Think Like Your Dog

When dogs struggle, they're often labelled as difficult, reactive, stubborn, or problematic. But behaviour rarely appears without reason - and it almost never comes out of nowhere. In Think Like Your Dog, animal psychologist and trainer Amy Curran invites readers to step out of judgement and into understanding. Drawing on decades of lived experience with dogs across breeding, training, performance, and real-life homes, Amy reframes behaviour as communication shaped by stress, emotion, environment, and change. This is not a book about control, dominance, or quick fixes. It's a grounded, compassionate guide to recognising why dogs behave the way they do - and how well-intentioned expectations, pressure, and misunderstanding can quietly push them beyond their capacity to cope. Through clear explanations and real-life insight, Think Like Your Dog explores:why tolerance is often mistaken for calm how stress and environment drive behaviour why punishment fails to create lasting safety how life changes and social pressure affect dogs what ethical, effective support actually looks like Written for dog owners, professionals, and anyone who wants to build safer, more respectful relationships with dogs, this book offers a steady alternative to blame and urgency. Understanding behaviour doesn't lower standards. It raises them - earlier, calmer, and with far better outcomes.