# Comments/Suggestions on books?



## jarn

okay, it's bonus time, so i'm looking to expand my dog library









of my dogs - both shelter dogs, though i got luc through a rescue. luc was in a shelter for 3 years, teagan for 3.5 weeks. luc has underexposure issues (shocking, i know) and is easily nervous though i've been able to work through a lot of that by being a strong leader and handling interactions for him. he's actually developed into a really happy, goofy dog who grins all the time and loves to meet people who might want to pet him. teagan i've been posting about more recently, she has some aggression issues, with dogs, sometimes people, is showing signs of territoriality in our new house (working on that!) and has a high prey drive. 

when the snow is gone, i'd like to start tracking for fun w/both dogs. so i'm looking at books for that, and then books on body language/dog behaviour/aggression issues.

from amazon, these are books i found as possibilities - comments on them, or suggestions for others would be appreciated. 

Tracking Dog: Theory and Methods Glen R. Johnson
Fun Nosework for Dogs: Teach Your Dog to Enjoy His Nose Roy Hunter

Canine Body Language: A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog Brenda Aloff
(I looked at her book on aggressive dogs and it's selling used for $107!!! Ouch)
Bones Would Rain From the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships With Dogs Suzanne Clothier
How to Right a Dog Gone Wrong: A Road Map for Rehabilitating Aggressive Dogs Pamela Dennison
Bringing Light to Shadow: A Dog Trainer's Diary Pamela Dennison
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals Turid Ruugas


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## luanne

I've read/looked through the Canine Body Language book. Our trainer loves this author. It's pretty cool. It was a lot for me to pick up on but I did gain some insight into some body posturing that I didn't realize was going on. I think that's a book you need to have so you can refer back to often vs. just borrowing it.

I just ordered a few books last night from Amazon and one of them was On Talking Terms with Dogs. I also bought Scardey Dog. It talked about dealing with a reactive dog. I'm currently reading The Other End of the Leash which a lot of people on this site love but I'm not all the way through it just yet. 

Lu


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## jarn

i have the other end of the leash, am almost done it. i started reading it a little over half way through, finished, than moved onto the start. for some reason. but it's been great. 

on talking terms w/dogs looks good. i'd really like to understand as much as i can about body language, and signals being sent. having the two dogs is actually helpful w/that, b/c sometimes i just watch them play and interact and i can see being excited, being submissive, sending calming signals, etc.


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## novarobin

I loved The Other End of the Leash. I also loved Stanley Coren's book "How Dogs Think". If you are interested in tracking, you could check out "Scent and the Scenting Dog". I just finished that one. Its only short.


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## jarn

i wonder why that didn't come up when i searched tracking. i guess i needed 'scenting'









so it was good for a beginner? thanks!


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## novarobin

From what I am told, it is a must read for trackers. All our police K9 guys have to read it. 

It is basically what scent/odor is broken down. What affects it, where it lands, how long it lasts, where the wind may take it, etc. It goes through the different types of tracking, ie, tracking, trailing and air scenting. It isn't a how to book, it helps you to understand the scent.


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## jarn

that sounds really interesting though - thanks!


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## daniella5574

Can anyone tell me more about "On talking terms with dogs" by Turid Ruugas?


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## daniella5574

> Originally Posted By: DanniCan anyone tell me more about "On talking terms with dogs" by Turid Ruugas?


And if there is much of a difference in the first and second editions...


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## daniella5574

Or the cautious canine by Patricia McConnell? I believe its from 1998


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## luanne

Danni, I have both of these books but I haven't started reading them yet. I'll post back once I'm done!

Lu


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## amjrchamberlain

On Talking Terms is terrific! The video is good, as well.

Canine Body Language - Have that. LOVE IT! Very helpful for gaining better understanding into dog speak. 

Tracking Dog - Have that. Must have.







But I really enjoy "Enthusiastic Tracking". As a beginner, it really breaks things down. It is AKC style tracking.


