Made for Each Other: The Biology of the Human-Animal Bond


Meg Daley Olmert - 2009
    This fascination is driven by the ancient chemical forces that first drew humans and animals together. It is also the same biology that transformed wolves into dogs and skittish horses into valiant comrades that would carry us into battle.Made for Each Other is the first book to explain how this chemistry of attraction and attachment flows through--and between--all mammals to create the profound emotional bonds humans and animals still feel today.Drawing on recent discoveries from neuroscience, evolutionary biology, behavioral psychology, archeology, as well as her own investigations, Meg Daley Olmert explains why the brain chemistry humans and animals trigger in each other also has a profound effect on our mental and physical well being.This lively and original investigation asks what happens when the bond is severed. If thousands of years of caring for animals infused us with a biology that shaped our hearts and minds, do we dare turn our back on it? Daley Olmert makes a compelling and scientific case for what our hearts have always known, that we were, and always will be, made for each other.

What the Dog Knows: The Science and Wonder of Working Dogs


Cat Warren - 2013
    Solo is a cadaver dog. What started as a way to harness Solo’s unruly energy and enthusiasm soon became a calling that introduced Warren to the hidden and fascinating universe of working dogs, their handlers, and their trainers. Solo has a fine nose and knows how to use it, but he’s only one of many thousands of working dogs all over the United States and beyond. In What the Dog Knows, Warren uses her ongoing work with Solo as a way to explore a captivating field that includes cadaver dogs, drug- and bomb-detecting K9s, tracking and apprehension dogs—even dogs who can locate unmarked graves of Civil War soldiers and help find drowning victims more than two hundred feet below the surface of a lake. Working dogs’ abilities may seem magical or mysterious, but Warren shows the multifaceted science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie the amazing abilities of dogs who work with their noses. Warren interviews cognitive psychologists, historians, medical examiners, epidemiologists, and forensic anthropologists, as well as the breeders, trainers, and handlers who work with and rely on these remarkable and adaptable animals daily. Along the way, she discovers story after story that proves the impressive capabilities—as well as the very real limits—of working dogs and their human partners. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, Warren explains why our partnership with dogs is woven into the fabric of society and why we keep finding new uses for their wonderful noses.

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us About All Animals


Karen Pryor - 2008
    Practical, engrossing, and full of fascinating stories about Pryor’s interactions with animals of all sorts, Reaching the Animal Mind presents the sum total of her life’s work. She explains the science behind clicker training, how and why it works, and offers step-by-step instructions on how you can clicker-train any animal in your life. For bonus video clips, slide shows, articles, downloadable exercises, and links expanding on the contents of the book, go to ReachingtheAnimalMind.com.

The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter than You Think


Brian Hare - 2013
    Should you act like ‘top dog’ to maintain control? No, you’re better off displaying your friendliness – and not just to your dog. Which breed is the cleverest? That’s the wrong question to ask.These are just some of the extraordinary insights to be found in 'The Genius of Dogs' – the seminal book on how dogs evolved their unique intelligence by award-winning scientist Dr Brian Hare. He shares more than two decades of startling discoveries about the mysteries of the dog mind and how you can use his groundbreaking work to build a better relationship with your own dog.

From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias


Marty Becker - 2018
    Dr. Marty Becker and his esteemed colleagues deliver a comprehensive look at Dr. Becker’s Fear-Free™ program, developed on the premise that anxiety and fear can impede thorough veterinary care as well as other significant aspects of a companion animal’s life. Filled with anecdotes from the authors’ own experiences, detailed techniques, and helpful resources, this book can be a lifesaver for owners dealing with fearful dogs.Inside From Fearful to Fear-Free™•How animals become fearful, the consequences of fear, and the benefits of Dr. Becker’s Fear-Free™ principles•A detailed look at different types of fears and how to recognize the signs of fear in a dog•The damage of punishment versus the advantages and success of reward-based training, including step-by step instructions on using rewards properly•Training at all ages—from puppy socialization to basic cues—to promote good behavior, confidence, and adaptability throughout the dog’s life•Advanced training and enrichment activities for emotional well-being•Behavior-modification techniques for common fears•Putting your dog’s skills to use in specific scenarios, including trips to the vet’s office, visits to the groomer, interactions with children, walks in busy public areas, and vacations with the family

Meet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior (Dog Training Book, Dog Breed Behavior Book)


Kim Brophey - 2018
    Enter Kim Brophey, award-winning canine behavior consultant. Using cutting-edge research, Brophey has developed a groundbreaking system that allows owners to identify what their dog is struggling with, why, and how they can fix it. Brophey's approach is unlike anything that has been published before and will give dog owners a new understanding of what motivates and affects their dog's behavior. Brophey's innovative technique rethinks the way we categorize dogs, and distills information from over twenty scientific disciplines into four comprehensive elements: learning, environment, genetics, and self. With revolutionary tips for specific dog breeds, this book will change the life of every dog owner and lead to happier human-canine relationships.

