Recommended Readings

EXCEL-ERATED LEARNING

By Pamela Reid

Explains in plain English how dogs learn and how best to teach them! Contents: Motivation, stages of learning, why study learning, science of behaviorism, classical conditioning, operant conditioning, single-event learning, factors that affect learning (timing, schedules of reinforcement), stimulus (signal) control, aversive control of behavior, negative punishment, the application of learning principles to changing behavior, social learning, and more.

CULTURE CLASH

By Jean Donaldson

It's easy to fall into the trap of attributing human behavior and emotions to dogs, but dogs are NOT humans. Dogs ARE clever and complex creatures that humans need to take the time to understand in order to live together successfully. This book examines the relationship between humans and dogs, and teaches us how to improve that relationship. You must read this book because your dog cannot!

DON'T SHOOT THE DOG

By Karen Pryor

Not exclusively a dog training book - author is famous as an early dolphin trainer. Outlines 8 methods for putting an end to all kinds of undesirable behavior without yelling, threats, force, punishment, guilt trips - or shooting the dog; the 10 laws of shaping behavior through affection training; how to combat your own addictions to alcohol, drugs, cigarettes, overeating or whatever; how to deal with such difficult problems as a moody spouse, an impossible teen, or an aged parent; PLUS housetraining the dog, improving your tennis game, keeping the cat off the table, and much, much more! This latest edition has additional chapter, "Clicker Training, A New Technique." This covers the use of clickers in dog training, why it works, and how it has caught on. There is little or no practical application here, so we recommend Karen's Clicker Training Start-up Kit or DTB622 Clicker Training for Dogs. This book is the theory!

CLICKER DOG TRAINING KIT

Karen Pryor's "Don't Shoot the Dog" revolutionized dog training and turned trainers on to Clicker Training. Now you can learn how to use operant conditioning to shape behavior in all creatures-humans, dogs, cats, other creatures. Karen's Getting Started Kit, is a great introduction to clicker training. The kit includes Clicker Training for Dogs booklet which explains how dolphin training and dog training use the same scientific principles, an i-Click clicker, a small packet of treats, and "click-a-trick" cards, each with a behavior your can teach your dog!