Tender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationship with Dogs, (Paperback)

Tender Paws takes a deep dive into the practical benefits of applying therapeutic parenting best practices to dogs in our care.

2025 Winner in the Service/Self Help category of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Awards

2024 Winner of Dog Writers Association of America's Maxwell Medallion for rescue/adoption book

2024 IAM Book of the Year Award finalist in the Animlas/Pets/Nature category.

What if you could nurture your dog the way that developmental psychologists, trauma specialists, and other experts approach raising children?

In Tender Paws, award-winning journalist Wendy Lyons Sunshine shows dog lovers how to use best practices from child development, attachment theory, trauma research, parenting styles, and advanced learning theory to foster trust, resilience, and cooperation in their canine companions.

Reimagine Dog Training as Dog Parenting

Traditional dog training often relies on dominance, obedience, and control--but modern science tells us there's a better way. Tender Paws introduces the HEARTS framework, a holistic approach designed to help dogs thrive emotionally, behaviorally, and socially.

• Healing--understand how physical issues, trauma, and stress affect dog behavior and how to support recovery
• Enrichment--learn how to fulfill your dog's cognitive and sensory needs
• Appropriate environment--create a home where your dog feels secure
• Respectful relationships--build a trusting and cooperative connection
• Teaching sensitively and positively--promote ideal learning with evidence-informed strategies
• Support the individual--tailor care to your unique dog's temperament, history, and biology

Far from a standard dog training manual, Tender Paws shows how and why to apply parenting best practices to diverse scenarios, such as:

• recognizing developmental trauma and unmet core needs, especially in rescue puppies and dogs
• making decisions about appropriate equipment,
• responding to difficult behavior,
• understanding the parenting style from which we approach our dogs.

Full of heart-tugging, real-life stories, expert interviews, and practical tools, Tender Paws empowers you to understand your dog's behavior through a new lens--one rooted in science, empathy, and connection. Helpful visuals and diagrams make it easier to decode signs of stress and find effective ways to help dogs thrive emotionally, behaviorally, and socially.

What You'll Learn

• The surprising similarities between raising children and raising dogs.
• How to apply principles from attachment theory and trauma-informed care to your dog.
• The importance of both nurture and structure for well-adjusted and emotionally healthy pets.
• How to avoid common mistakes that erode trust and increase anxiety.
• The HEARTS framework and tools to address behavioral challenges with kindness and science.