There are so many books about choosing, raising and training dogs that it can be difficult to know which ones may benefit you and your situation. The following are reviews of some of my favourite dog books along with a brief outline of the book which will hopefully help you decide whether you would like to read it. Of course, if you are hooked on dogs and dog training, you will probably enjoy reading them all anyway!
How to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks by Dr Ian Dunbar
If you love dogs, but don’t know who Ian Dunbar is, do both you and your dogs a favour and find out! Dr Ian Dunbar is a veterinarian turned animal behaviourist and dog trainer who founded Sirius Puppy Training, the first off-leash classes for young puppies, as well as the Association of Pet Dog Trainers. He is largely responsible for bringing lure-reward training to the forefront in the education of pet dogs and their owners and his simple, common-sense approach to preventing and solving behaviour problems has laid an excellent foundation for other behaviourists and dog trainers to build on.
In “How to Teach an Old Dog New Tricks”, Dr Dunbar covers temperament training (socialising, bite inhibition etc), Behaviour Modification (toilet training, chew-toy training etc) and obedience training (sit, come, stay, heel etc) as well as taking a look at basic learning theory (how training works). The book has something for the novice trainer/owner and those who are more experienced.
Dr Dunbar is a bit like the “Dr Phil” of the dog world: he tells it like it is! However, while his approach is no-nonsense and lays the responsibility for dog behaviour exactly where it belongs - i.e. with the owner - his natural sense of humour and wit makes the book a very enjoyable read.
Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy by Dr Ian Dunbar
These two small books are also generally available as one larger book these days. They are particularly relevant for anyone considering getting a puppy as they are really about educating potential owners as to the requirements of raising a dog properly and being a good doggy parent! The books cover six developmental deadlines that every dog owner must meet during the early stages of his or her puppy’s lives:
They are:
1. Completing your education about what you will need to do to train your puppy correctly before you go out and get him or her!
2. Assessing your puppy’s current socialisation and educational status while it is still with the breeder e.g. what has the breeder taught the puppy in the way of basic manners, has house-training begun, has the puppy been socialised at all etc.
3. Having a housetraining and chew-toy training programme ready to begin from the moment your puppy comes home with you.
4. Socialising your puppy now that it is home with you. What to do with regards to puppy classes, meeting new people and dogs and experiencing new things.
5. Teaching bite-inhibition: helping your puppy to develop a soft mouth to prevent serious dog bites later in life.
6. Continuing socialising and training through adolescence. Advice on dealing with this difficult time.
Although they cover vital information, the books are set out and written quite simply, so are suitable for first-time dog people. They would make an excellent gift for “not-so-well-educated-in-doggy things” friends!
The Good, the Bad & the Furry: Choosing the dog that’s right for you by Sam Stall
This is not your typical dog-breed guide! It combines great insight with total exaggeration and hilarious wit, which somehow adds up to “spot-on” descriptions of over 100 breeds. The book covers each breed’s “Incredible Origin”, “Trademark Traits”, “Headaches and Hassles”, “Special Perks”, “Bugs in the System” and “If someone broke into my house, this dog would….” It also suggests other breeds similar to the one you are reading about.
Just to give an example of the very amusing style of the book here are two descriptions from the “If someone broke into my house…” category:
Golden Retriever: “…this dog would: Wag its tail and grin like an idiot. Goldens are about as useful for home defense as an Amish bodyguard.”
Rottweiler: “…this dog would: Greet him ferociously. If you awaken in the middle of the night to cries of “HelpMeNOOOOOO!!” emanating from your living room, it means your Rottie is entertaining an uninvited guest. You might want to call the dog off while there is still something for the police to arrest.”
It is obvious that this book is not meant to be taken too seriously, but it is highly entertaining for those who already have some knowledge of various breeds and probably does a good job of putting off less-than-serious potential owners from inflicting themselves on a dog they are not really prepared for! A must-read for dog-nuts!
