All-time TOP TEN Books for Dog Owners

Most bookshops and pet stores offer a bewildering choice of dog books. Consequently, for a number of years, members of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT)—the largest association of pet dog trainers worldwide— annually voted on what they consider to be the most useful books for dog owners. All books may be purchased from your local bookstore, or on-line from Amazon.com

1) The Culture Clash

The Culture Clash

Voted #1 BEST BOOK by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers and winner of the Maxwell Award from the Dog Writers’ Association of America.

The Culture Clash is special. It is utterly unique, fascinating to the extreme, and literally overflowing with information that virtually redefines the state of the art in dog behavior and training. Written in Jean's inimitably informal yet incisive lecture style, the book races along on par with a good thriller.

The Culture Clash depicts dogs as they really are — stripped of their Hollywood fluff, with their loveable “can I eat it, chew it, urinate on it, what's in it for me' philosophy. Jean's tremendous affection for dogs shines through at all times, as does her keen insight into the dog's mind.

2) Don't Shoot the Dog!

Karen Pryor's clear and accessible explanation of reinforcement-based teaching and training has made Don't Shoot The Dog! a worldwide, bestselling classic. The book has been translated into 15 languages, with over 300,000 copies in print. Whether you are dealing with a pet or a person, it tells you how and why you can get better results with positive methods instead of punishment. Don't Shoot the Dog! is a popular college text on learing and behavior; the "bible" for humane, gentle animal care in zoos and shelters; and a beloved resource on using positive reinforcement effectively for pet owners everywhere.

Buy Now!

3) How to Teach A New Dog Old Tricks

How to Teach A New Dog Old Tricks

Fun training with toys, treats, lures and rewards. Easy, fun-loving, dog-friendly methods for teaching a new puppy old tricks (such as basic manners), or for teaching an older dog (or older owner) who is new to training. A comprehensive workbook for the motivated dog owner, comprising sections on basic off-leash obedience, temperament training and behavior problem troubleshooting, in addition to a special introduction to training theory. The definitive text for lure/reward training — written from the dog’s point of view and emphasizing natural motivational methods to teach your dog to want to do what you want him to do! Voted the #1 BEST BOOK by the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

4) The Power of Positive Dog Training
by Pat Miller

The Power of Positive Dog Training is the best book yet on explaining how and why purely positive training works. Inside, you'll find easy to read discussion of the philosophy of positive training followed by training tips and exercises. This book is geared toward the dog owner who wants to develop a relationship with their dog based on friendship and positive reinforcement, not fear and punishment. You get 30 chapters with instructive illustrations, including an easy-to-follow, step-by-step, six-week basic training program (with diary) for any dog.

Buy Now!

5) The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
by Patricia McConnell

The Other End of the Leash shares a revolutionary, new perspective on our relationship with dogs, focusing on our behavior in comparison with that of dogs. An applied animal behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell looks at humans as just another interesting species, and muses about why we behave the way we do around our dogs, how dogs might interpret our behavior, and how to interact with our dogs in ways that bring out the best in our four-legged friends.

After all, although humans and dogs share a remarkable relationship that is unique in the animal world, we are still two entirely different species, each shaped by our individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (like wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation.

Buy Now!

6) AFTER You Get Your Puppy

AFTER You Get Your Puppy

AFTER You Get Your Puppy covers the last three developmental deadlines that your puppy needs to meet before he is six months old: : 4. The most urgent priority — Socializing Your Puppy to People, 5. The most important priority — Teaching Bite Inhibition, and 6. The most enjoyable piority —Continuing Socialization in The World at Large. 

7) On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals
by Turid Rugaas

On Talking Terms with Dogs second edition with three additional chapters, color photos and descriptive captions. Turid Rugaas is a noted expert on canine body language, notably "calming signals" which are signals dogs give to other dogs and humans to denote stress and to attempt defuse situations that otherwise might result in fights or aggression. Written in practical, down-to-earth, logical language.

Buy Now!

8) BEFORE You Get Your Puppy

BEFORE You Get Your Puppy

*Please Note: This book is also available on our Free Downloads page. The download links in this block will take you to the PayLoadz website, where you can download the pdf or mp3s for just 1 cent, allowing you to familiarize yourself with our digital download process.

When you choose a new puppy, you need to meet six developmental deadlines before your puppy is just five months old. If your puppy fails to meet any of these deadlines, he will never achieve his full potential and will be playing ‘behavioral catch-up’ for the rest of hiss life. BEFORE You Get Your Puppy covers the first three developmental deadlines covering the period from puppy selection to your puppy's first week at home. The last three developmental deadlines that your puppy needs to meet before he is six months old are described in a second book — AFTER You Get Your Puppy

9) How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With
by Clarice Rutherford

Worried about leaving your puppy home alone while you work? Need to keep him from barking too much? Read on! This classic has answers for all that and much more! *six things to expect from your puppy *Ten keys to housebreaking without a hitch *Common puppy personality types and how to deal with them *Six gentle, effective methods of dicipline

Buy Now!

10) Dogs are from Neptune
by Jean Donaldson

The new wave of excluding aversives and training with positive reinforcement is rapidly proving itself to not only be the method of choice for adding behavior, but now, as evidenced by trainers like Jean Donaldson, the method of choice for getting rid of behavior, especially emotionally charged behavior like aggression. If you are of the school of thought that "treats are fine for training tricks but I have a dog that bites," you owe yourself a serious study of the techniques and theory in "Dogs Are From Neptune".

Buy Now!

Dog Star Daily® Recomended Products:

  • Positive Puppy Training Works cover image
    Positive Puppy Training Works
     
  • Puppy Training for Kids cover image
    Puppy Training for Kids
     
  • Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog cover image
    Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog
     
  • Puppy Primer cover image
    Puppy Primer