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BEHAVIOR MATTERS FOR CATS AND DOGS is an essential, comprehensive resource for pet guardians and industry experts. Take a deeper dive into the science of animal behavior, feline and canine behavioral needs, how all animals learn and behavior changes, why environments and our own behavior matters, and more.
Behavior Matters are among the top reasons pet guardians consult professionals and for pet surrender:
BEHAVIOR MATTERS looks to the research and draws from practice to offer insightful guidance and astute approaches to feline and canine friendly interventions to help modify behavior and training guidelines. Formatted for the individual behavior topics pet guardians seek the most help for, including engaging and needed sections on natural history, sociality, body language, and communication for cats and dogs, this book belongs on every pet lover’s must read list.
Advance Praise for BEHAVIOR MATTERS:
“Want to introduce a new kitten to your older cat? Trying to stop your dog from barking incessantly? Wondering whether classical music can soothe cats? Hoping to quell your dog’s fear of the walker? Combining science with anecdotes, this book offers comprehensive advice from an expert to help make life with your furry companion rewarding for both of you.”
– Jonathan Balcombe, Author of Super Fly, and What a Fish Knows
“This fabulous book is packed full of fascinating and useful insights into the inner worlds of the two most popular furry four-legged members of a large percentage of families globally. Giving practical tips and ideas in a friendly, non-judgemental, conversational manner this book is joyful to read. If you would like to learn more about what makes your pet tick and how, along with practical solutions around some common topics and some of the less covered topics in literature, then this is the book for you. Equally if you are a professional you will gain much from reading this book benefiting from a plethora of tips, as well as the experience and learning history of this highly knowledgeable Author.”
– Clare NL Grierson, Animal Trainer and Behaviour Advisor and Founder of Muddy Mutleys, London, UK
“Shelley-Grielen offers an exhaustive treatise on the behaviors of cats, dogs, and their humans as they interact with one another. Through comprehensive discussions of the evolutionary history of cats and dogs, the author details the influences on their behavior vis-à-vis their human caretakers. Cats, for example, “process information through primary senses not our own.” They see the world through “scent, pheromones, and sound.” Major topics are covered in individual chapters dedicated to specific issues. A thorough examination of the natural behaviors of cats and dogs, involving their social structures, communication methods, and cognitive abilities forms the basis for addressing behavioral problems. Under the broad category of environmental enrichment, Shelley-Grielen highlights the importance of providing a stimulating environment that meets the physical, mental, and social needs of the animal, which helps prevent boredom and subsequent behavioral issues. The author is a great advocate for positive reinforcement techniques in training to promote desirable behaviors while minimizing stress and fear in pets, and she offers solutions for addressing especially troublesome behavioral issues such as aggression, anxiety, and inappropriate elimination. Beginning each subject with her personal experience with an animal to illustrate the built-in biological differences between humans and the animals with whom they are trying to communicate, Shelley-Grielen follows up with a compendium of scientific data…the organizational structure of the book, with its standalone chapters addressing specific issues, makes this an accessible, useful reference book for pet parents. Readers will likely appreciate the plethora of engaging factoids offered, such as the observation that humans have the most expressive faces of any animal thanks to their 52 separate face muscles.“
– “An information-packed guide to managing and modifying cat and dog behaviors sensitively and effectively.“- Kirkus Reviews
Want to read this book? Available on Amazon here and other platforms
There are cat people, and there are dog people band then there are cat and dog people. For those of us who love both, Cats and Dogs offers invaluable tips and strategies for living with pets and taking a look at the world from their point of view.
Praise for Cats and Dogs:
“Frania Shelley-Grielen combines personal affection for animals, a synthesis of a wide range of research in animal biology, and long experience as an animal behaviorist to give a unique and insightful account into the social and interactive lives of animals. She not only dispels common myths (cats are solitary) and answers important questions for humans seeking to share their lives with animals (how to choose the right match, how to introduce animals to your home, etc.); she also gives us a picture of the mental lives of animals and helps us to understand where they are coming from. She addresses animal communication and indicates conclusively that not only are nonhuman animals capable of it, but that humans usually fail to pay heed to important ways that animals express their moods, dispositions, and desires. This book combines vital practical information for improving the shared lives of human and nonhuman animals; it also peers behind the curtain of important cutting-edge research in animal mind and sociality to give us a glimpse of what amounts to no less than a renaissance in our human understanding of the matter.”
—Jeffrey Bussolini, BSFS, PhD, feline sociologist, co-director, Center for Feline Studies/ABMSC
Want to read this book? Available on Amazon and Walmart here and other platforms
Want to read this book? Available on Amazon and other platforms
Before working professionally with animals, Frania and her husband, owned and operated a Bed and Breakfast on Florida’s Gulf Coast for four years. Mystified by how-to guidebooks written by non B&B owners, Frania’s memoir/cookbook was inspired by her guests who wanted a B&B lifestyle for themselves.
The story continues in the second edition – not everyone is on board with how the story turns out. Frania shares those developments and insights and the recipes stay the same!
Amazon Review:
“Reality check!! I read this book 14 years ago when I first bought my B&B, then I re-read it the other day. Well – I can tell you that the author gives you a reality check on the running of a B&B. Things have changed a lot since this book was first published – especially with everyone running their own “Airbnb” and vacation rentals. However the main gist is still the same – running an inn is not for everyone – and has its really great moment and then some not so great moments. I reread this book and thought – wow – she is speaking to me. Frania doesnt mince words and really speaks about how lonely the life can be – and also, how artificial and transactional the interactions are with the guests. I still really love my business – but it does get tiring and it is easy to get burnt out. For anyone wishing to have a B&B this should be mandatory reading. The recipes are a nice bonus! I am glad to know that the author returned to NYC as that was and is her first love – makes me happy to know she is successfully doing a new career in animal behavior.”
Frania Shelley-Grielen, MA, MS 