“Lots of positive, gentle methods for working effectively with dogs. Tender Paws will be especially helpful for people getting new puppies or adopting traumatized rescue dogs.” — Dr. Temple Grandin, bestselling author of Animals Make Us Human and Animals in Translation
“It’s fabulous. I purchased the audiobook and loved it—then ordered the paperback to read again.” — Niki Tudge, founder and president, Pet Professional Guild
“I had trouble putting this one down” — Jennifer Shryock, founder, Family Paws Parent Education
Discover what parenting experts can teach us about bringing out the best in any dog.
★ Winner, 2025 Book Award, American Society of Journalists & Authors
★ Winner, 2024 Maxwell Medallion, Dog Writers Association of America
★ Finalist, 2024 IAN Book of the Year Awards
Reimagine Dog Training as Dog Parenting
In Tender Paws you’ll learn how time-tested parenting principles —grounded in empathy, development, and emotional safety—can work wonders with dogs of any age or background.
When journalist Wendy Lyons Sunshine brought home her first puppy—a tiny rescue abandoned behind a gas station, struggling with worms and anemia—traditional training guides soon failed her.
Desperate and on the verge of returning the unruly pup to the shelter, she got an unconventional idea. Could the special needs parenting book she had just co-authored, The Connected Child, hold the solution? To her surprise, yes! The same techniques that benefit vulnerable children transformed her relationship with the struggling pup—from the very first try.
In Tender Paws, she translates decades of parenting research into practical, everyday techniques that work with puppies and dogs—bridging the science of supporting vulnerable children and the art of living well with our canine companions.
At the core of Tender Paws is HEARTS—a six-part framework covering your dog’s body, mind, home, relationships, learning, and who they are at heart.
H – HEAL the body—Address medical needs first for optimal behavior
E – ENRICH and optimize the brain—Meet cognitive and sensory needs
A – APPROPRIATE environments—Create spaces where your dog feels safe
R – RESPECTFUL relationships—Build security, trust, and cooperation
T – TEACH sensitively and positively—Use evidence-based methods
S – SUPPORT the individual—Honor your dog’s unique temperament and history
The result: you begin to see challenging behavior differently and learn to meet the true need driving it.
Through real-life case studies from trainers and behavior experts, Tender Paws shows how HEARTS principles help reduce and resolve challenges—from recognizing hidden pain to helping traumatized rescue dogs learn to trust again.
You’ll meet a spaniel pushed to the brink. A high-drama border collie. A rescue dog facing behavioral euthanasia, and more. See what truly helps dogs change, and how we can help them become the best versions of themselves.
With HEARTS, behavior improves naturally and the connection between you grows.
Tender Paws delivers:
✓ A problem-solving framework that makes decisions clearer
✓ Complex science made simple and practical
✓ Proven parenting wisdom for optimal wellness
✓ Real-world case studies showing what actually works
Perfect for:
* First-time puppy parents seeking deeper understanding
* Families helping rescue dogs with backgrounds of trauma
* Professional trainers looking for science-backed approaches
* Anyone frustrated by punishment-based training methods
Readers have called Tender Paws a “compassionate manifesto” and “a game changer.” Recommended by certified dog professionals and dog lovers worldwide.
“I love this book! This is no ordinary training manual! Not only will it help transform the relationship the reader has with their dog, but it has the potential to change how they relate to other humans and even with themselves.” — Andrew Hale, Dog Centred Care
“A guide for compassionately helping puppies, rescue dogs, and older traumatized canines live their best lives, based upon neuroscience and strategies developed for aiding at-risk children. …. lucid and informative … surprising and intriguing … easily understandable… An articulate, highly informative, and enjoyable puppy-parenting primer. Our Verdict: Get It!” — Kirkus Reviews Indies
“Exceptionally well organized and presented, informed and informative… Tender Paws: How Science-Based Parenting Can Transform Our Relationship with Dogs is especially and unreservedly recommended…” — Midwest Book Review
“A powerful, well-researched, and important common sense book for every dog lover…. Highly recommend.” — Kim Brophey, author of Meet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog’s Behavior
“Sunshine’s ability to break down complex canine psychology into layman’s terms is particularly helpful, and she provides hands-on graphics and tools—checklists, diagrams, and graphs—as well as vivid descriptions…. she also consults with over a dozen animal behaviorists, making this a well-rounded, valuable resource for beleaguered dog owners.” — Booklife
See what readers have to say about TENDER PAWS at LibraryThing, Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.
Available from Simon & Schuster, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Audible, and your favorite bookseller.