It saddens me to think of children using the advice from this book, published in 2000, with their beloved pets.

Excerpts like, "How do you say 'I'm the boss'? The most effective way is to put your mouth on his muzzle." Wait...what? Did I fall back into the 1960s, when we believed we had have domination over our pets lest they control us. And there's also "Keep telling your dog you're in charge." Yes, because that's the foundation of all strong relationships. (Eye roll.) I wonder how many human-dog relationships have been damaged because of these expert "tips".

The one thing this book has going for it is the amazing illustrations by Sue Truesdell. Too bad they don't make up for the badly misinformed "guidance" that make up the text of this book! ( )

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This book is meant for elementary school readers who love dogs and/or have dogs as pets. It teaches the reader about the different ways dogs communicate with their people and other animals. The reader learns how dogs greet each other and say good bye, how to teach your dog that you are boss, and how dogs communicate that they want to play. Dogs pay attention to your body language and use body language to communicate with you as well. The way they hold their tails and the way their ears lay down or stand up communicates different messages.

I could use this book for a 5th grade class as an option when introducing "how to" books, this book is a picture book but has a lot of words and wider vocabulary that would best fit for a 5th grader. This book can be used to teach students about "how to" books and how they work and that they display cause and effect, the results you get will depend on the actions you take. The book could be used when teaching the theme "safety" to teach students how to be safe with dogs. Also, the book shows how the language we use can help us better communicate with others. The rich vocabulary in the book will also be a great way to teach students new words!

Jean Craighead George wants to teach pet owners how to talk to their dog. The story mentions how to say hello, goodbye, and I am the boss in "dog talk". The book clearly shows that the author is knowledgeable about dogs. She states that dogs communicate by smell, sound, and movement. If a person goes on their arms and knees like a dog while hitting the ground with their hands, the person is saying," let's play". Dogs know so many things about their owners without the owner realizing. The book states dogs know who are friends entering the house and who are enemies. A dog will walk with their legs stiff towards a stranger/enemy. A dog will lower his head to a friend. This book illustrates so many unique things about dogs.