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## jarn

thanks angela! 

the books have been shipped to me, so i'm excited about that. i figure i'll end up expanding my library on tracking as well.


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## Kayos and Havoc

Brenda Aloff's books are excellent! 
Bones Would Rain is also very good and I need to read it again. 

I find it humorous that the only books I ever re-read are dog books! 

I think one of my favorite tracking books has become Novice Nosework by Ed Presnall, available from http://www.pawmark.com It is very short and uncomplicated. I have Enthusiastic Tracking also and it is good but I find the aging and the food and the track length to be complicated for a beginner that is just looking to have fun. But it is a good tracking book as well.

I also like the Audile Nose by Judi Adler. It is a big book and pricey but the information it contains is good and it is easy to read. It is also available from Pawmark.


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## jarn

excellent! i'm really looking forward to reading them. 

i'd never even heard of pawmark before!


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## Kayos and Havoc

I buy all my tracking stuff from Pawmark and I like that he is no nonsense and his information is relevant.


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## jarn

i've been going around the site, it looks good! 

....and he has pot belly pig harnesses! i've always wanted to move somewhere pigs were allowed.....off-topic i know, but *sigh*


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## daniella5574

Thanks! I started reading The Dog Listener a couple night ago. Also bought For the Love of a Dog and Other end of the leash.


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## melonyjhsn

Danni- You're going to like The Other End of the Leash and you'll love For the Love of a Dog. Just got done reading both of them and they are great.


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## novarobin

I am going to pick up For the Love of Dog. I really loved The Other End of the Leash


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## LUV_GSDs

For the Love of a Dog is one of my all time favorite books; of all the books I have ever read.


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## Cassidy's Mom

> Originally Posted By: LUV_GSDsFor the Love of a Dog is one of my all time favorite books; of all the books I have ever read.


I read it fairly recently and thought it was wonderful! I loaned it to my sister who does not yet have a dog (she has 6 cats!), but wants to get one some day when she retires, and she liked it so much she's planning on buying her own copy.


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## novarobin

> Originally Posted By: LUV_GSDsFor the Love of a Dog is one of my all time favorite books; of all the books I have ever read.


Darn. I just got back from a trip and got to go to one of the big book chains (local store doesn't have much). I had that and Don't Shoot the Dog in my hand and couldn't decide. I really wanted the Canine Body Language one but they didn't have it. I went with Don't Shoot the Dog instead b/c I have already read one of Patricial McConnell's books. I want to read it but was worried it might be too similar. Oh well, I'll get it next time. 

They didn't have Bones would Rain from the Sky either.


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## LUV_GSDs

I really liked the Other end of the Leash then I read For the Love of a Dog which I liked even more.


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## Maedchen

I liked "the other end o.t. leash" better then "for the love of a dog". I also didn't agree with some in the 2nd book.
But I found "bones would rain from the sky" the best of all three, maybe bc I like her style better.


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## melonyjhsn

I liked ‘The Other End of the Leash’ but found it the harder of the two McConnell books to get through. She’s clearly an evolutionist- which is fine by me- but she’s writing to a large audience that believes many different things and makes only one minor two sentence concession to other points of views in the entire book. It also bugs the crap out of me when I see theory (from both sides of an argument) written as fact in books that are not geared specifically to one of those groups. 

She goes out of her way in to point out that even though dogs have the same genetics as wolves that they act like juvenile wolves that never grow up therefore we should be wary of comparing their behavior to that of wolves. Fine and dandy with me. Then the other half of the comparison- why we do what we do around dogs- was people vs primates. I found that pointless as there were far better examples out there just using a straight people/culture comparison. The book read great once I started skimming through the primate things and changing ‘we primates’ to we people. I guess I just got tired of being called a monkey for no good reason.









Thank goodness that there were some good stories and decent information from a behaviorist POV in that book or I would of flunked it and returned it to the store. I loved ‘For the Love of a Dog’ though. Same great stories and information without the annoying thesis in the other book and I think I only saw the word primate twice.


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