A Ray of Hope

In Your Dog Is Your Mirror, dog trainer Kevin Behan proposes a radical new model for understanding canine behavior: a dog’s behavior and emotion, indeed its very cognition, are driven by our emotion. The dog doesn’t respond to what the owner thinks, says, or does; it responds to what the owner feels. And in this way, dogs can actually put people back in touch with their own emotions. Behan demonstrates that dogs and humans are connected more profoundly than has ever been imagined — by heart — and that this approach to dog cognition can help us understand many of dogs’ most inscrutable behaviors. This groundbreaking, provocative book opens the door to a whole new understanding between species, and perhaps a whole new understanding of ourselves.

An all-encompassing and fun reference from an award-winning scientist and dog lover

Dr. Marc Bekoff is an expert at turning cutting-edge science into practical, reader-friendly information. The encyclopedic entries in this book cover everything related to dog care, dog-human relationships, and dog behavior, cognition, and emotions, making this the accessible book that every dog lover should have. In concise, readable A-through-Z entries, Bekoff covers it all, from aggression to pack formation to zoomies, and explores why dogs do what they do; exactly how to meet any dog eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose, and ear-to-ear to understand their world better; and how tuning in to a dog’s unique personality leads to happier dogs and happier human companions.  

Most books about dogs talk about the history of various breeds, and are filled with useful training advice, yet we learn almost nothing about how dogs think and feel. Dogs are considered to be easily trained creatures of instinct, but this attitude falls short of the mark. It doesn’t take into consideration that dogs are thinking, feeling beings; individuals, just as we are, with different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, and distinct emotional lives. The aim of this book is to have dog owners get to know their companions from a different perspective, through simple routines and games that can be carried out at home. Owners will learn about – and see for themselves – the mental abilities that their dog possesses, and understand their dog much better as the relationship between them grows even deeper.

A Tale of Two Horses tells the story of two ex-racehorses with behavioural problems, who embark on a rehabilitation programme using only positive, reward based methods, developing into self-confident, well balanced horses. Woven throughout is the story of their owner’s life on a rural farm, plus insights into her work as an animal behaviourist with dogs, cats and other species. Bringing horsemanship up to date with positive, reward-based methods, the truly kind and humane approach to working with horses that Kathie Gregory teaches will provide huge benefits for you and your horse.
Following the two horses over the course of a year, as they go from being reactive and unable to be handled, to calm, well-balanced, contented horses, you’ll get to know the personalities of Charlie and Star, as they make the transition from racing to home environment.
This book provides an understanding of behaviour and learning theory, along with free-will, hands-off, and non-coercive techniques, and shows how to apply these principles for stress-free training. You’ll learn how to prevent small issues becoming big problems, and make battling with your horse a thing of the past.
Easy to read, this book can be used as a complete start-from-scratch guide, or to browse through, selecting those parts that you wish to work on to achieve fantastic results: reliable behaviour, stress-free, happy and contented horse and owner.