[Lynn Cheffins]

If you were to compile a list of your favourite dog books, what would you put on it? It doesn't have to be only training books - can be training, history, behaviour, health care, nutrition, adventure or fiction. Include any comments on why you feel the book is important or how it influenced you.

 

[Maren Bell Jones]

Non fiction:

-The Other End of the Leash and For the Love of a Dog by Patricia McConnell as well as some of her booklets

-Bones Would Rain From the Sky by Suzanne Clothier

-Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan

-The Latchkey Dog by Jodi Andersen

-Schutzhund Obedience by Gottfried Dildei & Sheila Booth

-Canine Body Language: a Photographic Guide and Aggression in Dogs: Practical Management, Prevention, and Behavior Modification by Brenda Aloff (though both could be edited better)

-The 3 volume set by Steven Lindsay (I forgot to return to return the copy of volume 3 to our vet school's library and they charged me $175 for it! Ouch! Guess I better like it!)

-So You Want To Be a Dog Trainer by Nicole Wilde

-Marley and Me by John Grogan

Fiction (these are old school!!):

-Old Yeller by Fred Gipson

-Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

-White Fang and Call of the Wild by Jack London

-Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner

-Dog Song by Gary Paulson

I could probably think of more if I went home and looked at my book shelf. Cool thread idea, Lynn.

 

[Liz Monty]

I don't remember the name of the book, maybe others will. It is very old, about Captain Max von Stephanitz "Father of the German Shepherd Dog"

In the section titled: Origin and Early History in Germany, there is a quote I remember: "Von Stephanitz was adamant in his demands of utility and intelligence in the breed. In it's utility and intelligence, according to him, lay a dog's beauty, and it had no beauty aside from thos qualities."

This was a very important book to me because it helped me understand how the breed developed and why, and why the working dog of today is so different to the CKC or AKC show dog.

 

[Liz Monty]

Old Yeller, White Fang and Call of the Wild, all made me cry at the end of the books. I'm a sucker for sad stories about animals.

 

[susan tuck]

Der Schuthund by Helmut Raiser
Schutzhund Obedience Training in Drive by Dildei & Booth
The GSD, History, Development, Genetics by MB Willis
and of course I have a copy of Susan Barwigs' book
Fireside Book of Dog Stories (favorite fiction)
I have more, but these seem to be the ones I go to the most.

I also have saved many good USA magazine articles (in the old days they had some really good articles, I think they are starting to do that again). I have also kept many articles from hunters, etc. because even though they are not speaking directly to my breed or goal, they still have many good methods that cross over to what I do.

That being said, I subscribe to no ones specific methods because all dogs are different, & no matter how well spelled out, each author is subject to interpretation! The books do provide a little foundation as well as tips when you find yourself in a sticky spot. :lol:

There is no substitute for finding a good club or teacher when it comes to our kinds of dogs.

 

[Jeff Oehlsen]

Dignity: an english springer spaniel by S.P. Meek
Where the Red Fern Grows.
Grey Dawn.
101 Dalmations

 

[melissa mims]

Adam's Task- Vicki Hearne
Animal Happiness- same
Excel-erated Learning- Pamela Reid
Aggression- Konrad Lorenz (general)
The Difficulty of Being a Dog- Roger Grenier
Animals in Translation- Temple Grandin

Food for thought in all of these.

I can't forget My Dog Tulip by J.K. Ackerley. Much less criminal than Lolita, but just as intense. Hollywood is making a movie of it, and I bet the filmmakers will purge the rather obsessive focus he had on his dog (three pages of a description of her coat! Chapters of her seasonal heat cycle!), and turn it into a rescue Disney story. Bleh. A beautiful book about love.

 

[Liz Monty]

Connie, I think it was you who posted, where did your post go????

 

[Connie Sutherland]

Connie, I think it was you who posted, where did your post go????

The German Shepherd Today (Strickland) ... suggesting that it might be the book you were trying to think of.

 

[Liz Monty]

Thanks Connie

 

[Andy Andrews]

The Working Pit Bull- Diane Jessup

Colby's Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier- Louis B. Colby

The Complete Gamedog- Ed & Chris Faron

The Book of the American Pit Bull Terrier- Richard F. Stratton.


Andy.

 

[Bob Scott]

The Steven R. Lyndsay, three volume set is, hands down, the best set of dog behaviour books out there.
Maren, the third volume was about 95-100 bucks when I bought it.
'The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior' by Pfaffenberger CJ
'Behaviour of Wolves, Dogs and Related Canids' by Michael W. Fox.
'DOGS' by Raymond and Lorna Coppinger
"Purely Positive Training" by Sheila Booth
All the previously mentiond fiction books.

 

[Don Turnipseed]

"The Working Airedale" Bryan Cummins
"Airedales-The Oorang Story" Bryan Cummins
The Airedale For Work And Show" A.E.Hockwalt

The last for the History of the breed which is very accurate.
The second because my dogs are pictured in it but I never read it. The outhor sent me an autographed copy of the first two which are on my desk.