5 comments about Through a Dog's Eyes.

1. Because author Jennifer Arnold is "founder and director of Canine Assistants, a nonprofit organization that trains and provides service dogs for people with physical disabilities and special needs," I expected THROUGH A DOG'S EYES to extensively deal with her training practices, but she doesn't, as her book's subtitle is UNDERSTANDING OUR DOGS BY UNDERSTANDING HOW THEY SEE THE WORLD. She talks about how and why dogs respond to requests, and she presents a variety of interesting theories: about the way dogs can perceive that a person with epilepsy is going to have a seizure up to an hour before they occur, for example.
   
   I like and enjoy dogs, but I have never experienced a deep bond with one, like Arnold describes. I also know little about how dogs function in training, so her information increased my understanding and stirred my compassion. (I can't comment if there is new information for experienced pet owners/trainers/breeders, of course.)
   
   A quick, informative read. Well-chosen and appealing photographs. Unapologetic opinions. Good news for rescue dogs.



2. This book is written by a dog trainer who is very knowledgeable about her occupation and the subject of dog phycology. You can see through the eyes of the dog and what it might be thinking and storing to memory. If you like dogs you will like this book very much. Some of the stories regarding her years of dog training are quite interesting like the dog who can smell cancer or sense it in some way and was able to save the dog owners life. This book would make a nice gift for dog lover friends or family member.



3. Jennifer Arnold gets it right on how we should respect our dogs and how to treat them. This women has done amazing things and only wants what's best for people and dogs. She has seen first hand how dogs can change people's lives and has trained them to do just that. She wants no fanfare she just wants us to treat dogs,animals,etc with kindness. This book is a must read for everyone....I LOVED it!!! Thank you Jennifer for writing such a great book!!!



4. This is a GREAT, GREAT book if you're a dog lover and want to understand how to take care of them and treat them as they should be treated. She gives much better information about dog behavior than any other place I've read. She uses scientific studies about dog behavior and dog/wolf ancestry to back up her information. If you love dogs, please read it and pass it on to help others understand how treat their dogs properly and not abusively. I learned a LOT about what I should be doing and what mistakes I've been making with mine. A lot of what she said about dog behavior was intuitive to me but I was told was wrong. I now have learned to trust my instincts and am employing her tactics.



5. Wonderful book. Another one in same vein that's great is A Dog Named Slugger by Leigh Brill. True story of the golden Lab who became Brill's service dog and transformed her life. Getting great reviews from Booklist and others. A Dog Named Slugger

No comments about The Lost Dogs: Michael Vick's Dogs and Their Tale of Rescue and Redemption.

5 comments about Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat.

1. Making Rounds with Oscar is a book I could hardly put down, & surprisingly I found it a great spiritual-growth type read. Always having been an animal lover, Oscar proves that often animals are more in-tune with the really important issues of life - i.e. being present with people at times of deepest need. A great book & a wonderful cat!! I think tere are more Oscar's out there - we just don't take time to know that. Mary Ann Cauthen



2. Animals have greater capacities than we generally give them credit for. This is an extraordinary and enigmatic story. Recommended.



3. Delightful story about Oscar and one of the best books I have read regarding Dementia and its affects on whole families. It was deeply healing, and opened up different perspectives about [human] end of life choices.



4. An amazing read. I am a Fellow in Geriatrics and this is a must read for anyone who is going to be working with older patients. Very Inspirational.



5. This was a sweet and cute book, a sceptical doctor and the loving staff. the doctor gives alot of advice on handling care of the elderly dementia patients.... not a huge amount of memories of Oscar but still a cute book. I would recommend this for someone that was needing a book on care and understanding of this disease..
   It brought back memories of my grandmother.
   I wish there was more stories of the cats and pictures. Cute book..lovingly worded.

No comments about One Dog at a Time: Saving the Strays of Afghanistan.

2 comments about Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love.

