Books We Recommend
Books are a great way to get an overview and introduction to a topic. We have organized books that we like by topic. This is not a comprehensive list, but it’s a great place to get started! For complicated or dangerous behaviors, be sure to consult with a local humane trainer for additional support.
General training
How 2 Train A _______, Patricia Barlow-Irick
Don't Shoot the Dog, Karen Pryor
Dog Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior, Roger Abrantes
Plenty in Life is Free: Reflections on Dogs, Training and Finding Grace, Kathy Sdao
Mind Games for Dogs, Sarah Whitehead
The Official Ahimsa Dog Training Manual: A Practical, Force-Free Guide to Problem Solving and Manners, Grisha Stewart
The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training, Gail Fisher
When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs, Jane Killion
Carrots and Sticks: Principles of Animal Training, Paul McGreevy and Robert Boakes
Raising puppies
Perfect Puppy in Seven Days, Dr. Sophia Yin
Puppy Start Right: Foundation Training for the Companion Dog, Dr. Kenneth Martin and Debbie Martin
Control Unleashed: The Puppy Program, Leslie McDevitt
The Puppy Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Guide to Early Training and Care, Paul Owens and Terence Cranendonk
Life Skills for Puppies: Laying the Foundation for a Loving, Lasting Relationship, Helen Zulch
Training adolescent dogs
Juvenile Delinquent Dogs: The Complete Guide to Saving Your Sanity and Successfully Living with your Adolescent Dog, Sue Brown
Families with children and dogs
Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing your Mind, Colleen Pelar
Raising Puppies and Kids Together: A Guide for Parents, Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt
How to Greet a Dog and What to Avoid, Dr. Sophia Yin
Please Don't Bite the Baby (and Please Don't Chase the Dogs): Keeping our Kids and our Dogs Safe and Happy Together, Lisa Edwards
Dogs with special needs
A Deaf Dog Joins the Family: Training, Education, and Communication for a Smooth Transition, Terrie Hayward
Through a Dark Silence: Loving and Living with Your Blind and Deaf Dog, Debbie Bauer
Behavior modification for common undesired behaviors
Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog, Patricia McConnell and Karen London
Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over the Top to Under Control, Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Better Together: The Collected Wisdom of Modern Dog Trainers, Ken Ramirez, editor
Treating Separation Anxiety in Dogs, Malena Demartini-Price
Chill Out Fido!, Nan Kené Arthur
The Science of Animal Learning and Behavior
The Science of Consequences: How they Affect Genes, Change the Brain, and Impact our World, Susan Schneider
Coercion and its Fallout, Murray Sidman
Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog: The Classic Study, John Paul Scott and John J. Fuller
Domestic Dog Cognition and Behavior: The Scientific Study of Canis Familiaris, Alexandra Horowitz, editor
The Social Dog: Behavior and Cognition, Juliane Kaminski and Sarah Marshall-Pescini, editors
The Power of Reinforcement, Stephen Ray Flora
How To Think Like a Behavior Analyst: Understanding the Science That Can Change Your Life, Jon Bailey and Mary Burch
Animal Training: Successful Animal Management Through Positive Reinforcement, Ken Ramirez