Dog Behavior Answer Book Practical Insights & Proven Solutions for Your Canine Questions

It happens all the time. Just when Max's owner thinks she has him figured out, he exhibits a bewildering fear of the neighbor's skateboard. Or, despite endless corrections, Bailey still refuses to understand that she doesn't belong on the leather armchair.

Then there are the dogs that almost always behave appropriately and predictably but can still display a few surprise reactions in situations that disturb their routines. Houseguests might be ruining Buster's sense of order — taking over his favorite room and distracting his humans from important things like fetch and dinner. And that dog park near Sadie's new house is terrific, but she might be having a tough time understanding the rules of etiquette.

To all these situations and a hundred more, dog expert Arden Moore provides answers that clearly explain canine actions and reactions, and then helps readers with suggestions for modifying unacceptable behavior. For every canine misdeed, there is a human counter-response to fix the problem. Read about both sides of the story in these friendly questions and answers, taken from real-life situations with real dogs. There is hardly a behavior that will not have dog lovers nodding their heads in recognition.

The Dog Behavior Answer Book will solve the mysteries of canine shoe theft, food guarding, and grass eating for puzzled humans everywhere.

It's hard enough for different people to live together let alone different species. What people often regard as doggy misdeeds are simply cases of dogs being dogs. In the Dog Behavior Answer Book, pet expert Arden Moore unleashes great advice on how to bridge the people-pet communication gap. Read this incredible book and you'll learn new insights into the canine world, prevent problems, and meet your dogs on a richer, deeper level. Go fetch this book!

 

Marty Becker, Host, The Pet Doctor, PBS

 

 

What a great way to learn how to better communicate with our dogs, and why it is they do what they do. This book addresses some quality questions with in-depth answers that help develop that strong bond with Fido. Arden's writing style packages useful information in a fun and entertaining way.

Nick Sveslosky, Editor, Fido Friendly Magazine

 

"This concise, small-format book in a question-and-answer format takes you through puppyhood to greet-and-sniff to your aging pet.  Baffling habits and destructive behavior are some of the many topics covered."

 

Asbury Park Press, Jan. 15, 2007

"Kudos to the Veterinary Behaviorists! Decoding Your Dog is a welcome addition to the voicesand#12288;supporting science-based and benevolent dog training. Read this book and your dog will thank you for it!" -- Patricia B McConnell, PhD, CAAB, author of The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs "Behavioral problems often risk damaging the canine-human bond. Veterinary behaviorists are uniquely qualified to consider potential medical explanations while also understanding how to appropriately treat a wide array of behavior problems. This wonderful, practical book can help dog owners to insure that their relationship lasts a lifetime. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a dog." -- Dr. Doug Aspros, 2013 president of the American Veterinary Medical Association "The very best information to help your best friend from top veterinary behavioral experts. A must buy for the caring dog owner. Two paws up!" -- Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, Director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine and author of The Well-Adjusted Dog "What makes your dog tick? Do you wish he could talk? You donand#8217;t have to! "Decoding Your Dog" is all you need speak the language, thanks to a Dream Team of top veterinary behaviorists. This is one book every dog-lover needs to have, for better-behaved companion whoand#8217;s as tuned in to you as you can be to him." -- Dr. Marty Becker, veterinary contributor for Good Morning America and The Dr. Oz Show and author of Your Dog: The Ownerand#8217;s Manual and Your Cat: The Ownerand#8217;s Manual "Well edited...Decoding Your Dog is an important addition to the canine canon, one that will go a long way toward increasing your understanding of your best friend."--The Bark

"The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists is an organization of veterinarians with advanced training and experience in the field of applied animal behavior. More than 90 percent of pet owners feel

that their dog is part of the family so the need for good communication between dog and owner becomes obvious if that familial relationship is to be positive for both species. Behavior problems in pets can erode that relationship, and without successful training or treatment, the result may be the loss of the dog to a shelter or to euthanasia. In 14 chapters, veterinary behaviorists walk dog owners through the stages of dog ownership. A basic chapter on learning to speak and#8220;dogand#8221; starts us off, followed by essays on choosing a dog, house training, behavior training, and training tools. Chapters on common issues, such as separation anxiety, aggression, sound phobias, and compulsive behaviors, teach how to retrain the dog, and a final chapter on the aging canine rounds out the book. Boxes defining terms used in the chapter or containing in-depth coverage of a behavior fill many sections, and each chapter ends with a and#8220;What Did We Say?and#8221; summary. Libraries and dog owners may have found the holy grail with this title."--Booklist, STARRED review

"Just how smart is my dog?" Try draping a towel over his head and timing his escape. "Why does she prefer the toilet to her bowl?" Because it's always full and always cool; can you blame her? Animal behavior expert Arden Moore answers scores of questions on dog ownership and psychology, from grooming and fleas to obedience training and puppy love. This book contains everything the new, curious, or frustrated pet owner needs to know to smooth out the wrinkles in any dog's coat

The top dog behaviorists in the country - the top researchers, scientists, and veterinarians - have teamed up with a renowned media personality to create the most cutting-edge, scientifically accurate, definitiveand#160;book on and#160;why our dogs do what they do and how we can prevent or solve common canine behavior problems.

More thanand#160;ninety percent of dog owners consider their pets to be members of their family. But often, despite our best intentions, we are letting our dogs down by not giving them theand#160;guidance and directionand#160;they need.and#160;Unwanted behavior is the number-one reason dogs are relinquished to shelters and rescue groups.

