Three of the best books on dog training. They are highly beneficial for any dog trainer, dog parent, or anyone that has an interest in becoming friends with a dog.

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On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Rugass                                                                                                           This book will change the way that you see your dog, and make you realize that you have been missing out on actually communicating with your dog. If you want to truly understand your dog and “talk” to her/him than this short book with lots of photo examples is for you. Have you ever tried to take a photo of your dog and as soon as you hold the camera/phone up, your dog does a head turn? Once the camera/phone is put down, your dog goes back to looking at you. This turning of the head is a calming signal because, either the camera is scary or our energy is commanding, therefore causing your dog to send you a calming signal. Next time you visit the dog park, you will be enlightened and wont be able to stop yourself from naming all of the signals you are witnessing.                                                       There are about 30 documented signals and Turid Rugass, will cover all of them.  If you want to acquire the skills  to truly communicate with your dog, then please purchase this powerful book. 

The Power of Positive Dog Training by Pat Miller                                                                                                                              If you are interested in getting started with obedience training, then this is the book you should have on hand. Most people wanting to teach their dog a new trick will just You Tube it, but reading this beforehand will bring it all together and give you the proper mental tools to teach.                                                                                                                                                                         The book is divided into 3 main sections.  The first covers the ins and outs of positive training and what tools you will need. The second, gives step by step instructions on how to accomplish many basic commands and what order things should be done. This section is broken down into week by week tasks for you to complete. You will also learn in what order things should be taught, when to give the verbal command, and what to do if your dog ignores your command. The last section goes over more difficult behavioral problems.                                                                                                                                                                         Any aspiring dog trainer, as well as any human that lives with a dog, will gain a huge benefit by reading this.

The Cautious Canine (How to Help Dogs Conquer Their Fears) by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D.                                                    Many of us do not even realize that we have a fearful dog. What is a fearful dog? Does your dog run and hide when you turn the vacuum cleaner on?  Do trips to the Vet cause your dog to tremble and shake? Does your dog bark at delivery people and strangers? You might have a fearful dog on your hands.                                                                                                                  This book will provide you with a set of mental tools as well as a plan of action to help your fearful dog. If your dog barks at the UPS person, strangers on the street, or just simply has a fear of the vacuum, then you can gain a lot of insight from this short book. Patricia McConnell gives you step by step actionable tasks to accomplish with your dog.                                                                Whatever it is that is triggering your dog to act fearful or aggressive, can be dealt with by gradually and systematically, increasing and decreasing the level of the trigger, under direct supervision. The method described in the book, classical counter conditioning, is universally effective for fear-based behavioral problems.                                                                                                                              Anybody interested in dog behavior can gain a lot of insight from reading this book.