"Vivian Zottola's book is an excellent guide to giving dogs the best lives they can enjoy in a human-dominated world." - Marc Bekoff, author of Canine Confidential and Dogs Demystified.

Dog ownership and training is much more nuanced than learning Sit. Stay. Come. Discover the philosophy behind humane dog training from an expert with 20+ years of experience.

For millions, dogs are a vital part of their family, and one might assume that after thousands of years of living together, understanding one another would be easy. Yet even after attempts at breeding dogs to our liking, reading countless training books, and watching TV shows, a fundamental misunderstanding of our relationship still exists. We make noble efforts to bring dogs into our lives and care for them, but we still struggle to find a middle ground between undervaluing and overvaluing their lives. Ultimately, we risk breaking the delicate bond and hurting the very ones we aim to protect: dogs.

This nonfiction book delves into systemic issues in our relationship with dogs and provides practical solutions. The author has worked successfully with hundreds of people and their dogs of all ages and breeds for over two decades, helping to mend fractured relations. She offers readers a fresh perspective on best practices in humane pet-keeping, ethical training and management that can save lives. The book is packed with historical facts, groundbreaking research in canine science, real-life stories, and client cases for others to draw lessons from. If you're looking to grasp the root causes of pet dog behavior problems and understand how to effectively implement and manage change to enhance your bond with your dog, then this book is a perfect fit for you.