The key to trainingand#160;dogs effectively isand#160;first toand#160;understand why our dogs do what they do. And no one can address this more authoritatively than the diplomates of the American College of Veterinary Behavior, whose work, the culmination of years ofand#160;rigorous training, takes them deep into the minds ofand#160;dogs in an effort to decode how they think, how they communicate, and how they learn.

In Decoding Your Dog, these experts analyze problem behaviors, decipher the latest studies, and correct common misconceptions and outmoded theories. The book includes:

and#8226; Effective, veterinary-approved positive training methods

and#8226; Expert advice on socialization, housetraining, diet, and exercise

and#8226; Remedies for behaviorand#160;problems such as OCD and aggression

With Decoding Your Dog the expertsand#8217; experts deliver a must-have dog behavior guide that ultimately challenge the way we think about our dogs.

Arden Moore is the author of 20 books on cats and dogs, including The Cat Behavior Answer Book, The Dog Behavior Answer Book, and Real Food for Dogs. She is the editor of Fido Friendly magazine, editor of Catnip, an animal behavior consultant and host of “Oh Behave!”, a weekly radio show on Pet Life Radio.com. She has appeared on Fox News, CNN Headline News, HGTV’s "Smart Solution," Martha Stewart Living Radio, NPR and hundreds of radio and television programs. She is known as "America’s Pet Edu-Tainer™" and gives pet talks throughout North America. Learn more by visiting her&

Acknowledgmentsand#160;and#160;and#160;xi

Foreword by Victoria Stillwelland#160;and#160;and#160;xv

Preface by Barbara L. Shermanand#160;and#160;and#160;xvii

Introduction by Steve Daleand#160;and#160;and#160;xxi 1.and#160;and#160;and#160;Canand#8217;t We Just Talk?and#160;and#160;and#160;1

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Learning to and#8220;Speak Dogand#8221;and#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Jacqueline C. Neilson, DVM, DACVB

2.and#160;and#160;and#160;Choosing Your New Best Friendand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;How to Find the Best Match for You and Your Puppyand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Meghan Elaine Herron, DVM, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Patrick Yves Melese, MA, DVM, DAVCBand#160;and#160;and#160; 3.and#160;and#160;and#160;Creating a Mensa Dogand#160;and#160;and#160;38

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;What Learning Really Is, and How Dogs Learnand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Katherine Albro Houpt, VMD, PhD, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 4.and#160;and#160;and#160;Housetraining 101and#160;and#160;and#160;59

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Do It Here, Do It Nowand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Leslie Larson Cooper, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160;

5.and#160;and#160;and#160;Tools of the Tradeand#160;and#160;and#160;83

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Humane and Safe Training Toolsand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Lori Gaskins, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 6.and#160;and#160;and#160;School Daysand#160;and#160;and#160;107

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Practical Advice on Getting from a Puppy to a Dog and#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Gerrard Flannigan, MS, DVM, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Ellen M. Lindell, VMD, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 7.and#160;and#160;and#160;I Know Theyand#8217;re Normal Behaviors, but How

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Do I Fix Them?and#160;and#160;and#160;127

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Common Problems That Can Drive

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Any Dog Owner to Howland#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Jeannine Berger, DVM, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Lore I. Haug, MS, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 8.and#160;and#160;and#160;Lassie and Timmy: Kids and Dogsand#160;and#160;and#160;150

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Creating a Family That Worksand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Valarie V. Tynes, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 9.and#160;and#160;and#160;All Dogs Need a Joband#160;and#160;and#160;177

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;How to Keep Your Dog Happy and Mentally Healthyand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Mary P. Klinck, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 10.and#160;and#160;and#160;Aggression Unleashed: Do Dogs Mean to be Mean?and#160;and#160;and#160;199

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;If Aggression Leads to More Aggression, How Do You Respond?and#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Ilana Reisner, DVM, PhD, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Stefanie Schwartz, MS, DVM, DAVCBand#160;and#160;and#160; 11.and#160;and#160;and#160;Loyalty Gone Overboard: Separation Anxietyand#160;and#160;and#160;235

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;The and#8220;Velcro Dogand#8221; Dilemmaand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Eand#8217;Lise Christensen, DVM, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Karen L. Overall, MA, VMD, PhD, DACVB, CAABand#160;and#160;and#160;

12.and#160;and#160;and#160;I Know Itand#8217;s Going to Rain, and I Hate the Fourth of Julyand#160;and#160; and#160;and#160;and#160;263

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Dogs Who Are Phobic About Soundand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Emily D. Levine, DVM, DACVB, MRCVSand#160;and#160;and#160; 13.and#160;and#160;and#160;Tail Chasing, Leg Lickingand#8212;Canand#8217;t You Stop?and#160;and#160;and#160;281

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Compulsive Behaviorsand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Melissa Bain, MS, DVM, DACVB

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Marsha Reich, DVM, DACVBand#160;and#160;and#160; 14.and#160;and#160;and#160;Dogs with an AARF Card: Growing Old with Graceand#160;and#160;and#160;296

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Old Dogs Should Learn New Tricksand#160;and#160;and#160;

and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;Gary Landsberg DVM, DACVB, DECAWBM (Behavior)

Conclusionand#160;and#160;and#160;317

Appendix and#160;and#160;and#160;319

Glossary and#160;and#160;and#160;321

Recommended Resourcesand#160;and#160;and#160;333

About the Editorsand#160;and#160;and#160;337

About the Authorsand#160;and#160;and#160;341

Members of the American College ofand#160;

Veterinary Behavioristsand#160;and#160;and#160;351

Index