Recommended Aspiring Animal Behaviorists
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Behavior Education Network
The Behavior Education Network is THE best online resource for finding the most accurate, up-to-date scientific information on pet behavior. Members have access to presentations, tele-webinars, journal articles, and more! With so much poor information out there, you can't afford to learn from anyone but the best. Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists Drs. Hetts and Estep have created this site devoted to providing the best information to pet owners and professionals.
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Don't Shoot the Dog!: The New Art of Teaching and Training
Like a "click" preceding food, Karen Pryor and Clicker training are deeply associated. Karen has made clicker training one of the most popular dog training methods. Rightly so! It's based on scientific principles and, when used correctly, is extremely effective at shaping behavior. She has built an entire empire on clicker training that applies basic learning theory. My college adviser had me read this book as I started getting into behavior. In this book Karen takes learning theory and applies it to day-to-day life. This is a great book for anyone interested in learning how to change their dog, roommate, husband, or wife's (although highly unlikely) annoying behavior.
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Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them
Understanding the Principals of Learning and Behavior are essential for a successful change in behavior. In this book, Pam Reid, Ph.D., CAAB directly applies the basics of learning theory to dog training. It's a great introduction and reference to the application of learning theory.
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For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend
Dogs communicate emotion through body language. When you pay attention, their signals are amazingly straight forward and clear. They are never vengeful or sneaky. It's simple when you think about it. They lower their body, making it appear smaller in some way (i.e. ears pinned back, tail tucked, etc...) when they are scared. They may yawn, sneeze, and lip-lick repeatedly when they are nervous. They are continuously telling us something about how they feel at any given moment.
In this book Patricia McConnell, Ph. D., CAAB goes into the emotions that mediate various canine behaviors and the neuroscience behind it all. If you want to do behavior work you must know about emotion: How to interpret it, triggers that elicit it, and how it can be changed. An animal can't learn if it's terrified. To be successful in changing behavior you must first modify the emotion mediating the unwanted behavior. Once calmer the animal is better able to learn a new response.
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How Fido Learns Best
Understanding how dogs learn is essential to changing behavior. I got my Master's degree in this and would like to pursue a PhD one day, so there is a whole science devoted to Conditioning and Learning (Animal Behavior). If you are just entering the field, this program is a great place to start. Included is 4+ hours of information and pages of notes and examples that you can use to practice.
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Is Your Cat Crazy? Solutions from the Casebook of a Cat Therapist
The cat version of "The Dog Who Would Be King", this is another great book by Dr. John Wright, CAAB. Read this book of cat case histories and decide for yourself - Can cats be crazier than dogs?
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Laws, Liability and Dog Bites
This is a live-recorded interview with Dr. Randy Lockwood who discusses an Animal Behaviorist's responsibility to educate their clients about laws regarding dog bites. An excellent introduction to a very serious topic, you’ll learn the risks and liabilities you and your clients face if their dog is aggressive to people or other dogs after having received advice from you.
This interview with an expert is 1 of a 3 part lecture series on Aspects of Canine Social Conflict Behavior.
The remaining parts are:
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Rehabilitating the Canine Contender: Helping Dogs Get Along Better With Other Dogs with Ms. Pia Silvani, CPDT.
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Roles Rules and Relationships: Reinterpreting the Meaning of “Dominance” with Dr. John Wright, PhD., CAAB
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Rehabilitating the Canine Contender: Helping Dogs Get Along Better With Other Dogs
This is a live-recorded interview with Ms. Pia Silvani who answers questions about fighting dogs based on her years of experience instructing Feisty Fido classes at St. Hubert’s Dog Training School, in Madison NJ.
This interview with an expert is 1 of a 3 part lecture series on Aspects of Canine Social Conflict Behavior.
