Recommended Reading
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Understanding your dog makes dog training easier and more fun! Here are some great books to help you...

Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor is a ground-breaking book about how dogs are misunderstood by most people, including old-style dog trainers.

A source of inspiration for multitudes of people who wished for a better way to train their dogs, Karen Pryor continues to lead the way in state-of-the-art positive motivation training.

The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson - I really can't say enough about this book! If you've ever wondered what is really going on inside your dog's head, you'll love this one! Jean Donaldson has been a major force in changing the way people think about their dogs, and a gentler, more compassionate view of another species has probably not been developed. This book can be a real eye-opener about how your dog sees his world. READ THIS ONE!!!

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell is a fascinating look into the differences between communication styles of primates and dogs, and how this affects our relationships with our dogs. Filled with examples and photos to illustrate her points, this is a great book to help your body language be understandable to your dog.

 

On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugass, comes in both book format and DVD. I recommend both highly. A simple book with much to teach us about how much dogs actually communicate to us. If you must choose between the book and the DVD, get the DVD.

 

Calming Signals: What Your Dog Tells You by Turid Rugass. As I said in the book description above, I recommend both the book and the DVD, but if you must choose one, get the DVD. Although the DVD has poor production values (looks a lot like home movies), it gives many examples of how dogs communicate with us and each other, helping people to read their dog when he becomes uncomfortable. Watch this repeatedly - there are so many signals given that you will see new ones each time.

Family Friendly Dog Training: A Six Week Program For You and Your Dog by Patricia McConnell and Aimee Moore outlines a simple training plan using positive methods dog training. If you want to try to train your dog yourself, this is a great place to start.

 

Playtime For Your Dog: Keep Him Busy Throughout the Day by Christina Sondermann explains the importance of thinking play, and has lots of suggestions for how to keep your dog busy, happy and out of trouble. A great book, especially for people with active, curious dogs!