Ever try to find a dog training book at the bookstore? It can be incredibly confusing with one book contradicting the next. These books are recommended by 4Paws trainers for the average dog owner looking to learn more.
Looking for Cesar's Way? We recommend these books and videos instead. These titles teach dog owners positive, force-free and much more effective training methods and behavior solutions.
Learn how to love your dogs without spoiling them and provide boundaries without intimidation. This booklet clarifies how to be a benevolent leader and avoid aggression related to fear or dominance. If you want to be a natural leader to your pack, this book tells you how to do it in a peaceful, kind way. A great foundation for any dog training program!
Some breeds of dogs and mixes have a reputation as "impossible" to train. Hounds, terriers, and other breeds are often called pig-headed and even untrainable. Learn these "Pigs Fly" methods and take advantage of the natural strengths of these independent and intelligent dogs. Help your dog become a wonderful companion or a formidable canine athlete. Clicker and reward-based training that is fun to use. We recommend this great training resource for dogs of all breeds, not just those that have previously been labeled as difficult to train!
Does your dog go bonkers when the doorbell rings or when you grab the leash to take him for a walk? Getting your dog to calm down and relax is one of the most common challenges pet parents face. This two-part book will help you first identify the factors that cause this kind of behavior in dogs, then it provides you with eleven key training exercises to teach your dog how to calm down, pay attention to you, relax, and respond to every day situations with confidence and composure.
We agree! Another great and affordable book from Ms. Bielakiewicz. This little book is packed with great tips and techniques from basic obedience through advanced tricks. Gives step-by-step instructions on how to condition a dog to the clicker, a fun and effective tool for teaching refined behaviors necessary for the best tricks. This is where Parker gets all his best tricks!
Don't let the title fool you! This book is not about treating dogs as children! Analyzes each stage of a dog's physical, mental, and emotional development in great detail; includes sections on puppyhood, adolescence, adulthood and aging, plus problem behavior. Offers numerous tips and guidelines detailing how dogs can adjust to and become part of the family dynamic. Practical advice and information.
Demonstrates how you can train your dog, have fun, and build a lasting relationship at the same time. Walk away from punishment-based training methods and learn how you can reward your dog to obtain and reinforce the behaviors you could only dream about achieving. When you apply the training methods in this book and follow the unique six-week training program, your dog will learn to think and to choose proper behavior. You and your dog can become an unbeatable team, capable of addressing any challenge you may encounter.
From world-renowned dog trainer Terry Ryan, with Kirsten Mortensen. Uses more brain than brawn to motivate dog behavior with positive training techniques and helps readers understand the minds of their canine friends. Focusing on problem solving and prevention with puppies as well as adult dogs, you'll find techniques to cure: the chronic chewer, the leash puller, the dog who jumps on people, the dog who hates to be left alone, the dog who won't come, the dog who barks too much, the biter, the aggressor, and more. You'll even learn how to outwit the neighbor's dog, socialize your puppy, teach your own dog tricks, outwit dogs and kids at the same time, and much more.
Apply the latest scientific research on how dogs learn to the world of dog showing. Whether you are just getting started in the breed ring or are an experienced show dog handler, you will enjoy learning how to work with your dog as your partner. Get outstanding showing results by using positive reinforcement methods including clicker training and lure/reward methods. Written by a dog show person for dog show people!
For most dogs, a visit to a dog park is a great experience filled with chances to interact with other dogs and get some exercise. But not all dogs (not to mention their owners) have a great experience every time. So what can you do increase the chance that going to the dog park will be safe and fun for your dog? This handy new book gives you detailed information so you can decide if your dog is ready for a dog park out, whether the design of the park makes for safe play, and teaches you simple things you can do to prepare for a great dog park experience.
What is your dog saying to you and to other dogs? How can you tell when play turns to aggression? How do dogs show friendliness, fear, or stress? This educational video features a presentation and extensive footage of a variety of breeds showing hundreds of examples of canine behavior and body language. Behaviorist Sarah Kalnajs teaches you how to read these signals so that you can develop a better understanding of what's really going on in the canine world. Perfect for dog owners or anyone who handles dogs or encounters them regularly while on the job. A 4Paws favorite and required viewing for our staff!
UNDERSTANDING CANINE BEHAVIOR
NOTE: These excellent books are not for those looking for specific training exercises or to fix problem behaviors. Instead, these books are about gaining a greater understanding of dog behavior and training, which will enhance your knowledge and increase success in your training program.
When humans communicate with dogs, a lot can get lost in the translation. Focusing on human behavior, Dr. McConnell teaches readers how to retrain themselves to speak consistently in a language dogs understand and avoid sending conflicting and confusing messages. The new insights into human and dog interaction will forever alter and improve our relationship with our best friends. Combines true stories, scientific perspective and professional dog training tips.
