Many people remain uninformed if not oblivious to the possibility of dog attacks on humans, including their owners, yet statistics disclose a perturbing number of attacks on individuals carried out by dogs. In the book The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It by Bryan Bailey, Bailey covers the uncomfortable yet very vital topic of why dogs attack people. He investigates and explains the relationship between a dog’s biology and its behavior, closely relating it to its ancestor, the wolf. He also includes the reasons that dogs attack humans as defined by their biology. Interestingly, the author distinguishes between the human romantic concepts of responsive or reactive love with a dog’s revolutionary rule of MINE. Further, Bryan Bailey explains what competitive aggression entails and the stages that comprise it.

The aspect that attracted me the most in selecting The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It by Bryan Bailey was that the book covers an area of concern, even if is unpopular. There are many cases of dog attacks that I have come across, and I felt that I needed a sufficient explanation as to why these attacks occur and how to prevent them. I soon realized that I could not have picked a better book on the topic. Bryan Bailey’s experience clearly radiates from his book. Bailey breaks down aggression into territorial, self-defense and competitive components, and explains how anyone can avoid or prevent an attack in each case. By the end of reading the book, I was well equipped with important knowledge on dog behavior and skills important in preventing possible aggression, and the steps I can take to survive an attack.

I can’t begin to tell you how positively delighted I was to find The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It by Bryan Bailey available for review. Having read his first work, Embracing the Wild in Your Dog, and also having a daughter who is a dog trainer (and with my own dog, and two more that I am “dog sitting” for the day in the room here next to me as I write this), I’ve been looking forward to the publication of The Hammer for some time. As anticipated, I was not in the least disappointed.

Bryan Bailey opens The Hammer with a list of victims of canine aggression, including the date, name, and age of the person who died as a result of a dog attack. The list goes on . . . and on . . . and on. At first I found myself just flipping through this part, but then I went back and took another look, as I trusted that the information was included for an important reason. The names of those from infants (many only 2 and 3 days old) and toddlers to the very old (a number over 90 years, and one at 96) are included. Of course, the natural question is: why? Why all the attacks? What is the cause of the aggression? And the most important question of all: what can be done to stop this? The author opens with some general statistics about dog attacks, and the cost of them from an economic perspective, but as his concern is for you—for people—he quickly turns to explaining, with the use of real life stories, how and why such attacks occur. Bailey discusses what can be done to stop, or at least to try to minimize, the number of attacks. Finally, he offers advice in the event one must ever defend him/herself in an attack (as he once found he had to do while out for a stroll). By providing all dog owners (and trainers) with critical information about the base nature of the “domesticated dog” and its connection and likeness to its ancestor, the wolf, Bryan Bailey is factual, practical, and hopeful.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough to every dog owner, any person who ever comes into contact with the pets of another (which is pretty much everyone, right?), and to all trainers. The author’s primary goal is to keep others from being intentionally blind—willfully ignorant. Our believing something to be so doesn’t make it so, but neither does our refusing to believe that something is so make it false. Bryan Bailey urges us all to dispense with what he calls “romantic notions” about dogs, and to begin to have a genuine appreciation for the fact that they are not human, they do not think or feel in the same way as humans, and that they can attack “regardless of any amount of benevolence or love provided” when the conditions for an attack are in place. Please, do yourself a favor, whether you own a dog or not. Do your family—especially your children—your friends and your community a favor if you are a dog owner. Pick up a copy of The Hammer and read it. Cover to cover. Go in with an open mind and you’re sure to exit with an enlightened one.

The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It by Bryan Bailey is a nonfiction book that I won’t hesitate to call the psychology of dogs. Well-researched and brilliantly presented, this book starts with a startling observation: “Since 2005, over 400 Americans have been killed by dogs, and each year, nearly 4.5 million suffer from bites that require emergency room visits.” The author moves on quickly to illustrate our blind ignorance regarding the nature of dogs which can lead to dog bites. In this book, the author explores important reasons that dogs — considered for many centuries to be man’s best and loyal friend — can act aggressively at times. Bringing into the work stories from other experts, interviews from victims of dog bites and his personal experience, the author explains why dogs can get aggressive, offers insightful tips and best training skills, and what to do and hope for when dealing with dogs.

Bryan Bailey doesn’t just come across as a dog expert, he proves that he is one, and readers will appreciate the meticulousness of the research, the sharp wit, and the intelligence that guides his words. I am not a dog lover, but this book surely gives me reason to look at dogs differently. I have had two dog bites and have hated a neighbor for keeping a dog they can’t control, but after reading this book, I have gone over to a neighbor for an interesting discussion on dogs. This is the best thing I have ever read about dogs and you don’t need to own one to read this book. If you plan on buying a dog, start with The Hammer: Why Dogs Attack Us and How to Prevent It. The book feels like a walk through a community of dog lovers and their loyal dogs, alongside a master who lays bare the secrets of the hearts of these lovely companions. You’ll love the crispness in the narrative, the excellent phraseology and the awesome message of the book. This book has everything you want and need to know about dogs.