Jim Ha, PhD, CAAB
Back in the fall of 2008, I presented a blog titled A Reading List in Animal Behavior, Part One. I went on in that article to say, “So here I present a highly personal reading list in ethology. In this entry, I suggest some reading in basic ethology, and in a later entry, I will focus in readings in applied animal behavior.”
But it never happened.. no follow-up blog on the most relevant material, applied ethology! So, forthwith, the rest of my list… the disclaimer, as before: this is a personal list. These are the sort of readings, applied in this case, that I would, and have, “required of students of this field, beginning at the undergraduate level and right on through graduate or board-certification work in ethology. These are the books that my students, graduate and undergraduate, read. And these would provide the foundation for an excellent library in animal behavior.” Note: We’ve made book and DVD recommendations about dog behavior, cat behavior, and parrot behavior on the Companion Animal Solutions web site under the Books & DVDs section. For the books below, we’ve linked the titles of these books to places you can order them.
Applied Animal Behavior for the Lay Audience
These are books for the educated owner: I hope that most trainers, veterinarian technician and veterinarian with an interest in behavior have read these. The first three are simply classic, must-reads: I strongly encourage all dog owners, and all of my behavior-issue clients to read these.
Donaldson, Jean. 1997. Culture Clash. James and Kenneth. This book focuses on the differences between primate [human] and dog behavior, social organization, and communication. Jean’s other fantastic books include Dogs Are From Neptune, Oh Behave! Dog From Pavlov to Pinker, and practical problem solving books like Mine! and Fight!
McConnell, Patricia. 2002. The Other End of the Leash. Ballantine Books. This book focuses on dog-primate communication, or the lack thereof. Based on Trish’s PhD dissertation work and a lifetime of learning about dogs and humans.
Pryor, Karen. 1999. Don’t Shoot the Dog! The New Art of Teaching and Training. Bantam. This is the original book that defined the new field of positive-approach dog training.
There are some follow-ups to the themes described in the books above:
McConnell, Patricia. Various. Trish has an extensive series of How To booklets, all of which are excellent: Cautious Canine, Feisty Fido, Surviving a Multi-Dog Household, I’ll Be Home Soon, et al. These build, in more practical terms, on the ideas developed in her best-seller books.
Reid, P.J., 1996. Excel-erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best To Teach Them. James and Kenneth Publishers, Oakland, CA
Ryan, T. 1998. The Toolbox for Remodeling Your Problem Dog. Howell Book House, New York.
These two books are by leading canine learning specialists, and build on the concepts of a positive reinforcement approach, and understanding the broader behavior of your dog, the context in which your dog behaves.
Wright, J. C. 1994. Is Your Cat Crazy? Macmillan Publishing Co., New York.
Wright, J. C. 1999. The Dog Who Would Be King. Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA.
And then, how does all this conceptual material come together: first, John’s books bring you into the world of a behavior specialist, an academic bringing the science that we have learned about dogs, and cats, to bear on specific behavior problems… and at the same time, educating about dog behavior and learning in an entertaining way.
Markowitz, H. 1981. Behavioral Enrichment in the Zoo, Van Nostrand Reinhold. Finally, as an ethologist, I find this book to be fascinating: applied animal behavior principles, but with application to exotic animals. This is the behind-the-scenes story of a series of imaginative, and highly successful, attempts to produce natural behaviors in captive animals.
Puppies and Puppy Selection
Then how about the big issue: what kind of dog should I get? Here are two good suggestions for reading on this subject, again based on good science.
Hart, B.L. & Hart, L.A. 1988. The Perfect Puppy. How to Choose a Dog by Its Behavior. W.H. Freeman, New York.
Rutherford, C. & Neil, D.H. 1992. How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With, 2nd Ed. Alpine Pub., Loveland.
More Advanced and Professional Books
There are many references used by behavior specialists, certified applied animal behaviorists and board-certified veterinary behaviorists: these are a few of the more accessible ones.
Askew, H.R., 1996. Treatment of Behavior Problems in Dogs and Cats. Blackwell Science, Cambridge, MA.
Bradshaw, J.W.S. 1992. The Behaviour of the Domestic Cat. C.A.B. International, UK.