Understand the role of conditioning on a dog's intelligence & morality; predatory & social behavior; socialization, conflict resolution, fear & aggression; behavior problems & solutions. While not a "beginner's" book, this is a staple in the 4Paws University library and is a must-read for any dog owner seeking to improve their knowledge of dog training and behavior.
It is a joy to work with a dog who actively engages in the learning process—not blindly following orders—but actively problem-solving with you. Cooperation between human and dog will help you build a relationship that will surprise you in its depth and versatility and Thinking Dog is your roadmap! Great book for those wishing to unlearn the old methods and learn a new way to work with their dog!
If you have a dog who is barking and lunging at other dogs while on leash, you are not alone. It's a very common behavior problem, even if the same dog gets along well with others OFF leash. It is also a problem with a high rate of successful treatment. What you can get from this booklet is the ability to leash-walk your dog around others, whether it's down the sidewalk or at the vet clinic, knowing that your dog will walk politely by another dog, rather than causing a scene. Methods are totally positive reinforcement.
This comprehensive guide to the treatment of canine anxiety, fears, and phobias is filled with information that is invaluable for trainers. Topics include causes and prevention, establishing a Firm Foundation program, body language, four essential skills to teach fearful dogs, desensitization and counterconditioning basics, behavior modification protocols to address 15 specific fears including those of people, other dogs, sounds, touch, nail-clipping, and being left alone, and quick tips and tricks. Chapters on nine complementary therapies (including pharmacological intervention), products, and their specific applications to fear issues. Chock full of photographs and illustrations and written in a down-to-earth, humorous style.
The intent of this CD is to provide a convenient tool to help desensitize your dog to noises that may bother him. There are several different tracks with slightly different versions of the featured sound, so your dog won't learn "it's just the CD." Instructions, which are on a separate track so they can be skipped, include how to work with the dog, information on choosing a good instructor or behaviorist, and warning of things that could go wrong.
The intent of this CD is to provide a convenient tool to help desensitize your dog to noises that may bother him. There are several different tracks with slightly different versions of the featured sound, so your dog won't learn "it's just the CD." Instructions, which are on a separate track so they can be skipped, include how to work with the dog, information on choosing a good instructor or behaviorist, and warning of things that could go wrong.
Lists common, predictable puppy problems, provides a timetable for their development, and suggests a variety of dog-friendly preventative measures and solutions. It emphasizes the importance of early socialization, confinement, prevention, reward training, and lure/reward training techniques. Discusses the 6 doggy developmental deadlines that you must meet with your puppy in order to have a well-adjusted family member, with emphasis on the first three deadlines. House training and biting/mouthing are two of the most important things covered. Also available as a free pdf download from Sirius Dog
Gentle, expert guidance on how to find and adopt an exceptional canine companion. Helps potential adopters examine their reasons for adopting a dog and translates those reasons into what to look for in a particular animal. Explains the difference between canine behavior and temperament, the impact of temperament on the canine-human bond, and its importance in successful adoptions. Shows how the reader can work with shelter personnel to ensure that they have temperament-tested the potential adoptee appropriately. Learn about basic behavioral assessment and get up to speed in basic training, with special attention given to distinctions between temperament types.
Now you have your puppy, the clock is ticking and you need to meet three more developmental deadlines before your puppy is five months old. Covers Household Etiquette; Home Alone; Socialization with People; Learning Bite Inhibition; The World at Large; Homework Schedules, and a shopping list of books and videos.
Buster, a crossbred Straffordshire Terrier, tells his story in such a convincing voice that readers will soon forget that other name on the title page. He relates the trials and tribulations of a dog's life in London in the mid-1990s with grace and humor, offering insight into The Man he owns, as well as She whom The Man must obey. Although not intended to be a serious treatment of animal psychology, Buster's Diaries may serve as a spot-on treatment of human psychology, at least from a canine perspective.
The editors of The Bark have collected favorites and new discoveries in their first anthology, Dog Is My Co-Pilot. The same genius found in The Bark magazine is in great supply in this must-have collection. Readers will delight in the 42 essays, short stories and expert commentaries that explore every aspect of "the world's oldest friendship".
MAGAZINES/NEWSLETTERS
THE WHOLE DOG JOURNAL
Monthly Newsletter with health/behavior information and product reviews.
THE BARK MAGAZINE
Beautiful magazine with articles, stories and art. Called the New Yorker for Dog Owners!
DOGWATCH
The Newsletter for Dog People - from Cornell University