So as today is National Read a Book Day, I thought I would share with you my absolute must-reads,
but if you don’t have time to sit down and read a wooftastic page-turner or if your dyslexic like me and sometimes reading a harder work many of these books are also discoverable in audiobook form so you can listen to these amazing books whilst you walk the dog or wash the dishes!
The Forever Dog
Rodney Habib & Dr Karen Shaw Becker have stimulated the minds of some top geneticists,
microbiologists and longevity researchers across the globe to answer the question we’d all love to
know: How can I make my dog live longer?
This book educates and provides all of the practical and proven methods to protect our loyal four-
legged friends. It also features interviews with some amazing humans who have had their dogs live
into their twenties – and even their thirties!
The Forever Dog focuses on the latest scientific and up-to-date research surrounding food and
nutrition, movement, environmental exposure and even stress reduction in our dog’s daily lives that
all factor into a longer happier and more fulfilled life. It certainly provides an incredible eye-opening
(and sometimes shocking) read – you’ll most definitely learn something new and possibly find some
things you may not have considered before!
The Culture Clash
This one is for those interested in increasing their knowledge of canine behaviours and
understanding why dogs do what they do. If you’ve got a pup that’s still chewing the sofa or won’t
stop howling for attention – you might want to put your feet up and get stuck into this one!
The Culture Clash is an incredible read that dives into the HOW’S and WHY’S of barking, chewing,
sniffing, licking, jumping up and more. All dogs need to be taught how to modify their natural
behaviours and the author writes in a way that really allows you to understand just how dogs think -
the real black and white of it. How their brains work is not how you would expect, and this book will
help you understand so much about how dogs learn and how you may not always be teaching them
what you think! Dogs have lemon brains, and you’ll absolutely understand what this means after
putting the book down!
Behaviour Adjustment Training 2.0: New Practical Techniques for Fear, Frustration, and Aggression in Dogs
This book is a MUST READ for anyone with an anxious or reactive dog. BAT (Behaviour Adjustment
Training) 2.0 talks you through how to successfully apply reward-based behaviour modification, set
up training sessions for your dog and teaches you how to help reduce your dog’s fear and anxiety.
This can help to change their emotional response over time. The overall goal of BAT is to create safe
scenarios in which a dog can heal from trauma or lack of socialization.
It’s a little more on the science side of behaviour and learning, but this book is an excellent read and
will set you and your dog up for success with some excellent life skills.
Inside of a Dog
From an animal behaviourist and dog, enthusiast comes an adorable and informative guide to
understanding how our canine friends see the world. There is also a version of this book called Inside
of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know which is adapted for a younger audience too.
Have you ever wondered what your dogs are thinking? What they're feeling? Now you’ll finally
know! The answers will surprise and delight you as scientist and dog-owner Alexandra Horowitz
explains how our four-legged friends perceive their world, each other, other quirky animals and their
humans too. A very well-written and touching insight into our dogs. Everyone who loves dogs and
even those who do not (but I mean, who doesn’t?!) should read this book!
Doggie Language: A Dog Lover's Guide to Understanding Your Best Friend
This is a beautifully illustrated book by Lili Chin that is sure to put a smile on your face, as well as
teach you a thing or two! Misreading our dogs body language makes life challenging for dogs and
their humans. This small but mighty book is your perfect beautifully illustrated guide to seeing and
understanding the subtle visual cues and interpreting the behaviours used by your beloved pup to
express how they’re feeling.
Lili’s lovely original illustrations will help you compare similar facial expressions, body language and
gestures to interpret your dog's cues and learn how your dog uses their ears, eyes, mouth, tail and
posture to communicate with you. This goes far beyond more than a wagging tail (which very often
doesn’t indicate a happy dog).
The more we notice and listen to what our dogs are trying to tell us, the more we can improve our
relationship with our best friends, helping them to feel safe and happy. If more people could read
their dogs and others dogs better, the dog world would be like utopia – so we say this book is an
absolute must read!
Well, that’s a wrap! We hope you enjoy these incredible books and if you have any page-turners to
share please do drop them below!