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Suggested Reading & DVD’s
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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.
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The Cautious Canine by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D - A concise book that is easy to read and apply to your situation. Whether your dog is shy around strangers, afraid of children, fearful of loud noises, or has other fears, this book will describe how to go about helping your dog overcome those fears. Do not expect a "quick-fix" but if you are willing to take the time to help your fearful dog, this book will make an excellent reference guide for you. If your dog is extremely fearful, you should also consider enlisting some professional help, but this book can get you started.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Help For Your Fearful Dog: A Step-By Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fear by Nicole Wilde - If you want an easy-to-read primer on dealing with fearful behavior, then read Patricia McConnell's The Cautious Canine. If you want something much more in-depth with virtually step-by-step procedures on how to help your dog work through his or her fears, then read Nicole Wilde's book. Most people will not want this amount of detail, but for those who do, it is the best resource I have found. However, if your dog has anything more than a very mild fear, I do recommend that you seek professional guidance as well. Fearful behaviors can be tricky to deal with, and having an experienced person helping you is essential.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Help For Your Shy Dog by Deborah Wood - This book combines success stories of other shy or fearful dogs with practical advice on how to help your own dog overcome his/her shyness or fearfulness. If you like to hear other stories of success to give you some hope with our own dog, this is a good choice.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Housetraining
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Way to Go by Karen B. London, Ph.D. and Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D - Whether you have a new puppy or an adult dog, this book will give you simple, clear instructions for quickly housetraining your canine. If you are having difficulties, this is a must-buy. But I highly recommend you read it before you get your next dog to be prepared before housetraining becomes a problem!
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Multi-Dog Households
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Feeling Outnumbered? by Karen B. London, Ph.D. and Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D - If you have more than one dog, or are planning to add another dog to your household, this is a great resource. If you feel a bit overwhelmed by multiple dogs, this book will show you how to better handle all those dogs. Once again, Patricia McConnell gives very clear, easy instructions and guidance. There are not a lot of extra details and explanations to sort through. Her books are all very easy to follow and don't take long to read. That way you can spend more time dealing with your beloved dogs!
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Separation Anxiety
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I’ll Be Home Soon! by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D - If you think your dog might be suffering from separation anxiety, this is an excellent resource. While true separation anxiety can be difficult to deal with, and severe cases can be very difficult to overcome, separation anxiety is also highly overdiagnosed. This book will help you to determine if you are truly dealing with separation anxiety or something else, such as your dog's boredom and lack of adequate exercise. If you are dealing with separation anxiety, this book gives you the steps to follow to help your dog. If you have a severe case of separation anxiety on your hands, consider finding some professional help. Also, consider temporarily using some natural/herbal supplements to help calm your dog, such as Rescue Remedy or a DAP diffuser. For severe cases, medicine from your vet might be warranted.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Difficult-to-Train Dogs
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When Pigs Fly - Training Success With Impossible Dogs by Jane Killion - Some dogs are bred to work closely with humans and are therefore often easier to train than other breeds. Other dogs were bred to work more independently and are not as naturally inclined to want to work with you and please you. If you have one of those dogs, consider reading this book. The author does an great job of giving a step-by-step training plan to teach your dog to love working for you.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Control Unleashed - Creating A Focused and Confident Dog by Leslie McDevitt - Do you have a dog who seems to lose all focus when in the presence of distractions - for example, as soon as you walk out your front door? Although Leslie's book and her Control Unleashed program is geared toward performance/agility dogs, the exercises apply equally to other situations. If your dog becomes so aroused by other distractions that you are unable to obtain focus from him, consider reading this book. With dogs who are so easily distracted, it will take a good deal of training and work on your part - but it can be done!
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Children and Dogs
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Living With Dogs And Kids...Without Losing Your Mind by Colleen Pelar - If you have children and a dog; if you have a dog and plan to have children; or, if you have children and plan to get a dog, consider reading this book. Especially if you have either a dog or child and have not yet added the other to your family, you might want to read this before your family grows. The book contains chapters dealing with all age groups of kids from infant to teenagers.
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Choosing Your Next Dog
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Successful Dog Adoption by Sue Sternberg - If you are looking to add a dog to your household, read this book first! Sue Sternberg takes a very no nonsense approach to helping you choose the right dog for you. Many of us choose our dogs by the one who pulls most at our heartstrings. This book will help you to make a good choice and avoid the dogs with potentially serious behavior issues. This is a must-read for families with small children.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Alternative Methods to Complement Your Training
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Bach Flower Remedies for Animals by Helen Graham and Gregory Vlamis - If your dog is really having trouble dealing with life - whether shy and fearful of particular things, having trouble adjusting to a major life change, or is having other issues, you might want to consider the Bach Flower Remedies to help your dog while you are working on training or behavior modification. Rescue Remedy is the best-known of the Bach Flowers. This book describes all of the Bach Flower Remedies and what they are used to treat. It also explains how to use the Bach Flowers. This is a good resource to have if you prefer to try alternative or natural methods before resorting to conventional Western medicine.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Getting in TTouch with Your Dog by Linda Tellington-Jones - Linda Tellington-Jones developed this method of touch or bodywork to influence a dog's behaviors and/or health. It is different from massage, and the different touch methods she describes are used to affect different behaviors or health issues. If you are interested in learning more about what T-Touch is, I recommend you look at her website. Then decide if this book might be helpful to you and your dog.
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Here are links to purchase this book.
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Other Books, Publications or Authors
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“The Whole Dog Journal” - This monthly publication is a great source of information on health issues and dog products, including reviews on premium foods, toys, etc. There are also articles on dog training and behavior-related issues by Pat Miller, who is well-known and respected in the positive reinforcement arena of dog training.
“Bark magazine” - If you love all things canine-related and are looking for something more entertainment-oriented, check out this magazine. It contains literature, art, articles on dog-related goings-on, etc. - all related to dogs in one way or another. Each volume also contains an article written by, you-guessed-it, Patricia McConnell! You can always learn something new from her writings.
Anything by the following authors, which you can search for via the Amazon or Dogwise search boxes below:
- Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.
- Ian Dunbar
- Pat Miller
- Jean Donaldson
- Brenda Aloff
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Radio Shows
Calling All Pets - A weekly radio show on Wisconsin Public Radio by zoologist Patricia McConnell and co-host Larry Meiller. Sessions are recorded and made available on the website.
Pet Central with Steve Dale - A weekly radio show on WGN radio with Steve Dale, an author, radio and TV host on pet subjects. Sessions are recorded and made available on the website.
Other Sources to Purchase Books
A Word About the Book Retailers Found on this Website
As a side note, I do have an affiliate relationship with both Amazon and Dogwise, which means that if you click the links from my website to these retailers and purchase any products, I will receive a small commission. I appreciate it when my website visitors purchase through these links, as it helps me to offset the cost of purchasing new books so I can tell you what is worth reading!
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Copyright 2004-2008 Love My Dog Training. We serve the metro area of Denver, Colorado.
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