Fraser, A.F. 1992. The Behaviour of the Horse. C.A.B. International, UK.
Hart, B.L. 1985. The Behavior of Domestic Animals. W.H. Freeman and Co., New York.
Hetts, S. 1999. Pet Behavior Protocols. What To Say, What To Do and When To Refer. AAHA Press, Lakewood, CO.
Voith, V.L. and P.L.Borchelt, Eds. 1996. Readings in Companion Animal Behavior. Veterinary Learning Systems, Trenton, NJ.
Serpell, J., Ed. 1995. The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour and Interactions with People. Cambridge Univ. Press, New York.
Thorne, C., Ed. 1992. The Waltham Book of Cat and Dog Behaviour. Pergamon Press, New York.
Turner, D.C. & Bateson, P., Eds. 1988. The Domestic Cat: The Biology of Its Behaviour. Cambridge University Press, New York.
Waring, G.H. 1983. Horse Behavior. Noyes Publications, Park Ridge, NJ.
So that’s my reading list in applied animal behavior, from both an academic and a popular view. Combining the books in this list with the previously listed readings in general ethology would generate an impressive library in ethology with a focus on applied animal behavior.
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have a favorite book to recommend, or a question about a book you’ve seen or read, or a specific topic in animal behavior for which you would like a reading recommendation. Time to read!
** I must credit my colleague, Daniel Estep, PhD, for developing the original form of these reading lists, which I have modified and annotated considerably. Any changes and added editorial opinions are strictly my own, unless Dan likes any of them.
Hi,
I’d love to find a book that comprehensively explains how the various brain chemicals work and affect behavior, mood, emotion, etc. in dogs. Preferably something that is geared toward the educated layman as opposed to a trained vet—so that it is reasonably understandable. Is there anything out there like that?
Thanks,
Terri
Hi Terri, what you’re looking for is a tall order. Neurobiology is a complex subject and if you combine neurobiology with how it effects behavior and behavior in dogs specifically… tough. Probably your best bet is the Handbook of Applied Dog Behavior and Training Volume One by Steven Lindsay: Chapter 3 is titled Neurobiology of Behavior and Learning.
We have a large body of scientific knowledge about the human brain. I’ve found it useful to understand how the various parts of the human brain work and then understand how a dog’s brain structure differs from the human brain structure. Much can be inferred from this comparison. Hope this helps!
I wonder if you might comment on the discipline of applied behavior analysis as it compares to ethology. While reading your blog (and suggested reading list) it seems to me that your perspective on understanding animal behavior has also been informed by applied behavior analysis, not just ethology. In its evolution, has ethology as a discipline found value in the work of the applied behavior analysts working on better understanding behavior change? Would ethologists focus more on delineating observable behavior in animals whereas applied behavior analysts might focus more on behavior change? How would most modern ethologists view applied behavior analysis, and vice versa?
Dr. Ha answers:
Behavior analysis is a subfield within ethology, or modern animal behavior, which deals very specifically with learning and the application of learning theory to modification of behavior. As such, it has tremendous value to the field of ethology: obviously, learning is one of the major components of behavior. It is how the environment directly interacts with the individual.
Having said that, learning, and hence behavior analysis, is only one component of behavior, and in many cases, may even be only a minor component. Morphology (shape, structure), physiology (hormones, nervous system, energy supply), and genetics/evolution all play critical roles in shaping and controlling behavior… in some cases, as I say, roles much more important than learning.
The current difference between the larger field of ethology, as the modern study of animal behavior, and the much smaller, more-focused subfield of (animal-) behavior analysis is very much like the relationship between early ethology as developed by the European scientists (classics like Tinbergen, von Frisch, and Lorenz, who collectively won the Nobel Prize in 1975) and comparative psychology as practiced by the North Americans in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. CompPsych went into a decline as a field following the mid-70’s ascendancy of ethology as the world-view of animal behavior, but continues to this day in the form of behavior analysis. The knowledge and techniques of comparative psychology have been absorbed into what I call the modern science of animal behavior, or modern ethology.
Primarily, of course, behavior analysis is focused on human behavior, especially the role of learning in the treatment of autism and related disorders.