If only our dogs could get by on their cute looks. After all, many people are initially drawn to a particular puppy or dog because of its physical appearance. “Aren’t her floppy ears adorable?” “How can I say no to that sweet face?”
Unfortunately, some dogs grow up to be more challenging than cute, more fearful than fun, more bossy than benign. The people/pet honeymoon ends abruptly and the problem-solving phase begins. Your dog puzzles you. Why does he chase that tennis ball again and again? Or greet your date by sniffing his butt? Or bark-bark-bark whenever you speak on the phone? You want answers to save the remaining leather shoes in your closet, the prize roses in your garden, and the plush carpet in your living room.
You wish you could wave a magic wand and engage in a meaningful person-to-dog chat. You want to know why your dog wants to pick a fight with your dishwasher, but runs with his tail tucked from a kid on a skateboard. You want to learn how to stop her from yanking on the leash and stealing your pillow at bedtime.
That’s why I wrote this book. Think of The Dog Behavior Answer Book as a guide to how dogs think. What makes this book stand out like a Great Dane in a pack of Yorkies is that I answer actual questions from owners like you who just want enjoy a great relationship with that tail-wagger sharing your home. During the past few years, I’ve been collecting queries posed to me during appearances on television and radio pet shows, at dog events (my favorite was judging America’s Search for the Least Obedient Dog), at public speaking presentations, and as a former pet columnist for Prevention. Once people find out what I do for a living, they unleash their questions. Why does my dog …? How can I get my dog to stop …? What is the best way to teach my dog to …? I hear from people at dog parks, bookstores, weddings, even public bathrooms.
A friend jokingly calls me Dr. Doo — short for Doctor Doolittle — due to the number of times she has witnessed me walk through solutions with a frustrated dog owner. Of course, I’m not a doctor. I don’t even play one on TV. But I am a pet expert who has worked with the very best in the fields of veterinary medicine and companion animal behavior. I’m committed to finding useable truths and to communicating workable solutions to frustrated dog owners.
I invite you to paw through these pages. You might nod in agreement as you read some of these questions from other dog lovers and then sense the light bulb click inside you as I spotlight practical solutions. The legendary Doctor Doolittle could talk to the animals. I’m here to deliver straight talk to you.
Paws Up!