Human-dog relationships vary from being extremely positive and as reciprocal as possible to being highly abusive, with dogs treated as unfeeling objects and living their lives in fear of making dog-appropriate "mistakes" that upset their humans to the point where they are punished, often harshly, for just being a dog.

Research has consistently shown that positive force-free training is the best way to get a dog to do what they need to live in fair harmonious relationships with humans that value the well-being of all involved.1 Along these lines, in her new science-based book Think Like a Dog: How Positive Psychology Can Help Your Dog Thrive, dog expert Jen Golbeck, Ph.D., "shifts our focus from solving problems and scolding 'bad behavior' to building on strengths based on qualities like focus, vitality, and curiosity."

Marc Bekoff: Why did you write Think Like a Dog?

Jen Golbeck: When I was working on my first book, The Purest Bond, which was about the human-dog bond, I collected so much interesting research about dog psychology that was independent of their relationship with us. As I looked at all of it, I saw that almost all this science described ways that dogs interacted with the world, and found enrichment, in really positive ways. I did not want to write "Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul," but I did want to connect all these interesting, scientific insights about dogs to a framework we have for understanding how people live fulfilling lives. That's what I've tried to do, linking canine psychology with positive psychology in Think Like a Dog.

MB: How does your book relate to your........

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