"Want to introduce a new kitten to your older cat? Trying to stop your dog from barking incessantly? Wondering whether classical music can soothe cats? Hoping to quell your dog's fear of the walker? Combining science with anecdotes, this book offers comprehensive advice from an expert to help make life with your furry companion rewarding for both of you."- Jonathan Balcombe, author of Super Fly, and What a Fish Knows
"Shelley-Grielen offers an exhaustive treatise on the behaviors of cats, dogs, and their humans as they interact with one another.
Through comprehensive discussions of the evolutionary history of cats and dogs, the author details the influences on their behavior vis-à-vis their human caretakers...Major topics are covered in individual chapters dedicated to specific issues. A thorough examination of the natural behaviors of cats and dogs, involving their social structures, communication methods, and cognitive abilities forms the basis for addressing behavioral problems. Under the broad category of environmental enrichment, Shelley-Grielen highlights the importance of providing a stimulating environment that meets the physical, mental, and social needs of the animal, which helps prevent boredom and subsequent behavioral issues. The author is a great advocate for positive reinforcement techniques in training to promote desirable behaviors while minimizing stress and fear in pets, and she offers solutions for addressing especially troublesome behavioral issues such as aggression, anxiety, and inappropriate elimination. Beginning each subject with her personal experience with an animal to illustrate the built-in biological differences between humans and the animals with whom they are trying to communicate, Shelley-Grielen follows up with a compendium of scientific data....the organizational structure of the book, with its standalone chapters addressing specific issues, makes this an accessible, useful reference book for pet parents. Readers will likely appreciate the plethora of engaging factoids offered, such as the observation that humans have the most expressive faces of any animal thanks to their 52 separate face muscles.
An information-packed guide to managing and modifying cat and dog behaviors sensitively and effectively." - Kirkus Reviews
"This fabulous book is packed full of fascinating and useful insights into the inner worlds of the two most popular furry four-legged members of a large percentage of families globally. Giving practical tips and ideas in a friendly, non-judgemental, conversational manner this book is joyful to read. If you would like to learn more about what makes your pet tick and how, along with practical solutions around some common topics and some of the less covered topics in literature, then this is the book for you. Equally if you are a professional you will gain much from reading this book benefiting from a plethora of tips, as well as the experience and learning history of this highly knowledgeable Author." - Clare NL Grierson