The remaining parts are:
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Roles Rules and Relationships: Reinterpreting the Meaning of “Dominance” with Dr. John Wright, PhD., CAAB
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Laws, Liability and Dog Bites with Dr. Randy Lockwood
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Roles Rules and Relationships: Reinterpreting the Meaning of “Dominance”
This is a live-recorded interview with Dr. John Wright, Ph.D., CAAB who discusses the difference among behaviors, traits, and roles, based on 30 years of research, to help you better describe, understand, and influence dog-dog and dog-person social relationships.
This interview with an expert is 1 of a 3 part lecture series on Aspects of Canine Social Conflict Behavior.
The remaining parts are:
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Rehabilitating the Canine Contender: Helping Dogs Get Along Better With Other Dogs with Ms. Pia Silvani, CPDT.
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Laws, Liability and Dog Bites with Dr. Randy Lockwood
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The Dog Who Would Be King
This book is out of print but worth tracking down. I read "The Dog Who Would Be King" when I became interested in becoming an Animal Behaviorist. In this book Dr. John Wright, CAAB shares a collection of case histories he has seen over the years. Case descriptions are entertaining and often surprising, giving the future Animal Behaviorist the impression that anything can happen when you are on a case.
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The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Okay, the last chapter of this book totally made me cry in the middle of a cramped airplane. This book is so beautifully written and clear in its meaning it makes me yearn for more, ever striving for complete, in-depth, scientifically supported information in my field.
Often behavior problems are the result of a miscommunication between primate (pet owner) and canine (pet dog). Patricia McConnell, P.hD., CAAB does a beautiful job explaining the difference between the behavioral communication styles of primates and canines. For example, the greeting behavior of many cultures consists of walking head on into the other person with direct eye contact and arm/hand extended, all of which are terrifying or threatening to a dog with limited experience and/or training. After reading this book you'll watch your dog more carefully (since they are always watching you!) and see how your behavior directly elicits a behavior change in him or her.
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Understanding Canine Aggression: A Collection of Articles.
This CD includes over 35 articles developed by expert Certified Applied Animal Behaviorists (CAABs), Drs. Estep and Hetts designed to explain canine aggression from a scientific stand point.
- A list of the articles can be viewed here.
Below are 2 Free Sample Articles:
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Understanding Canine Communication: Observing and Interpreting Canine Body Postures
Ever wonder what your dog is trying to tell you? If you don't know what to look for, it is difficult to tell. Misinterpretation leads to what could have been an avoidable bite. This DVD by Suzanne Hetts, PhD, CAAB, Dan Estep, PhD, CAAB and David Grant, DVM will teach you how to observe behavior like a professional. It is one of the first programs I watched when I started working with dogs and is recommended for shelter workers and veterinary staff.
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Understanding Canine Conflicts
Owning fighting dogs is heartbreaking. I've observed cases where the dogs had fought too long for rehabilitation and others where the dogs never had a good relationship to begin with. On this DVD, you'll learn what causes conflicts between dogs, methods of management and prevention, and resolutions. The producers, Drs. Hetts and Estep have included video images of dogs in conflict allowing you to see canine behavior in these tense situations.
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Understanding Fido's Behavior
Don't get caught up in the pop culture view of dog behavior. Animal behavior scientists know that dogs are not wolves dressed up in different shapes and sizes. They've been domesticated for over 15,000 years, and therefore their behavior no longer resembles wolf behavior and your family is not their pack. The more these popular myths are perpetuated, the more dogs suffer the consequences as people try to act like wolves.
This 4 disc DVD set comes with extensive notes and dispels all the made up stuff (MUS) that can make living with canines difficult for both dog and owner. Once you and your dog have the same understanding, you'll both be happy you purchased this program.
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Using Counter Conditioning and Desensitization Techniques Effectively to Modify Behavior
Counter conditioning and desensitization (CC & D) are effective techniques used by professionals to modify pet behavior. In this 2 disk CD set you'll learn what these techniques are, when and specifics on how to used them, and tons of other information you won't find on the web or other non-scientific resources.
Learn how CC & D are used with serious fear and aggressive behavior problems along with annoying problems like jumping and others that pester the bagebers out of you. Comes with notes for reference.
