Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs


David Grimm - 2014
    Today, they are family members and surrogate children. A little over a century ago, pets didn't warrant the meager legal status of property. Now, they have more rights and protections than any other animal in the country. Some say they're even on the verge of becoming legal persons.How did we get here—and what happens next?In this fascinating exploration of the changing status of dogs and cats in society, pet lover and award-winning journalist David Grimm traces the rich and surprising history of our favorite companion animals, from their wild origins to their dark days in the middle ages to their current standing as the most valued animals on Earth. As he travels across the country—riding along with Los Angeles detectives as they investigate animal cruelty cases, touring the devastation of New Orleans as he searches for the animal survivors of Hurricane Katrina, and coming face to face with wolves and feral cats—Grimm explores the changing social attitudes that have transformed pets into family members, and the remarkable laws and court cases that have elevated them to quasi citizens.The journey to citizenship isn't a smooth one, however. As Grimm finds, there's plenty of opposition to the rising status of cats and dogs. From scientists and farmers worried that our affection for pets could spill over to lab rats and livestock to philosophers who say the only way to save society is to wipe cats and dogs from the face of the earth, the battle lines are being drawn. We are entering a new age of pets-one that will not only fundamentally change our relationship with these animals, but transform society itself.For pet lovers or anyone interested in how we decide who gets the coveted status of "person", Citizen Canine is a must read. It is a pet book like no other.

Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement


Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz - 2012
    It features a program of positive reinforcement and no-fail techniques that author Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz used to train the White House dog, Bo Obama, and each of Senator Ted Kennedy’s dogs, among countless others.Training the Best Dog Ever relies on trust and treats, not choke collars; on bonding, not leash-yanking or reprimanding. The five-week training program takes only 10 to 20 minutes of practice a day and works both for puppies and for adult dogs that need to be trained out of bad habits. Illustrated with step-by-step photographs, the book covers hand-feeding; crate and potty training; and basic cues—sit, stay, come here—as well as more complex goals, such as bite inhibition and water safety. It shows how to avoid or correct typical behavior problems, including jumping, barking, and leash-pulling. Plus: how to make your dog comfortable in the world—a dog that knows how to behave in a vet’s office, is at ease around strangers, and more. In other words, the best dog ever.

Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy


Nicholas Dodman - 2007
    The faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, one of the most prestigious and pioneering veterinary schools in the world, now shares its accumulated knowledge and experience in this groundbreaking whole-dog approach to raising the healthiest, happiest, most well-behaved puppy possible.The authors of Puppy's First Steps are singularly qualified to look at a puppy from all angles, physical, emotional, and behavioral. In contrast to a single breeder's or trainer's theory about what is effective most of the time, the recommendations in this book are scientifically proven to work. This integrative body-and-mind approach stands out from the one-size-fits-all mentality that pervades the dog-training world. And the advice here delivers not just during the puppy's first year -- the most essential twelve months of a dog's development -- but throughout the dog's life, ensuring a strong, happy bond between you and your new best friend for years and years to come.Puppy's First Steps features:* How to test a puppy’s temperament before you decide which one to take home* The most nutritious, safest food for your puppy* To crate or not to crate?* Socializing your puppy with other people and dogs* Easy-to-implement training methods based on reward, not punishment* Housetraining in less than a week* Overcoming puppy’s fears and phobias* Keeping your puppy happy while you’re at work* What to do in a medical emergencyYou'll want to get your puppy off on the right foot, and now the best advice is in your hands. Comprehensive yet accessible, sensitive, and, above all, practical, Puppy’s First Steps is the only book a puppy owner will need.

How to Housebreak Your Dog in 7 Days


Shirlee Kalstone - 1985
    You'll never again have to worry about your dog acting out, feeling anxious or depressed--or ruining your brand-new rug--as you discover:* The simple secret of successful housebreaking--understanding your dog as a den dweller* Step-by-step programs tailored to both apartment dwellers and home owners, as well as to people who go to work, versus those who are home all day* Schedules for training puppies and (re)training adult dogs* How to identify your dog's natural behavioral rhythms--and use them to your advantage* How to cope with housebreaking lapses, marking territory, separation anxiety, and health problems* The power of praise and positive reinforcement, not punishmentIncluding sample schedules and timetables, and a list of related resources and websites, here is the essential, proven advice that will make training a pleasure, for both you and your dog.From the Trade Paperback edition.

