This holiday season, I’ve decided to share twelve books with you.
At the bottom of this post, you can enter for a chance to win a copy of this book.
You can also visit this page to find the entire list of books and giveaways.
Today’s book is Decoding Your Dog. I originally read this book (and reviewed it) when it was first published in 2014. This is a great book. I wanted to include it in this series because it’s an interesting book and a really useful resource for any pet owner who wants to learn more about the basics of dog behavior and training.
Decoding Your Dog is a collection of essays that was edited by two veterinary behaviorists, Dr. Debra F. Horowitz and Dr. John Ciribassi. Each of the fourteen chapters in the book is written by a veterinary behaviorist and tackles a common dog behavior. Many of these are problem behaviors that dog owners find frustrating, including house training, separation anxiety, and compulsive behaviors. The book also contains lots of great proactive advice for how to create happy dogs and happy owners, for example in the chapters on enrichment, kids and dogs, and senior dogs.
This isn’t necessarily a “how-to” book. For instance, the book contains a chapter on aggression and also a chapter on noise phobias. A dog owner who is dealing with issues such as these will want to find help from a qualified professional trainer. However, the advice in the book is sound, and it would help a dog owner better understand her dog’s behavior and the solutions available.
One of my favorite chapters in the book is the enrichment chapter. The author of this chapter, Dr. Mary Klinck, emphasizes that all dogs are individuals. Just because your last dog liked long walks and trips to the dog park does not necessarily mean that these activities will be well suited for your new dog. In fact, she discusses how overexercising your dog or choosing the wrong types of enrichment activities may result in stress and unwanted behaviors. The chapter includes a long list of enrichment activities and dog sports which may help pet owners think outside of the box and consider new activities for their dog.
You can check out my original review of this book for a more in depth look at what I liked (and didn’t like) about this book. If you (or someone you know) is looking to learn more about their dog’s behavior, I encourage you to check out Decoding Your Dog. In particular, this would be the perfect gift for someone who is planning to get a new dog soon.
Enter to win a copy of this book
To enter the giveaway:
1) Leave a comment on this post to earn one entry.
2) Fill out the Raffelcopter box below.
3) You can also earn entries by being a member of the StaleCheerios email list and/or by telling a friend about this post!
Terms and Conditions
One lucky reader will win a new copy of this book.
Winner will be chosen at random.
This giveaway ends on Friday, Dec. 14, 2018 at 11:59pm Central Standard Time.
Winner will be notified via email on December 15.
If the winner does not respond by Dec 17, he/she will forfeit the prize.
Void where prohibited.
Entering the giveaway form means you agree to the terms listed above.