1 comments about The Barf Diet (Raw Feeding for Dogs and Cats Using Evolutionary Principles).

1. Serving BARF diet to your dog is NOT for everyone. It requires a fair amount of research and a mentor to guide you through the trial/error phase of feeding your dog this way. This book is the primer to making or considering a switch to this type of diet. However, I would recommend that anyone interested in this type of feeding regimine thoroughly investigate the many books Amazon.com has available on this type of diet.

4 comments about A New Owner's Guide to the American Pit Bull Terriers (JG Dog).

1. For someone who wants to get an American Pit Bull Terrier should read this book. It talks about responsible ownership and how to socialize your puppy so that it will become a good canine citizen. Although it has a whole chapter about dog-fighting which I don't like, it uses that information to explain the temperament of the breed - which is not a vicious animal like everyone says. Ofcourse pit bulls are dog-aggressive, although some live with other dogs their whole life without any incidents. They love people and strangers and are not guard dogs - in fact they love people so much that they will let a stranger in your house, take everything including the pit bull. Some pit bull owners even get other dogs like Dobermans to protect their pit bull. It might sound strange but its true. Bad breeding, dog-fighters, gangsters, and the media gave this breed a bad reputation. Before you buy a dog - read this book first. Pit bulls are only for very few people - only if you you are getting this dog as a pet, have lots of time to spend timewith them, socialize them, and have time to love them then may be you should consider this breed. Be a responsible owner!



2. for someone who knows nothing or little about the breed this is a very informative book and even greater for someone who refers to the breed as a blood thristy killer who lives to fight.if it can change my fathers view on an american pit bull terrier it can change anyones!



3. This short, inexpensive book realistically depicts the unique challenges and responsibilities of owning this special breed. If everyone followed his advice, we wouldn't have the negative press we do today. If I bred APBTs, I would give one to everyone who purchased a puppy from me.



4. Finally, Finally! Here is a book written in an easy down-to earth style which covers the raising of one of America's most controversial breeds of dog. Mr Fenstermacher's knowledge of this breed obviously comes from hands on experience, as he has been breeding and raising these dogs for some time. He playfully writes of his own pets and gives brilliant examples of often overlooked training methods and their desired results. In this day and age of the dreaded "Pit Bull Danger" it is gratifying to read of these fine animals as loyal and intelligent pets

3 comments about Veterinary Dentistry for the Small Animal Technician.

1. This is the Bible of dental books on small animal dentistry. Even though it is in black and white, there are pictures and just about every topic is covered from scaling teeth to dental surgery. Pictures of scalers, and polishers, types of drugs used and step-by-step procedures will be useful for beginners to experts. May I eat my words if this book does not prove to be worth its weight in gold!



2. This volume is very informative for the techs who perform not only routine prophylaxis procedures on cats and dogs but also simple restorative procedures...a boon to our practice!



3. For the average technician in a small animal practice, I think this book is informative and useful. It's a very complete book regarding small animal dentistry and everything involved, from ananatomy to anesthesia to abnormalities. It's a great book to be used as a textbook in a technician program. I recommend this book for both the new technician just starting out or for the experienced technician looking for a refresher or a review book.

No comments about The Complete Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

5 comments about If Dogs Could Talk: Exploring the Canine Mind.

1. Mostly, "If Dogs Could Talk" is book which explores many aspects of how to approach the complex issues that surround studying what dogs might be thinking and feeling. Csanyi is Hungarian, and one of the world's foremost ethologists studying canine behavior. The book is well-translated, in that it is quite readable, in spite of its many challenges.
   
   By far, the most exciting aspect of the book concerns the examples of his own and other dogs he has known. I found that I learned to think about dogs and their behavior in wholly new ways: what they might be trying to "say" to me through their physical indications -- this was the most valuable aspect of the book for me.
   
