Experts in dog behavior?

[crysania4]

There are a lot of books and websites out there written by a wide variety of people, from the laymen to those who claim they are experts when it's pretty clear they're not. So I'm curious. Who would you consider to be the real experts in dog/canine behavior? The people who really GET it, who maybe even have the degrees to back up their books or

Comments

[magnoliafly]

I like most of the ones listed above but would like to add one more:

James O'Heare, CABC, CDBC, PABC

He is great and has written and researched many books including:

Aggressive Behavior in Dogs: A Comprehensive Technical Manual for Professionals

Dog Aggression Workbook
A Positive Reinforcement-Based Guide To Understanding, Assessing & Changing Aggressive Behavior in Your Dog

The Canine Separation Anxiety Workbook

Canine Neuropsychology (3rd edition)

Dominance Theory and Dogs

Raw Meat Diets for Cats and Dogs?
An Assessment of the Research and Arguments Related to the Advisability of Feeding Raw Meat-Based Diets to Cats and Dogs

[magnoliafly]

I haven't read it yet. I have heard it is well researched (all of his books are). My boss read it and told me about it. It is on my list of things to read.

Basically this whole raw diet fad is a crock and there aren't any scientifically proven nutritional benefits. It is actually more dangerous for other humans and dogs to allow your dog to eat those foods because e-coli and salmonella will come out in the feces and can be spread to other sources that way. Not to mention the risk just in preparing the diet.

[crysania4]

That book sounds really interesting. I read a LOT from people who swear by the raw diet and that kibble (all kibble) is bad for dogs. I definitely need to check that book out because it never seemed quite right to me.

[datista]

Stephen C. Rafe, Starfire Rapport http://www.starfire-rapport.com (Starfire for dogs, Rapport for people) I think he's still answering emails if you've got an issue you'd like some outside input on.
I think he was the first to make a tape to help cure noise-shy dogs. (thunderstorms, fireworks, gun fire)

[chiska]

Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Turid Rugaas (I hope I spelled that right).

[stitch_pitch]

Ian Dunbar, Patricia McConnell, Karen Pryor, Jean Donaldson, Pat Miller. Read all their books, and think they're wonderful. Emma Parsons is good, too.

HA. NO ONE listed Ceser Millan. Glad there are others like me, who think he got his teaching creds from a Cracker Jack box.

[crysania4]

LOL this whole community is pretty much anti-Cesar. Myself included. I've read a fair amount of books, some by those folks, but I was curious as to who the real experts are.

[scarlet_tanager]

as mentioned before, patricia mcconnell, emma parsons, karen pryor.

emily weiss also. i don't think i saw her mentioned here. i know of her b/c my own behaviorists talk about her. she has a phd and is a certified applied animal behaviorist.