“Think Like a Dog: How Positive Psychology Can Help Your Dog Thrive” by Dr. Jen Golbeck, Ph.D.

c.2026, Atria, $28, 216 pages

You’ve gone through four boxes of treats this month.

Four, five, seven snackies each day, and your dog still doesn’t do what you’re trying to teach him. You’ve tried everything you can think of and you adore him, but he just won’t understand. What did you do wrong? What is he doing wrong? Don’t start over; instead, read “Think Like a Dog” and get inside that furry head.

Your dog is one smart cookie, and if you’re like Dr. Golbeck, you tell everybody: she’s known as “the internet’s dog mom,” and she and her husband share the escapades of their six golden retrievers with millions of fans. Go look.

But her dogs, like many rescues, can be challenging. She often asks herself what can be done “to really help this dog thrive?”

She discovered the answers in human medicine, in the “principles of Positive Psychology.” In short, you get more with praise than by yelling or getting frustrated at your dog – but you need to know the right kind of praise.

“Our dogs are always giving us clues to what they are thinking and feeling...” she says, and observation is “not an exact science...” If you concentrate on three main things, however, you can begin to steer your dog (and yourself) in the right direction.

Teach your dog to focus, even if he’s a lovable goofball. Aim his energy in a sport or let him play hard, with breaks. Be consistent.

Give Pupster the best nutrition, rest and health care for vitality. Be patient when training, socialize him, go at his pace. Know your dog’s breed; it will guide you toward a better understanding of his learning preferences.

And finally, nurture his curiosity but be his “safety net.” Let him explore and sniff. Take advantage of his kindness and compassion.

Says Golbeck, “… we should start with the wealth of what is already working, rather than with what needs fixing.”

So, is there anything new in this book for veteran, long-time dog owners? Nah, not really. What you’ll find in “Think Like a Dog” is pretty basic, albeit scientific and up to date, though if you have a dog, you probably already live it.

And that’s okay. You’ll want this book anyhow because author Golbeck talks to dog owners in the form of stories, hers and those from her internet fans, and they’re about as irresistible as puppy-dog eyes. These are funny stories, little slices of dog-life, tales of rescue and life-changing events, but also a few sad stories, so beware. Each chapter is exactly as enjoyable as you’d imagine it’d be, with lessons tied subtly in each tale.

Tail. You know, whichever.

Readers, teens to adults, will be charmed by this book and if you just got your first dog, it can help you be a better owner and pal to your pup. If you’re a long-time puppy parent, though, just enjoy this book because it’s about your favorite subject. For a dog lover, “Think Like a Dog” is a real treat.