down, boy

Newsweek has an article about a new book that compares training men to training animals.

Author Amy Sutherland spent a year at animal training school and then extended those techniques to strategies designed to help women maintain a happy marriage.

For example, when you're house-training your dog, experts say to reward positives and avoid negatives. Give your dog a biscuit when she pees outside, simply wipe up the accident when it happens in the kitchen.

You can apply the same mentality to your man, Sutherland argues. Don't yell at him for not calling, but tell him how much you appreciate it when he does.

I first read about Sutherland's findings in Cosmo, and the whole thing struck me as very, very weird. Obviously, it's making waves among feminists.

I'm interested in what you think, possibly for inclusion in a future article. Girls, would you feel comfortable using an animal trainer's mindset while dealing with your relationship? And guys, do you think the parallel is at all degrading?

(Sutherland's book, by the way, is ""What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage." Buy it here.)