For a very good guide to all sorts of dog training processes and dog behavior challenges, I use and recommend Clickertraining ...that link goes to the description of this terrific ebook you download immediately, wherever you are! -- Rosana

Why do dogs do the things they do? I often wonder about that. (I wonder it about people too but we won’t go into that just now.)

So I was interested to find out that a lot of other people wonder that too. (Dogs. Still not touching the hot potato of human behavior.)

Dogwise, the topnotch online dog bookseller and publisher, has analyzed what their customers buy and noticed that dog behavior is “right up there” with dog training methods. They say that whenever a leading dog behaviorist comes out with a new book, odds are that the book will become one of their best sellers.

Somebody at Dogwise  looked at the sources these current books refer to, and compiled a list of dog behavior books that are frequently drawn on. The links are set to open in a new webpage, so you can easily browse several. Most of the books have come out in the past 10 years.

How Dogs Learn by Mary Burch and Jon Bailey
Clearly explains operant conditioning, which is the psychological principle upon which animal training is generally based. Dogwise calls it “A must-have book for the more serious dog person or behaviorist.”

Dogs, A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger
Discusses with a lot of detail the topic of how the different dog breeds have evolved into the shapes and the behaviors they now have, and what that means for us with our dogs. They divide dogs into five categories: modern household dogs, village dogs, livestock guarding dogs, sled dogs, and herding dogs, and discuss each category.

Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Small Animals by Karen Overall
At almost 80 bucks this isn’t for everyone, but clinicians and serious readers of dog behavior information will be interested. The book discusses the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of dogs and cats showing behavioral problems, and it gives extensive directions on how their behaviors can be managed. Interestingly, Overall recommends the use of the Gentle Leader headcollar for managing some dog behaviors; it sure worked well for our dog Lola.

How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do by Stanley Coren
The title gives you a bit of the flavor of Coren’s writing style. I have read other dog books of his, and expect this one to be enjoyable too. Goes into the science behind why dogs think and feel as they do.

Dogs Behaving Badly by Nicholas Dodman
This veterinarian is a popular writer on dogs, and this book gives you advice on changes you can make in your dog’s diet, exercise, and environment to improve behavior.

Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog by John Paul Scott and John Fuller
This book started so much, and is so interesting, that I am going to do another blog post just on it one day soon. Published in 1965, the book reported on some 20 years of research into the effects of heredity on behavior. They found considerable effects, but some of the results were surprising. Much of the research involved cross-breeding Cocker Spaniels and Basenjis and keeping extremely detailed records of the behavioral results. I read this some 20 years ago or more, but have not re-read it since owning a Basenji myself. I expect it would mean even more to me now.

If you have thoughts about any of these books, please do add a comment!

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