Dog Behavior: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Hardcover)

~ (Author) "What makes dogs tick?..." (more)
Key Phrases: bite inhibition, appeasement gestures, male urine, Kenneth Publishers, New York, Thinking Dog (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Dr. Ian Dunbar, renowned dog trainer and behaviorist, explains how dogs think, how dogs learn, and why they act the way they do. Dog owners who understand these issues can better train their dogs and develop a closer relationship with their pets.

From the Back Cover

Is your dog trying to tell you something? The better you understand your dog, the better your relationship will be. Learn how your dog thinks, how it learns and how your dog communicates, both with you and with other dogs. Written for the pet owner, this book explains how a dog's perceptions and desires result in its conduct. Best of all, by understanding what makes your dog tick, you'll learn how to socialize and train your dog to be the companion that you want. Modifying a dog's behavior isn't hard, it's simply a question of reinforcing the behavior that you desire. By using the proven techniques described in this book, you can teach your dog to be the model companion.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Howell Book House; illustrated edition edition (November 25, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0876052367
• ISBN-13: 978-0876052365
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #585,136 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Want to understand your dog better?, June 19, 2001

By	Robin G. Sowton "rsowton" (Plano, TX) - See all my reviews

Many dog behavior books seem to focus more on dog obedience/training rather than on dog 'behavior.' As the owner of 2 chihuahuas, I'm interested in dog obedience to some extent, but I've always wanted to know more about why my dogs behave a certain way. What do they really mean when they do certain things? So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this wonderful little book!

The author explains such behaviors as why dogs wag their tails... why dogs know how long to continue to view another dog as still being a puppy... how dogs develop their hierarchies... and yet, the author doesn't overgeneralize about these behaviors either. He describes the stages of a dog's development from puppy to adult, and he dispels some myths about dog intelligence and dog training.

I found the author's attitude very refreshing and I think this is another reason that I enjoyed this book so much. He genuinely likes dogs and he portrays them as the intelligent, emotional, and social creatures that they are.

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and entertaining, February 22, 2000

By	Laura C. Hooper (Ellensburg, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This is a very thin book, but it is just packed with insight and information. The author clearly loves dogs and understands them. My favorite thing about the book is the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) humor that he uses to make his points. I loved his turns of phrase and his abhorence for cruelty in any of its disguised forms. It is a fact that often what we think we are training the dog to do is the opposite of what we are really teaching. Dr. Dunbar is not afraid to point this out.

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read for all dog owners., February 10, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Southern Maryland) - See all my reviews

Ian Dunbar wrote a book called "Dog Behavior, Why Dogs Do What They Do" in 1979. He has now written a book called "Dog Behavior, An Owner's Guide To A Happy Healthy Pet". His clear, intelligent, witty writing has not changed. It is evident that he continues to learn more about dogs, people and writing clearly! If you are thinking about getting a dog or puppy, if you own a dog or puppy or you are just interested in dogs and puppies, you need to read this book.