Is it possible that what looks like play is something else entirely? German author Mechtild Käufer presents findings from scores of researchers worldwide who study why dogs play, the benefits they get from play and how to recognize the “rules” of play that dogs follow to keep their play behaviors fun and safe. There are dozens of color photographs included to help illustrate the actions of dogs at play.
Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.
In 300 concise entries with clear illustration dog lovers and professionals will develop their canine behavior vocabulary and comprehension of why dogs do what they do. Ethologist Roger Abrantes has built his career on helping professionals and lay persons understand dogs.
Play is essential to the well-being of your dog and for developing sound social relationships between dogs and dogs and dogs and humans. Learn how to use play to socialize, stimulate and enjoy your best friend.
Learn how to read canine body language in groups of dogs, manage off-leash play, identify signs of trouble and much more. For pet professionals who work with groups of dogs in daycares, boarding facilities and dog training classes and serious pet-parents.
• A detailed guide on how to train dogs with cool tricks, exciting sports moves, and interactive games • Draws from techniques used in canine sports and applies them to a positive-reinforcement manners training program • Provides effective strategies for teaching dogs impulse control, obedience, polite leash walking, and good manners around kids and strangers • Written by prominent urban dog training professionals
“The powerful origin story of one of Yellowstone’s greatest and most famous wolves.” —Washington Post “[The Rise of Wolf 8] is a goldmine for information on all aspects of wolf behavior and clearly shows they are clever, smart, and emotional beings.” —Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today Yellowstone National Park was once home to an abundance of wild wolves—but park rangers killed the last of their kind in the 1920s. Decades later, the rangers brought them back, with the first wolves arriving from Canada in 1995. This is the incredible true story of one of those wolves. Wolf 8 struggles at first—he is smaller than the other pups, and often bullied—but soon he bonds with an alpha female whose mate was shot. An unusually young alpha male, barely a teenager in human years, Wolf 8 rises to the occasion, hunting skillfully, and even defending his family from the wolf who killed his father. But soon he faces a new opponent: his adopted son, who mates with a violent alpha female. Can Wolf 8 protect his valley without harming his protégé? Authored by a renowned wolf researcher and gifted storyteller, The Rise of Wolf 8 marks the beginning of The Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone series, which will transform our view of wolves forever.
Understand dog behavior to work with, not against, your K9’s instincts. Learn how to: Recognize and interpret your K9’s expressions, gestures and signals. Use operant conditioning to efficiently and humanely train K9s. Plan and execute effective K9 training programs for search and detection, patrol, remote guided camera, attack, and more. The art and science of training police, military and other service dogs continue to evolve as we learn more about dog behavior. In this revised edition of K9 Behavior Basics, expert dog trainers Dr. Resi Gerritsen, Ruud Haak and Simon Prins share the essentials every trainer needs to know about these advances in K9 training. You’ll learn how to successfully implement or improve your dogs’ training programs using operant conditioning. The authors outline key concepts in dog behavior and communication and provide practical approaches to operant conditioning. They share proven techniques and solid advice from their more than thirty years of specialized K9 experience. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned pro staying up-to-date, K9 Behavior Basics has something for you. Get a free ebook through the Shelfie app with the purchase of a print copy.
An “entertaining and informative” look at the evolutionary biology that explains canine behavior, with photos included (Lynette Hart, author of The Perfect Puppy). What actually drives dogs to do the things they do? What’s going on in their fur-covered heads as they look at us with their big, expressive eyes? Biologist Raymond Coppinger and cognitive scientist Mark Feinstein know something about these questions, and this is their guide to understanding your dog and its behavior. Approaching dogs as a biological species rather than just as pets, Coppinger and Feinstein distill decades of research and field experiments to explain in simple terms the evolutionary foundations underlying dog behaviors. They examine the central importance of the shape of dogs: how their physical body (including the genes and the brain) affects behavior, how shape interacts with the environment as animals grow, and how all of this has developed over time. Shape, they tell us, is what makes a champion sled dog or a Border collie that can successfully herd sheep. Other chapters explore such mysteries as why dogs play; whether dogs have minds, and if so what kinds of things they might know; why dogs bark; how dogs feed and forage; and the influence of the early relationship between mother and pup. Going far beyond the cozy lap dog, Coppinger and Feinstein are equally fascinated by what we can learn from the adaptations of dogs, wolves, coyotes, jackals, dingoes, and even pumas in the wild, as well as the behavior of working animals like guarding and herding dogs. Isn’t it time we knew more about who Fido and Trixie really are? How Dogs Work provides some keys to unlocking the origins of many of our dogs’ most common, most puzzling, and most endearing behaviors.
Get to know your best friend better: “Everyone who owns a dog, breeds or trains dogs, or works with dogs should read this informative book.” —Library Journal Just think about the different behaviors you see at a dog park. We have a good understanding of what it means when dogs wag their tails—but what about when they sniff and roll on a stinky spot? Why do they play tug-of-war with one dog, while showing their bellies to another? Why are some dogs shy, while others are bold? What goes on in dogs’ heads and hearts—and how much can we know and understand? Written by award-winning scientist—and lifelong dog lover—Marc Bekoff, Canine Confidential not only brilliantly opens up the world of dog behavior, but also helps us understand how we can make our dogs’ lives better. Rooted in the most up-to-date science on cognition and emotion—fields that have exploded in recent years—Canine Confidential is a wonderfully accessible treasure trove of new information and myth-busting. Peeing, we learn, isn’t always marking; grass-eating isn’t always an attempt to trigger vomiting; it’s okay to hug a dog—on their terms; and so much more. There’s still much we don’t know, but at the core of the book is the certainty that dogs do have deep emotional lives, and that as their companions and trainers we must recognize them as the unique, complex individuals they are—so we can keep them as happy and healthy as possible. “Bekoff shares his own studies and others’ research, along with real-life stories, in a winning tone.” —Booklist
