5 comments about Scent and the Scenting Dog.

1. Good book that makes it easy to understand the complex nature of tracking human scent. Opened my eyes and gave me a new prespective!



2. This book is an excellent book for anyone involved in tracking with dogs.



3. I was first introduced to Scent and the Scenting Dog in 1973 when I went through the Seattle Police K-9 Academy. I found it to be the only text to present the facts of scent and scentwork in a scientific manner. The underlaying source information is footnoted and verifiable.This book presents the facts of scent and avoids simplistic methods. It demonstrates to the practitioner the scent evidence available to the dog under differing circumstances and what methods of application/training are likely to succeed. It also describes the physiology of the dog's olfactory system, giving the reader a factually based understanding of the dog's ability and power to receive scent. It is as accurate and valuable today as when it was written. I relied upon this book as a police dog handler, and retained it as a text when teaching future handlers through a 20 year career.



4. This was a great book for theory. Helps you to understanding what you might be seeing when those seemingly unexplainable things happen on the track. It won't teach you to track at all, but it will help you understand the mechanics of your dogs senses and scent. This was the missing link for me.



5. Thorough and easy to understand explanation of human and vegetative scents, their relevance to search dog training, and the ways their properties affect searches and are affected by influences such as heat and snow. A well researched and presented argument for air searching over tracking and trailing. I'd like to see a similarly clear and easily understood essay by Mr Syrotuck on passive and pro-active narcotic dog training. I found this manual fascinating and full of invaluable information.

5 comments about Training Your Boxer (Training Your Dog Series).

1. Highly recommended for the prospective boxer owner. Offers a unique perspective to training the boxer and covers most facets of ownership. Lots of good practical information in terms anyone can understand. Have read the book repeatedly and glean more information each time. Will be a continuing source of reference as my boxer matures. Thanks to Joan Walker for this outstanding practical guide.



2. very useful book. packed full of common sense advice that is easily adapatable to your personal situation with your dog - whether he/she is a puppy or older dog. I'm glad I read this book and would reccommend it to anyone who is considering or has gotten a boxer - they are a special breed with their own unique personality traits and it is very helpful to understand how they think when training them.



3. This book tells of numerous ways to train your boxer so you can pick which method works best for your dog. Easy to follow instructions makes training fun and alot less daunting.



4. I found this to be well written and informative. A good buy.



5. It's great to see the author writing customer reviews of their own book? Turned me off from buying the book. How stupid does she think people are?

4 comments about 21 Days to Train Your Dog: Learn how any dog can be taught the basics of obedience training in just a few minutes each day.

1. The consise information was helpful in training our two dogs. It worked for the older dog much to our surprise.



2. Received my book in a timely fashion. Have been working with my Great Dane with this book and is working well. Excellent purchase choice.



3. Clear, direct guidance. The author recognizes that dogs are not equals, they need training to be obedient and keep them safe as well as make them socially welcome. A good, practical book.



4. This book is very informative, and a must have if you want to work with your dog without paying a professional trainer. The picture illustrations are a perfect compliment to the written instructions. I especially liked the detail given about other obedience issues such as dog language and how aggression begins between dogs. This book is a permanent addition to our living room reading material!

5 comments about How Dogs Learn (Howell Reference Books).

1. This is truly an academic, detailed, instructional book on the scholarly aspects of dog training. Unfortunately, that is not what I was looking for. I wanted a book that would help me to train my dog. There was a little useful information, but mostly it seemed written as an academic study of training psychology with an emphasis on the details of buzz-words and phrases.



2. Excellent book based on science not opinion. Not really for the pet dog owner because it's too technical. Great book for anyone that professionally trains, shows in obedience or has working dogs.



3. This book was a little simple for me, since I have and experimental psychology background. However, I did discuss it with a few friends with dogs, and found that they had no idea that they were actually reinforcing bad behaviors in their dogs. There are very good suggestions for gradually encouraging wanted behaviors and discouraging the unwanted behaviors. I highly recommend this to anyone who has not previously trained a dog. It is also a good checkup for experienced dog people, like me, to make sure we remember all the mistakes we could make.



