Animals in Translation:Using the Mysteries of Autism to decode Animal Behavior

Great book, fascinating, the insights into autism are wonderful and I enjoyed her take on seeing through a prey animal's eyes. Applicable? Not so much... dogs and predator animals in general are not really her forte, and I found a lot of her info on dogs to be quite flawed or just plain urban legend kind of stuff, like that hybrid vigor creates the best dogs, collies are stupid because they have pin heads, etc. Still, a good read though.

Go to her website and read the sections on transporting livestock...as well as other things.  That will give you a nice introduction.  She is a truly fascinating and remarkable woman, who I believe is making a very positive contribution to the world.

I used to transport horses for a living, and I agree with the assessment that flighty animals don't habituate to painful methods.  I always got more horses to load with patience than with the butt ropes and lunge whips that I refused to employ.
As the owner of an Arabian horse, who is somewhat flighty, I can tell you that it is much easier to put his crinkly scary new winter blanket on if I use patience and "explain" by letting him sniff, hanging it over the door for a while, or even leaving it next to his feed tub, than if I simply throw on a twitch and make him stand there while I insist it go on.  This is a horse that will fight back if he's frightened, but will do anything you ask if you explain nicely.  And, he is quite smart - took me only a few minutes to teach him to "stay" at the stall door, and not walk out until released.  (Yup, clicker)
Prof. Grandin does have some ideas, as jones says, that are not accurate, but her general ability to inspire a more humane world is exemplary, and worthy of respect.

Temple Grandin is an incredible person. The book is very interesting. It is not a scholarly book, it's more like a meditation from Grandin's POV about the similarities between the animals she's observed and her own artistic self. There are lots of assumptions in it, like the ones Jones mentioned above.

I think she's amazing and the book will give you a lot to think about.  How applicable the book is would be different for every person wouldn't it?  If you're hoping to better understand your dog, I'd get The Other End Of the Leash.  Also realize that because of her autism (which gives her a very different perspective on animals) she does tend to see things as black or white.  Which I think is where Jones and Spiritdogs (and myself) tend to disagree with her.  But the book is definately worth reading.

It is BRILLIANT.  I was glued to every page.  Fascinating and insightful, and written intelligently but not hard for a thicko like me to understand.  One of my favourites.  It's never on my shelf because I keep lending it out to people.

I read this and Other End of the Leash the same weekend, during a clinic with Jack Knox, and the whole experience was like an epiphany. This was when I realized the key of what Jack was doing, and why I was such a miserable failure with all but the most empathic dog work. My work with my autistic brother gave me a certain feel for working with troubled dogs, but not straightforward training, and it was so frustrating until I compared Grandin's insight, to McConnell's, and watched Jack in action. Wow, what a weekend.

It's absolutely true that Grandin has less useful to say about dogs, and that black and white compartmentalizing is not helpful with dog training insights - this was my specific downfall with regular dog training - I was missing the give and take that behaviorists and Jack were describing.

But her description of how emotions interelate, and memory, in animal minds, is invaluable. Very similiar, only much more detailed and less chatty, to the Roger Caras books, A Cat is Watching and A Dog is Listening. I was surprised that her science wasn't quite as rigorous as I was expecting given her credentials, but it was still highly satisfactory and I can say that what she says about sheep and cattle is spot on.

I've seen before and after documentation of operations that put her systems into effect and the result is night and day - calm, quiet animals. Thanks to her the USDA has been able to put the 5% rule into effect - if 5% of animals are vocalizing at a kill facility, they must redesign to make it more animal-centered.