1. I am sorely tempted to give the book 5 stars because any story about an abused dog finding a perfect family deserves high praise, but that would be a bit disingenuous on my part, so I give it about a 4.4 rating. I can't say I found the book to be a big tear jerker, books such as Saved: Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform, Found Dogs: Tales of Strays Who Landed on Their Feet are more the type that get me. This story does not wallow in the cruelness that happened to Oogy when he was a pup, rather it showers you with all the love he found when he was turned over to the animal hospital and then given to the Levins.
   
   The story of Oogy is compelling and I truly think the Levins are wonderful people. The author and his 2 sons basically fell in love with Oogy at first sight. I have to admire someone who can just give in to that feeling with such utter ease, with no doubts and no internal debate about whether it is right or not. He saw Oogy with all his physical faults, but just knew he had to have him regardless. The stars aligned for the Levins that day when their paths crossed with Oogy. Huge kudos also go to the animal hospital and the woman who fought to save him in the first place.
   
   There is a bit of background story about the Levins and their 2 sons, but it is interesting and leads up to Oogy's adoption. I read the book in one day, but in recalling it in my head, the time line gets a little jumbled. I think in the story the author jumps around to different events, such as near the end of the book he talks about a trainer he brought in when Oogy was younger. It kind of seemed like that was added as an afterthought, when it could have been placed early in the book. I do like stories to follow a sort of chronological time line and there aren't many dates or ages given for Oogy that help me to place how old he is during the story. That is just a little pickiness on my part though.
   
   The author comes across as a very easy going, humorous person. That is fortunate for Oogy because his behavior in the early years is not something that everyone could have withstood. Sleeping on the dining room table. Barking at you while you eat. Needless to say Oogy is a bit spoiled, and as a big fan of the Dog Whisperer, that can cause some issues. Oogy was definitely not an aggressive dog, but he seemed to think he was on equal footing with all the humans there. He seemed to do what he wanted to do when he wanted to. But you know what, it works for them, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
   
   In all, it is a good book. I have read numerous animals stories (Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale, Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale, or How I Learned about Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat and Making Rounds with Oscar: The Extraordinary Gift of an Ordinary Cat), and while this one kept me reading and in love with Oogy, it didn't have quite the polish of these other books. Hmm, maybe that is how Oogy would have wanted it though.



2. I was hooked by the picture of Oogy on the cover. The story did not disappoint.
   
   This is a noble dog, an inspirational dog. (As someone says to the author, "When was the last time you heard of a fighting dog who was inspirational?" I don't have the quote exactly right, but it's just what I was thinking while reading.) Oogy had a horrendous history - he was literally a throw-away dog when Larry Levin and his sons first met him. Somehow Oogy's spirit and love for all creatures survived an unthinkable ordeal and shone through to all who met him, even when he was close to death and in incredible pain. This is an amazing animal, and the narrative works best when Larry Levin makes the story about Oogy. Of course it is also about a family, but it is mostly about this amazing dog.
   
   True animal lovers - vets, rescuers - recognize the special nature of this animal. People seeing him on the street are initially put off by his appearance but quickly won over by his personality.
   
   The writing style is straightforward which works well with the compelling and emotional nature of the story. I cried early and often. It is a quick read but it will stay with me for a long, long time.
   
   Minor quibble: it seemed that the author was way too hard on himself every time Oogy suffered some pain, and obsessed with making it up to Oogy for the unthinkable experiences of his early life. Mr. Levin is apparently an attorney with a very flexible schedule that allows him to spend a lot of time at home, and his bonding with Oogy is so complete that he occasionally seems to lose perspective.
   
   Another quibble is the title. Everybody loves Oogy. That's the whole point.
   
   I think the story works so well because this is basically a normal family whose lives are touched by an extraordinary dog. Oogy is the miracle. Very highly recommended.

5 comments about Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog.

1. It has been two years since I read all but the final 2 chapters of this book. The story is so touching, I just don't want to know how it ends. And since it's a book about a dog...we all know how it is going to end:( This is a MUST book for the dog lover in your life.



2. The most fantastic, engaging book you will ever read regarding the life of a dog, and the impact that life has on man. Unequivocally an adventure of the heart and the mind. Get it at the local bookstore. Trust us....you'll be very glad you did.
   