Developing Engagement and Relationship (Dog Sports Skills, #1)


Denise Fenzi - 2013
    This first book will focus on developing a competition foundation based in “Engagement and relationship”It doesn’t matter what genetic package or temperament your dog is born with; you can bring out the best in your dog! To train your dog, you must develop a relationship that encourages a willingand happy attitude with natural focus while eliminating undue stress in both training and competition.If your goal is to create a world-class performance dog, then this book is for you – we can help you refine your engagement and relationship skills to a higher level.Special note: This book won the prestigious Maxwell award for Book of the Year in the Category of Behavior and Training - 2013.

Schutzhund: Theory and Training Methods


Susan Barwig - 1991
    An outstanding analysis of why and how protection, Obedience, and Tracking all play an integral part in Schutzhund training, with emphasis on selecting and raising a dog to suit the owner's needs.

No Bad Dogs: The Woodhouse Way


Barbara Woodhouse - 1984
    She ought to know: in thirty years she has personally trained 17,000 dogs and their owners in her weekend courses, teaching perfect obedience to basic commands in only six and a half hours. In this irresistible book, Barbara Woodhouse passes on to the reader the simple, effective techniques as well as the infectious, positive attitude that have enabled her to make the most unruly or nervous dog happily obedient -- sometimes within a few minutes, as astonished television audiences can attest. No Bad Dogs will leave every dog owner with both the skills and the indispensable attitude of love, firmness, and enthusiasm that gets results -- The Woodhouse Way.

Learning and Behavior, Active Learning Edition


Paul Chance - 1979
    Based on the theme that learning is a biological mechanism that aids survival, this book embraces a scientific approach to behavior but is written in a lucid, clear language that you will find engaging and easy to understand. The workbook, which is included at the back of every text, is like having a built-in study companion! The workbook focuses on the core concepts and vocabulary presented in the text, giving you an opportunity to master the content before your next exam.

How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live with


Clarice Rutherford - 1992
    Learn how the puppy's body and mind develop and what you can do to shape his behavior into a well-adjusted, well behaved dog. Explains what breeders should do during the puppy's first seven weeks to insure that the puppy adapts well to family life, plus positive methods for socialization and training puppies of any breed from birth to one year of age.

The Dog Guardian: Your Guide to a Happy, Well-Behaved Dog


Nigel Reed - 2017
    Through his many years of experience Nigel has found that there are four fundamental components for a content and well-behaved dog.In The Dog Guardian Nigel explains the philosophy and gives you practical, step-by-step advice. This new and vital information will empower you to address any of your dog's undesirable behaviors, no matter its age, breed or history. The Dog Guardian has already helped thousands of dogs and their owners address problem behaviors including anxiety, nervousness, aggression, hyperactivity, lead pulling, jumping up and much more. It's easier than you'd think.

Understanding Border Collies


Barbara Sykes - 1999
    This comprehensive, illustrated book gives essential advice on how to become the pack leader by understanding and interpreting the body language of man's best friend. Topics include choosing your Border Collie, taking your puppy home, common sense dog training, nutrition, creating a partnership, and adolescent and older dogs.

