Understanding Your Dog

In This Chapter Sorting out training tools, from treat cups to clicker training Discovering what motivates your dog to respond Speeding up your dog’s behavioral memory Understanding the role of a perfectly timed response If you’ve ever ogled over a seemingly perfectly trained or wellmannered dog, the first thing to know is that the dog’s…

In This Chapter Knowing how old your dog really is Checking for and adapting to age-related changes in hearing and vision Coping with the effects of aging on a dog’s mind As your dog ages, he’ll adapt and change because of his own life experience. However, as time takes its toll, he’ll process this information…

In This Chapter Recognizing how your puppy’s needs affect his behavior Teaching your puppy his first lessons Understanding your puppy’s emotional development Knowing how to socialize your puppy from the start This chapter helps you understand the needs of your growing puppy. Here, you find all the information on how she thinks and how best…

In This Chapter Discovering what the world looks like from your dog’s perspective Understanding how human and canine visions differ Listening to the world through a dog’s ears Sniffing through life using a dog’s nose All animals interpret their environment through a complex mingling of information filtered through their five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch,…

In This Chapter Grouping dogs into breeds Understanding breed groups Sorting out mixed breeds Predicting dog behaviors from breeds In this chapter, we take the word breed and look at its value in helping you understand your dog. If you’ve ever watched a dog show, you’ve probably noticed a lot of different types of dogs prancing around…

In This Chapter Testing the personality of your puppy and adult dog Understanding canine personality types Evaluating your dog’s personality Like snowflakes and paw prints, every dog is unique. Their actions and responses are what make up their personality. Broken down, a dog’s personality is made up of three components that blend together to create…

In This Chapter Knowing what your dog thinks about all day long Organizing the hierarchy in your home Encouraging good manners Conditioning your dog to share objects and food Your dog, regardless of his size or coat color, is hard-wired to act like . . . well, like a dog. He isn’t a kitten, bunny,…

In This Chapter Interpreting what your dog is saying Decoding body language Listening for verbal clues Reading facial expressions If your dog could talk as you do, she would have a lot to say, both good and bad. But alas, for better or worse, she cannot. Your dog’s brain, not her determination or will, limits…