Becoming a Dog Trainer Series: Recommended Books

Well, I have a confession to make – I am obsessed with books! I cannot go to a bookstore, or even Costco without bringing a book home with me. I love the paper, where I can feel and smell the pages while I read. Crazy huh? lol, can anyone relate? And because of this obsession, today I have a collection of dog books. I know, I still haven’t read half of them, but I’ll get there someday and I will share them here with you, but today I want to talk about the books that I have read and have helped me in the process of becoming a dog trainer.

I will start here with one of the books that I really liked and always recommend for my clients: It’s Me or The Dog, by Victoria Stillwel. This book covers lots of good points in getting a dog, taking care of a puppy, their behavior, how to solve some of them, best leashes and toys, etc. It is a great way to start understanding about your dog.

Next on my list is the Dog Sense, by Johns Bradshaw. It is an amazing book. It talks a about where the dogs come from and their behavior. It can change your way of thinking about your best friend.

Patricia McConnel, one of my favorite behaviorist, has a collection of books that I recommend, including The Other End of The Leash and For the Love of a Dog.

A good trainer have to know and understand the difference between breeds. A great book about breeds is Original Dog Bible: The Definitive Source for All Things Dog.

How about canine body language? It is one of the most important things to study before becoming a trainer. Dogs can’t talk, so they express themselves using a body language. One great book about it is the Canine Body Language, by Brenda Aloff.

Knowing about dog behavior is a really important step on becoming a good trainer. This next item is one of my favorites. It is called Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training, and it comes in three volumes: Volume 1: Adaptation and Learning, Volume 2: Etiology and Assessment of Behavior Problems, and Volume 3: Procedures and Protocols. The collection is a bit pricey, but it was one of the best purchases I ever made. You will find all the answers for all kind of behavior problems in this handbooks.

I will cite here again some books about becoming a dog trainer that I recommend. They are the the Dog Trainer Handbook and So You Want to be a Dog Trainer, by Nicole Wilde.

Well, it seems a lot but I have to say that this is only the beginning. If you need another book or video recommendation contact me at contact@thedoggyworld.com . Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook!

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post: Becoming a Dog Trainer Series: Recommended Videos

Talk to you tomorrow!