Suggested Reading & DVD’s

Below is a list of books we feel might be of interest to you. They are organized according to the following sections. Click on a section to see the suggested reading list. We have also included links to each book at Amazon and Dogwise, if you wish to purchase a copy. Receive future changes and/or additions to this web page by subscribing to the resources e-mail list.

• Sue’s Top Pick
• General Training & Behavior
• Puppy Training and Behavior
• Teaching "Come"
• General Knowledge of Dogs and Learning Theory
• Dog Body Language and Signals
• Effects of Punishment and Stress
• Aggression
• Fearful or Shy Dogs
• Housetraining
• Multi-Dog Households
• Separation Anxiety
• Difficult-to-Train Dogs
• Children and Dogs
• Choosing Your Next Dog
• Alternative Methods to Complement Your Training
• Other Books, Publications or Authors
• Radio Shows
• A Word About the Book Retailers Found on this Website

Continued from page 1 of the Suggested Reading section.

Dog Body Language and Signals

Canine Body Language - A Photographic Guide by Brenda Aloff - If you want to better understand what your dog is expressing, this book will give you a handy reference guide to reading dog body language. Some of the photos are a bit difficult to see what she is describing, but for the most part, it's very good. While you can learn a lot from this book, be prepared for an awful editing job. They must have been in a rush to get it to print as there are a lot of mistakes. It is a bit pricey and long (at 370 pages!) for the average dog owner, but if you are really interested in learning more about dogs and how to read them, this is worth adding to your collection.

On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugaas - While everyone could benefit from this book, it is a must-have if you have a shy or fearful dog. This book will help you start to understand the signals your dog is sending - many you probably don't even notice right now. Learn to read clues of increasing stress and discomfort before your dog resorts to growling or biting to defend him/herself.

The Language of Dogs DVD, by Sarah Kalnajs - There is no better way to learn to read the body language of dogs than by seeing dogs in action. However, in real life, sometimes the signals happen so quickly we miss them. You will learn to catch more of these signals in daily life if you are practiced at spotting them. This set of DVDs gives you a great variety of dog body language with real examples of each that you can watch over and over again. If you are serious about learning to better read dogs, I recommend this set of DVDs. (I use these during my Introduction to Dog Body Language classes.)

Here are links to purchase this DVD.

Buy from Dogwise

Effects of Punishment and Stress

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Third Edition by Robert M. Sapolsky - Our suggested reading list includes several choices on learning to read dog body language, including learning to read signs of stress in your dog. While this book is not about dogs, it does provide some fascinating information about how stress affects all of us. While it’s written about humans, much of it applies to all animals. If you want to gain a better understanding of the effects of stress on humans, dogs or both, I highly recommend this book. While there is some technical discussion in it, most of it is very easy to read.

Here are links to purchase this book.

Coercion and Its Fallout (Revised Edition) by Murray Sidman - Our society is quick to use punishment to get others to do what we want, and dog training is no exception. Are punishment-based methods of training really as quick and effective as we’re often led to believe or even as they seem sometimes? Or are we lured in by the immediate result at the expense of long-term effects? This book is not about dogs, but it does provide some thought-provoking material in regard to our use of punishment and coercion. Although written about humans, much of it applies to all animals. I highly recommend this book if you want to gain a better understanding of how punishment affects all of us, dogs and humans alike. If you believe that punishment-based training methods achieve faster and more reliable results than positive reinforcement-based methods, I challenge you to read this book and rethink your assumptions. (Note: I don’t know why the cost of this book is so high, but look around as I was able to find a new copy for $35 from an independent seller through Amazon.)

Here are links to purchase this book.

Guidelines on the use of punishment for dealing with behavior problems in animals. The PDF article is about guidelines for the use of punishment, provided by the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior.

Aggression

Feisty Fido by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D and Karen B. London, Ph.D - If your dog shows signs of aggression toward other dogs while you are walking him/her on leash, this book is for you. Does your dog bark, lunge, growl or try to bite or attack other dogs while on leash? Whether these are truly aggressive displays or your dog is just very difficult to control because he wants to greet or play with every dog he/she sees, it's something you need to get under control. This book will give you a few options to consider and help you to teach your dog to be calm and well-behaved while on leash.

Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson - If your dog is showing signs of resource guarding or possession aggression, this is the book for you. If you can catch it early before it becomes a serious issue, you might be able to address it yourself. However, if you are having a serious problem, please consult with a professional trainer and do not try to handle this on your own.

Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression by Jean Donaldson - If your dog is having trouble getting along with other dogs, you might want to read this book. Take a look at the Table of Contents to see if your particular issue is addressed here. She addresses several issues, such as the playground bully, the proximity sensitive dog, and resource guarding. However, many of her protocols require access to dogs with excellent social skills, which we are not all able to easily access.

Here are links to purchase this book.

Buy from Dogwise

Dogs Bite: But Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous by Janis Bradley - Want to know the truth about the dog bite "epidemic" you see in the media? This book will give you a more realistic perspective about dog bites and how concerned you should or should not be. Very informative and easy read. Highly recommended if you are interested in learning more about this topic!

Suggested reading continued on next page.

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