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Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs: Using the Assess-a-pet Protocol to Better Understand Aggression
New Testing and Assessment Methods for Shelters and Trainers!
Sue Sternberg has been developing and refining assessment techniques for decades to help shelter workers and trainers determine the likelihood that a dog will engage in aggressive behaviors. Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs includes Sue’s newest protocols based on the theory that sociability is the key predictor of a dog’s potential for aggression. In addition to a number of step-by-step tests for shelter workers to use, Sue has included a section for trainers and behaviorists for use in home visitations to better design training and management programs for their clients.
What experts are saying about Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs
I can honestly say that this book should be read by any dog owner who wants to know dogs, not just professionals seeking a means to objectively measure canine aggression.
Tim Lewis, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of St Thomas, St Paul, MN
Sue Sternberg’s work in the animal welfare and dog training fields has truly spearheaded years of change toward more effective shelter protocols for dogs. This book is an excellent, updated compendium of all of her thoughts and work and should be part of any trainer, behavior consultant, or shelter worker/volunteer’s library.
Mychelle Blake, editor of The Dog Trainer’s Resource, Volumes I and II
Sue never ceases to amaze me with her skill in assessing and handling dogs. Thanks, Sue, for providing us with practical information on the many aspects dog aggression.
Terry Ryan, author of Gamify Your Dog Training and Coaching People to Train Their Dogs
In the shelter/rescue world, the implications of placing an unwanted dog back into the community without any or insufficient testing can have disastrous consequences. Sue has devoted most of her life in the pursuit of reliable testing procedures making this comprehensive guide a must read for anyone connected to shelters worldwide. Sue’s vast experience in this field shines through each and every page.
John Rogerson, author of The Dog Vinci Code
In her new book, Sue shares her keen eye and decades of experience, data and evaluation, and offers concrete steps toward safely assessing dogs for placement into families. She does this with remarkable awareness of the different dogs and people who might intersect in the process, and with the dedication and care for all involved that is the hallmark of this remarkable professional and friend to all who cross her path.
Marjie Alonso, Executive Director, IAABC
Sue Sternberg is an amazing person. She has devoted her life to the extremely tough job of educating people about rescue work and Temperament Testing. She could have chosen an easier path, but instead, she has chosen to say all the tough stuff, some of which people do not always want to hear. Her extensive experience can literally not be matched. This book will be on my own bookshelves and will be recommended to the shelter and rescue staffs that I work with. Thanks Sue!
Brenda Aloff, author of Aggression in Dogs and Canine Body Language
Sue Sternberg has devoted her personal and professional life to helping dogs and people live together happily. Sue is known internationally for developing testing procedures to improve the odds of successful dog adoptions. When home in Utah, Sue enjoys competing in dog sports with her two heeler mixes, playing fiddle and scouring the desert for dinosaur fossils as an amateur paleontologist.
Sue Sternberg has been developing and refining assessment techniques for decades to help shelter workers and trainers determine the likelihood that a dog will engage in aggressive behaviors. Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs includes Sue’s newest protocols based on the theory that sociability is the key predictor of a dog’s potential for aggression. In addition to a number of step-by-step tests for shelter workers to use, Sue has included a section for trainers and behaviorists for use in home visitations to better design training and management programs for their clients.
What experts are saying about Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs
I can honestly say that this book should be read by any dog owner who wants to know dogs, not just professionals seeking a means to objectively measure canine aggression.
Tim Lewis, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, University of St Thomas, St Paul, MN
Sue Sternberg’s work in the animal welfare and dog training fields has truly spearheaded years of change toward more effective shelter protocols for dogs. This book is an excellent, updated compendium of all of her thoughts and work and should be part of any trainer, behavior consultant, or shelter worker/volunteer’s library.
Mychelle Blake, editor of The Dog Trainer’s Resource, Volumes I and II
Sue never ceases to amaze me with her skill in assessing and handling dogs. Thanks, Sue, for providing us with practical information on the many aspects dog aggression.
