1 comments about The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story.

1. A wonderful tale of a wonderful dog. However, the alternating chapters between White and Sullivan are annoyingly disruptive. A different format would have focused more on the dog that readers grow to love.

5 comments about The Essential Shih Tzu (Howell Book House's Essential).

1. This is my favorite book on Shih Tzu. When we have a little of puppies each family goes home with one of these books in their "puppy bags". A must have for the serious Shih Tzu owner.



2. My Shih Tzu recently had puppies so I bought a bunch of these books to give to the new owners of them and I think its great for an owner and a new Shih Tzu owner as well, its easy reading and straight to the point.



3. This is the first time I am getting a dog and it really help me in every way.



4. This is a great book for the new Shih Tzu owner - breeders should think about adding it to the new puppy packets they give to new owners - pretty color pictures



5. Having bought several other Shih Tzu books, I didn't have great expectations of this one. I was wrong. This book provided information without "selling" useful products. Information on picky eaters, whelping and training was very useful.

No comments about The Dogs of Windcutter Down: One Shepherd's Struggle for Survival.

5 comments about 101 Salivations: For the Love of Dogs.

1. This book is wonderful. Stunning photographs of all types of dogs in the neatest settings. Everyone I've shown it to (I bought it on my lunch hour at work) has loved it and walked away with a smile on their face. It's like a mini therapy session.



2. This was exactly the book I needed for research....I do dog portraits for pet lovers.



3. Put a smile on my face. It is a wonderful book for dog lovers and maybe for those who arent. You will definately appreciate your 4 legged friend after looking at this. It will inspire you to capture more of your shared "great moments" with your pet by taking pictures to have for a lifetime.



4. This is a lovely, feel-good book, that's just right for when you need reminding of the important things in life. Rachael Hale has the knack of sensitively capturing the beauty in every dog. A must for dog lovers.



5. We have given this delightful book to family members and friends and everyone has loved it. The photographs are wonderful! The author/photographer really captures her subjects very well. It is a great gift for anyone who loves dogs.

No comments about St. Bernard (Comprehensive Owners Guide).

No comments about Six Puppies (Post) Cards (Small-Format Card Books).

5 comments about The Gospel According to Sam: Animal Stories for the Soul.

1. Fr. Bill Miller is the kind of priest I wish every church could have. And when you read him, you feel he is the kind of friend whose acquaintance you are so glad to have made you want to keep him on speed-dial for the rest of your natural days.
   
   I happen to love dogs, but this book of Bill's is hardly one of those shopping mall specials of the too-cute-for-words, well-intended but theologically suspect book of essays espousing "salvation through dog slobber" one sees so often. What the reader finds is a flesh and blood adult male (though that term is dangerously close to a tautology) who honestly wrestles with faith, doubt, love, betrayal, self-discovery, self-sacrifice, life, death and even cheese. And that's just when he is writing about dogs -- okay, dogs, and the people who love dogs, and some that don't...do you see what I mean? Bill writes normally the way most clergy wish they could preach on their best days, (and the way most people in the pews wish they did too) and yet he somehow never comes off as "preachy". Not even once. How does he do that? Beats the heck out of me, yet it makes this book an easy read though inarguably substantive all the same.
   
   I'd like to say that I could recommend this book without reservation, but as an Episcopal priest myself, I am obliged to find exceptions to nearly everything. Thus, this book may not be for everyone. In fact, it ought to come with a warning label, alerting buyers to potentially embarassing social situations. When I was reading, "The Gospel According To Sam" inflight, the people in the rows around me became annoyed (or perhaps jealous) by the frequent, sudden if uncontrollable outbursts of laughter it caused. At the opposite end of the spectrum was the mortification suffered by my 16 year old daughter when seeing her fifty-something father with tears streaming down his face -- in public, no less -- when trying to retell the moving story (Chapter 9, "Eating Squirrel") of Bill's growing up in hard-scrabble Texas with a father who had no understanding much less appreciation of the boy Bill was nor the man he would become.
   
   So, in all honesty, I cannot recommend this book to everyone. If you need a "how to" book on house-training puppies, this isn't it. Nor is it some canine-version of Christian apologetics*, its appealing photo of Sam on the cover notwithstanding.
   
   But apart from those two exceptions, I would say just about everyone else will enjoy this book, will learn from it, and will (when finished reading it) eagerly await Fr. Bill's next efforts. And when you buy one for yourself, you may discover, as I did, you have to buy a second and third copy -- for my friends to read -- and return (eventually).
   
   But they can't have my copy. Every so often, I feel the need for a good laugh...or a good cry...or the insight of a good friend. In the pages of, "The Gospel According To Sam," I know any one or all three may await.
   
   ________________________________________________
   
   * "...explaining the Doctrine of the Trinity so well that even an English Setter can understand it!"



2. ...this is the book for you. Funny, earthy, wise, gripping, sad. If you love dogs and know they have souls, this is your book.
   If you love piety and think churches are holy places, you will find other books better suited to your taste.
   This is for those who search for God, and those who love and learn from, and also grieve for, pets loved and lost.



3. A wonderful story and I laughed and cried as I read this. Bill Miller puts his heart and soul into sharing his experiences about Sam with us.



4. Wonderful story telling and I highly recomend it for all dog lovers. The next to last chapter doesn't seem to fit the rest of the book. The encounter with young girls detracts from the story line in my opinion.



5. The Gospel According to Sam is a wonderful collection of true stories of one man's journey, his dog Sam and their sometimes impetuous adventures. Each story will warm your heart and make you laugh out loud.
   I loved it so much, I am giving several copies this holiday season to a variety of people (Episcopal, Catholic, Jewish and a couple that doesn't go to chuch). The Gospel According to Sam is a book that anyone can enjoy and appreciate!

1 comments about A New Owner's Guide to Bichons Frises.

1. Mary Ellen and Gene Mills' new book should be a part of every new Bichon puppy owner's "preparing for the new puppy" kit. Gives the reader a thorough understanding of how the Bichon became what it is today and how its history affects the way the breed behaves. Lovely colored photos of all kinds of Bichons in "show clothes" and "play clothes."

1 comments about Breed Basics, The Labrador Retriever : A Comprehensive Guide to Buying, Owning, and Training (Breed Basics, 1).

1. Interested in Labradors? Thinking of incorporating one in your family life? This title contains necessary information about labs reaching from "choosing a puppy" to "hunting training". It neither a big training manual nor a small photo album of labs. It is exactly what you need to get started with your new puppy. Enjoy it!

No comments about What Dogs Teach Us 2009 Calendar.