Full Description
If you're feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of getting a dog or nervous about caring for the one you've already brought home, now you can relax. Understanding Your Dog for Dummies helps you recognize not only why your dog behaves the way she does, but in a way that enables you to parlay that into a well-behaved companion who listens (and sits, and speaks, and comes, etc.). Whether your pooch is a mixed breed or purebred, she has a distinct identity that makes her unique. The first step in understanding your dog is to respect the honorable task she was originally bred for and to identify how these inbred impulses influence her personality and behavior. In essence, you need to speak her language if you expect her to learn to understand yours.
Understanding Your Dog for Dummies gives you everything you need to learn to understand your pooch's unique dialect of "Doglish"—and shows you how to take on the role as pack leader to give your dog the cues, guidance, and consistency she needs to shape and develop good behaviors. Inside you'll discover how to:
Read your dog's body language
Communicate with your dog
Interpret your dog's breed-specific traits
Correct dog-behavior-gone-bad
Counter anxiety-based behavior
Understand and resolve aggressive behavior
And so much more!
Think of this book as Doglish 101—a prerequisite for every human member of your dog's family. Now, let the training begin!
Contents
Introduction 1
Part I: The Fascinating World of Dogs 7
Chapter 1: A Dog for Life: Dog Psychology 101 9
Chapter 2: Understanding Your Dog 15
Chapter 3: Communicating with Your Dog 29
Chapter 4: Seeing Life from Your Dog's Perspective 47
Part II: Embracing Your Dog's Identity 61
Chapter 5: Identifying Your Dog's Individuality 63
Chapter 6: Interpreting Your Dog's Breed-Specific Traits 83
Chapter 7: Sensory Perceptions 95
Chapter 8: Meeting the Needs of Your Growing Puppy 107
Chapter 9: Reading and Communicating as Your Dog Ages 123
Part III: Doggie Delinquency 137
Chapter 10: Inspiring Behavior with Motivational Techniques 139
Chapter 11: Helping Your Dog Learn from Everyday Living 159
Chapter 12: Happy Training, Happy Tails 171
Part IV: Dogs Don't Misbehave: Misperceptions and Solutions 185
Chapter 13: Addressing and Solving Problem Behavior 187
Chapter 14: Countering Anxiety-Based Behavior 205
Chapter 15: Understanding and Resolving Aggressive Behavior 221
Part V: The Part of Tens 241
Chapter 16: Ten Forms of Silent Communication 243
Chapter 17: Ten Common Misunderstandings 249
Chapter 18: Ten Ways to Become Your Dog's Leader 255
Index 261
