When Erika adopted Mila, she naively believed that, like instant soup, she wouldn’t have to go through the process of cooking all the ingredients from scratch. She wouldn’t have to house train, obedience train or intensely socialise a mature dog. Mila quickly proved how misguided she was! Her favourite pastime was zealously chewing Persian rugs while the living room became her personal toilet. Alternatively, when asked to sit, lie down, or come, she’d throw herself on her back in submission and refuse to move. Thunder and fireworks sent her rushing around in a mindless panic, while the sight of other dogs turned her into a screaming banshee. Does this sound familiar?

Introducing From Wolf to Supermutt and Everything In Between, a book to guide you and your dog to happiness and harmony. Predominantly written with information based on research studies, the book also includes anecdotes based on Erika’s own experience to give it the personal factor. Erika’s portrayal of all things canine begins with their evolution and domestication, the fundamental processes that triggered our ongoing relationship with dogs. Additionally, the book banishes a few myths, and explores the significance of nature vs nurture, including the importance of genetics, breeding and socialisation. Understanding how our dogs think and learn, knowing the source of canine behaviour problems, including the impact of detrimental and positive training methods, we can pre-empt many behaviour problems and positively shape our dogs into happy hounds.