Dogs Bite but Balloons and Slippers are More Dangerous by Janis Bradley
This excellent book looks at the highly emotive issue of dog bites and the hype created by society’s fear of dog aggression. This is not an anecdotal book based simply on someone’s opinion - it lays out the statistics on dog bites and looks at the facts surrounding incidents of dog aggression. Did you know that your chances of being killed by a dog or dogs are one in 18 million? Did you know that dogs kill, on average, 10 children in the US every year. Shocking? Then what about the fact that 826 children are killed every year by their caregivers (parents, friends and relatives)?
The point of the book is to take an honest look at how much of a danger dogs really are to humans and to put the, often very minor, incidents of dog aggression into context when compared to other injuries we suffer as human beings. It also takes a look at the reflexive and often extremely counter-productive laws brought in to regulate so-called “dangerous dog breeds”. It ends by having a look at common sense measures which can be implemented to make dogs even safer than they already are!
This is an excellent read for anyone who deals with dogs on a professional basis or who is interested in human-animal interaction. The book gets its title from the fact that in the UK more people are medically treated for bedroom-slipper related injuries than dog-related injuries. So be careful next time you see a slipper next to your bed…. You just never know!
The Dog Whisperer: A compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training by Paul Owens with Norma Eckroate
This book is not to be confused with any of the other “whisperer” books out there by other authors. Unlike the other books with similar titles, it has nothing to do with pack theory (except for a brief summary of the major problems with pack theory!). It is instead a basic, but comprehensive guide to raising and training one’s dog through understanding and fulfilling the dog’s needs and by means of lure-reward training.
The book covers everything from nutrition, exercise, the effects of stress and appropriate training equipment to learning theory, obedience training at all levels and help for sensitive dogs. It is a beautifully written book and Paul Owens’ kind and gentle approach shines through every chapter.
This is a good book for novice trainers and owners.
Dogs are from Neptune by Jean Donaldson
Jean Donaldson is another pioneer in pet dog training. She has written several dog behaviour and training books, including the very well-known “The Culture Clash”. However, I have chosen this one as it is a very practical approach to all types of dog aggression (towards humans and other dogs) which is useful for novice owners and experienced dog-trainers alike.
The book consists of letters written to Jean by dog owners experiencing aggression problems with their dogs and Jean’s answers to their questions. This format makes it very “reader friendly” and hard to put down. However, Jean’s answers are by no means superficial and she includes quite in-depth explanations of concepts like classical conditioning. The book is excellent in that it is aimed at addressing the underlying causes of aggression rather than simply suppressing the behaviour.
For a more complex assessment of dog-dog aggression, Jean Donaldson’s book “Fight” is an excellent resource. However, this book is aimed more at experienced dog trainers as it assumes some prior knowledge of behavioural theory and outlines protocols which professionals can use with their own clients.
How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong by Pamela S Dennison
This book is for those who find themselves with a dog that for whatever reason has developed some sort of aggressive problem which they feel unable to control or deal with in a constructive way. While the book does take a cure-all approach, it does give owners very meaningful and practical guidelines for retraining the dog to be responsive to him/her so that, first and foremost, the problem behaviour can be managed. It also explains the disastrous effects of using punishment to treat aggression and the influence that stress has on behaviour, whether it is the owner’s stress or the dog’s stress or both! In this way the book should help to build a better relationship and understanding between the owner and his or her “difficult” dog.
While the book does set out helpful guidelines for dealing with specific problems and situations, its most valuable contribution is to give the owner insight into the dog’s needs and experience.
Pamela Dennison has also written “Bringing Light to Shadow: A Dog Trainer’s Diary”. In this book she gives a very detailed account of how she retrained and re-socialised a rescued Border Collie with serious issues! The book is a good read for dog trainers and fans of Border Collies - it is extremely technical as it covers every detail and thought that went into Shadow’s training regime!