The Culture Clash


Jean Donaldson - 1997
    Voted #1 BEST BOOK (2000 & 2001) by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers?the largest and most influential worldwide association of professional pet dog trainers. The Culture Clash is utterly unique, fascinating to the extreme, and literally overflowing with information so new that it virtually redefines the state of the art in dog behavior and training. The Culture Clash depicts dogs as they really are?stripped of their Hollywood fluff, with their loveable "can I eat it, chew it, urinate on it, what's in it for me" philosophy. The author's tremendous affection for dogs shines through at all times, as does her keen insight into the dog's mind. Relentlessly she champions the dog's point of view, always showing concern for their education and well-being.

How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain


Gregory Berns - 2013
    Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him: What is my dog thinking?   After his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, Berns decided that there was only one way to answer that question—use an MRI machine to scan the dog’s brain. His colleagues dismissed the idea. Everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. But if the military could train dogs to operate calmly in some of the most challenging environments, surely there must be a way to train dogs to sit in an MRI scanner.   With this radical conviction, Berns and his dog would embark on a remarkable journey and be the first to glimpse the inner workings of the canine brain. Painstakingly, the two worked together to overcome the many technical, legal, and behavioral hurdles. Berns’s research offers surprising results on how dogs empathize with human emotions, how they love us, and why dogs and humans share one of the most remarkable friendships in the animal kingdom.   How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.

Feeling Outnumbered?: How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household


Karen B. London - 2001
    Manage multiple dogs at meals, on walks and in the dog park.

Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog


Ted Kerasote - 2007
    They became attached to each other, and Kerasote decided to name the dog Merle and bring him home. There, he realized that Merle's native intelligence would be diminished by living exclusively in the human world. He put a dog door in his house so Merle could live both outside and in.A deeply touching portrait of a remarkable dog and his relationship with the author, Merle's Door explores the issues that all animals and their human companions face as their lives intertwine, bringing to bear the latest research into animal consciousness and behavior as well as insights into the origins and evolution of the human-dog partnership. Merle showed Kerasote how dogs might live if they were allowed to make more of their own decisions, and Kerasote suggests how these lessons can be applied universally.

Help for Your Fearful Dog: A Step-By-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears


Nicole Wilde - 2009
    Topics include learning how to read your dog's stress signals; how your attitude affects your dog's behavior; how to set up a Firm Foundation program at home; how to establish leadership so your dog will feel more secure; the influence of good nutrition and regular exercise on your dog's fear issues; four essential skills to teach, and how to apply them in everyday life; and much more. Written by a professional trainer/behavior consultant of over 20 years who specializes in fear issues, the book includes easy-to-follow, step-by-step behavior modification programs that really work. 15 specific fears are addressed, including those of people, other dogs, sounds, touch, nail-clipping, riding in the car, and being left alone. Get advice on products and cutting-edge complementary therapies that can help to calm your cautious canine. Filled with photographs, illustrations, and over 400 pages of specific, immediately useful advice, written in a down-to-earth and humorous style.

Dog Language


Roger Abrantes - 1997
    Ethologist Roger Abrantes has built his career on helping professionals and lay persons understand dogs.

Dogs: Their Fossil Relatives and Evolutionary History


Xiaoming Wang - 2008
    Tedford have spent the past 20 years studying the evolutionary history of the family Canidae. Both are well known for having established the modern framework for the evolutionary relationship of canids. Combining their research with Mauricio Ant�n's impeccable reconstructions of both extinct and extant species, Wang and Tedford present a remarkably detailed and nuanced portrait of the origin and evolution of canids over the past 40 million years.The authors cull their history from the most recent scientific research conducted on the vast collections of the American Museum of Natural History and other leading institutions. The fossil record of the Canidae, particularly those from their birth place in North America, are the strongest of their kind among known groups of carnivorans. Such a wonderfully detailed evolutionary history provides access to a natural history that is not possible with many other groups of carnivorans.With their rich fossil record, diverse adaptations to various environments, and different predatory specializations, canids are an ideal model organism for the mapping of predator behavior and morphological specializations. They also offer an excellent contrast to felids, which remain entrenched in extreme predatory specializations. The innovative illustrated approach in this book is the perfect accompaniment to an extremely important branch of animal and fossil study. It transforms the science of paleontology into a thrilling visual experience and provides an unprecedented reference for anyone fascinated by dogs.

Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves


Laurel Braitman - 2014
    Have you ever wondered if your dog might be a bit depressed? How about heartbroken or homesick? Animal Madness takes these questions seriously, exploring the topic of mental health and recovery in the animal kingdom and turning up lessons that Publishers Weekly calls “Illuminating…Braitman’s delightful balance of humor and poignancy brings each case of life….[Animal Madness’s] continuous dose of hope should prove medicinal for humans and animals alike.” Susan Orlean calls Animal Madness “a marvelous, smart, eloquent book—as much about human emotion as it is about animals and their inner lives.” It is “a gem…that can teach us much about the wildness of our own minds” (Psychology Today).

Total Recall: Perfect Response Training for Puppies and Adult Dogs


Pippa Mattinson - 2012
    Focuses on the single most important obedience command, how to build up a reliable recall successfully, using effective and positive training techniques.Total Recall is a detailed guide and reference to canine behaviour and training that will fascinate dog owners in the UK and abroad.