A fun and accessible manual for all dog parents who want to train their dog with a focus on parenting rather than dominating.
Tails are wagging with anticipation. Why? Because dogs (and the people who love them) are tired of the school of dominant, top-dog training. They are looking for a new kind of pack leader: someone funny, enthusiastic, intuitive, approachable, and, above all, effective. And they’ve found her. Sarah Hodgson rejects dominance-based training and gets astonishing results with a blend of wit, compassion, energy and proven skills. She communicates instructions clearly, directs behavior compassionately, and rewards success lavishly. Her students—both two- and four-legged—feel valued, confident, connected, and smart. She’s the dog mommy everyone wishes they had.

Dogs are very similar to humans in many ways. By several behavioral measures, a dog’s mental abilities are equivalent to those of a 2 to 3½ year old human child. Dogs are able to learn between 165 to 250 words, count up to 5, and understand basic arithmetic. They can form abstract concepts and categorize complex color photographs. Dogs can imitate human behaviors; domestic dogs are unusually skilled at reading human social and communicative behavior. They also have a sense of fairness.

Doesn’t it make sense to treat these sensitive, intelligent creatures a bit more like children? Kids—and dogs—raised with kindness and respect grow up happy. And happy is good. Modern Dog Parenting will show readers that yes, you can love your dog and live with him too.