Useful Books and Invaluable Websites

I will work on building this section to include all the books mentioned on the course. There are links included to Amazon, not to recommend them as a provider but to give you access to a preview. Some you will be able to purchase on the high street or take a look at Wordery (thanks Ceri for the suggestion) UK Independent On-line Bookshop. It is also possible that your library may have some.

See below for useful websites (eventually)

Books for Beginners

Links have been added to Amazon as they can be previewed although it may be possible to borrow them from the library or purchase locally. Many are quite expensive too so where there are good on-line options I would recommend starting with those and select a few books of particular interest. With Christmas coming perhaps it’s time to start preparing a ‘wish list’

The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners by Grisha Stewart MA – if you never get another dog training book I would suggest that you get this one! Even reading the amount you can see free when you ‘look inside’ will give you useful information regarding the management of barking to use in class.

Clicker Training for Dogs by Karen Pryor; a classic.

In Defence of Dogs: Why Dogs Need Our Understanding by John Bradshaw – John is an Anthrozoologist but his book isn’t over scholarly, I thought it read almost like a novel.

The truth about wolves and dogs: Dispelling the myths of dog training by Toni Shelbourne – Easy reading and beautifully illustrated it will help you to understand the difference between a true ‘pack’ and pack behaviour and the social group behaviour exhibited by dogs. Not a ‘must have’ but an enjoyable and useful read.

Books for those wanting to follow topics in more depth

Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What It Teaches Us about All Animals by Karen Pryor

Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behaviour, and Evolution by Ray Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger – The result of an extended study providing a deeper knowledge of how dogs evolved and but still quite easy reading.

Dominance in Dogs: Fact or Fiction? by Barry Eaton – A look at the evidence and what it means in terms of training

Books that help with problem behaviours

Way to Go!: How to housetrain a dog of any age by Patricia McConnell – only a few pages long so may seem expensive but really good practical advise. Worth looking at the second-hand options, though the delivery time is an issue. For those with a Kindle you can have the help virtually instantly and there is a free app to enable you to download onto your lap-top.

Mine!: A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs by Jean Donaldson – an excellent book for anyone who’s dog has resource guarding issues but I would suggest that for most people who have little experience in dealing with problem behaviours it would be advisable to work through it with a trainer with some experience of behaviour modification

Books for Dog Geeks

Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger and Lorna Coppinger – I found this a fascinating book describing the origin of domestic dogs, largely deduced from studies of village dogs

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog by Brenda Aloff – an excellent book but but very expensive, well worth a look if you can borrow a copy but only worth buying a copy if you have a real interest in canine communication. Turid Rugaas’s book,Â On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals, is a better place to start