Here are 100 books that Canine Enrichment for the Real World fans have personally recommended if you like Canine Enrichment for the Real World. Book DNA is a community of 13,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know

Beth Sharp Author Of Think Like a Dog: Understand Your Dog's Behavior, Improve Communication, and Apply the Same Principles to Every Area of Your Life

From my list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional dog trainer, volunteer foster home for rescue dogs, and a dog owner myself, understanding the canine mind is a passion for me. Helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs drives me to read, learn, and apply what the experts in the field are offering. Any book that gives credible insight into the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of dogs brings us closer to deepening our relationship with them, improving our communication with them, and solving behavior problems in ways that are effective, intelligent, and humane.

Beth's book list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty

Beth Sharp Why Beth loves this book

The detailed descriptions of the inner workings of each of a dog’s senses are fascinating to me. I often go back to reread those sections. This book gave me much greater insight into how truly different the beasts I share my home with really are.

Knowing the science behind why dogs do what they do allows me to see their dog-ness more clearly rather than relating to them as just my adorable pets (which, of course, they also are!).

By Alexandra Horowitz ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Inside of a Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

As an unabashed dog lover, Alexandra Horowitz is naturally curious about what her dog thinks and what she knows. As a cognitive scientist she is intent on understanding the minds of animals who cannot say what they know or feel.

This is a fresh look at the world of dogs -- from the dog's point of view. The book introduces the reader to the science of the dog -- their perceptual and cognitive abilities -- and uses that introduction to draw a picture of what it might be like to bea dog. It answers questions no other dog book can…


If you love Canine Enrichment for the Real World...

Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs

Beth Sharp Author Of Think Like a Dog: Understand Your Dog's Behavior, Improve Communication, and Apply the Same Principles to Every Area of Your Life

From my list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional dog trainer, volunteer foster home for rescue dogs, and a dog owner myself, understanding the canine mind is a passion for me. Helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs drives me to read, learn, and apply what the experts in the field are offering. Any book that gives credible insight into the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of dogs brings us closer to deepening our relationship with them, improving our communication with them, and solving behavior problems in ways that are effective, intelligent, and humane.

Beth's book list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty

Beth Sharp Why Beth loves this book

This book made me much more aware of how it is natural for us as humans to behave and move in ways that might be disconcerting to our dogs. Being aware of this greatly impacts my interactions with dogs, who, after all, are a completely different species, so it makes sense to approach them differently than we would another primate.

Patricia McConnell’s writing style is engaging, and she shares personal stories throughout the book. I’ve loved everything she’s ever written, but this one is a must-read for anyone who spends any time around dogs. 

By Patricia McConnell ,

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked The Other End of the Leash as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language
 
“Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post
 
An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them.
 
After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary…


Book cover of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You

Beth Sharp Author Of Think Like a Dog: Understand Your Dog's Behavior, Improve Communication, and Apply the Same Principles to Every Area of Your Life

From my list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional dog trainer, volunteer foster home for rescue dogs, and a dog owner myself, understanding the canine mind is a passion for me. Helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs drives me to read, learn, and apply what the experts in the field are offering. Any book that gives credible insight into the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of dogs brings us closer to deepening our relationship with them, improving our communication with them, and solving behavior problems in ways that are effective, intelligent, and humane.

Beth's book list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty

Beth Sharp Why Beth loves this book

Most science-based books on dog behavior focus on what our dogs are doing. This one takes a deep dive into what they are feeling and includes research to back up the findings. As I read this book, I wondered why there isn’t more research on this.

I loved following the journey Dr. Wynne takes, from adopting a scared shelter dog to tirelessly searching for the scientific reasons the human-canine bond is so strong.

By Clive D.L. Wynne ,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Dog Is Love as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A pioneering canine behaviorist draws on cutting-edge research to show that a single, simple trait—the capacity to love—is what makes dogs such perfect companions for humans, and explains how we can better reciprocate their affection.
 
“Lively and fascinating . . . The reader comes away cheered, better informed, and with a new and deeper appreciation for our amazing canine companions and their enormous capacity for love.” —Cat Warren, New York Times best-selling author of What the Dog Knows 

Does your dog love you?

Every dog lover knows the feeling. The nuzzle of a dog’s nose, the warmth of them…


If you love Allie Bender...

