1 comments about Dalmatian (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1. At last! A Dalmatian book that doesn't discourage you away from the breed! This book is up-front about the medical concerns that Dalmatians may encounter- such as their tendency to form urinary stones, but the author also gives advice on how to avoid that problem.
   If you already own a Dalmatian or are already familiar with the breed, this book would probably just seem monatonous. However, if your're new to the breed and are looking for a good introductory book- you've found it!

No comments about Glen of Imaal Terrier: Special Rare-Breed Edition : A Comprehensive Owner's Guide (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1 comments about The Maltese Today (Book of the Breed S).

1. I want to thank Vicki Herrieff for this very imformative book. I have have three Maltese and seek out all I can learn about this breed. Vicki's book has given me the most information about caring for my "little bundles of joy".

   Thank you so very much,
   SanDee Peterson

5 comments about The Twelve Dogs of Christmas.

1. I worked with my 3 grandchildren last year using the picture book and cd, and performed a play on Christmas for the family. It was a great success. I used the youngest child (5) to say at the end real loud "A CAT". Everyone enjoyed it. I highly recommend this.



2. I bought this book from a sale rack. I thought it would be a really cute gift for my 5 year old granddaughter. Then I got to the last page.
   As per the original carol, more and more dogs are added. Then on the twelfth day my true love gave: A CAT!
   The poor cat is sitting on a perch terrified of all the dogs.
   I did not think it was at all amusing, especially for children.
   No wonder it was on the sale rack.



3. This book is utter junk. It's the perfect dust collector for a coffee table, and that's the best that can be said about it. How it sold 400,000+ copies, I'll never know.
   
   Everybody's 7-year-old should be urged to pick up a pen, pick out a favorite poem, and change the words. Then kids wouldn't have the problem of paying for college anymore, where they might be able to actually learn about literature that really matters.



4. Be prepared: you will be hearing this song over and over and over...



5. My daughter has absolutely LOVES this book! So much so, she wouldn't let me put it way in our Christmas box. So far we've been singing/reading this to her since last Christmas. Time & time again she'll go find this book and ask me "read please"! We love the photos of all the dogs and especially the surprise ending!!!! Absolutely delightful book! This young author had a terrific idea in creating this book! It has brought much joy & song into our home! And it's such a cute book that I don't mind reading it all though the year!!!

1 comments about The Book of the Maltese.

1. This book is another must have for those who are dedicated maltese dog fanciers and/or show people. The book contains a wonderful history of the maltese dog, as well as prominent kennel names, etc. Get this book if you can!

2 comments about Penny's From Heaven: STORIES OF HEALING.

1. This is a sweet story about the healing effect a dog can have on a person. The author sounds like a really nice person. I bought this book and PAWS & EFFECT: The Healing Power of Dogs. Both books are good. Penny's From Heaven is about one dog helping people in hospitals. The Healing Power of Dogs has many diverse stories from the worlds of dogs, medicine and science. I recommend both books to any dog lover.



2. Although Ms. Swendson talks of her dog, Penny, the stories are about the patients and his or her struggles to improve their quality of life at a particular moment in the healing process. The work that Penny has done in the hospitals is related to the reader with honesty and skill and has touched my heart as I am certain it will touch others.

No comments about Miniature Schnauzers (Eye to Eye With Dogs).

5 comments about The Secret Life of Dogs.

1. Why should I review something that was already explained to us by [...]back in 1993.
   
   I want to talk about the hidden lives of my dogs.
   
   Until recently, I wasn't aware that my dogs had hidden lives. There were many times, such as when they'd take turns repeatedly eating a deceased lizard and throwing it back up, when I wasn't even sure they had brains. Then I got ''The Hidden Life of Dogs,'' the best-selling book by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, who has some astounding insights into dog behavior. For example, in an effort to find out what dogs do when they're on their own, she spent months following a husky named Misha as he roamed all over Cambridge, Mass. What Thomas discovered was that Misha, who at first appeared to be simply trotting around aimlessly, was in fact earning a degree from Harvard Business School.
   
   No, I am joshing. Harvard does not accept huskies unless their parents are extremely wealthy. What Thomas discovered, after much observation, was that Misha spent his time -- and here I will attempt to summarize two full chapters of ''The Hidden Life of Dogs'' -- sniffing other dogs and peeing a lot.
   
   This might not strike you dog-owners as all that deep of an insight. But trust me, it seems like one when you're reading the book. Because where you might see just a plain old dog engaging in non-rocket-scientist behavior, Thomas sees a highly sophisticated organism responding to elaborate socio-biological stimuli and performing complex problem-solving tasks. It's not her fault that the solution to the problem is usually to pee on it.
   
   Anyway, reading this book got me to thinking about my own dogs. Did they have a hidden life? If so, could I discover it, and -- more important -- write a best-selling book?
   
   To find out, I removed my dogs from the confined, controlled environment of our house and put them outside, where they were free to reveal their hidden lives. I observed them closely for the better part of a day, and thus I am able to reveal here, for the first time anywhere, that what dogs do, when they are able to make their own decisions in accordance with their unfettered natural instincts, is: Try to get back inside the house. They spent most of the day pressing sad moony faces up against the glass patio door, taking only occasional breaks to see if it was a good idea to eat worms (Answer: No).
   
