Our Library

Books, DVDs, Audio, Visual, TV programs ... WOW, it's overwhelming how many ways you can google positive training for dogs these days. Historically, it is an evolutionary process, that has not always been pleasant for the DOG. Kept in perspective, we recommend that you educate yourself, listen to your intuition and do what's best for your dog! Everyone's situation is different. Each dog is an individual. Over 20 years of researching, reading and living with dogs has gifted us with some robust learning experiences. The following are the best of the best books and sites (including ours) on training/behavior/well-being. Enjoy the Journey!

We welcome you to view excerpts of our book, Train your Dog, Change your Life, Howell Book House, 2001. at www.amazon.com, www.dogwise.com or www.wiley.com. TYDCYL is an Interactive Training Program for Individuals, Families, and their Dogs by Maureen Ross, M.A., NBCC, RYT and Gary Ross, M.E., LTI, Howell Book house, 2001 (Wiley, Inc. www.wiley.com: 1-800-225-5945) for discount quantities.

Our Passion: Bringing People & Pets Together to Enhance Well-Being and Education! G This forward-looking training book provides an accessible, positive reward-based training approach to replace or consider as a adjunct to obedience methods of the past. As with everything in life, we evolve. It's about time we evolve in our way of training our dogs too!

If you know your dog's top 5 life rewards (motivators), training is easy and fun!

Welcome to a whole new way of thinking about training—one that is as much about you (and relationships) as it is about your puppy or dog. Train Your Dog, Change Your Life is a family focused, interactive training approach. If you want to share a peaceful and enjoyable life with dogs, training and socialization is essential for dogs in a human pack. It saves dog's lives. Over 10,000,000 are euthanized every year in the USA. If you're a dog owner who wants a lifetime relationship with your canine companion, while being a respected - trusted pack leader, then you'll appreciate that we emphasize tools that will enhance abilities not only in training our dogs, but in everyday living: listening, observing, learning, relaxation and self- awareness. Dogs embrace change differently then humans. They do it in the present moment and in context. Association is EVERYTHING to dogs, through THEIR OWN EYES.

Chapters cover well-being and the family dog, lifestyle management, body language and attitude, Calming Signals®, socialization, housetraining, nutrition and exercise, grooming for health and self-esteem, relaxation, focused training (that goes beyond the positive), creativity and games, clicker training, and other more! Learn how dogs can teach us about how we intereact in our everyday relationships (family, career, pleasure, contentment)!
You'll be Amazed By the Results you get! Dogs are extremely sensitive to the signals we give them. How we behave affects how they behave. All dogs need a respected, trusted leader that they can rely on. All dogs rely on life rewards that we manage for them. If you want to raise your puppy well or put your dog on the fast track to good manners, while understanding your role in the process, then this book is a must! But relax. It's a journey, a way of finding out what really turns you (and your dogs) on. Know your dogs motivators, life rewards and making your canine companion and more responsive and eager to learn. Embrace relationships, different cultures (canis lupus familiaris) and change, not fear them. Enjoy the Journey!

"In spite of us, our dogs do amazingly well at adapting to our human world. If you could imagine looking through their eyes and feeling what they feel for just one moment, what would you see, hear, feel? If you could imagine yourself being parachuted into a foreign country, not knowing the language or culture, what would it be like?" ~ Maureen ~

"…A delightful, sensitive, loving book." Dr. Jane Goodall, animal behaviorist, author, and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.

"...This book is not just about dog training - it's a self help book. It helps you enhance your relationship with your dog by teaching you how to understand and appreciated him.... This book covers more than canine body language: the authors discuss two-way communication and urges you to actively listen to your dog. It's fascinating stuff...For those who find self-help books appealing, this book provides a solid, practical foundation for building a great dog-owner relationship." Dog World Magazine, Paws in Review, August 2004

"…Train Your Dog, Change Your Life focuses on the very heart of dog training-- relationships and interactions within the family, and awareness about yourself and in relationship to your dog. The Ross’ philosophy is a simple one, but the best. I know because I recommended their manuscript to the Publisher and wrote the foreword with a smile. Dogs live in families and/or with humans. As I've always said, it makes perfect sense to look at the "whole family system" when training dogs. To change anyone's behavior we first have to explore changing our own or at the very least, take a look at what part we play in reinforcing behaviors in our dogs. Assessment is a big part of this and they are excellent at this. I enjoy their bigger message, a passionate one; take time to savor life; take time to enjoy yourself, your family and your dog, and take time to learn from the experiences".

Dr. Ian Dunbar, Ph.D., M.R.C.V.S., author, lecturer, BBC television personality.

"Read this book for a really great relationship with your dog! Readers all over the world are better off because they can benefit from Maureen and Gary's gentle, but meaningful approach that looks at how we are involved more than we think on our dog's responses to our training. They offer great dog training advice in a easy to read way". Joel Walton, CPDT author of "Labrador Retrievers for Dummies" and "Positive Puppy Training Works."