4. This book is great!! Well written, easy to understand, hard to put down!



5. This is one of many books I have purchased in search of a solution to an aggression problem between my two dogs. How Dogs Learn reads very much like a text book or technical manual. If I worked with dogs in a professional capacity, I think this would be a very useful book, as it would help me learn the jargon. In my case, trying to learn a new vocabulary got in the way of learning the concepts behind them. I had to read some sections several times, but I did learn some interesting things about dog training. I feel I have a better understanding of my dogs, but I still have no idea how to keep them from fighting.

5 comments about Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog (Howell Reference Books).

1. An excellent book. Writer has 30 years experience in dog handling. She explains the raw food diet and other health ingredients to help your dog stay healthy or to heal your dog of many health problems. Ingredients and nutritional supplements are explained and why they are necessary. I recommend this book to everyone who loves their dogs.



2. This book is worth its price purely for the information on interpreting blood and urine testing. She also offers some great ideas on supplements for specific health concerns. Thirdly, her recommendations for vaccinations or lack thereof are excellent. That's the good part.
   
   However, by far and large, I couldn't disagree more with Wendy Volhard's dietary recommendations. If she can show me a canine running around the forest looking for oatmeal or any of the other grains she recommends, I might give her recommendations a second look.
   
   Until then, from my experience, BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods a la Ian Billinghurst's recommendations) is the only way to feed dogs. Three dogs, 9 years, no vet bills, says it all. My Keeshond, who died at the age of 16, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatitis at the age of 7 and given 6 months to live. The vet wanted to put her on PID canned food, largely barley based. At that time, we brought our Giant Schnauzer home from Skansen Kennels. The breeder strongly recommended the BARF diet, so I immediately switched the old Keeshond and our 6 month old Rottie to a raw meaty bones/fresh raw veggies and fruits diet, along with the Giant Schnauzer baby. The vet said I'd kill my dog. I told him that she's dead meat in 6 months anyway, so I might as well kill her my way.
   
   Within 3 months, she was a puppy again, and lived to 16. All if this without the silly grain meal Wendy Volhard recommends! The big dogs are closing in on 10. The rottie has already outlived his predicted life span of 7 to 9 years. I love it! Their coats are gorgeous, and their teeth are perfect. No bad breath either. I wouldn't feed any other way.
   
   Please don't get me wrong. I would still buy this book for its reference value, but don't buy into her dietary recommendations!



3. I found the Holistic Guide for Healthy Dog just super and full of useful information and other references. It's also very easy to read and divided quite nicely.



4. This book is the best source for a Raw Diet available. It is very comprehensive. There are lots of sources available with this diet to help you along the way, such as the website (www.volhard.com) and the Volhard Yahoo Group discussions, which provide all the answers to your questions. If you want to provide the best life for your dog, this is definately the way to do it. The research carried out on this diet is extremely comprehensive and a proven success for over 30 years.



5. If you can only have one book and you own a dog this is the one to have. Wendy Volhard brings decades of research and experience together in easy to follow examples, recipes and some of th emost comprehensive tables you'll find on canine nutrition. Food is the basis of all good health and happiness and this book tells you how to keep your dog healthy naturally, how to recognize if they are out of balance and empowers you with tools to help you dog while working with your vet.

5 comments about And Baby Makes Four: A Trimester-by-Trimester Guide to a Baby-Friendly Dog.

1. As a small animal veterinarian who has a passionate interest in companion animal behavior, I didn't want to assume that I already knew everything I needed to know about preparing my dogs for the arrival of my first baby, but after reading this book, I guess I feel like I'm doing everything the way I should. The information is practical, common-sense, and easy to apply. Also very important!! I think the author covers all the main points well. Might be nice if it included a CD of baby sounds, but I already bought one from Dogwise:
   Sounds Good CD - Babies by Terry Ryan.



2. We have two large dogs that live in the house and we're expecting our first child in a few months. I was a little concerned about how to help our dogs adjust to the new arrival. I bought this book with high hopes. It is not bad, but the suggestions are very basic and I didn't agree with all of the suggestions. The author says you should not let your dogs sleep in the bedroom with you and, if they are accustomed to sleeping there now, you should move them out before the baby arrives. It seems like this would just further upset a dog who has been used to sleeping nearby all its life. Our dogs sleep in their crates in our room at night and I see no need to change that arrangement once the baby arrives. The book also includes a large section on basic obedience commands. This is useful if you have never done obedience training, but we've taken our dogs through advanced obedience training and this part was completely unnecessary. I really wanted more tips on how to handle the inevitable baby-dog dilemmas (dogs taking baby's food, dogs licking baby's face, etc.) but I didn't really find the tips I was looking for.



