Conversations with My Old Dog

Motivational author and speaker, Zig Ziglar, shares lessons of love and wisdom inspired by life with his favorite Welsh Corgi dog, Taffy.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER An incredible, revolutionary true story and surprisingly simple guide to teaching your dog to talk from speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger, who has taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using simple paw-sized buttons associated with different words. When speech-language pathologist Christina Hunger first came home with her puppy, Stella, it didn’t take long for her to start drawing connections between her job and her new pet. During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn’t they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans? Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word “outside” when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences. How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella “spoke” her first word, and the other breakthroughs they’ve had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets. Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.

The story of Raika begins several years after she retired from a noteworthy career in the world of competitive dog sports. Now that Raika and her owner no longer spent hours a week training, playing and traveling, she was left with relatively little to do. As a result, her life transitioned from one of working to one of eating, and eat Raika did! Unfortunately, all of that eating led to a serious weight problem, and she wasn't about to take responsibility for her mom's guilt-driven negligence: In the process of losing that weight through long daily walks, we find ourselves privy to Raika thoughts on everything from the weather to human frailty to the importance of living life to the fullest. While mom is initially unable to hear Raika's thoughts, she slowly comes to appreciate life through the eyes of her elderly dog. She also comes to accept that time is short. "Raika, last night I had a dream. In my dream, you were trying to talk to me?.it was so clear what you were trying to say...No amount of walking, or changing of diets, or listening...could make you young again?.You wanted me to let you go...I know that your time will come. It is inevitable." And so begins the second part of the story as the pair begin to engage in dialogue. Raika presents her perspective on the irrational nature of human behavior and emotion with a blunt matter of factness that startles...and then thoroughly charms, with her sense of humor and keen awareness of the human condition. The reader is held with a deep and growing affection for the pair, even as the inevitable effects of aging take their toll and we work our way closer to the end of Raika's life. Here we have a uniquely memorable story that leaves the reader with a sense of acceptance on the topics of life, aging, and death. A reader can find comfort and wisdom in the face of deep loss and grief, laughing through their tears all the way to the end.

Because man’s best friend deserves to know the secrets of how to live a good life, too. Monty was just like any other dog. A scruffy and irascible Maltese terrier, he enjoyed barking at pugs and sniffing at trees. But after yet another dramatic confrontation with the local Rottweiler, Anthony McGowan realizes it’s high time he and Monty had a chat about what makes him a good or a bad dog. Taking his lead from Monty’s canine antics, McGowan takes us on a hilarious and enlightening jaunt through the major debates of philosophy. Will Kant convince Monty to stop stealing cheesecake? How long will they put up with Socrates poking holes in every argument? In this uniquely entertaining take on morality and ethics, the dutiful duo set out to uncover who—if anyone—has the right end of the ethical stick and can tell us how best to live one’s life.

Having a conversation with your dog may seem like a fulfilling experience. You initiate the topic, present your arguments, and eventually win the debate, right? However, it's not always so straightforward. It largely depends on your dog's personality, and one thing you should never underestimate is your furry friend's stubbornness.