Decoding Your Dog: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Dog Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones
*Starred Review* The American College of Veterinary Behaviorists is an organization of veterinarians with advanced training and experience in the field of applied animal behavior.  More than 90 percent of pet owners feel that their dog is part of the family so the need for good communication between dog and owner becomes obvious if that familial relationship is to be positive for both species.  Behavior problems in pets can erode that relationship, and without successful training or treatment, the result may be the loss of the dog to a shelter or to euthanasia.  In 14 chapters, veterinary behaviorists walk dog owners through the stages of dog ownership.  A basic chapter on learning to speak “dog” starts us off, followed by essays on choosing a dog, house training, behavior training, and training tools.  Chapters on common issues, such as separation anxiety, aggression, sound phobias, and compulsive behaviors, teach how to retrain the dog, and a final chapter on the aging canine rounds out the book.  Boxes defining terms used in the chapter or containing in-depth coverage of a behavior fill many sections, and each chapter ends with a “What Did We Say?” summary.  Libraries and dog owners may have found the holy grail with this title. --Nancy Bent