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Animal books from Amazon.com Eva:
 I would
like to welcome Deb Wood to our Meet the Author series on the Pet Corner. She spent two
years researching scientific information about shyness, speaking with trainers and
behaviorists, and talking with people who own shy dogs. Help for Your
Shy Dog is a practical "how to" guide to give owners of shy
dogs the tools to help their dogs blossom.
Thank you Deb for taking the time to be with us today.
Eva:
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about getting a dog from the animal
shelter?
  Deb:
You can only adopt one dog, so be sure that this is the right dog for you -- and that
you're the right person for that dog.
- Don't be in a big hurry.
If you don't find the perfect dog for you when you visit the shelter, go home and
come back another day. Sooner or later your perfect dog will be there, so don't take the
wrong one just because you feel impatient or sorry for the dogs.
- Spend time with him
When you see a dog you might want to adopt, spend time with him. The shelter
probably has a room or an outside play area for visiting with the dogs.
- Use the private area
to get to know the personality underneath the fur.
- Is this dog playful and energetic?
- Is he shy?
- Is he bold?
- Will he fit in?
After you get a good sense of what the dog is like, think about whether or not
he'll fit into your family's lifestyle.
- If you're busy and active, you want a busy, active dog.
- If you lead a quiet life, look for a dog who'll like to just
curl up at your feet while you read or work on the computer.
- Neither you nor the dog will be happy if you pick a dog --
no matter how wonderful he is -- that doesn't fit with your lifestyle.
My book is about shy dogs,
and certainly some dogs in shelters are shy.
Before thinking about adopting a shy dog, think about your home.
 Is it a very noisy place with
lots of different people coming and going at all hours?- Some households are too overwhelming for a shy dog.
Also, it's important to remember that fear-biters (dogs that bite because they're scared)
and children don't mix.
- However, if you are a very patient person and live in a
quiet household, and if the dog is timid but doesn't snap or growl, I wouldn't rule out a
shy dog.
I also believe that people
and dogs fall in love with each other.
If you and a dog fall in love, and if you are the right kind of household for
that dog, you will have a profound, joyful life together.
Eva:
How did you meet and train all of the nine dogs to be playful and outgoing?
Deb:
In my book, I tell the stories of nine fearful dogs that transformed into happy,
loving successful pets. Most of them also earned obedience titles, and some of them work
as therapy dogs, compete in agility, and do other activities. I didn't train all the dogs.
The only one of the nine dogs I trained is Goldie, my little Papillon. I compete in
obedience trials with my dogs, and met some of the other dogs at obedience trials. People
I spoke with at obedience trials also gave me the names of people they knew with shy dogs,
so soon I had a list of a lot of dogs that had been shy but were now well-adjusted and
happy. I spoke with owners of the dogs, and selected nine. I wanted the nine dogs in the
book to show variety in their situations, so some dogs are mixed breeds and others are
purebred. Some of the dogs became shy because they were abused, but others had very happy,
loving homes and were just born shy. I learned a lot from the owners of the shy dogs in
the book. I interviewed them and asked them what techniques they'd used to help their
dogs, and what advice they'd give to other owners of shy dogs. I shared some of their
advice in the stories about their dogs, and also incorporated what worked for their dogs
in the suggestions that I made throughout the book.
Eva:
What made you decide to write this wonderful and concise book?
Deb:
Thank you for your nice words about my book!
 I got my Papillon, Goldie, when she was 2 years old. She was so shy
that she shook violently every time we left my home, even to go for a walk in the park.
She didn't wag her tail for the first 6 months I had her. She was terrified of strangers.
I was an experienced dog trainer, and Goldie loved me from the minute she saw me, so I
figured she'd blossom with all my love and gentle training. When I realized just how hard it was going to be to help Goldie, I
started looking for a book on shy dogs -- and was stunned to realize that no one had
written one. I continued to work with Goldie, and then one day read a magazine article
that basically said that shy dogs never get any better. Well, by that time, Goldie was a
lot bolder, happier, and friendlier. I got so irritated at that magazine article that I
wrote an article about the 10 lessons about shy dogs that Goldie had taught me, and
submitted it to another dog magazine. The magazine's publisher called me and said he was
going to put my article in his magazine, and then he said, "This is a really
important problem. You should write a book about it." So I did! You might be
interested to know that I now have three published books ("Help for Your Shy
Dog," "The Tao of Bow Wow: Understanding and Training Your Dog the Taoist
Way," and "The Tao of Meow: Understanding and Training Your Cat the Taoist
Way"). Another book, "The Papillon: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy
Pet" is scheduled to be published this winter, and I'm talking with a publisher about
writing another book. I have a weekly pet column in The Oregonian newspaper. Until I wrote
"Help for Your Shy Dog" no one had ever paid me for writing. Having shy Goldie
certainly changed my life!
Eva:
How do you know if your dog is shy?
Deb:
That's a very good question. Sometimes it's very obvious that a dog is shy.
