Raising Happy Dogs

It's time to reimagine the way we live with dogs. What if we’ve been looking at dog training all wrong? There's a better approach! Drawing on decades of experience and exciting new insights into canine behavior, renowned dog trainer Sarah Hodgson shows you how to see the world through your dog's eyes. The result? A happier, more intuitive approach to communicating, teaching, and enjoying life together. For generations, dog lovers have been taught to focus on obedience: getting dogs to listen and obey. Yet as our knowledge of how dogs think, feel, and learn has evolved, much of traditional training has stayed the same. Raising Happy Dogs brings this knowledge into everyday life, helping us look beyond challenging behaviors to recognize what our dogs are communicating, what they need from us, and how we can guide them with greater confidence and compassion. With practical strategies, lessons, games, and stories drawn from a lifetime of working with dogs and their families, Hodgson shows readers how to navigate behavioral challenges, teach essential skills, and build trust. Along the way, she reveals how understanding our dogs' emotions, instincts, and personalities can transform not only how we train them, but how we raise and live with them—creating a home where dogs feel safe, understood, and able to thrive. If you want to move beyond conventional dog training to a kinder, more connected way of teaching and communicating with the animals you love, Raising Happy Dogs offers a fresh, accessible, and empowering approach to life together.