THE LIBRARY

This page presents a detailed outline of the material at this site. Descriptions are provided for each (sub)section. The Main Page is less detailed & serves as a table of contents.

Regular visitors may wish to view the revision history. All of the articles & links listed were available on-line at the time this site received its last major update. If you would like to contribute an article, or find a dead link, please contact Dr. P. If you would like to add a link, please use the URL Submission Form.

Main Page - serves as a table of contents.
Welcome! - introduction & contact info.
Awards, Honorable Mentions, Reviews that the site has received.
Site Index - lists the main pages at this site.
Locally Available Article Index - lists authors & titles of locally housed articles.
Search for key words in pages at the site.

1. General Topics in Dog Behavior - biology, social behavior, thinking ability, etc.
   1. Biology Related - the study of life & the functioning of the body.
      1. History & Evolution - where did dogs come from?
      2. Genetics & Breeding - working temperament & its inheritance.
      3. Neutering/Altering - spaying, fixing (preventing reproduction).
      4. Vision - capacities, abilities & differences from humans.
   2. Nonverbal Communication & Social Behavior - the language of dogs.
   3. Cognition - deals with thinking ability & intelligence.
   4. Wolf/Dog Hybrids - info about these controversial creatures.
   5. Other Stuff - various topics including drives & the human/dog bond.

2. General Training Issues
   1. Responsible Dog Ownership - covers the basic requirements & what to expect.
   2. Basics of Training - covers the why of training, training basics (e.g., the use of food rewards & punishment).
   3. General Tips - brief pointers.
   4. Choosing a Trainer/School - how to find a good trainer, school or club to train with.
   5. Breed Specific Info - advice for training specific breeds.
   6. Testing & Selection - personality/intelligence testing for dogs & puppies.
      1. General Resources
      2. Selecting Pets - how to choose a good dog for you. Includes interactive breed selectors.
      3. Selecting Working Prospects
   7. Advanced Issues - more issues & more depth (manuals, exercises, etc.).

3. Specific Training Issues
   1. Housetraining - getting bathroom behaviors under control.
   2. Commands - the words & signals that we use to communicate with dogs.
   3. Tricks - from simple to advanced.
   4. Equipment Used - collars, leashes, etc.
   5. Crate Training - a "cage" or a "wolf's den"?
   6. Play - advice on how to (& how not to).

4. Scientific Information - not directly involving dogs, but well worth a look.
   1. Theories of Learning - types & ways of thinking about learning.
      1. Classical Conditioning also called Pavlovian or Respondent Conditioning.
      2. Operant Conditioning also called Skinnerian, Instrumental or Trial & Error Learning.
      3. Biological Constraints on Learning - phenomena that present problems for the behavioral view.
      4. Cognitive Views emphasize information processing (or thinking).
      5. Other Issues - observational learning, etc.
   2. Sensory Systems - how the environment is perceived.
      1. Smell - the nose.
      2. Vision - the eyes.
   3. Other Stuff the biology of behavior, etc.
      1. Comparative Psychology, Ethology & Evolution - approaches to the study of animal behavior.
      2. Genetics with an emphasis on behavior.
      3. Brief Biographies of Some Relevant Scientists - some "big guns".
      4. Scientific Journals - are peer reviewed (meaning other scientists decide what is worthy of publication).
      5. Miscellany - emotions & other interesting topics.

5. Puppies - dogs less than a year old.
   1. General Issues - handbooks, manuals, hints & tips.
   2. Housetraining - specific advice for puppies.
   3. Socialization - advice on exposure to people, other dogs, etc.
   4. Chewing & Biting - specific advice for puppies.

6. (Potential) Behavioral Problems
   1. General Issues - discussions, tips, & advice.
   2. Specific Problems
      1. Aggression
      2. Barking
      3. Children & Dogs
      4. Coprophagia (stool eating)
      5. Deafness/Blindness
      6. Destructive Chewing & Digging
      7. Dominance/Leadership
      8. Jumping
      9. Loud Noises/Thunder
      10. More Than One Pet
      11. Nail Trimming
      12. Pulling on Lead
      13. Shyness
      14. Submissive Urination
      15. Separation Anxiety
      16. Still Others

7. Obedience - competition technique & theory.
   1. Competition Related - the sport of obedience.
      1. Sites & Resources - AKC, UKC, AMBOR, etc.
      2. Articles - handling tips, relevant issues & exercises, specific breeds, etc.
   2. Clicker Training - an animal training technique (& for some a philosophy) with some basis in scientific learning theory.
      1. Sites & Resources
      2. Articles about clicking.
   3. Learning Theory - application of scientific theories to training.
   4. Electronic Collars - electricity as a training aid?

