45+ Books for every dog owner who wants to understand and have a better relationship with its dog


How do I understand my dog better? How do I start training my pup/dog? These questions will pop up in your mind the moment you get your new pup home. It's a good thing if you can afford to hire a personal trainer or go to classes. But if you can't - no worries. You can get the knowledge you need in the good old style - from books. Here I've gathered a list of books that will be helpful to understand your pet better.

Alexandra Horowitz - Domestic Dog Cognition and Behavior: The Scientific Study of Canis familiaris

The book highlights the state of the field in the new, provocative line of research into the cognition and behavior of the domestic dog. It reflects a modern shift in science toward considering and studying domestic dogs for their own sake, not only insofar as they reflect back on human beings.

Alexandra Horowitz - Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

This lively and absorbing book helps dog owners to see their best friend’s behavior in a different, and revealing light, allowing them to understand their pets and enjoy their company even more. 

Alexandra Horowitz – Our dogs, ourselves: The story of a singular bond

Dogs change the course of our days: they need to be walked, fed, attended to. Dogs can change the course of our lives: they weave their way into our lives with their constant presence by our sides. 

Annie Phenix - The Midnight Dog Walkers: Positive Training and Practical Advice for Living with Reactive and Aggressive Dogs

Aggression is a subject that no dog owner wants to talk about, but one that many owners have to face. An aggressive dog can become a dangerous dog, and this informative volume comes to the aid of many heartbroken owners who feel that they have tried everything to correct their dogs’ unpredictable and inappropriate behavior.

Brian Hare & Vanessa Woods - The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think

The book talks about the mysteries of the dog mind and how you can use his groundbreaking work to build a better relationship with your own dog.

Cat Warren - What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World

All dogs love to use their noses. They think their job is simply the best, most interesting game they’ve ever played! What good working dogs can do may seem magical or mysterious, and this book shows the science, the rigorous training, and the skilled handling that underlie these amazing abilities.

Cesar Millan&Melissa Jo Peltier - Cesar’s Way: The natural, everyday guide to understanding and correcting common dog problems

Whether you're having issues with your dog or just want to make a good bond even stronger, this book will give you a deeper appreciation of how your dog sees the world, and it will help make your relationship with your beloved pet a richer and more rewarding one.

Clive D. L. Wynne – Dog is love: why and how your dog loves you

The author shows that affection is the very essence of dogs, from their faces and tails to their brains, hormones, even DNA. This scientific revolution is revealing more about dogs’ unique origins, behavior, needs, and hidden depths than we ever imagined possible.

Daniel F. Tortora – The right dog for you

It will tell you about more than 110 breeds and help you to select a dog compatible with your personality, family, and lifestyle. Choosing a dog can become easy and enjoyable as you learn everything there is to know about the breeds.

Debra Horwitz - Decoding Your Dog: Explaining Common Dog Behaviors and How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones

The key to training dogs effectively is first to understand why our dogs do what they do. But often, despite our best intentions, we are letting our dogs down by not giving them the guidance and direction they need.

Gregory Berns - How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain

The powerful bond between humans and dogs is one that’s uniquely cherished. Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are true “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them?

Gwen Bailey – The perfect puppy: How to raise a well-behaved dog

A book for puppy owners and would-be puppy owners who want to know how to bring their puppy up to be a happy, well-behaved, friendly adult dog. The book gives you the latest behavioral information and emphasizes prevention.

James Serpell- The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour, and Interactions with People

Dogs form strong attachments to humans, even in the face of rejection and punishment, voluntarily allying themselves to us as faithful companions, uncomplaining child-substitutes, enduring workers, and excellent hunters and guards.

Jean Donaldson - Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression

This down-to-earth manual will teach you how to use behavior modification to retrain a dog that bullies other dogs or becomes fearful when approached by other dogs.

Jean Donaldson - Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs

A step-by-step guide to help you recognize, evaluate and treat resource guarding in pet dogs.

Jean Donaldson - The Culture Clash

The Culture Clash is utterly unique, fascinating to the extreme, and literally overflowing with information so new that it virtually redefines the state of the art in dog behavior and training.

Jennifer Arnold - Through a Dog's Eyes: Understanding Our Dogs by Understanding How They See the World

Dogs are neither wolves in need of a pack leader nor babies in need of coddling; rather, they are extremely trusting beings attuned to their owners' needs and they aim to please. Relationships between dogs and humans go awry when we fail to understand our dogs and when we send them confusing, mixed signals

John Bradshaw - Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You a BetterFriend to Your Pet

How the new science of dog behavior can make you a better friend to your pet. Don't be an Alpha, understand your dog's emotional limitations, avoid punishment, respect your dog's senses, look beyond breed, teach your dog to cope with being left alone.

JohnFisher – Thing Dog: The bestselling guide to canine psychology

The book examines the mind of the dog with examples taken from his practical experience, with the aim of explaining to owners how the world appears from a dog's point of view.

John Paul Scott&John Fuller - Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog: The classic study

The single most important and comprehensive reference work on the behavior of dogs ever complied.

Juliane Kaminski & Sarah Marshall-Pescini - The Social Dog: Behavior and Cognition

This book aims to give the reader an overview of the state of the art of dog research, with an emphasis on social behavior and socio-cognitive skills.

