Jean Craighead George… if the name sounds at all familiar, you probably know her as a children’s book author. She is a Newberry Medal winner for her writing for children. Her book Julie of the Wolves was one of my favorites as a child.
At my local used book store, I found a pair of non-fiction books by Jean Craighead George: How to Talk to Your Cat and How to Talk to Your Dog. To my surprise, I found that the famous children’s author had spent a lot of time studying animal communication! The book is full of stories about her encounters with animals from cats and dogs to Arctic wolves and gorillas.
In How to Talk to Your Cat, readers learn how to decode the often mysterious behavior of their feline friends. If you’ve ever wanted to understand what your cat was trying to tell you with her different meows, this is your chance! The book also shows you how to read feline body language — facial expressions, body language, and tail movements. Do you know why your cat gives you a head butt in greeting? Do you know how mother cats communicate to their kittens? It’s all inside.
In How to Talk to Your Dog, readers get help in decoding canine communication. From tail positions to ear movement, you’ll learn to read body language and vocal language. Learning to talk and act like a dog can actually help you train your pup! I have used some of the communication techniques with Moose and Lally since reading this book and actually find that they are listening to me better than they were before. This book also explains more about pack behavior and dominance, which is always useful for multi-dog families.
Both books are full of illustrations from the author herself, plus lots of examples of the often mysterious behavior of pets AND people. If you want to communicate better with your furry friends, I highly recommend picking up one or both of these books.