   On the flip side, Csanyi is dismissive in his discussion of some of the most famous ethology work done with primates and birds. I suspect that this negativity, though it is not overtly stated, seems to stem from the time that the study of individual animals takes in these cases, and that only many trials with many subjects yields real data. However, he might have explored his bias rather than diminishing the work of others and had a much better outcome.
   
   One of the other Amazon reviewers said that even with its problems, he learned so much more than from reading anything else he had to give this book a high rating, and after all my reservations, I agree with him.



2. I think it has REALLY good facts, but could be better. If you want to learn about canine behavior facts, this is really good for you to read. It has a lot of author opinions and a little crazy ideas. But overall worth your time in reading.



3. I have to say that I enjoyed this book even though it was not an "easy read". The stories of Csanyi's own dogs were amusing - and he pointed out reasonable explanations for their behavior. I agree with some of his theories such as: Dogs were domestically bred to understand and communicate with humans. Makes sense although he does go a bit too far. The experiments were interesting, the study of ethology being what it is. Interesting book but not for the novice.



4. This book is by a top ethologist (one who studies behavior and thought processes, as far as I can gather) and gives insight into the minds of dogs. The author is careful to tell us that the many anecdotes he tells about his own dogs should be interpreted with caution, but that anecdotes can lead to careful scientific experimentation, which can give more substantial information.
   
   The work is largely pretty scholarly and goes into the way other animals, including humans, Alex the parrot and the clever Hans (a counting horse), think and reason. The author makes compelling arguments, using both anecdotes and experiments, for dogs' being able to show empathy, ask questions, respond, and perform several other high-order cognitive functions normally associated with only humans. This makes sense when you realize that among all animals, dogs are the species that has been most influenced by human tinkering. Dogs truly are adapted to living with us and being true companions.
   
   And that was all well and good and very interesting. But sometimes, the author makes some pretty wild stretches in interpreting his dogs' actions, for example, and states his interpretations as unambiguous, when they really didn't seem that way to me. For a scientist, he doesn't always seem all that rigorous when it comes to his own dogs (who, by the way, as he himself admits, are ill-mannered).
   
   Then right at the end he goes off on a wild tangent of how breeders should intentionally breed hybrid dogs from purebred stock (I'm a fan of the mixed breeds, but I've never heard anyone propose such a deliberate program to breed them) and even proposes developing talking dogs. He didn't seem to be kidding!
   
   At the very end, he goes on a rant about using dogs in laboratory experiments. I don't like it much myself, but he makes several misstatements about the practice. Maybe in Hungary laboratories use dogs from shelters or stolen from loving families, but in the developed world, dogs for experimentation are bred for that purpose.
   
   Finally, the translation from the Hungarian was often a bit stilted and odd. Still, there was a lot of interesting information among the flakiness.



5. Learned a great deal about the mental abilities of dogs. The book gets into great detail with experiments that are not easy to follow for the non-science reader. I gave it 5 stars because I learned so much more from this book than anywhere else.

3 comments about The International Encyclopedia of Dogs.

1. Every breed that I know is there, and there are a lot of dogs there that I didn't know existed. And the two pictures of the AMERICAN COCKER SPANIELS are great!!! I love the pictures, I think they are one of the best representatives of the breed. Even the very rare ones, even though the info is short, it still gives you an ides of what the dog is like. And the introduction is VERY helpful!!! GREAT FOR NEW DOG OWNERS, DOG LOVERS, DOG FANS, AND EVEN THOSE THAT JUST LIKES TO LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF DOG!!! My friends and I LOVE it!



2. .... Every purebread dog breed is in this thing. There is about 2 pages of written material for each dog! Oh, and let's not forget the pictures! Many dogs have 2 or 3 pictures in this book! It's alphabetical, so it's easy to find the perfect breed in the index or just by paging through. If you love to look at all the breeds of dogs, or are thinking about getting a dog, BUY THIS BOOK!



3. There are many books about dog breeds available, but The International Encyclopedia of Dogs is the most thorough and entertaining. The book features physical descriptions, historic origins, and full-color photographs of every breed currently recognized by the kennel clubs of the United States, Canada, England, and France. Open it up and fall in love with a dog you never knew existed!

