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Read All About It!
If you are interested in
reading more about dogs in general or a specific topic
Barking Hills Country Club, in association with
amazon.com, has supplied the following reading list. By
clicking on a title you will be taken to the amazon.com
web site where you can order the book. While you can't
train a dog from a book (and reading to them doesn't help
much either!) - knowledge is power and the better
prepared you are to teach your dog.
Training & Behavior, Books Instructors Have, Good Reads, Adopting a Dog,
Fun
Stuff, Obedience
Trials, Agility, Flyball, Carting, Water Work, Tracking, Herding, Lure Coursing, Travelling, Picking a Breed, Problem Solving and Prevention
Books that many obedience
instructors have on their shelves
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals - Turid Rugaas - a
short, quick read. If you ever get the chance to go to one of her
seminars - GO! Everyone at Barking Hills is required to read this
book before they start working for us. If you only read one book
on dogs and dog behavior, this is it! Don't be tempted to just buy
the video, it isn't easy to understand if you haven't read the book.
This book is sometimes hard to find or out of print temporarily, but it
is well worth the wait.
Culture
Clash - Jean Donaldson - a
good book but if you ever get the chance to hear her in
person - RUN and sign up. She's a wonderful lecturer. Get
rid of your "dogs are people in fur suits"
thinking and learn to appreciate the real strengths and
abilities of your dog.
The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs -
Myrna Milani - just what it
says. A bit tough to get started but worth the trip.
When
Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of Animals - Susan
McCarthy - a very
interesting read and look at the scientific and anecdotal
evidence of the existence of emotions in all sorts of
species.
The
Dog Who Loved Too Much - Nicholas H. Dodman - lousy title, good book. Gives a clear
view of the relationship between behavior modification
and pharmaceuticals. Easy to read and a must if you are
dealing with fearful, anxious dogs.
Dog Behavior: Why Dogs Do What They Do - Ian
Dunbar - If you want to
understand dog behavior you have to read Ian Dunbar.
Understanding
Your Dog - Michael Fox -
another good book on understanding dog behavior written
by a well respected leader in the field.
Think Dog - John
Fisher - funny and well
written. His explanation of the human pack is worth the
price of the book - read anything he writes and you won't
be disappointed.
Peak Performance: Coaching the Canine Athlete - Christine Zink - Conditioning and coaching the canine athlete for obedience, herding, draft work, agility or anything else.
Some general books about dogs that are
just great reads:
Eminent
Dogs Dangerous Men - Donald MCA
From the same author as "Nop's Trials" - a wonderful book about the real
herding men and their dogs - every dog owner should read
it and ANYONE who ever contemplates owning a border
collie should be required to read it.
A Rough
Shooting Dog:- Charles Fergus - don't be put off by the hunting in this
book. It's a great tale of puppy raising and rising to
the level of your dog.
Golden Days: Memories of a Golden Retriever
- Arthur Vanderbilt - bring
a box of tissues for this one. If you've ever owned,
lived with, known or met a golden this book will warm
your heart
Dog Stories -
James Herriot - the master
storyteller with many of his wonderful
tales of dogs great and small.
Pack of Two
- Knapp - The intricate
bond between people and dogs is addressed from personal
experience as well as from the viewpoint of animal
behaviorists and psychologists.
If you adopted (or plan to adopt) your dog
from a shelter or rescue group
Save That Dog -
Liz Palika - very helpful
book on purebred rescue. Good advice on common problems
with rescue dogs.
The Chosen
Puppy - Carol Lea Benjamin
- good book on choosing and training. She's anti-food but
other than that terrific!
Second Hand Dog
- Carol Lea Benjamin -
perhaps THE book on the special issues surrounding
adopting a previously owned dog. Take her opinions on the
use of food in training with a grain of salt but other
than that a good book.
The
Adoption Option - Eliza Rubenstein - help for choosing a shelter or rescue dog
to adopt, whether or not this is the right option for you
and your family
Books on Training
and Behavior
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals - Turid Rugaas - a
short, quick read. If you ever get the chance to go to one of her
seminars - GO! Everyone at Barking Hills is required to read this
book before they start working for us. If you only read one book
on dogs and dog behavior, this is it! Don't be tempted to just buy
the video, it isn't easy to understand if you haven't read the book.
This book is sometimes hard to find or out of print temporarily, but it
is well worth the wait.
The Urban Dog -
Patricia Curtis - without a
doubt the best book on owning a happy, healthy, well
behaved city dog. Well written and easy to read.
The Toolbox for Remolding Your Problem Dog -
Terry Ryan - Terry Ryan is
a "trainer's trainer" and one of the current
leaders of obedience instructors in the United States.
Good, practical advice for all dog owners from those
getting their first dog to folks who breed and show.
Be
Your Dog's Best Friend - John Rogerson - out of print but amazon can get it for
you anyway
.
Training
Your Best Friend - John Rogerson - also out of print but well worth finding
Dogs for
Dummies - Gina Spadafori -
comprehensive book on all aspects of dog ownership
Dogwise: The Natural Way to Train Your Dog -
John Fisher - sound,
practical advice from someone who knows dogs
Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy,
Healthy Pet - Ian Dunbar -
Ian Dunbar is one of the "fathers" of canine
behaviorism. His works are studied by most obedience
instructors
Mother Knows
Best - Carol Lea Benjamin -
easy and a fun read. Ms Benjamin doesn't believe in using
food to train - something many others (Barking Hills
Country Club included) do not agree with her on that
point however in general she writes well and knows her
stuff.
Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence - Carol Lea
Benjamin - see the notes
above - recommended with the same reservations about her
views on training with food.
Problems Solving and Prevention
The Toolbox for Remolding Your Problem Dog -
Terry Ryan - Terry Ryan is
a "trainer's trainer" and one of the current
leaders of obedience instructors in the United States.
Good, practical advice for all dog owners from those
getting their first dog to folks who breed and show.
Culture
Clash - Jean Donaldson - a
good book but if you ever get the chance to hear her in
person - RUN and sign up. She's a wonderful lecturer. Get
rid of your "dogs are people in fur suits"
thinking and learn to appreciate the real strengths and
abilities of your dog.
Dogs are from Neptune - Jean Donaldson - from the author of Culture Clash. Deals
with problems solving including aggression.
The
Dog Who Loved Too Much - Nicholas H. Dodman - lousy title, good book. Gives a clear
view of the relationship between behavior modification
and pharmaceuticals. Easy to read and a must if you are
dealing with fearful, anxious dogs.
Dog Problems : A Professional Trainer's
Guide to Preventing and Correcting Aggression,
Destructiveness, Housebreaking Problems, Excessive
Barking, Dogfights, Tugging, Jumping, Shyness, Stealing,
Begging, Car Chasing, Fear Biting, Object Guarding, and
much,much more - Carol Lea Benjamin - Ms. Benjamin doesn't like using food as a
reward (and we here at Barking Hills disagree with her on
that) however all her books are fun, easy to read and
informative.
Surviving Your Dog's Adolescence - Carol Lea
Benjamin - see the notes
above - recommended with the same reservations about her
views on training with food.
Performance Events and other Fun
stuff to do with your dog
Fun
Stuff:
Canine Adventures : Fun Things to Do With
Your Dog - Cynthia D. Miller - A great resource on 34 different canine
activities which are rated on level of intensity,
training, fitness, time and money necessary! Includes
information on magazines, organizations, books and
videos.
Dog Tricks : New Tricks for Old Dogs, Old
Tricks for New Dogs, and Ageless
Tricks That Give Wise Men Paws - Arthur J. Haggerty - just what it sounds like! Lots of tricks
for your dog. The author is well known in the business.
The Trick Is in the Training : 25 Fun Tricks
to Teach Your Dog - Stephanie J. Taunton - from the very basics of trick training on
up
Obedience trials:
The
Obedient Dog: Training for Obedience Classes, Working
Trials and Agility Tests - John Holmes - out of
print but worth waiting for!
Best Foot
Forward - Barbara Handler -
without parallel as the best book on preparing for AKC
obedience trials. Well thought out. What every novice
handler wants to know.
Agility:
Enjoying
Dog Agility: From Backyard to Competition - Julie Daniels
- Julie Daniels is one of
the best known agility trainers and her books are staples
in any competitors bookshelf. Learn to have a thinking
dog.
Agility Training : The Fun Sport for All
Dogs - Jane Simmons-Moake -
a good starter book that breaks down the process step by
step.
All About Agility - Jacqueline O'Neil - How to get involved in this exciting
sport.
Herding:
Sheepdog Training: An All Breed Approach -
Mari Taggart - a good,
solid book for beginning handlers. It will keep you from
making many mistakes and it's nice (for some of us) to
read a book on herding that isn't geared towards border
collies!
Herding Dogs: Progressive Training - Holland - All phases of herding training form first
exposure through advanced work for farm or trial.
Farmer's
Dog - John Holmes - Classic
book on the working dog - the one farmer's and shepherds
own.
Lure coursing:
Lure Coursing -
Arthur S. Beaman - out of
print but about the only book out there on this fast, fun
sport.
Flyball:
Flying High: The Complete Book of Flyball -
Joan Payne - good "how
to" book that will help you develop the skills
necessary for a winning team
Flyball Racing:
The Dog Sport for Everyone - Lonnie Olson - construction plans for jumps and the box
as well as the F.A.T. (flyball aptitude test) written by
someone who knows the sport and dogs.
Draft
work:
Mush: A Beginner's Manual
of Sled Dog Training - Sierra Nevada Dog Drivers - one of the few books out there on
sledding and draft work. You really should read the books
by Consie Powell and Beth Ostrander -see below
Newfoundland Draft Work (Consie Powell) and An Introduction to Canine Carting (Beth Ostrander) are not available
from amazon.com - unfortunately. They are available from
DogWorks: http://www.dogworks.com and well work tracking
down.
Tracking and scent work:
Enthusiastic
Tracking, The Step-by-Step Training Manual by William R.
Sanders
- written by an AKC tracking judge this book really will
take you step by step through the process
Fun Nosework for Dogs : Teach Your Dog to
Enjoy Using His Nose by Roy Hunter, Judi Duffy - haven't read it but
others I know recommend it.
Practical
Scent Dog Training by Lou Button - not tracking but scent
work including air scenting. Very interesting stuff.
Other books of interest
The
Complete Dog Book (19th ed) AKC - published by the American Kennel Club it
is the bible of purebred dogs. If you're looking for a
breed this book is a must have. Gives the standards for
all AKC recognized breeds as well as general care and
feeding. LOTS of good pictures.
Touring
With Towser - out of print
but a good guide to travelling with your four legged
friend.
The Portable
Pet - Barbara Nicholas -
everything you need to know to travel with a cat or dog.
This list is by no means exhaustive. The more you read
the better a trainer (and owner) you will be - so read as
much as you can and take it all with a grain or two of
salt. You know your dog best so take time to digest what
you've read (and talk it over with your instructor)
before you start something new with your dog.