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

Book cover of Oh Behave! Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker

Beth Sharp Author Of Think Like a Dog: Understand Your Dog's Behavior, Improve Communication, and Apply the Same Principles to Every Area of Your Life

From my list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a professional dog trainer, volunteer foster home for rescue dogs, and a dog owner myself, understanding the canine mind is a passion for me. Helping people live more harmoniously with their dogs drives me to read, learn, and apply what the experts in the field are offering. Any book that gives credible insight into the behavior, thoughts, and feelings of dogs brings us closer to deepening our relationship with them, improving our communication with them, and solving behavior problems in ways that are effective, intelligent, and humane.

Beth's book list on understanding your dog even when they’re naughty

Beth Sharp Why Beth loves this book

What is cool about this book is that most of the chapters start with a common question from a regular person—not a dog trainer or professional. I bought this book early in my training career, and I enjoyed reading the questions, formulating my own answers, and then checking them to see how well they matched Donaldson’s. I learned a lot!

By Jean Donaldson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Oh Behave! Dogs from Pavlov to Premack to Pinker as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Jean Donaldson is widely recognized as one of the most influential leaders in the fields of canine behavior and dog training. Known for her rigorous scientific thinking, Jean turns her attention in her latest book to questions and issues that touch on a wide variety of topics of interest to dog professionals and enthusiasts. Readers will be challenged to think, to learn how to separate fact from myth, and evaluate the variety training methods currently being espoused in the popular media. Oh Behave! contains a series of 55 articles, grouped into six sections: Behavior, Training, Behavior Problems, Fear and Anxiety,…


Book cover of Piglet: The Unexpected Story of a Deaf, Blind, Pink Puppy and His Family

Diane Kelly Author Of Paw Enforcement

From my list on doggedly determined dogs undaunted by disability.

Why am I passionate about this?

Being “mommy” to a deaf dog has taught me so much about canine disabilities, and how intelligent and capable dogs can be despite their limitations. I enjoy reading about other people who have gone through similar experiences with their dogs. These animals don’t let their disabilities stop them from leading full, fun lives. With their determination and positive attitudes, disabled dogs make wonderful role models!

Diane's book list on doggedly determined dogs undaunted by disability

Diane Kelly Why Diane loves this book

Knowing I have a deaf dog, a reader sent me this non-fiction book, thinking I’d enjoy it. She was right! The author is very open and honest about the challenges she faced taking on a dog who was not only deaf but also blind. It was incredibly heartwarming to see Piglet grow from a fearful pup into an icon who inspires schoolchildren - and adults! - to adopt a can-do attitude. I liked that the author raised issues of animal welfare in the book, including the unfair treatment of animals used for medical experiments as disposable equipment and the horrific treatment of animals in factory farming. The book addresses many aspects of the human relationship to other creatures, and what we owe to animals who are at our mercy. 

By Melissa Shapiro , MIM Eichler Rivas ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Piglet as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the tradition of the beloved New York Times bestsellers Marley and Me and Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love, "a beautiful, inspiring" (Laura Schroff, New York Times bestselling author) memoir about empathy, resilience, kindness, and an adorable deaf blind pink dog.

When veterinarian Melissa Shapiro gets a call about a tiny deaf blind puppy rescued from a hoarding situation in need of fostering, she doesn't hesitate to say, "yes." Little does she know how that decision will transform her, her family, and legions of admirers destined to embrace the saga of the indomitable pink "puppy with a…


Book cover of Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster: Life-Changing Stories and Practical Suggestions

David Grimm Author Of Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs

From my list on for serious thinkers about cats and dogs.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am, first and foremost, a lover of cats and dogs. I have been fascinated by these animals ever since I was a child. Where did they come from? Why are we so strongly bonded to them? What is the future of our relationship? These are questions I have asked myself for decades, and which I finally answer in Citizen Canine: Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs. I bring to this book not only my lifelong love of these animals, but a deep-thinker’s exploration of history, law, and science. 

David's book list on for serious thinkers about cats and dogs

David Grimm Why David loves this book

Hurricane Katrina was one of the most transformative events in our relationship with cats and dogs. This book charts some of the incredible rescues that took place in the aftermath of this epic disaster. Heartwarming and heartbreaking in equal measure, it will inspire those who care about animals to care even more—and perhaps even volunteer themselves.

