A quarter of U.S. households own a dog, but many of these pooches have problems, ranging from obsessive barking to aggression. This easy-to-understand guide helps owners understand what makes Fido tick--and how to fix problem behaviors using practical, positive methods.

Find out about canine communication and motivation

The fun and easy way® to get into your dog's head and be the leader of your pack

What makes Spot go? What makes Cujo psycho? This friendly guide helps you understand the emotional makeup and drives of your dog. All kinds of fun exercises, questionnaires, and charts help you determine what motivates your dog's attitudes and behaviors and use that knowledge, practical advice, and proven training techniques to nurture a great pet and a great relationship.

• Nurture your dog's individuality

• "Sense" things from your dog's point of view

• Use motivational techniques effectively

• Use appropriate training tools and methods

• Bring out the best in puppies or older dogs

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of getting a dog or nervous about caring for the one you’ve already brought home, now you can relax. Understanding Your Dog for Dummies helps you recognize not only why your dog behaves the way she does, but in a way that enables you to parlay that into a well-behaved companion who listens (and sits, and speaks, and comes, etc.).

Whether your pooch is a mixed breed or purebred, she has a distinct identity that makes her unique. The first step in understanding your dog is to respect the honorable task she was originally bred for and to identify how these inbred impulses influence her personality and behavior. In essence, you need to speak her language if you expect her to learn to understand yours.

Understanding Your Dog for Dummies gives you everything you need to learn to understand your pooch’s unique dialect of “Doglish”—and shows you how to take on the role as pack leader to give your dog the cues, guidance, and consistency she needs to shape and develop good behaviors. Inside you’ll discover how to:

• Read your dog’s body language
• Communicate with your dog
• Interpret your dog’s breed-specific traits
• Correct dog-behavior-gone-bad
• Counter anxiety-based behavior
• Understand and resolve aggressive behavior
• And so much more!

Think of this book as Doglish 101—a prerequisite for every human member of your dog’s family. Now, let the training begin!