She'll shake when she's someplace new, she'll pull away from strangers, and she'll walk
with her tail between her legs and her head held low. Many shy dogs will run and hide when
company comes over, or when there are loud noises nearby.  Sometimes shyness is more subtle.
While bold dogs will try new things, shy dogs worry, and sometimes will just sit still and
not try anything. Some people think that their dog is stupid or untrainable, when the dog
is smart but just too shy to try new things out. A lot of shy dogs have submissive
urination, and they will pee when they come up to people. (This is dog language to say
that they are worried and nervous around someone new -- and when people get angry at the
dog for peeing, the problem gets worse.) Look at the world from your dog's point of view.
Help the dog gain confidence by giving her little things to learn. Teach her basic
obedience, using gentle, non-violent methods. Take her for walks in the same place over
and over until she's comfortable there. Talk with her in a happy, confident voice. When
she's frightened, don't say, "Oh you poor sweet, baby, I'll take care of you."
Instead, say, "This is a fun day! We're going for a walk!"
Eva:
Just for fun, what are your Papillon dogs names? What is their favorite toy?
Goldie is my shy female and Radar is my bold male. (Just for the
record: they are spayed and neutered.) Goldie weighs 6 pounds, and loves the little tiny
tennis balls that are toy-dog sized. She also loves a certain kind of little, pink,
plastic mice. She loves to play fetch with her tiny toys. Radar, who is 7 pounds but
thinks he's a big dog, loves any toy, but especially enjoys playing with big stuffed
animals.  Some of his favorite toys are almost
as big as he is. Goldie is a lot more brave than she used to be, but sometimes still needs
a little coaxing into playing games. When Radar wants Goldie to play, he goes to the toy
box and picks out one of her tennis balls or her pink mouse, and brings it to me to throw
for her. Once she's racing around and playing, he brings over one of his favorite toys for
me to throw for him. By the way, Goldie is also best friends with my cat, Mews. Goldie and
Mews chase each other around the house, and like to sleep side-by-side.
 FREE excerpt:
Chapter Three:
Little things mean a Lot
Games People Play
Unique
Alternatives to Playing Fetch on Those Dog Day Afternoons . . .
by Cynthia Gallagher
  Anyone who
thinks dog ownership is easier than child rearing obviously never had to entertain two
energetic boxers cooped up inside on a rainy day. For a breed that loves to run and
frolic, high-speed chases around the sectional sofa hold their interest only so long. Made
a desperate woman by two pairs of plaintive brown eyes, I thought back to the favorite
games of my own childhood. The surprising results are guaranteed to wear out even the most
active dogs, rain and/or shine. |
click here
to find out more
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the original "Doggie Diva" in Seventeen Magazine
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Dr. Pitcairn's
Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
more Dog
books
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training books
 Dog Breed Profile
Coloring Page
This is a great picture you can print out and color.
Brutus' Favorite Dog Biscuits
 Kayla says, "My dog's name is Brutus. He is a medium sized
mixed breed who showed up on our porch about a year and a half ago, when he was around 8
weeks old. It's always a bit of a chance adopting a stray, kind of like a box of
chocolates (you never know what you're going to get), but he has been a great dog for us,
very obedient and fun. I've attached a picture of him that you can use if you like. I have
a dog biscuit recipe that I got from a coworker, I made them for my dog and he seemed to
like them (OK, he loved them).
Help for Your Shy
Dog:
Turning Your Terrified Dog into a Terrific Pet
by Deborah Wood, Amy Aitken,
Lorenz Arner
This book is a must for anyone instructing dog training classes and a valuable
source of sound advice for all other trainers who may now, or some day, have a shy dog.
There are chapters on how to socialize a fearful dog, how to deal with submissive
urnination, what to do about fear-biting, what to look for in a trainer, and other issues
important to people who have shy dogs. The book also contains the stories of nine fearful
dogs who transformed into wonderful family pets. Many of these dogs hold obedience titles,
agility titles, and work as therapy dogs. These dogs prove that, with some help from the
humans in their lives, shy dogs can exceed your highest expectations.
The Tao of Bow
Wow:
Understanding and Training Your Dog the Taoist Way
by Deborah Wood
The Tao of Bow Wow is not just any dog training book. Part how-to, part
primer in the ways of Tao, this unique guide to training and understanding your dog will
revolutionize the way owners view their dogs. Not only does veteran dog trainer Deborah
Wood explain how the principles of Tao can be used to train your dog in a clear,
prescriptive fashion, but she also shows owners how to better communicate with and relate
to their dogs using these same principles.
The Tao of Meow:
Understanding and Training Your Cat the Taoist Way
by Deborah Wood
The epitome of yin-yang, the cat is perfectly balanced between tame and wild,
sociability and solitude, action and rest. Called inscrutable and mysterious, perhaps even
recalcitrant, felines have been deemed difficult to understand and train. Not anymore.
Using the kind, gentle principles of Taoism, veteran trainer Deborah Wood introduces her
revolutionary "no force, no punishment" method of creating a loving, harmonious
relationship with your cat . . . a companionship filled with unparalleled rewards and
unconditional love. |
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