Congratulations! It's A Dog: Training and Behaviour Tips for the Newest Member of Your Family - Tapa blanda

The author of this enlightening and entertaining book for dog owners grants that "The way we treat dogs changes with the times, varies from one culture to the next, and even one neighbor to the next." In the past, dogs were valued by humans as workers, hunters, and guard animals. Today, the majority of dogs are kept as pets, and are sometimes treated like children by well-meaning owners who fail to understand the qualities that make dogs unique. Some owners neglect or abuse their dogs, while others coddle their pets in ways that mirror human society's own lapses into obesity and lack of exercise. Here is advice from a canine expert on how to strike that happy medium: how to treat a dog humanely, provide for all its physical and emotional needs, but never mistake your pooch for a fellow human being. Here too are fascinating facts about how dogs originally diverged from wolves on the evolutionary chain, as well as explanations of the specific traits and instincts that make dogs different, not only from humans, but from all other animals. In total, here are insights that will enable owners to understand and value canines for the wonderful friends and companions that they are. The text is complemented with cartoon-style line illustrations.

[back cover]
Congratulations!
It’s a Dog!

You’re about to introduce a brand-new puppy into your home. Now’s the time to ask yourself: “How do we interact with our canine family member so that he and our household will live together happily ever after?”

To answer this question you’ll need some insights into canine mental capacities, instincts, language, and needs. It’s also helpful for you to know how dogs originally diverged from wolves on the evolutionary chain, and to understand what makes them different, not only from humans, but from all other animals.

Author Caroline Coile is your ideal guide in helping you understand these issues. She advises on how to identify with your dog, how to communicate what you really want to say to your dog, how to understand what your dog is saying to you, how to motivate your dog to be good, how to introduce your dog to friends and to other animals, how to deal with your dog’s fears and aggressive tendencies, and much more. Her informal and entertaining approach is enriched by her expertise. She holds a Ph.D. in psychology with research interests in canine behavior, and has taught college classes in psychology, animal senses, and animal learning. Her insights will help you understand and value your dog as a wonderful family member.

Line illustrations