FRIENDSHIP: You and Your Dog

The central theme here, that proper communication and training will lead to a more harmonious human/dog relationship, is neither new nor enlightening. Hancock, a research biologist, teacher and dog breeder, devotes a third of the book to what she calls ""companionship training,"" which boils down to a fairly simple and routine praise/reward teaching process based on knowledge of canine psychology. The remainder of the book briefly covers such topics as choosing a dog (with emphasis skewed toward purebreds, and nary a mention of the pet overpopulation problem), puppy development and socialization, canine ancestry, the human/ companion animal bond (how dogs can play an important role in fulfilling people's needs, and vice versa), and general feeding and animal care. Though the information presented is sound, the writing is generally flat and oversimplified. For more comprehensive dog-training guidance, see Siegal and Margolis' When Good Dogs Do Bad Things.