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This sticky is for books that are good reading, as far as dogs go. If you think a book is good or a previously posted book is questionable, please say so.

Comments on the book will be added in parentheses (paraphrased, so we don't have text blocks next to every book) with the name of the commentor.

I will update this thread as books are posted.


Encyclopedia of the Dog by Bruce Fogle (Take some things with slight questioning; not very in depth)
Dogs: A Dictionary of Dog Breeds by Desmond Morris (Good for breed history especially, more informative)
Mutts: America's Dogs by Brian Kilcommons (A 'breed compilation' of mutts. Hilarious to read if you happen to own a mutt [or even if you don't]. Advocates adoption very strongly--Sola)
Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family by Brian Kilcommons (A more convential breed compilation. Happily, its main focus lies in what actually living with the breeds are like. Limited selection of breeds, but great detail.)


The American Pit Bull Terrier by Jacqueline O'Neil (Series is generally not the best; good general start but don't take it as Holy Writ. Good for history.--Savage Destiny)
The _________ Handbook Series ('_______' is where a breed would go. Generally by one Dr. Caroline Coile, Ph.D, but sometimes other authours. Nice, nice series; goes into depth about living with the breed and much more breed-specific and helpful than the series above.)


The dog who would be king : tales and surprising lessons from a pet psychologist by John C. Wright (Not on training as such, but an interesting study of cases.--Sola)
Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons (nice, easy to read, covering of basics. Has good pictures.--Sola)
Smarter Than You Think and The Heart of the Matter by Paul Loeb (Unconventional, but helpful. Advocates a special diet for dogs; equal parts carbs, protein, and veggies. Slightly odd discouragement technique, but has been helpful with dog.--Epona)
Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete (detailed and good for anyone with puppies in the house, whether raising one or breeding)


Away to Me, Moss by Betty Levin (A story about a girl who, while helping out an accomplished Border Collie trainer, makes friends with a promising BC, Moss, and helps him to herd again.)
Lad, a Dog by Albert Terhune (One of the most amazing Rough Collie stories I've ever read. Lovely book, amazingly enough it predates Lassie but you'd never know it from the similarities. You really love the main dog the book's about (Lad), who happened to be the dog of the writer. It was a largely unsuccessful attempt to popularize Collies, who gained their huge popular following after the Lassie films.)


The Pawprints of History: Dogs and the Course of Human Events by Stanley Coren
Why We Love the Dogs We Do: How to Find the Dog That Matches Your Personality also by Stanley Coren (an interesting read; you may wish to take with a grain of salt as far as favored breeds goes--Sola)
Dogs : A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior, and Evolution by Raymond Coppinger (I don't agree with some of the assertions he makes, but it's a good read.--Sola)
God Had a Dog; Folklore of the Dog by Maria Leach (Wow. I think this book at least mentions every single mention of the dog in any folklore on the history of the planet.--Sola)

I really, really hate that series. The important part, the part about training--instead of putting in any breed-specific training quirks that might be helpful (like don't EVER use force with a sighthound), the bloody books just copy and paste the section. They don't even bother to change the pictures to the relevant breed!

Beyond that, they're usually pretty incomplete when it comes to personality as opposed to things like "How to groom your German Shorthaired Pointer."

(I have the Jack Russell Terrier and German Shorthaired Pointer editions. The JRT one especially is completely worthless and does little to nothing to warn you about the more...interesting facets of the breed.)
[/rant]

So you think it's a fairly good one, then? All right, I'll put it up.

I love the books Smarter Than You Think and The Heart of the Matter by Paul Loeb. They go against a lot of conventions of dog care/training, but they're very good books, and helped me a lot with my dog.

Basically, he advocates thinking of your dog as a being with wants and thoughts, rather than as a robot. He's also a little weird. He recommends throwing a harmless but substantial object (say a leather glove) at your dog when he/she misbehaves, and then giving a command or chastisement. Frankly, it's a bizarre method, but it worked really well with curbing my dog's bad behaviors. The books also recommend feeding your dog a diet of 1/3 carbs, 1/3 protein and 1/3 veggies for optimal health, as opposed to heavily processed dry food. After reading this, I moved my dog onto a diet of 50% organic dry food and 50% the recommended diet, and he's had a shinier coat and more energy.

It's just a way of attracting their attention and making them submit to you as alpha by stopping whatever they are doing. Spray bottles worked for us.




Blimey - I don't pay that much attention to my own diet... eek

I know this may seem a bit odd but I have to say the book that got me addicted to border collies. It is called Away to Me Moss I dont remember the author or anything sadly since I dont own it and I havent read it for a while but once I find out I will be sure to post it here.

Dog Stories - James Harriot (not really fiction but still stories) Has a bunch of dog related stories taken from his biographies.
Lost History of The Canine Race - Mary Elizabeth Thurston A fascinating book describing the evolution and domestication of the dog. It tells the complete history of medieval lapdogs to the dogs used in war.
The Complete Dog Book -published by the American Kennel Club

Due to my sudden need for knowlege of puppy rearing, I've been reading this one book that has been helping me out a lot. The Art of Raising a Puppy by the Monks of New Skete. The first ten chapters or so has a detailed account of one of their German Shepard b***h's pregnancies. It goes from just hours before she whelps all the way till the puppies are eight weeks old and adopted out to new homes. The second part of the book deals with how to help your new puppy adjust to life in your home. Overall, it is a very detailed and knowlegeble book, and has defenetly helped me through the last few weeks of puppy rearing. I reccomend this book to anyone who is planning on buying a new puppy or breeding their b***h.