   This is THE BEST man-dog book EVER!
   
   (We even dropped into Kelly, Wyoming to see if Ted might be at the local coffee shop --- You've GOT to LOVE a book to journey to Kelly, Wyoming --- believe us... we even brought our Lab "Reggie" with us).
   
   Can't wait for Ted's next book (He has a new Lab puppy you know!).



3. ...you'll love this book. The innate intelligence of Merle, a beautiful golden retriever, and Merle's fellowship with the book's author are astounding. A friend recommended this book with a warning - have a tissue ready for the end. Why can't puppies live forever?



4. This was a rather interesting read, but it did get wordy with all of the so-called support the author tried to use for his very unrealistic way of having a dog. It is not at all the way the majority of dogs can live in this world. I find it interesting that he never really talked of responsibility.
   
   Responsibility is NOT letting your dog run free to be subjected to other dogs, people with guns, snakes, wildlife, below zero blizzards, cars and the hundreds of other hazzards there are for a dog in the world. Responsibility is NOT thinking your dog told you that he should 'die in his own time' when the dog can't walk, can't eat, and is peeing and pooping all over himself. Or in the case of Allison, a dog with a huge, draining, stinking tumor on his face.
   
   I actually was doing ok with this book, even though I thought much of it was so very far from reality.
   
   But when I got to when Brower and Merle were so very ill, I got angry. The author said Merle was not in pain. Oh really? He doesn't know for sure. And even if he was pain-free, he was pooping and peeing on himself. Have you ever heard of dying with dignity? Your dog was SUFFERING. You are one selfish dude.



5. This book shows what it is really like for the life of a dog who is such a free thinker. I love the descriptive quality of the outdoors and the situations that Merle has been through. Shows the unique bond that exists between the owner and his dog. A bit of a tear jerker and well worth the read!

5 comments about Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale.

1. I'm 13 yrs. old and i read Amazing Gracie over the summer. It was a great, inspiring book. I love any book with dogs in it. It was full of humor, sadness, and happiness. By the end of the book, i found myself crying. I would reccommend this book to anyone that loves dogs and wants to read a good story.



2. My husband bought this book for me as a surprise since I was missing my American Bulldog who had died two years ago. He thought it might make me remember some of the good days with her and it did. I really enjoyed reading about Amazing Gracie and had my tissue out in case I needed it. You can't go wrong in reading this book. Enjoy!



3. After having read The Art of Racing in the Rain, this book could not compare. It was much too easy of a read, and the plot is basic. If you love love love dogs, then you will probably like this book. Otherwise, try something else.



4. This is a must read for all dog lovers! This book made me remember that you can be going through your life day to day not realizing every little factor that plays into your destiny. I laughed and cried and beamed with respect and pride for Amazing Gracie's wonderful family!



5. The book makes you want to go out and adopt or rescue a soon to be horse like deaf puppy.It's about Dan who recently buried his best friend, his eighteen year old doggie and weeks later rescues a huge, deaf, albino puppy. She gets along well with his other roomates Mark, his business partner and friend who has two other female doggies that live with them, a dalmation and a lab mix. Gracie takes on Dottie the dalmation as her role model. When Gracie becomes anorexic, because she can't eat commercial dog food, Dan learns to bake all natural doggie cookies and Gracie loves them and he and Mark start a chain of dog bakeries. They are a wonderful family. The book shows you how life can give you lemons and how you can make very successful lemonade. It is a true story,very well written,humorous and easy to read. Funny how a dog can change your life completely in numerous ways. You'll love the life and times of Amazing Gracie.
   
   Jennifer Dunagan,author of Auntie Jennie's Puppy;
   The Adventures of Santana and Santana's Harrowing Halloween

5 comments about Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World.

1. This book tells a true story of a great cat. I recommend it for all cat lovers. I have a long-haired orange cat adopted from an animal shelter. My cat looks very much like Dewey so I just had to read this book.