3. And Baby Makes Four is a great book for expecting parents who have 4 legged children living at their house. It is an easy to follow book with practical recommendations for preparing your dog for baby's presence. Most training can be easily implemented into your daily routine with a few simple changes (changing when you feed your dog or changing expectations of your dog). It also include advice about cats. I feel more confident about the exciting day when my baby meets my dog and cat.



4. Great book to read. Provides very good techniques that anyone can use and are not violent/aggressive. Some tips are obvious, but good to read and refresh your mind on how to read and react to your animals behavior.



5. This book gives excellent, clear instruction on how to prepare your fur-kids for the new baby. I didn't get it until my 3rd trimester, but it's still working tremendously well. I highly recommend it!

5 comments about We Give Our Hearts to Dogs to Tear: Intimations of their Immortality.

1. This modern-day Pioneer family gave up a secure life as a tenured college Professor of Philosophy to venture West to the sparsely populated state of Montana, complete with primative living conditions and harsh winters. By doing so, they connected with the land, their many dogs and themselves. While reading the book, I obtained a new meaning of my love for our little companions, and why we are so willing to expose ourselves to the sorrow we know we will suffer when their short lives are over. I highly recommend the book!



2. On one level, this is a book about the Chases' retreat to Montana wilderness and their discovery of the treasures around them, including the Jack Russell Terriers they began to acquire. But it runs deeper than that, and explores what dogs are and need to be, and how breeders are ruining them by heeding human criteria, such as form and size, and ignoring the genetic traits that keep a breed viable and healthy.
   
   But this is also a love story, about how the Chases and their Jack Russells (and other pets) deal with each other, and how their differing personalities give and receive differing commitments and differing forms of love. There are passages of great tenderness here, but also passages of speculation: do animals have anything we might call a soul, anything that might transcend death? Might we ever be reunited with our pets beyond the grave?
   
   There is warning here as well: we stand on a precipice. If dogs continue to be bred for purely human criteria such as those imposed by the AKC, and not for those qualities that yield a healthy, athletic animal, the time is not far off when some breeds will be ruined. They will suffer more and more disorders such as deformity, and fewer live births.
   
   This is a love song, and we need to listen to Alston Chase's music.



3. For me this precious read is best served with tea, a cozy chair, and a ray of light pouring through a window. I waited each day for just the right moment to pick it up. It is a book to savor.
   
   I understand that Alston Chase is quite the intellectual - the author of several very heady reads. I have to say that in "We Give Our Hearts To Dogs To Tear" I can see the heart of the author, splayed for all the world to see.
   
   This book takes the reader aside from the hustle and bustle of life and drops into the true essence of living. Maybe that shift is seen through a canine friend's field of vision or maybe because of these canine friends Alston Chase has made that shift himself.
   
   "We Give Our Hearts To Dogs To Tear" is reflective of days gone by, of pioneers, and grit, and lasting love.
   
   Thank you for such an endearing read.



4. Alston Chase has gone against the popular grain with his fascinating account of life on the edge of the wild in Montana with several generations of real, sometimes difficult Jack Russell terriers. They may be "cute" but they are first and foremost working dogs, with bold hearts and ambitions bigger than their bodies. While he may make you cry, Chase is never cheaply sentimental. In a time when too many people reduce dogs to surrogate children or toys, he reminds us what remarkable creatures real dogs are, and how strong a bond they will make with their human partners.



5. I read "We Give our Hearts" in one sitting simply because I couldn't put it down. At variance with other "dog" books, this book delves into the man dog connection in a completely new way. Dr. Chase is a philosophy professor and his expertise in this area allows him to investigate our love for our animals in a believable and convincing way, and to answer the question about the soul of a dog. His experiences with his dogs and his love of the land make his ventures ring true. The photographs included portray his life in Montana. His unabashed love for the entities in his life that are meaningful flow beutifully. This book is a real treasure.

5 comments about Living with Kids and Dogs...Without Losing Your Mind.

1. This book was very helpful. It is an easy read and lots of little tips.My kids are older, 13,17 and 20, but I still picked up some good information. There are even some fun and easy tricks to teach your dog. I would recommend this to anyone with kids of any age.



