Books, Videos

Here are a few of Ahimsa Dog Training’s favorite books and videos. They are a helpful companion to (although no substitute for) a great trainer. In the “where to find it” column, you’ll see a link to various places to get the books/videos. Unless otherwise stated, we have read the books and watched the videos listed below. Many of these books are available from us on our secure online store – pick up at Ahimsa or we can ship them to you.

Title	Author / Producer	Recommended for (prospective) Guardians of	Comments	Medium	Where to Find It (click image)
Dogs Home Alone	Abrantes, Roger	Dogs & Puppies – Separation Anxiety.	Based on many years of work and research on separation anxiety in dogs. Excellent tips for teaching dogs and puppies to be alone.	Book
Bow Wow Take II	Broitman, Virginia	Dogs.	Continuation of the Bow Wow video. How to close cabinet doors, etc.	Video
The How of Bow Wow	Broitman, Virginia	Dogs.	Prequel to the Bow Wow videos. Covers clicker training.	Video
Living With a Deaf Dog	Susan Cope-Becker	Deaf Dogs.	Tips and stories from owners of deaf dogs. I’ve trained lots of deaf dogs, but haven’t read this, so if you get it, let me know how it is. It was recommended on deafdogs.org	Book
Culture Clash: a Revolutionary New Way of Understanding the Relationship Between Humans and Domestic Dogs (1996)	Donaldson, Jean	Dogs.	If you ever wonder why your dog does something, or think she does it out of spite, this book is for you.	Book
Fight! A Practical Guide to the Treatment of Dog-Dog Aggression	Donaldson, Jean	Dog with Aggression problems.	Excellent help with aggression inside and outside the home.	Book
Mine! A Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs	Donaldson, Jean	Resource-guarding dogs. Actually, all dogs.	Dispels some myths about resource guarding and gives practical advice on what to do.	Book
Before You Get Your Puppy	Dunbar, Ian, DVM	Dogs.	Gives ideas for preventing problem dog behaviors like chewing, nipping, aggression, & barking.	Book – bound or in PDF form	or SiriusPup
Hear, Hear! A Guide to Training a Deaf Dog	Barry Eaton	Deaf Dogs, especially puppies.	Tips on “Getting attention, teaching basic commands” I haven’t read this, so if you get it, let me know how it is. It was recommended on deafdogs.org	Book
The Seattle Dog Lover’s Companion	Giordano, Steve	Seattle dogs.	Great for choosing the right vacation spot or restaurant in Seattle. Includes B.C.	Book	Amazon, Seattle Public Library
Help, I’m Barking & I Can’t Be Quiet!	Hetts, Suzanne	Barking, growling, or whining dogs	Helpful starting point on figuring out why your dog is barking and how to fix it.	Book
Raising a Behaviorally Healthy Puppy	Hetts, Suzanne, Ph.D. & Estep, Daniel Ph.D.	Puppies, young dogs, and rescues	Every puppy owner and dog breeder should own this book! Great info on warning signs, socialization, vet info, and more. Heavy on luring instead of clicker training, but that’s the only major flaw.	Book
Childproofing your Dog: A Complete Guide for Preparing Your Dog for the Children in Your Life	Kilcommons, Brian & Wilson, Sarah	Dogs, especially those people with children, but even those without.	Useful book. I do not recommend all of the training tools that Brian Kilcommons uses (esp. metal training collars) but this is still a useful resource.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Paws to Consider	Kilcommons, Brian & Wilson, Sarah	Dogs. Read before you look for your new pal.	Read through this book before you get a dog. It will help you decide whether a dog is really the right pet for your family, as well as help you choosing the best dog.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Cautious Canine	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	Shy or fearful dogs.	Good for showing you what to do to desensitize your cautious pup before (or after) he turns to aggression.	Booklet
Feeling Outnumbered? How to Manage and Enjoy Your Multi-Dog Household	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	More than one dog (or plan to).	If you have more than one dog, this book is a must for you! Talks about what to do to ensure peace and harmony in the home.	Booklet
Feisty Fido	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	Aggressive dogs.	Excellent tips for turning your leash aggressive dog into a walk-able friend.	Booklet
Family Friendly Dog Training	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D. & Aimee Moore	Dogs.	Companion book to the training classes at Dogs Best Friend, Ltd. Another short, excellent book.	Book
I’ll Be Home Soon	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	Dogs & Puppies – Separation Anxiety.	In her usual down-to-earth style, Dr. McConnell walks us through ways to teach dogs and puppies to be home by themselves without stress.	Booklet
The Other End of the Leash	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	Any animal.	This fun book talks about the difference between canines and humans.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Puppy Primer	McConnell, Patricia, Ph.D.	Puppies.	Excellent little book. A quick read, with lots of useful tips.	Book
Control Unleashed: Creating a Focused and Confident Dog	McDevitt, Leslie	Dogs that need focus.	The must-have book of 2007. Control Unleashed has a nice combination of methods for focus, calm, and confidence. Generally written for agility and competitors, but it’s useful for all dogs.	Book
Positive Perspectives	Miller, Pat	Dogs.	Collection of essays on solving behavior problems and doing basic training. Easier to read than her other book.	Book
The Power of Positive Dog Training	Miller, Pat	Dogs.	Step-by-step information on how to train all of the basic cues. Also discusses behavioral issues.	Book
Canine Separation Anxiety Workbook	O’Heare, James	Dogs & Puppies – Separation Anxiety.	A bit technical, but this is an excellent resource on Separation Anxiety.	Book
Clicker Magic	Pryor, Karen	Dogs or cats.	Video that teaches clicker training	Video
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs	Pryor, Karen	Dogs.	Also available as a kit that comes with a clicker. Step by step info on how to use clicker training on dogs.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Getting Started: Clicker Training for Cats	Pryor, Karen	Cats (who knew they could be trained?).	Also available as a kit that comes with a clicker. Step by step info on how to train cats using clicker training. Hint: you convince them that they’re training YOU.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Don’t Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training	Pryor, Karen	Dogs, children, husbands….	Useful for those who want to understand what positive training is all about. Applies to training humans, too. Karen Pryor is one of the people who brought clicker training to the dog world.	Book	or Seattle Public Library
Excel-erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them	Reid, Pamela	Dogs.	This should not be your first dog book, but it is a nice introduction to Learning Theory. Very readable.	Book
On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals	Rugaas, Turid	Dogs.	Great resource for interpreting what your dog is telling you. You can use these to communicate with him, too.	Book, Video	or
Mine!	Sternberg, Sue	Resource Guarding Dogs.	“Resource Guarding” is the official term for dogs that guard bones, toys, food, space, etc. This book gives a step-by-step protocol for working on resource guarding. Also good for dogs in which you want to prevent resource guarding.	Book
Successful Dog Adoption	Sternberg, Sue	Adopting a New Dog.	Help choosing a dog to match your personality and lifestyle, including the age, bread, and temperament of the dog. Sue Sternberg is a leader in the shelter world.	Book
Whole Dog Journal	Whole Dog Journal	Dogs.	Monthly articles on natural nutrition, fun toys, positive training, and other fun doggie stuff.	Monthly Journal	whole-dog-journal.com
Help for your Fearful Dog	Wilde, Nicole	Shy or fearful dogs.	This is a fabulous, extensive new resource on working with fearful dogs. Get this book!	Book
Help for your Shy Dog: Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet	Wood, Deborah	Shy or fearful dogs.	I can’t recommend this book enough. If you have a shy dog, you have to read this book!	Book

Written by Grisha Stewart, Ahimsa Dog Training, Seattle