2. Oh my God what a book. If it's an animal especially a cat or dog I will just have to read it. It's only the second book to ever make me shed a few tears.
   
   The story follows the life of a rescue kitten they found in the library deposit box and goes through his years as a young kitten to an elderly cat and all his antics that follow.
   
   The author also gives details of her own personal life and the history of the town and some facts about the library.
   
   Such a good read, I would recommend to any animal lover and even those who aren't I would still say give it a shot



3. One morning in the little town of Spencer, Iowa, it is 15 degrees below zero. Library director Vicki Myron, a single mother who has survived divorce, welfare, and a daunting series of medical problems, feels an instant kinship with the tiny kitten she finds inside the freezing cold book drop. Who pushed the little cat in there, and how did he survive that bitter night with no worse damage than frostbitten paws? What definitely isn't damaged is the kitten's spirit. He responds to the deeply touched library staff with love and trust, and before the day ends Vicki has made up her mind to keep him. After all, isn't having a library cat a very old tradition? Luckily her library's board agrees, and Dewey Readmore Books has an almost magical effect on the patrons. He brings the library's sometimes divided staff together, and their use statistics soar as people learn about Spencer's very special cat. Who belongs to the whole town, and knows it; but who makes up his mind from the beginning that he belongs first of all to Vicki.
   
   In the course of his long life (and it is a long one for a feline), Dewey inspires more magazine and newspaper articles than the library even knows about. He appears on U.S. television and radio, and even attracts a Japanese documentary film crew all the way from Tokyo. Families drive for hours to visit him. As Vicki's life goes on, through the challenges of raising her daughter alone - through rising in her profession, meeting its challenges, and surviving still more medical crises - Dewey is always there for her, and she is always there for Dewey. Their relationship, remarkable in one sense yet familiar to anyone who has ever genuinely loved a pet, lies at this heartwarming tale's center. Delightful!
   
   --Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Tabitha June Is a Shoulder Cat"



4. I love all animals especially cats, wolves and owls. This was a wonderfully warm and touching story of a loving relationship that might never had been. If "Dewey" had not been found and adopted, one wonders how different the lives of those he touched might have been. And this book brings that story to a huge audience for sharing with a world filled with lovers of cats and books and children.



5. This story is a great read for anyone of any age. It is especially touching if you are an animal lover like me. It is moving all the way through and Dewey absolutely captures your heart.

5 comments about All Creatures Great and Small.

1. Great description. Great ordering experience. Good delivery. Would recommend to any Amazon buyer! Thanks, LDM



2. I devoured the James Herriot bokks as a teen and am enjoying them again as an adult. What a bunch of quirky and extremely lovable characters! These books are quick reads but that most certainly does not mean they have no depth. The dry wit and very droll humour never gets old. Some of the events and the style of story telling could become repetitive and read as slapstick if written by a less accomplished author but James Herriot's voice is so very authentic and genuine.



3. This book shows you the graphic side of being a vet in the early 1900's. As he develops and matures from an early apprentice to a well known vet, James Herriot has a very interesting story. When he cures a dying bull with cold water, he shows the communities what he is made of. James Herriot creates many new medicines as he sees these cases throughout his life.
   
   I think this book was amazing, eye-catching and made you keep reading throughout the whole book. I think this book is extremely good and everyone should read it. -- Reid



4. On the captivating cover, you see a humble man with an accepting look; but as they always say, "Don't judge a book by its cover." Most book reviews you will see will try to tell you a brief summary of the book and will afterwards fathom its greatness and superiority, but this review will be more helpful than any other you have seen.
   
   Let me just be frank with you. Don't Read this book!!!!!!!! This autobiography begins with James Herriot describing episodes in the normal life of a veterinarian. Let's accept life, people! It takes real talent to write about yourself and make it sound commendable. A trait this author did not show in this publication. The book continues with James Herriot finding a new job and having a pretty normal life in his small town in England.
   
