Dog Community

Good spot to start

Posted : 12/23/2009 5:20:48 PM

I'm kinda new to the whole behavior/psychology aspects of dogs and was just wondering where I could start....as far as learning some new info. Are there any good websites out there anyone can recommend as a starting point for what I would call a beginner? Yep....that's me.

Thanks a million.

Johnny & Tessy

espencer

Posted : 12/23/2009 6:47:23 PM

You can start reading some of the threads here or reading some books that we can recommend. Some people will warn you against certain methods, techniques, trainers or philosophies, but remember, they are only personal opinions. You should form your own and see if you can take the best out of each

Some philosophies are simple and others require a little bit of extra "touch" to perform them correctly. I would stand away from the people that will start giving you advice by trying to "stay away" from a certain philosophy or trainer. No body should decide for you

Remember, every single thing should stand by it's own merits without having to trash the opposite

JackieG

Posted : 12/23/2009 7:01:02 PM

Jean Donaldson's book 'Culture Clash" is a great book, IMO. Patricia McConnell is another author who has several good books. 'The Other End of the Leash' is good. Karen Pryor's book "Don't Shoot the Dog' is a classic and I highly recommend it. Pat Miller and Ian Dunbar are also authors I enjoy.

dogwise.com is a great site for finding these and other books you would enjoy. I'm sure others will have more suggestions for you. Careful, it's addictive....lol

Kim_MacMillan

Posted : 12/23/2009 7:15:42 PM

Yes, Don't Shoot the Dog is basically the best "starter" book on understanding the philosophies and science part of behaviour. Anything by Patrica McConnell is great.

If you want to understand some of the behaviour theory stuff without buying books, you can head to www.clickersolutions.com for a great many hours of reading! But, it's all broken down into sections for your own learning and pace. It's my bible, I just love it!

Liesje

Posted : 12/23/2009 7:17:14 PM

I would say Don't Shoot the Dog! and The Other End of the Leash.

tenna

Posted : 12/24/2009 12:32:17 AM

I echo the recommendation for Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor. Karen Pryor's newest book, Reaching the Animal Mind, is also an absolutely excellent read and I cannot express how much I enjoyed reading it. I also adore Jean Donaldson's books (all that I have read), as well as Patricia McConnell's books (Don't Shoot the Dog and For the Love of a Dog). Getting more involved, Brenda Aloff has two books I like, Aggression in Dogs and also her picture (text)book on deciphering dog body language. Nicholas Dodman is one of the most renowned animal behaviorists, and has several books that discusses him dealing with problematic behaviors in dogs (and cats!) Necessary reads, no, but interesting nonetheless.

You could also try out Raymond and Lorna Coppinger's books, titled Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin. I don't think I entirely liked everything, but they brought up a lot of material that makes you think.

I am sure more will come to me later. Haha.

stardog85

Posted : 12/24/2009 1:25:45 PM

For a newbie to the field, DSTD can be a tough read (quite dry and technical), but it's a great resource.

When I first started learning about behavior and body language I loved Burch's "How Dogs Learn" for theory discussion in plain english and Coren's "How to Speak Dog" for it's body language dictionary.

tenna

Posted : 12/24/2009 4:48:21 PM

stardog85
When I first started learning about behavior and body language I loved Burch's "How Dogs Learn" for theory discussion in plain english and Coren's "How to Speak Dog" for it's body language dictionary.

I used to be a fan of Stanley Coren, until in one of his more recent books he had an entire chapter dedicated to Pit Bulls, and putting them in a bad light. I was unimpressed with what he had to say about them, and felt he did a huge disservice to the breed.

SWHouston

Posted : 12/27/2009 12:39:02 PM

These materials of which you speak, are in bound form (?), but, are there any online articles or "mini" books, which one could view concerning this subject ?

Have a good Day ! :)

S.W.

BTW: I really like your Avatar, it says SO much ! ;)