APDT Recommended Reading List

The following is a list of resources for anyone who aspires to be a dog training and behavior professional. There is much one needs to know about not only dogs, but people, business and more in order to be successful in this profession. These resources have been thoughtfully selected by the APDT Education Advisory Group and the APDT Education Committee. They are recommended as the base foundation for a well-rounded professional based upon the APDT’s Body of Knowledge.

This list of resources is intended to:

Help you identify quality resources you can trust, so you don’t have to spend time vetting them yourself.
Help you identify which topics you are well versed in, and which may need more attention.
Help you create a well-rounded resource “bookshelf.”

We invite you to utilize the handy checklist provided above to help you identify which resources you already possess, have read, or are familiar with. We challenge you to work toward checking off ALL resources on this list, to help ensure your education and knowledge are truly well-rounded.

DOWNLOAD: Recommended Reading Checklist PDF

Learning: Animal

How Dogs Learn – Mary Burch, Jon Bailey
Exel-Erated Learning – Pam Reid
Handbook of Dog Behavior and Training – V 1-3 by Steve Lindsay
How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves, 2nd ed – Sophia Yin
Don’t Shoot the Dog – Karen Pryor

Learning: Human

It’s Not the Dogs, It’s the People – Nicole Wilde
Coaching People to Train Their Dogs – Terry Ryan
Kids and Dogs: A Professionals Guide to Helping Families – Colleen Pelar
One on One: A Dog Trainer’s Guide to Private Training – Nicole Wilde
The Human Half of Dog Training – Rise VanFleet
Dog Behavior Problems – The Counselors Handbook – William Campbell
Don’t Shoot the Dog – Karen Pryor
Living with Kids and Dogs…Without Losing You Mind: A Parent’s Guide to Controlling the Chaos – Colleen Pelar, C&R Publishing, 2005
The Other End of the Leash – Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs – Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D, Ballantine Books, 2002
What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love and Marriage – Amy Sutherland

Canine Behavior

What is My Dog Saying (DVD) – Carol Byrnes
Canine Behavior: An Illustrated Guide – Barbara Handelman
Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog – John Paul Scott and John Fuller
Handbook of Dog Behavior and Training V1-3 – Steven Lindsay
How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves, 2nd edition – Sophia Yin
The Thinking Dog – Gail Fisher
For the Love of A Dog Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend – Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D, Ballantine Books, 2005, 2006
Inside of A Dog – Alexandra Horowitz
On Talking Terms With Dogs: Calming Signals – Turid Rugaas, Dogwise Publishing, 2006
The New Knowledge of Dog Behavior – Clarence Pfaffenberger
The Other End of the Leash – Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs – Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D, Ballantine Books, 2002
The Power of Positive Dog Training – Pat Miller
The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs – Blackwell, Emily J., Twells, Caroline Anne, Seawright, Rachel A. Casey. 2008. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, September/October 2008, pp 207-217
Dominance in domestic dogs – useful construct or bad habit? – Bradshaw J.W.S., Blackwell E.J., Casey R.A. 2009. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, May/June 2009, pp 135-144
The Misbehavior of Organisms – Breland, Keller, Breland, Marian
Alpha Status, Dominance, and Division of Labor in Wolf Packs – Mech L.D. 1999. Canadian Journal of Zoology
Whatever happened to the term alpha wolf? – Mech L.D. 2008. International Wolf
Why Won’t “Dominance” Die? – Ryan, David. 2010. Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors website
Moving Beyond the Dominance Myth: Toward An Understanding of Training as Partnership – Spector, Morgan, , Tufts Animal Expo Conference Proceedings, September 1, 2001
Early Canid Domestication: The Farm-Fox Experiment – Trut, Lyudmila N., , American Scientist, Volume 87
Dog training methods—their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare – Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., Bradshaw, J.W.S., 2004, Anim. Welfare 13, 63–69
The Dog: It’s Behavior, Nutrition and Health 2nd ed is 2005 – Iowa State University Press by Linda Case
Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet – John Bradshaw, Basic Books, 2011
Dogs: A New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior and Evolution – Raymond and Lorna Coppinger, University of Chicago Press, 2001

Business

So You Want to Be a Dog Trainer – Nicole Wilde
How to Run a Dog Business – Veronica Boutelle
Minding Your Dog Business: A Practical Guide to Business Success for Dog Professionals – Veronica Boutelle & Rikki Jorgensen
One on One: A Dog Trainer’s Guide to Private Training – Nicole Wilde
Six Steps to Creating Profit: A Guide for Small and Mid-sized Service Based Businesses – Patricia Sigmon
The Discipline of Market Leaders: Choose Your Customers, Narrow Your Focus, Dominate Your Market – Michael Treacy & Fred Wiersema
The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It – Michel E. Gerber
NxLeveL Guide For Business Start-Ups: Helping Entrepreneurs Reach the Next Level of Success – Brandan Kearney & David P. Wold
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity – David Allen
Inside the Magic Kingdom – Tom Connellan
The 8 Dimensions of Leadership: DiSC Strategies for Becoming a Better Leader – Jeffrey Sugarmen
Whale Done! – Ken Blanchard

Laws and Legislation

Dog Law – Mary Randolph
The Ethical Dog Trainer – Jim Barry, Dogwise, 2008
Legal Guide for Starting & Running a Small Business, 13th Edition – Fred S. Steingold

Health and Nutrition

Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats – Dr. Richard Pitcairn
The Merck Veterinary Manual
UCDavis Book of Dogs, Medical Reference – Mordecai Siegal
The Dog: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health – 2nd ed is 2005 – Iowa State University Press, Linda Case