organized by categories such as Working Dogs, Herding Dogs, etc. Brandon McMillan understands dogs. He trains them and works with owners to help them appreciate the specific animal they are living with. He especially feels called to train and re-home shelter dogs of all kinds, and he is particularly drawn to mixed breeds.

He believes, as I do, that dogs are not furry humans. They have evolved with us for thousands of years; we have influenced each other and impacted the one another's lives profoundly, but we are genetically quite different. Dogs are most definitely NOT wolves, but they are descended from them and thus retain some of their hard wired behaviors. In addition, humans have "designed" dogs through genetic selection to perform specific tasks such as hunting, warning, protection, herding, and companionship. Dogs from distinct breeds retain the genes for the jobs they were bred to do. Some of the characteristics which result are no longer compatible with the lives we humans have come to live, and this can create fatal problems for these dogs.

Humans who adopt dogs have an obligation to understand the heritage of their animals. Fortunately this can be aided by modern DNA tests for mixed breeds and understanding breed standards for purebreds.

We live with 6 adult Belgian Malinois, most of whom come from the DoD Working Dog Breeding Program at Lackland in San Antonio. Ours are wash outs, dogs that we raised and fostered but which do not possess all of the characteristics required of a military or law enforcement canine. Even so, our "maligators" are chock full of hard wired tendencies that make it impossible for them to passively lie on the couch for hours and watch the world go by. They are each unique, but all are intense, active, possessive, highly intelligent, and incredibly athletic creatures. They require far more time, training, and stimulation than any other dog I have lived with. Brandon McMillan describes this breed precisely. We have discovered, as he states in this book, that some of their behavior can never be trained out of them, but it can be managed. Both training and management on on us, the humans.

I totally agree with this author that while individuals within a breed differ, they often share a number of characteristics from their common heritage. Our one mixed breed dog is a wonderful combination of Siberian Husky, American Bulldog, and American Staffordshire Terrier. He loves his home, but given the chance, even at the age of 14, Regal will take off and run like his husky forbearers who pulled sleds for miles. He is incredibly sweet with people, even little kids, and he tolerates a lot from his crazy Malinois siblings...but if they threaten him beyond endurance, his bite is swift and hard. It is always the Malinois that requires veterinary care even though Regal never holds a grudge and is instantly peaceful the moment the perpetrator stops. Understanding his genetic background has helped give all of us the best of lives.

This book can be very helpful to owners of all breeds and mixes. Think about the life you and your family want to have, learn about the various kinds of dogs, and begin with one that has the temperament most compatible. Remember that training and time are required to teach any dog what you need and to finally accept and manage what cannot be changed. This book is not a training manual; it is a survey of the many types of dogs we have developed and, as such, it provides invaluable guidance for understanding your animal, the first step in forming a loving, positive relationship with any dog.

Great as an intro to dogs

We’re adopting our first puppy in a couple days and I’m so glad I listened to this book. Although it does get a little boring, listening to all the breeds, it was still interesting and I picked up several good nuggets to hold onto. Highly recommend for folks like me who are brand-new dog owners and for those who’d like to understand more about who their dogs are at the genetic level.

The narration seemed really slow, so I bumped up the speed and that helped a lot.

I’m off to get his Lucky Dog book now!

Excellent Insight Into Breed History and Traits

As a lifelong dog lover, observer, and trainer, I admit to starting the book with a “who is this guy and what does he know” attitude. However, the historical information about each group and individual breeds quickly gained my attention and respect. Without question, the author is extremely knowledgeable about dogs and their traits, and his rescue and training experience lend credence to his descriptions and recommendations. Many reviewers suggest this book for first-time owners or for those who are just starting their study of dogs. This book would be great for those people, but it also offers details into so many breeds that all who live with, work with, or who just love and admire dogs will gain something from reading this book.

Too long for the topic

Didn't finish. Extraneous content expanded beyond the really useful educational material. The author pats himself on the head too much.

👍

Very well written and informative. I got a lot out of this book. I’ve done a lot of rescue over the years and the knowledge that I gained from this book will be very helpful to me in the future 😊

Very informative

Clear explanations of different dog breeds, how they originated and what they were used for, making training easier thru understanding the breed.

Great insight into your family pet

I found this book so useful, that I purchased the author's book on dog training. He goes into how much wolf is in every dog's DNA, and how some attributes of wolves have been bred out of certain species over time, and some have been retained. As my interest is centered on one type of dog, I went pretty quickly through breed categories I had less interest in, and that is the reason I only rated the content as a 4 of 5. The narration was excellent.

Read This Book

Read this before selecting your next dog. It's very informative. Do you want a dog who needs to be exercised several hours per week or would you like a couch potato?

Very enlightening

I have always loved dogs, but nowI see them in an entirely new light. The information about the different breeds & categories was very enlightening. I found myself bookmarking all of the breeds we have owned so I can share the information with others. I wish I had this information available when I was unsuccessfully attempting to train our dogs to stop behavior that is hard wired into their DNA.