No comments about English Springer Spaniel: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

No comments about Dog Behavior Problems: The Counselor's Handbook.

5 comments about The Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever.

1. This is still the definitive book on the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Almost anything you want to know about the breed is here: its history, pedigrees of some well-known ancestors of today's Tollers, training information, even a full pictorial on how to groom a Toller from start to finish. Alison Strang and Gail McMillan share their love of the breed as well as their knowledge. I recommend this book to every Toller owner or would-be Toller owner, since your life won't be the same once one of these little red rascals joins your family.



2. If you are seriously considering adopting a Toller, then this book is a must-have reference. Ms. Strang encapsulates key information and lays it out in an easily-accessible format. She discusses the history, breeding, and temperament of the Toller in a comprehensive and interesting way. The step-by-step grooming section (and accompanying photos of the late, great Barney) is the best I've seen to date. It's rare to find a groomer familiar with the breed in the US; most assume they are small Goldens and that grooming is done similarly. Au contraire! When I used to bring my dog to a groomer, I learned years ago to bring a photocopy to serve as their cheat sheet/user's guide. Due in no small part to this section (and some hands-on training-thanks, Alison and Sandy MacF!), I now groom my own dogs. This reference has enriched our knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the breed. We suggest it to people who meet our dogs and want to learn more. I definitely recommend it for anyone interested in this intelligent, active and keen breed.



3. This fantastic book really gets into all corners and hide-outs of the Toller. Alison's and Gail's knowledge of this dog is simply amazing. We as breeders show the book to all our friends in the dog world, and many of them has already bought it. Simply fantastic. Thanks Gail and Alison



4. This is just about as good a book on any breed you can get, it has pride and place with my other books.



5. It is is very good book about Tollers. Lay-out is very high quality. If you have Toller of your own or you want to know about Tollers it is a good buy.

5 comments about Golden Days: Memories of a Golden Retriever.

1. We just lost our Golden Reteiever of 10 years totally unexpected due to cancer. She ran off to die. We were able to find her and bury her in our backyard. "Amy", the Golden in the book is like our Chantal who loved the Gulf beaches. For any Golden owner, this is MUST have book to help with the loss of the best breed of dog I've ever encountered.



2. I laughed and cried when I read this book. Vanderbilt truly depicts life with a Golden. My son was devastated when we lost our twelve-year old Golden; I sent him this book so he could, like the author, reflect on the joy of having one of these incredible dogs in our life. The author truly touches the sacred moments we share with these beautiful creatures. A must read for Golden owners.



3. I will admit right off the bat that the Chatham neighborhood that Amy and her human family inhabit is also my neighborhood. But I am sad to say that I never met Amy who sounded like a wonderful dog. All dogs are wonderful, in my book, and certainly in Arthur Vanderbilt's book "Golden Days." This is one of those tales where, although you know how it ends, you still weep at the end. Months later, certain scenes-- such as Amy's unusual love of bananas-- stick in the memory so that you feel you really knew Amy. "Golden Days" is a book about a golden retriever and it's also about those golden days of summer in a certain special place that Arthur Vanderbilt knows very well. I recommend this book for anyone who has ever cared for a dog. For anyone who has ever loved Cape Cod. In fact, I recommend this book, which is profoundly moving without being sappy, to everyone!



4. This is a beautiful, honest book about a family's love for their Golden Retriever. While the humans in the story are skillfully drawn, the central character is Amy--a loving and loved Golden Retriever. I cried at the end of the book. The lesson of the book is that a much loved dog can have a dramatic impact on a family's life--even if she isn't a search and rescue or therapy dog.



5. You don't have to own a golden retriever to read and really enjoy this beautiful book. As a dog lover that I am, I read anything which has to do with dogs regardless of breed. This book is similar to "the dogs of our lives", a book which touches your heart and brings tears & laughter as you read it. Thank you Mr. Vanderbilt for sharing your memories with us.