Suggested Reading

     Some of these books can be purchased online, from various vendors. VPCA does NOT receive any compensation for sales of these books listed. These resources are provided solely for the benefit of our Members and people interested in reading them. If we have found the books for sale online, the cover photo will contain a direct link to the vendor's website. Listed prices are from the vendor's websites, and may change without notice.

     Please check back frequently, as this list is continually expanding.

By William S. Helton
$60.95 ¹
     Providing a complete overview, from physiology to cognition, this is the first book to discuss working dogs from a scientific perspective. It covers a wide range of current and potential tasks, explores ergonomic and cognitive aspects of these tasks, and covers personality traits and behavioral assessments of working dogs. A quick look at the chapters, contributed by experts from across the globe and across the multidisciplinary spectrum, illustrates the breadth and depth of information available in this book.¹
     Traditionally, information concerning working dogs is mostly hearsay, with the exchange of information informal at best and non-existent at worst. Most books available are too general in coverage or conversely, too specific. They explain how to train a service dog or train a dog to track, based on training lore rather than empirical methods verified with rigorous scientific standards. This book, drawing on cutting edge research, unifies different perspectives into one global science: Canine Ergonomics.¹

By Dr. Bruce Fogle
$12.95 ¹
     How do dogs perceive the world about them? How do they see, hear, learn, relate to their owners? How large are their brains, what is their emotional makeup? Why do they suffer from stress and how can it be coped with?¹
     Over the last few years a substantial body of knowledge has been built up about the psychology of dog behavior. Combining more than twenty years of practical experience as a veterinary clinician with a personal knowledge and understanding of the latest international research, Dr. Bruce Fogle has written the most inclusive and relevant book on how the canine mind works.¹

By Ken Wallentine
$32.00 ^{1 2}
     New in 2008 is the latest addition to the Officer's Handbook Series: K9 Officer's Legal Handbook. Author Ken Wallentine, a nationally recognized expert, examines the many legal issues surrounding the use of police dogs. From drug detection and use of force to labor law concerns unique to dog handlers, Wallentine explores the full range of K9 deployments in an accessible and practical manner. Handlers, policy makers, and trainers will benefit from the Handbook's "in the field" approach. The Handbook's CD-ROM companion features the contents of the book plus the text of all of the cases and statutes cited by the author in a fully searchable format.²

     

$39.95 ³
     DVD included with this product. Topics include: High-Tech Veterinary Treatment, First Aid Kits, Rescue Breathing, CPR (latest AHA standards), Choking, Drowning, Spinal Injuries, Fractures, Gunshot and other Wounds, Embedded Objects, Shock, Spider Bites, Heat Stroke, Seizures and much more. This program is a must for all dog handlers and pet owners alike.
     Plus, a special bonus section contains Intro to Working Dogs and Tribute to Working Dogs and Happy Dogs. ³

By Tracy Bowling
$39.95 ¹
     A definitive and exhaustive 300-page manual on how to train and deploy the police K9 tracking team with over 40 diagrams, illustrations, and photos. All aspects of the discipline are covered including an historic overview, canine scenting abilities, track scent picture, scent discrimination training techniques, deployment tactics, equipment, record-keeping, and more. This book takes the police, military, or SAR K9 trainer step by step through the training of a K9 for reliable scent discriminate tracking. Learn how to successfully and more safely deploy a K9 tracking team.¹

¹ = Amazon
² = Elite-K9 Equipment
³ = Ray Allen Equipment