2. This is one of the very best resources I've found for families with children and dogs. It has lots of practical kid-friendly and dog-friendly tips and ideas. I've recently read hundreds of books on similar topics while researching a book I'm writing, and this one really stood out. As a child/family psychologist, I was impressed with how solid it was, and as a therapy dog trainer, I thought the advice about dogs was spot-on! It deserves all the stars that everyone has given it!!



3. Colleen writes in a reader friendly manner. Her life experiences as Mom and dog trainer have brought together this wonderful resourceful book families can turn to time and time again! I recommend this book to all families I work with as it describes practical and positive solutions for challenging and hectic lives! :)



4. There are certainly other kids and dogs books out there but, this one is so far the best I've found. Colleen Pelar gives great, practical tips for parents of children at all ages that can be put to use immediately. I don't have children but, am active in rescue and am always looking for more training to help adopters and I learned so much. This book will be required reading for all adopters with children going forward. GREAT read!!!



5. Finally-- A really good book on how to live with kids and dogs. Most dog trainers don't have a lot of good things to say about kids (although I overhead one saying that she thought they tasted a lot like chicken!), but Colleen has written a book for parents by a parent who is also an excellent dog trainer. Colleen tells it like it is, from someone who knows. Her child-friendly, family-friendly and dog-friendly approach is realistic, safe, and right on the mark. I cannot say enough good things about Ms. Pelar or this book. Please read it and get a copy for your favorite family!
   
   As the director of training for the 4th largest shelter in the country, I see every day that the consequences of people not having this information is that dogs end up in shelters. I applaud Ms. Pelar for writing it and helping keep dogs in their homes through education.
   
   Becky Schultz, Certified Pet Dog Trainer
   Director of Animal Training and Behavior Programs
   Animal Humane Society
   Minneapolis, MN

5 comments about Tricks of the Trade: From Best Intentions to Best in Show, Revised Edition.

1. If you are new to the show world or have been showing for years, you will find this book an excellent read.. Lots of tips on showing and grooming.. You will feel like a pro in the ring after reading this book..



2. I purchased this book based on reviews suggesting that this is the one book to get if you are a novice in the conformation ring. It is definitely not that. It is maybe a good book for a novice breeder who is intending to also show their first prospect - and who may be clueless about how to identify a good foundation stock puppy. Much of the book's substance is how to identify a prospect and then how to proceed as a breeder - like advertising, etc. Very little of the book helps a notive/intermediate handler actually do as the title suggests - from best intentions to best in show. It is not very helpful for people who already know how to get a good puppy, know the basics of stucture and how to do basic grooming and care, but would like to learn the basics of showing and the stepped up demands of grooming.



3. "Tricks of the Trade" is definitely the best book I've read in a long time. This judge really knows her dogs and knows how to explain things in plain and simple terms for even the newest dog show enthusiast to enjoy. Even if you're not a dog show enthusiast, but are just looking to purchase a new puppy, you will benefit from reading this book first.



4. Good book, easy to read with plenty to learn for the beginner to the more advanced handler. This will be a book that I will read again, there is so much to get out of it that I expect to continue to pick up more each time I read it.



5. If you're interested in breeding quality dogs, you need this book!! This is a fantasic resource which includes everything from making unbiased decisions regarding your own litter right up to the Best In Show ring. Pat writes with an easy to read and often humerous style. I was surprised at how much I learnt from this book. I lent it to friends who all got a lot out of it. It's packed with " Tricks of the trade" (things that no one will ever tell you) and so much more. Again if you plan on breeding or even buying a show dog- read this first!!

5 comments about Dachshunds for Dummies.

1. I learnt alot about my puppy through reading this book. But I still feel there is a lot more to learn as she grows up and I don't think any book can do that .



2. This is an excellent choice for the first time Dachsy owner as well as a veteran owner. Lots of good information and tips on how to make life easier with your Dachshund. One of the best books I have read on the subject.



3. Not very helpful. Could be talking about any dog. Recipes in the back of the book are dangerous for dogs. Some of the ingredients are toxic to dogs and could make them sick or kill them. Not happy about that. This book should know helpful and healthy lifestyles for animals. This is the second dog for dummies book I've bought. Won't buy any more.



4. Bought for a friend with a new Dachyl - she loves both!



5. Even though have had several dachshunds over the years I still found the book interesting and informative. But then, what's not to love about these bossy little 4 legged fun loning animals?