   Although I hated every bit of this book, I really hated the part(s) whenever he talks in an annoying detail about asking for "some hot water, soap, and a towel" just before he untangles a baby inside an animal, for instance, and his descriptive ability of basically boasting his achievements of solving complications inside an animal. I was particularly disgusted during these events because of their constant appearance in the book and how it never added to the excitement of the chapter or his life in general.
   
   I guess the writer really wants the reader to know about his life. Though from a reader's perspective, nobody wants to hear about a normal life.
   Now I should bring up the reason why I read this book in the first place instead of returning it to its home after reading the first chapter. I am pretty much forced to read this as part of a passing grade in reading, so I really had no choice.
   
   Just remember folks, never let "The Clasic Multimillion-Copy Bestseller" fool you. Notice how Classic is spelled intentionally "Clasic".
   
   So as a fellow reader and someone who has the ability to stop the plague of unhappy reading, I should warn you of the constant use of typos, and never using a period after an abbreviation; stuff that would normally get a reader pretty annoyed. So remember all you people out there looking for a good book, DON'T CHOOSE THIS ONE!!!!!!!!
   
   In case you haven't found out all ready though, I would rate this book 0 stars (though if you were to come up and ask me I would say -10... stars) -- Avishek



5. Perfect stories from the life of a young veterinary doctor. The best book about people and animals that I have read in the last five years. Herriot continues his story of life as an English country vet in All Things Bright and Beautiful and All Things Wise and Wonderful. These real life stories were made into an excellent BBC series.

5 comments about Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou.

1. I loved this book.
   
   I couldn't put it down. It made me laugh, it made me cry and it bought back childhood memories of my own "Lou".



2. This book will be saved on my shelf to be shared and re-read. The author, Steve Duno, has a truly special gift for writing and he was "gifted" with a very special dog from the hills of Mendocino County. Follow Steve and Lou as they share life in So. California before eventually moving to the Seattle area. This book is delicately painted, sandblasted and washed with color, light and some dark places, but never dim bleakness. Lou was such a great, intelligent dog and readers like me will wish they could have shared a space with him on a porch somewhere at the end of a busy day with his human, Steve. Lou was a supreme being.



3. If you are lucky you find a dog like Lou once in a lifetime. Thanks Steve for sharing your once in a lifetime dog with the world. Lou was an amazing read!



4. This is a book that will move you many times. Steve does a nice job keeping the flow going and bringing out the unique personality of Lou, who is in his young age, truly a blessing and a curse. I read this book a my recent vacation and we have just gotten a Lab who is rowdy and destroys things when we are not looking, so this book changed my whole attitude towards the dog and I thank Steve for that! One of the great memories to the love of an animal and I higly recommend it.



5. I approached reading "Last Dog on the Hill" with a bit of trepidation. Nearly all the dog memoir books that I've read inevitably end with the death of the dog.This always brings back painful memories of my dogs that have died, and sinks me into a deep depression. But Last Dog on the Hill was such a joyous story of a really fantastic pooch that it girdled me somewhat for what I knew was to come at the end. I've read quite a few dog books, ranging from the heartless "A good dog," in which author Jon Katz puts a perfectly healthy border collie to death simply because he cannot control the dog to much more humane books such at this one. And Katz is supposed to be an "expert" on dogs. The relationship between Lou and Steve in Last Dog on the Hill is about as close as an animal-human bond can be.They weren't dog and owner, but more like true family. Lou was Steve's brother in many ways. The love that Steve had for Lou is palpable throughout the book, and you can feel his pain when his beloved Lou started to show his age. The only other book that I've read that is comparable to this in terms of feelings and emotional depth was "Merle's Door," and this book is just as good. The commonality between both books, besides the depth of feeling that the authors expressed for their canine buddies, was the writing skill of both authors. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who loves dogs and a great tale, but I must warn you: you will fall in love with Lou while reading this. That boy was simply irrestible, and a true hero to boot. If he were human, I'd vote for him for president. After all, he was far more intelligent than Sarah Palin. Steve relates how Lou changed his life. I can relate to that, too, since my first dog, Lily, changed my entire atitude about animals, going from relative indifference to deep caring and concern for all animal welfare.