By Allen Anderson , Linda Anderson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Rescued as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

New York Times Bestselling authors Allen and Linda Anderson interviewed hundreds of volunteers, hurricane survivors, animal welfare organizations, and government officials for their national award-winning book Rescued: Saving Animals from Disaster. The result is an uplifting, inspiring, informative book that features the best humanity has to offer when people and animals need our help during a crisis. American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) awarded Rescued with its prestigious Outstanding Book Award.
The catalyst for Rescued was the tragic situation during and after the Hurricane Katrina disaster -- thousands refusing to leave without their pets, and animals being viewed by…


If you love Canine Enrichment for the Real World...

Book cover of Draakensky: A Supernatural Tale of Magick and Romance

Draakensky by Paula Cappa,

A wind sorcerer. A dark spirit. An unsolved murder.

On the haunted Draakensky Windmill Estate, sketch artist Charlotte Knight arrives to live on the property, hired to illustrate the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke—a bright and lucrative opportunity to boost her struggling art career. 

She meets the reclusive spinster Jaa…

Book cover of Dogs Demystified: An A-Z Guide to All Things Canine

Michelle Waitzman Author Of Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

From my list on understanding what your dog is thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a lifelong dog lover and the author of four nonfiction books. I currently live with two rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka (the unofficial co-authors of my book). I decided to write a self-help book after noticing two trends during the recent pandemic: people were struggling to feel happy and optimistic, and people were adding a dog to their household, many for the first time. We all marvel at how our dogs find it so easy to enjoy life, and I was determined to find out what we could learn from them! During my research, I learned so much about how dogs think and feel, and I love sharing this information with other dog lovers.

Michelle's book list on understanding what your dog is thinking

Michelle Waitzman Why Michelle loves this book

“A dog’s feelings matter to them, and they should also matter to us.” This quote from Dr. Marc Bekoff’s new book, Dogs Demystified, sums up his longtime advocacy for dogs and other animals.

He respects them as thoughtful beings with full emotional lives, and strongly believes that every individual animal matters, whether a household pet or a wild predator. 

Bekoff has been writing about animals for a long time, and this book on dogs is an effort to whittle down his vast knowledge into a manageable read. If you feel a lot of empathy toward dogs and other animals, you will definitely enjoy reading Marc Bekoff’s books, including Dogs Demystified.

The book also features a foreword from the incredible Jane Goodall and illustrations by 1960s folk music icon Joan Baez.

By Marc Bekoff ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dogs Demystified as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

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…


Book cover of Don't Lick the Dog: Making Friends with Dogs

Mike Peterson Author Of Chaco's First Day at Work

From my list on dogs we can learn from.

Why am I passionate about this?

Chaco’s First Day at Work is based on my real life furry best friend, Chaco. Chaco is a Miniature Australian Shepherd and has been an amazing companion over the last 13 years. I work in Human Resources and am always focused on developing leaders in the company and am surprised by some of the things that people do. There are not many children’s books about leadership so I thought it would be great to pass along some new leadership lessons early to children through Chaco’s First Day at Work

Mike's book list on dogs we can learn from

Mike Peterson Why Mike loves this book

This is a slightly different take on my list with a more practical teaching lesson. I have had so many children come up to Chaco and pull his hair or stick their hands in his mouth without permission. Luckily there haven’t been any injuries, but what if it was another dog that wasn’t so well behaved? It's important to train your children how to behave around dogs from an early age.

By Wendy Wahman ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Don't Lick the Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Meeting a new dog is exciting, but it can also be scary. This humorous how-to manual shows kids the best ways to interact with unfamiliar dogs, providing helpful tips about all sorts of dog behavior. Children often don't understand what dogs' actions mean and can misinterpret a threatening signal for a friendly one and vice versa. Kids and parents will return to Wendy Wahman's playful illustrations again and again for useful reminders: Slow Down. Stay very still. And remember, don't lick the dog!


Book cover of Through a Dog's Eyes: Understanding Our Dogs by Understanding How They See the World

Deborah Taylor-French Author Of Red Sky at Night: Dog Leader Mysteries

From my list on dogs and canine behavior.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I’m not out rescuing lost dogs or walking our dog, Beau, in the hills of Sonoma County, I’m reading, writing, blogging, or offering writers' support. Our family started when we took in a baby for foster care, then a year later, after great effort, prayer, and help, we completed her adoption. As for canines, we’ve adopted four dogs, all from dogs returned to their breeders or an animal shelter. Three of our dogs happened to be only one year old when we took them in. I continue to research and edit my Dog Leader Mysteries blog. Twelve years blogging about saving dogs.

Deborah's book list on dogs and canine behavior

Deborah Taylor-French Why Deborah loves this book

I can’t say enough about Through a Dog’s Eyes. Read it to save your puppy from harsh training methods. Read it before you choose a training method to prepare for raising a puppy/dog.

Arnold offers a giant step forward in the humane treatment of dogs as feeling and thinking beings. Jennifer Arnold once thought methods of dominance and negative correction were necessary, but through her Canine Assistance program (a service dog organization), Arnold learned that kindness and encouragement proved the best way to train dogs.

For twenty years, Arnold adopted, raised, and taught dogs for people with special needs. Dogs showed her how to “teach” dogs to make choices, not to simply “train” to follow commands. Her dogs performed amazing feats of thinking and taking lifesaving actions.

By Jennifer Arnold ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Through a Dog's Eyes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A “transformative,”* inspiring book with the power to change the way we understand and communicate with our dogs.
 
Few people are more qualified to speak about the abilities and potential of dogs than Jennifer Arnold, who for twenty years has trained service dogs for people with physical disabilities and special needs. Through her unique understanding of dogs’ intelligence, sensitivity, and extrasensory skills, Arnold has developed an exemplary training method that is based on kindness and encouragement rather than fear and submission, and her results are extraordinary.

To Jennifer Arnold, dogs are neither wolves in need of a pack leader…


If you love Allie Bender...

Book cover of New Rock New Rules

New Rock New Rules by Richard Sparks,

The epic saga continues. Jarnland is in a frenzy of excitement. After the eccentric demise of Old King Wyllard, his co-Majesty, young Queen Esmeralda, announces a Royal Tournament to celebrate the return of our heroes from their perilous quest. The Main Event will be a duel between the legendary warrior…

Book cover of Man Meets Dog

Joe Jackson Author Of A World on Fire: A Heretic, an Aristocrat, and the Race to Discover Oxygen

From my list on mystery and chaos of scientific inquiry.

Why am I passionate about this?

My father was a NASA scientist during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, so while most people knew the Space Race as a spectacle of thundering rockets and grainy lunar footage, I remember the very human costs and excitement of scientific progress. My space-cadet years come in snippets–the emotional break in my dad’s voice when Neil Armstrong hopped around the Moon; the strange peace I felt as I bobbed on a surfboard and watched another Saturn 1b flame into the sky. Later, as a journalist and author, I would see that such moments are couched in societal waves as profound and mysterious as the wheeling of hundreds of starlings overhead. 

Joe's book list on mystery and chaos of scientific inquiry

Joe Jackson Why Joe loves this book

I love this book, which starts out as the childhood memoir of the celebrated Nobel Laureate in animal behaviorism. As a boy growing up in pre-WWII Austria, Lorenz was fascinated by the behavior of several family dogs, especially the unanswerable persistence of the canine/human bond.

But what distinguishes this book from the great mass of pet tales is the depth of Lorenz’s observations and his ability to record detail. He may not understand why his Chow Stasi acts in such a manner, yet he chronicles the surrounding circumstances and later fits it into a pattern he observes over time. You see this ability maturing in Lorenz even as we scroll through a succession of dogs and their idiosyncracies; this power of observation is probably the essential trait of all great scientists and certainly led to his later classics, King Solomon’s Ring and On Aggression.

By Konrad Lorenz ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Man Meets Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this wonderful book, the famous scientist and best-selling author, Konrad Lorenz, 'the man who talked with animals', enlightens and entertains us with his illustrated account of the unique relationship between humans and their pets. Displaying Lorenz's customary humanity and expert knowledge of animals, Man Meets Dog is also a deeply personal and entertaining account of his relationships with his own four-legged friends. With charming sketches on almost every page, Man Meets Dog offers a delightful insight into animal and human thinking and feeling. An essential companion for all lovers of dogs (and cats!).


Book cover of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
Book cover of The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs
Book cover of Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You

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