   Of course, the dogs have important and complex socio-biological reasons for wanting to get back into the house. For one thing, the house contains the most wondrous thing in the world: the kitchen counter. One time a piece of turkey fell off of it. The dogs still regularly visit the spot where it landed, in case it shows up again. There's an invisible Dog Historic Marker there.
   
   Another reason is that the house provides a better echo for barking. Dogs employ barking as a vital means of communicating important messages, such as: ''bark.'' Barking also serves a vital biological purpose: If a dog does not release a certain number of barks per day, they will back up, and the dog will explode. (Whenever you hear an unexplained loud noise in the distance, it's probably a dog exploding.)
   
   Our large main dog, Earnest, spends her day sleeping directly under my desk, and three or four times a day she'll have a pressure buildup, causing her to wake up, lift her head, release a bark and immediately go back to sleep. Her bark, traveling at the speed of bark, quickly reaches our small emergency backup dog, Zippy, who is sleeping elsewhere in the house. He wakes up and rushes up to the outside of my office door and starts barking at it, because there is clearly something wrong inside. (Why else would Earnest have barked?) This in turn awakens Earnest, who leaps up, bonks her head against the bottom of my desk, then rushes over and starts barking at her side of the door. Each dog is firmly convinced that there is Big Trouble on the other side, possibly involving their arch-enemy, the U.S. Postal Service truck. It comes around every day, and usually Earnest and Zippy are able to drive it off by barking at it and getting spit all over the windows by our front door, but now apparently the truck somehow has GOTTEN INTO THE HOUSE and is ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS DOOR BARK BARK BARK BARKBARKBARKBARK!!!
   
   This is what my dogs are thinking (if ''thinking'' is the word I want here) as I get up, walk past Earnest, who is now insane with rage, and open the door. Instantly Earnest charges BARKBARKBARK into the hall, narrowly missing Zippy, who is charging BARKBARKBARK into my office. Each one goes about five feet, then -- WAIT a minute!! -- skids to a stop, whirls around, and charges back the other way, still barking. Sometimes they'll pass each other three or four times before they run out of momentum and lie down again, confident that, thanks to their alertness, the house is once again safe. This is the hidden dog world that goes on every day in our house. I admit that, socio-biologically, it is not as interesting as the things that Elizabeth Marshall Thomas' dogs do. But Earnest and Zippy are the only dogs I have. Make me an offer.



2. Mr. Sipress's book, The Secret Life of Dogs, is as good as the reviews say. The one-star review refers to The Hidden Life of Dogs, which is, as stated, garbage, by a different author. Mr. Lengowski might please amend his review.



3. I think you guys are all referring to a different book. The editorial review refers to this book as a collection of cartoons, and the author as David someone. Most of you seem to be writing about a book that I am unable to find, called I think, the INNER life of Dogs, not the SECRET Life of Dogs,a non-cartoon book, and the writer of that book is female, as referred to by the other reviews. Possibly this other book is out of print, but if you can find it, I highly reccomend it for the insight it gives into dog behavior. The rather angry reviewer, the only one who rated it badly, is totally off the mark. This is really the only book of its kind, and it is an invaluable resource for dog owners. Of course, if you want to buy that book, you are on the wrong page!



4. I first ran across this book as a book on tape. I enjoyed how the author intertwined her own astute observations of dogs with other research. I came to appreciate how complex canine behavior could be, especially regarding social rules and heirarchies.



5. I read this book and it opened my eyes to the canine kingdom After reading it I realized my only intent was teaching the dogs. I negated that they had anything to teach me. It is not enough to love your dog on your level. We must learn to understand their behavior without forcing what we believe is best for them at a human level and observe their lives and interaction with one another. Only then can we truly love our animals as we watch and let them teach us. I never saw dogs in the narrow-minded way I had seen them before. I hope it comes back into print as I have repeatedly given my copies away to those I felt could learn from it.

1 comments about The New Airedale Terrier.

1. One of the best airedale books written by 40+ year veteran breeders. Chapters include information on the breed today, both here and abroad, reports of specific medical developments, whelping, and the versatility of the Airedale as a hunting dog, obedience performer, show dog, and family companion.

5 comments about Boxer: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. I got this book used so it wasn't a big deal, but only the first half deals with boxers. The second half is a comprehensive training, health, and general care section for dogs. Only problem is there are hundreds of pictures, but not of Boxers! Boxers have their own training and health problems that this book didn't cover. I think if the info was going to be generic there should have at least been pictures of Boxers throughout. Worth the used price though.



2. I am. I read this book before my Boxer, Bubba, was born. Author Stephanie Abraham has bred boxers for 33 years. She has also been a judge for 21 years and is on the Board of Directors of the ABC. This book covers total care basics (i.e., feeding, grooming, health) and specific Boxer traits, training and a chapter by a Dog Fancy columnist. Includes list of recommended reading and resources.



3. This is a great book for beginners, like me! I'm probablly going to buy a boxers soon and it was very good with the basics. Of course, this book is in the favor of the Boxer and does not have many cons about buying a Boxer. Very good to get to know the breed though.



4. I read this book in a little over 2 hours and found it to be well written and informative, especially since I've never owned a dog. It gives you insite into this breed and simple instructions on care and training.



5. This is a good book for someone who is not really familiar with Boxers and wants basic information. For someone who is already a Boxer fan, something a little more substantial is in order.