"…The nice thing about this book is that it provides sufficient solid information on the behavior of both species to do some effective problem solving. In the best tradition of solution focused counseling the emphasis throughout is small, easily implemented, positive interactions that have far reaching consequences for the behavior of the dog and the humans in the household… This information is like having a personal chat with some knowledgeable dog folks who have ‘all their stuff together’ and are willing to help educate all of us who share a passion for healthy, positive interactive relationships. Be sure this book is part of your "stuff"." Mary Lee Nitschke, Ph.D., Pet Behavior Consultant, Professor of Psychology, Linfield College, Portland, Oregon.

Train Your Dog, Change Your Life, by Maureen and Gary Ross, is a “must read” for any dog lover, behaviorist or trainer. This book is written in easy-to-follow steps with emphasis on the positive interactions between the animal/human relationship. There is something for everyone in this book. The weekly lesson plans are extremely useful for those who like step-by-step directions, while chapters such as “Relationship Training” and “Understanding Canine Body Language” will appeal to those who enjoy learning more about overall companion dog behavior. This book is a real asset to any dog lover’s library. –Christine M. McNiff, Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Animal Assisted Therapist

No-one gets to write a book, be on TV, be successful or learn anything without the help of mentors and teachers. These inquisitive pioneers carve pathways, AND admittedly, learn from others. Historically, paradoxically and through paradigm (evolving) we all learn from others, then process it in our own unique ways. Mentors recognize a "spark" and are confident enough to share their wisdom. When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. The teacher opens a window of opportunity. The student needs to decide whether to accept this gift.

Many have opened windows for us over the years and continue to daily. Researchers, teachers, behaviorists and authors learn from their mistakes. Good ones admit this as human beings, and make changes as they evolve. As you explore, if it speaks to you, absorb it with all your gusto. If it does not, form your own opinion and creative style, write your own book, or produce a dvd, and let the flow of the universe guide you.

The following reccmmendations are a path on which to begin your journey! If you haven't already, click on CANINE COACH right HERE, NOW. There are FREE excerpts from "Train Your Dog, Change Your Life".

Before you Get Your Puppy and After You get your Puppy, Dr. Ian Dunbar, www.siriuspup.com. Dr. Dunbare is the founder of The Association of Pet Dog Trainers, Sirius Puppy Training and mentor who wrote the foreword for Train Your Dog, Change Your Life.

Dogs: A Startling New Understanding of Canine Origin, Behavior & Evolution ~ Dr. Raymond Coppinger

Reason for Hope ~ Dr. Jane Goodall (Mentor, Excerpt in "Train Your Dog, Change Your Life").

Culture Class, Predation in Family Dogs: Predation, Predatory Drift and Preparedness Seminar DVD, by Jean Donaldson.

Click to Calm: Healing the Aggressive Dog ~ Emma Parsons (go to www.clickertraining.com) for more at Karen Pryor's site.

Reading about or taking an online or college course in Psychology, Ethology, Evolutionary Psychology (family systems and pack dynamics in any species) is empowering. Watching dvds or programs especially on wolves and dogs in packs, and/or family systems is an invaluable experience. Leaning from nature, pets and mentors in observation and relationship = priceless!

   To become a registered Pet Partner® or Reading Education Assistance Dog Team, you MUST go through a process that requires a training

manual and/or workshop.  Journey to www.deltasociety.org or www.therapyanimals.org (R.E.A.D.®).

Journey to www.deltasociety.org for extensive research and books on animal-assistet activities and animal-assisted therapy

Therapy Pets:  The Animal-Human Healing Partnership ~ Jacqueline J. Crawford & Karen A. Pomerinke

Volunteering with your Pet ~ Mary Burch, Ph.D.

Therapy Dogs ~ Kathy Diamond Davis

K-9 Therapy Group ~ Jacqueline P. Root

Love on a Leash ~ Liz Palika

Pets and the Elderly ~ Odean Cusack and Elaine Smith

A Cry Unheard ~ Dr. James Lynch (Research on Children and R.E.A.D.ing with dogs.

The Four-Footed Therapist ~ Dr. Janet Ruckert

Good for Your Animals, Good for You ~ David Waltner-Toews and Andreas Ellis

Coping with Sorrow on the Loss of your Pet ~ Moira Anderson, M.Ed.

We can make informed choices about health and well-being for us and our pets!

Optimal Nutrition-Raw and Cooked Canine Diets: The Next Level ~ Monical Segal / K9 Kitchen www.monicasegal.ca

Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats & Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book ~ Kymythy Schultz ~ www.kymythy.com

The Places that Scare You, Don't Bite the Hook (audio), Getting Unstuck (audio), Comfortable with Uncertainy or anything by Pema Chodrin

Anything by Oprah Winfrey, Jane Goodall, Martha Beck, other self-help explorers/leaders ...

Yoga and anything that will help ease you into the present moment, to breathe, center and focus on what is important for you ...