Ian Dunbar – Before and after you get your puppy: The positive approach to raising a happy, healthy, and well-behaved dog

In clear steps, with helpful photos and easy-to-follow training deadlines, it presents a structured yet playful and humorous plan for raising a wonderful dog.

Karen Pryor – Don’t shoot the dog!: The new art of teaching and training

Here are the secrets of changing behavior in pets, kids—even yourself—without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips...or shooting the dog

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

The science behind clicker training, how and why it works, and offers step-by-step instructions on how you can clicker-train any animal in your life.

Kyra Sundance and Chalcy - 101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog 

Each trick is rated with a difficulty rating and prerequisites to get you started quickly. Tips and trouble-shooting boxes cover common problems, while Build on it! ideas suggest more complicated tricks that build on each new skill.

Laura VanArendonk Baugh - Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control 

Simple steps and an accessible, conversational tone from an award-winning, internationally-known trainer makes calming the agitated dog not only possible but pleasant.

Linda P. Case - Beware the Straw Man: The Science Dog Explores Dog Training Fact & Fiction

The book explores a question posed by leading researchers and provides a detailed and thought-provoking analysis of their findings. Learn how dogs react to different training methods, discover the pitfalls associated with the use of extinction, and read about new studies that evaluate programs that communities use to keep children safe from dog bites.

Malena DeMartini-Price - Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs

Treating separation anxiety in dogs is not quick or easy but it can be done. The successful ingredients are cooperation, commitment, and time on the part of the dog trainer and the owners. 

Nicole Wilde - Help For Your Fearful Dog: A Step-by-Step Guide to Helping Your Dog Conquer His Fears

Is your dog afraid of strangers? Would he rather hide than play with other dogs? Does he take cover at the sound of thunder, or cringe when you pick up a brush or nail clippers? Never fear! Whatever your dog is afraid of, this comprehensive guide to the treatment of canine anxiety, fears and phobias can help.

Pamela Reid - Excel-erated Learning: Explaining in Clear English How Dogs Learn and How Best To Teach Them

With the freedom of understanding "how your dog learns" comes the ability to make the process easy, efficient, and enjoyable for your dog. You'll be in a position to excel-erate your dog's learning.

Pat Miller - The Power of Positive Dog Training

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. 

Patricia B. McConnell - The Cautious Canine: How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears

Whether fear of strangers, vacuums, or objects, by identifying triggers and creating a step-by-step plan you will improve the quality of your dog's life and yours.

Patricia B. McConnell - The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

The author 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.

Patricia B. McConnell – The puppy primer

The book is easy to read, user-friendly, and priced right for trainers and dog owners. It's the perfect guide for positive-based training classes or for new dog owners flying solo.

Paul McGreevy - A Modern Dog’s Life: How to do best for your dog

What do dogs value? Why do they get so excited by their daily walks? And why do canines of different breeds have different needs? Paul McGreevy answers these questions and many more, explaining what life is like from a pooch’s perspective.

Raymond Coppinger - Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution

The authors explore the fascinating processes by which dog breeds have evolved into their unique shapes and behaviors. Concentrating on five types of dogs -- modern household dogs, village dogs, livestock-guarding dogs, sled dogs, and herding dogs - they examine our canine companions from a unique biological viewpoint.

RogerAbrantes – Dog language: An encyclopedia of canine behavior

Ethologist Roger Abrantes has built his career on helping professionals and lay persons understand dogs.

Sophia Yin - How to Behave So Your DogBehaves

A scientifically sound yet practical approach to explaining dog behavior and training theory, and then shows you how to apply these concepts so you can train your dog to be well behaved. 

Sophia Yin – Perfect puppy in 7 days: How to start your puppy off right

It’s not just about teaching your puppy manners, it's a step-by-step recipe for bonding with your puppy, learning to communicate with him, and preparing your pup for life! 

Suzanne Clothier - Bones Would Rain From the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs

From changing the misbehaviors and habits that upset us, to seeing the world from their unique and natural perspective, to finding a deep connection with another being, the book will help you receive an incomparable gift: a profound, lifelong relationship with the dog you love.

Suzanne Hetts - 12 Terrible Dog Training Mistakes Owners Make That Ruin Their Dog's Behavior...And How To Avoid Them

This book shows how to avoid the harmful mistakes that make your dog's behavior worse and keep you and your family annoyed and frustrated. You'll also discover what you DON'T have to do so you won't waste your valuable time and still not help your dog.

TuridRugaas - Barking: The sound of a language 

Barking is more than just noise. Barking is natural and almost all dogs bark. It's just one of the many ways dogs communicate with humans and each other. Think of barking as your dog's language.

Turid Rugaas  - On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals

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 to defuse situations that otherwise might result in fights or aggression. 

Victoria Stilwell - It’s Me or the Dog: How to Have the Perfect Pet

Simple, intuitive instructions and color photographs help dog owners not merely train their pets, but understand them - so when a new issue arises, they'll be able to adjust their approach and nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand. 

Vilmos Csányi - If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the CanineMind

How do dogs think? Short of breeding a talking dog (not as impossible as it sounds), the best we can do is to carefully observe and record their behavior.  

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