8. Protection & Police/Military Training - martial arts for dogs.
   1. Types:
      1. Schutzhund - a German form of training (including tracking, obedience, & protection).
         1. Sites & Resources
         2. Articles
      2. Ringsport - French, Belgian, Mondio, etc.
      3. KNVP - Royal Netherlands Police Dog Assoc.
      4. Other Types
   2. Breed Info - breeds used in protection training & discussions of them.
   3. General Articles - types/ways of training, discussion of issues, etc.
      1. Food Refusal - teaching the dog not to take unknown food.
   4. Police Dogs - dogs used in law enforcement.
      1. Sites & Resources
      2. Associations
      3. Articles
      4. In the News
   5. Military Working Dogs

9. Assistance Dogs - helping folks with disabilities.
   1. General Info - explanations, types, & relevant issues.
   2. Articles/Stories
      1. Individual Dogs
      2. Seizure Alert Dogs
      3. In the News
      4. Other Articles
   3. Providers of such dogs (or at least those with a web presence).
   4. Lists of Providers (includes those without a web presence).

10. The Nose Knows - dog chores involving the sense of smell.
    1. Tracking - AKC, Schutzhund, Police, etc.
       1. Resources
       2. Articles
    2. Searching - rescue, Police, water, avalanche, etc.
       1. Resources
       2. Organizations
       3. Articles
    3. Other Scents - detecting drugs, bombs, chemicals, fruit, cancer, etc.
       1. Resources
       2. Articles
       3. In the News

11. Other Dog "Work" - various sporting/working activities.
    1. Agility - obstacle courses.
       1. Resources
       2. Articles
    2. Carting & Weight Pulling - K9 body building.
    3. Flyball & Frisbees - K9 athletics.
    4. Freestyle - dancing.
    5. Herding - rounding up the livestock.
    6. Hiking, Running, Backpacking, etc. - on the road or into the woods.
    7. Hunting - AKC, birds, retrievers, versatile dogs, etc.
       1. Resources
       2. Articles
    8. Livestock Guardian Dogs - protecting the livestock.
    9. Lure Coursing & Racing - rabbit chasing & track meets.
    10. Sledding, Mushing, Skijoring, etc. - out into the snow.
    11. Therapy - in hospitals, homes for elderly, etc.
        1. Resources
        2. Articles
        3. In the News

12. Miscellaneous Information & Resources
    1. Acronyms & Terms used in the training community.
    2. Acting for those with talent.
    3. Associations - or organizations that have gone to the dogs.
    4. Career Information - relevant to dogs & companion animals.
       1. Articles - on the topic.
       2. Programs & Schools - that one could attend.
       3. Other - associations, certifications, etc.
    5. Commercial Products - related to behavior & training.
       1. Books, Videos, & Magazines - advertisements for products (with some reviews).
          1. Books
          2. Videos
          3. General Resources
          4. Magazines, Newsletters, Manuals, CDs, Etc.
          5. Reviews
       2. Equipment Providers - links to providers of equipment related to dog training.
          1. Agility
          2. Electronic Training Equipment
          3. General Stuff
          4. Protection Training
          5. Specialty Products
    6. Ezines - electronic (online) magazines dealing with dogs.
    7. Humor - if your in the mood for a laugh.
    8. Legal Issues & Biting - laws, dogs, & teeth.
    9. Names - lists of names for dogs.
    10. Rescue - helping out.
    11. Statistics - the numbers.
    12. Upcoming Events - related to training.
    13. Other Stuff - if it didn't fit anywhere else, then it's probably here.

13. E-mail Lists, Chatrooms, & Newsgroups - communicate with others.
    1. E-mail List Info - online discussion groups.
    2. Lists of Lists/Resources
    3. BBS's, Chatrooms & Forums
    4. Newsgroups

14. Photos/Video - Collections of Photos/Videos of working dogs in action (includes Dr. P's Dogs).
    1. Various Types of Work
       1. Individual Dogs
       2. Topic Collections
    2. Agility
    3. Hunting
    4. Protection Training
       1. General
       2. Individual Dogs
       3. Schutzhund
       4. Ring
       5. KNPV
    5. Other Stuff

15. Common Commands in Several Languages (includes list 1 & list 2) - a multimedia reference.