The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions


Stanley Coren - 1994
    In this revised and updated version of this perennially popular book, psychologist and prizewinning trainer Stanley Coren provides a startling view of the intelligence of our oldest and closest animal companions. Do dogs really think? Are they conscious in the same way humans are? What is the nature of canine memory? Can dogs communicate with us -- and, if so, how can we understand them? Do they have feelings such as guilt, loyalty, and jealousy? Do they experience joy and sorrow? Drawing on scientific research that has stood the test of the past decade, interviews with top breeders and trainers, and his own personal observations as a lifelong dog lover, Stanley Coren speculates on these and many other fascinating questions about man's best friend. He offers practical tips on how to evaluate your dog's body language and understand the sophisticated "language" of a dog's bark, and how to tailor a training program to suit your dog's special needs. Here, too, are the famous, controversial lists and rankings of more than 100 breeds for obedience and working intelligence, as well as for specialized tasks such as hunting, home security, and companionship. Rich in wit, wisdom, and anecdote, The Intelligence of Dogs is a book that will bring you a greater understanding and enjoyment of the habits, antics, and abilities of your dog.

Puppy Preschool: Raising Your Puppy Right---Right from the Start!


John Ross - 1996
    He's warm, cuddly, great to hold and pet-- and simply a lot of fun.But watch out! Your adorable ball of fur can be a doggone handful. Given half the chance, he may take it upon himself to eat your furniture, terrorize the kids, dig up the garden, jump on your friends, and eliminate at the most inappropriate times.Let's face it, sometimes what you get raising a puppy can be a "dog's breakfast"-- a mixed bag of happiness and hassle. In order to make it through puppyhood with your sanity still in tact, you need to enroll your pup in Puppy Preschool.Here, in Puppy Preschool, John Ross and Barbara McKinney, the country's foremost dog-training experts, reveal the benefits of early training in this definitive guide devoted exclusively to the trials and triumphs of puppy rearing. Puppy Preschool rewrites the rules on puppy training. While previous training books begin their programs when the puppy has already reached four months of age, Puppy Preschool begins educating and disciplining at just eight weeks old, the time when most puppies are brought into their new homes. Using surefire, revolutionary techniques, Ross and McKinney provide a much-needed head start on good behavior. They offer essential training rules that will be useful throughout your puppy's formative education, including information on:* The right breed for your family or your lifestyle* The ten best breeds for the home* Early leash and collar procedures* Housebreaking* Preventing unwanted chewing* Health and grooming tips* Emergency care* Essential puppy-training equipment and safe, fun toys* A breakdown of puppy development from birth to eighteen months* The best ways for small children to interact with puppiesdn0Based on the same training philosophy presented in their classic book, Dog Talk, of raising your dog from a "canine point of view," Ross and McKinney give easy-to-follow training techniques that will make puppy rearing a great experience for everyone involved.

If I Should Die Before My Dog—


Joe Connolly - 2012
    This book will assist those who want to prepare for their dog's future in an easy-to-use format that will guide them through the process of telling the "story" of their dog's life, for their pet's "Next Guardian." None of us can predict the future, but in the event situations arise such as death, health impairment, or left with no other choice but to give them up, this book will be there to assist your beloved pet with the transition from one home to another.

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know


Alexandra Horowitz - 2009
    The answers will surprise and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human.Temple Grandin meets Stephen Pinker in this engaging and informative look at what goes on inside the minds of dogs—from a cognitive scientist with a background at The New Yorker.With more than 52 million pet dogs in America today, it’s clear we are a nation of unabashed dog-lovers. Yet the relationship between dogs and humans remains a fascinating mystery, as no one really knows what goes on in the canine mind. Now, in Inside of a Dog, Alexandra Horowitz fuses her perspectives as both scientist and dog-owner to deliver a fresh look at the world of dogs—as seen from the animal’s point of view. Inspired by her years of living with her own dog, Pumpernickel, who was a constant source of delight and mystery, Horowitz’s mind became filled with questions and ideas. In crisp, clear prose, she draws on her research in the field of dog cognition to give readers a sense of a dog’s perceptual and cognitive abilities—and paints a picture of what the canine experience is like. Horowitz’s own scientific journey, and the insights she uncovered, allowed her to understand her dog better and appreciate her more.Containing up-to-the minute research and providing many moments of dog-behavior recognition, this lively and absorbing book helps dog owners to see their best friend’s behavior in a different, and revealing light, allowing them to understand their pets and enjoy their company even more.