Terry Ryan, author of Gamify Your Dog Training and Coaching People to Train Their Dogs
In the shelter/rescue world, the implications of placing an unwanted dog back into the community without any or insufficient testing can have disastrous consequences. Sue has devoted most of her life in the pursuit of reliable testing procedures making this comprehensive guide a must read for anyone connected to shelters worldwide. Sue’s vast experience in this field shines through each and every page.
John Rogerson, author of The Dog Vinci Code
In her new book, Sue shares her keen eye and decades of experience, data and evaluation, and offers concrete steps toward safely assessing dogs for placement into families. She does this with remarkable awareness of the different dogs and people who might intersect in the process, and with the dedication and care for all involved that is the hallmark of this remarkable professional and friend to all who cross her path.
Marjie Alonso, Executive Director, IAABC
Sue Sternberg is an amazing person. She has devoted her life to the extremely tough job of educating people about rescue work and Temperament Testing. She could have chosen an easier path, but instead, she has chosen to say all the tough stuff, some of which people do not always want to hear. Her extensive experience can literally not be matched. This book will be on my own bookshelves and will be recommended to the shelter and rescue staffs that I work with. Thanks Sue!
Brenda Aloff, author of Aggression in Dogs and Canine Body Language
Sue Sternberg has devoted her personal and professional life to helping dogs and people live together happily. Sue is known internationally for developing testing procedures to improve the odds of successful dog adoptions. When home in Utah, Sue enjoys competing in dog sports with her two heeler mixes, playing fiddle and scouring the desert for dinosaur fossils as an amateur paleontologist.
273 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 2, 2017
15 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 29, 2019
Useful for any professional dog trainer/handler
The book gives structured way of assessing the dog aggressive behaviour and gives me some useful insights about judging the behavior.
The book gives structured way of assessing the dog aggressive behaviour and gives me some useful insights about judging the behavior.
July 12, 2020
I'm sure this has a plethora of great information for behaviorists and deserves a 5 but since this is my introduction into dog behavior, I don't have a great framework for evaluating its content.
I work at an animal shelter and was asked to read this book so I can better understand our determinants for adoption, rescue, or euthanasia. I LOVED the sociology aspect and putting context to the environment and communities of a shelter. Not every community can be a "no kill" shelter when there is a higher crime and higher prevalence for guard dogs. It'd be unsafe to feel pressured to release dangerous dogs and trained attack dogs back into the community.
I also loved the information about tiered systems for pets and for adopters to find matches based on correlating handler ability.
I will likely always struggle with fully grasping dog behaviors and trying to read meaning into the subtle movements (tongue placement, tail angle) and this may make me over-confident in handling aggressive dogs (higher risk), but I think the strength is a limited bias towards assuming dogs are dangerous. If I get bit, I'll come back and change my review.
Also side note I love Sue as a person for all that she is and imagined reading this in her voice from videos.
I work at an animal shelter and was asked to read this book so I can better understand our determinants for adoption, rescue, or euthanasia. I LOVED the sociology aspect and putting context to the environment and communities of a shelter. Not every community can be a "no kill" shelter when there is a higher crime and higher prevalence for guard dogs. It'd be unsafe to feel pressured to release dangerous dogs and trained attack dogs back into the community.
I also loved the information about tiered systems for pets and for adopters to find matches based on correlating handler ability.
I will likely always struggle with fully grasping dog behaviors and trying to read meaning into the subtle movements (tongue placement, tail angle) and this may make me over-confident in handling aggressive dogs (higher risk), but I think the strength is a limited bias towards assuming dogs are dangerous. If I get bit, I'll come back and change my review.
Also side note I love Sue as a person for all that she is and imagined reading this in her voice from videos.
June 13, 2025
A Must read book for those who work with dogs in animal shelters and dog trainers
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews