Baer, Nancy, and Steve Duno. Leader of the Pack: How to Take Control of Your Relationship with Your Dog. New York: HarperCollins, 1996.

The alpha wolf in a wolf pack behaves in a certain manner in order to maintain his position as leader. This book is based on the idea that if humans treated their dogs in a similar manner, many of the common canine behavior problems would be resolved. Although applicable to all dogs, the authors' focus is on dominant and aggressive dogs. Recommended but should be read in conjunction with a general training manual.

Becker, Susan Cope. Living with a Deaf Dog: A Book of Advice, Facts, and Experiences about Canine Deafness. Cincinnati, OH: Susan Cope Becker, 1998.

Becker, who owns a deaf dog herself, explains the causes of deafness and how to test for deafness. More importantly, Becker supplies the reader with information on ways to communicate with and train dogs who are deaf. A variety of ideas are presented rather than a single solution. Three pages of helpful resources are included at the end of the book, including Internet resources. Highly recommended for those with deaf dogs.

Benjamin, Carol Lea. Second-Hand Dog: How to Turn Yours into a First-Rate Pet. New York: Howell, 1988.

A professional dog trainer, Benjamin has written an easy-to-read, upbeat book about the potential challenges of adopting a stray or previously owned dog. She focuses on training basics. Recommended.

Cronan, Carol. Living With More Than One Dog. Whidbey Island in WA: Canine Potential Publishing, 1995.

Owning two or more dogs is not the same as owning only one. Cronan provides a variety of ideas and alternatives for handling the various difficulties which may arise when several dogs live in the same household. It is one of the few books written on multiple dog households and as such is highly recommended. It is a good, solid book although it is not as thorough as some multiple dog owners may wish.

Evans, Job Michael. The Evans Guide for Civilized City Canines. New York: Howell, 1988.

Although the title refers to city dogs and most of Evans's examples are set in New York City, most of this book also applies to dogs living in suburbs and small towns. Relevant for all ages of dogs, City Canines is a well-rounded book and includes basic training, care, and problem solving (e.g., housetraining, chewing, jumping); however, it goes well beyond being a basic training manual. For example, rather than just teaching the basic heel command, Evans also discusses heeling indoors (e.g., apartment hallways and elevators), heeling over various surfaces (e.g., manhole covers and grates), heeling in crowds, and heeling with distractions (e.g., pigeons, skateboards, other dogs). Uniquely, Evans spends an entire chapter discussing various methods of holding and carrying smaller dogs. Highly recommended.

Evans, Job Michael. The Evans Guide for Housetraining Your Dog. New York: Howell, 1987.

Evans is a former dog breeder and trainer at the New Skete Monastery. He discusses many aspects of housetraining: training methods, corrections, crates, schedules, nutrition, and health. He explores the controversial topic of whether a dog understands a correction given after the fact. He also covers submissive urination and scent marking. He fails to mention, however, that some puppies are not physically able until the age of six-months to be reliably housetrained. Highly recommended for first time dog owners and for dog owners needing help with housetraining.

Jester, Terry. Living With Small and Toy Dogs. Loveland, CO: Blue Ribbon-Alpine, 1996.

Jester works as a private obedience and behavior consultant. He covers various aspects of training and canine difficulties. Recommended due to the scarcity of materials dealing specifically with small dogs.

Joubert, Stephen. Final Hope: Gaining Control of Your Aggressive Dog. New York: Howell, 1998.

Joubert helps the reader determine if his dog is truly aggressive or is merely dominant or young or exuberant or untrained. Initial chapters discuss the causes, types, and signs of canine aggression. The remainder of the book discusses methods for safely gaining control of and retraining aggressive dogs. Highly recommended for those with an aggressive dog.

Levin, Caroline D. Living with Blind Dogs: A Resource Book and Training Guide for the Owners of Blind and Low-Vision Dogs. Portland, OR: 1998.

Levin provides clear explanations of eye anatomy and the diseases which can cause poor vision or blindness. The majority of the book is spent covering information and tips as to how owners can help their blind dogs to adapt. Highly recommended for owners of dogs with vision disabilities. Few books are available on this topic.

Nordensson, Stewart and Lydia Kelley. Teamwork: A Dog Training Manual for People with Disabilities (Book One: Basic Obedience). Tucson, AZ: Top Dog, 1997.

Top Dog is an organization which helps people who have disabilities to train their own assistance dogs. Their training methods are positive and clearly explained. This volume covers basic obedience commands, such as sit and down. Highly recommended, especially for those with physical limitations in training dogs.

Nordensson, Stewart and Lydia Kelley. Teamwork II: A Dog Training Manual for People with Disabilities (Book Two: Service Exercises). Tucson, AZ: Top Dog, 1998.

Although primarily written for people who are training their own service dogs to help them with physical disabilities, other dog owners may find the book useful for advanced training. Highly recommended if advanced training or service dog training is of interest.

Papurt, M.L. Compatible Cannes: Keeping the Peace Among Your Pets. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, 1999.

Papurt, a veterinarian, believes most dogs can live peacefully with other dogs, cats, horses, and livestock. The key to success is in controlling the dog(s) through the "come" and "down" commands, along with using any necessary equipment (e.g., collars, leashes, muzzles, kennels). Rather than allowing two dogs to work their relationship out themselves, the owner should enforce the desired behaviors. Papurt suggests ways of handling aggressive dogs that are running loose. She also discusses diseases and parasites that dogs may get from or transmit to other animals. Recommended.

Volhard, Jack, and Wendy Volhard. The Canine Good Citizen: Every Dog Can Be One. New York, Howell, 1997.

The American Kennel Club Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test, which is open to all dogs, covers such basic good behaviors as sitting to be petted, heeling through a crowd, and remaining under control when startled. The Volhards provide step-by-step training instructions. The information on the CGC test is well presented and would be useful even for those who choose to use a different training method than the Volhard's in reaching the goal of CGC certification. Recommended.

Wood, Deborah. Help for Your Shy Dog: Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet. New York: Howell, 1999.

Author and dog trainer, Wood discusses both the problems and rewards of working with timid dogs. She addresses issues of extreme timidity although owners of mildly shy dogs could also benefit from her advice. Each chapter is followed by a true story of a shy dog and how that particular dog's problems were worked out. Recommended.