5 comments about Try Tracking!: The Puppy Tracking Primer.

1. Fun, positive method for training tracking. The back cover has recommendations from 2 AKC tracking judges and Pat Miller.



2. I purchased this book as I wanted to learn about tracking and also teach my year-old basset/coonhound mix about tracking.
   
   While the title says it's for "puppies," the cover also has a blurb saying it works with adult dogs, too--which is what caused me to pick it.
   
   Well, this is a fantastic book. The author lays out very clear and easy steps for the beginner to follow and also offers suggestions on how training a puppy would be different from training an adult. The author also precisely lays out what is needed, in terms of gear, for both the dog and the human, for summer tracking vs. winter tracking, suggestions on how to be allowed to use a neighbor's unused farmland for tracking, and so forth.
   
   The author also points out how tracking, as both a sport and a casual exercise, builds the relationship between you and your dog. My basset mix and I have always been close; he bonded with me on the drive home from the "breeder's" (long story). We've been inseparable since. Learning and practicing tracking, however, has brought our relationship to another level. We respect each other and he *really* listens to me now, thanks to the tracking exercises we're doing. I can even call him off a prey scent--which I could never do before!
   
   So I highly recommend this book for all beginner trackers and also for anyone wanting to do a sport other than agility--or even for anyone wanting to improve their relationship with their dog(s).



3. Our canine companions have been blessed with a scent of smell that some say is a thousand times greater than our own. "Try Tracking: The Puppy Tracking Primer" will teach you how to get the most out of your puppy's excellent nose, and to refine its natural instincts, to increase the bond between you and your pet. Tracking is fun for both you and your dog, improve both of your fitnesses, and you'll gain respect to just how your dog works. The methods put forth are said to be able to work with any age of dog from seven weeks of age to elderly canines, and for that, "Try Tracking!: The Puppy Tracking Primer" is enthusiastically recommended for dog owners everywhere and community library collections dealing with canine obedience and training.



4. Want to do something with your puppy or dog that makes use of their natural talent? You'll want to do tracking and Carolyn has made it easy for you to try it out! She tells you what you'll need for equipment, how to draw a track diagram, and how to keep a diary and why. She addresses when to start with your puppy and how your pup can have a title before it's a year old. Don't have a puppy but still want to try? No problem she covers that too! Get hooked on tracking!
   
   Carolyn was a guest member in February 2006 on CSDogBookReview (YahooGroups). After reading her book and listening to her discusions I've started tracking with my two four year old dogs. They're loving it!
   
   Thanks Carolyn!



5. This was a easy-to-follow guide for me to start training my puppy to track, and her methods are working well on my 5 year old dog as well. I would without hesitation recommend this book for anyone considering starting their puppy or dog in tracking.

5 comments about Puppy Training: Owner's Week-By-Week Training Guide (Training Book Series).

1. I bought this book before we brought our new puppy home. It was great for my 12-year-old son, who has helped train two other dogs and wants to be more involved with this one. The program is fairly regimented, so if you are more go-with-the-flow and less step-by-step, you might end up feeling as if you are not 'on track'. She does have a lot of tricks to help puppies learn but does not provide alternatives if her favorite trick does not work. The best thing about the book is it shows you how capable a puppy can be at a very early age. The worst thing about it is that it doesn't give you much insight into how your dog is developing and how to know, besides sometimes frustrating trial and error, if it is ready for a particular skill.



2. the whole family is reading this book chapter by chapter in order to train our new puppy. The book is easy to read and understand. More importantly it makes sense. A solid read for beginners.



3. We recently adopted a mini schnauzer so wanted to raise him the best we could. This is basically a step by step training process with the help of this book.



4. Out of all the puppy training books that I have read, this one has advice that I will use and keep handy to continue using. I have lived with dogs my whole life and training is not a new idea to me. This book however is easy to digest, read, and follow! I have had my new puppy for two days..so wish me the best of luck!!



5. Charlotte Schwartz still believes that if you let a dog go out the door before you, eat before you or allowed up on the furniture, muchless sleep with you that it will take over ruling the household.
   
   Dogs totally understand who controls the food - the ones with the opposable thumbs. If you ask for a few simple things like a sit before being fed who cares who ate before whom? You give up many of the pleasures there are in enjoying the companionship of your puppy/dog if you follow Charlotte's advice to not allow them up on the furniture or up on your bed.
   
   There are better puppy training books out there like Pat Miller's books - The Power of Positive Dog Training and Positive Perspectives: Love Your Dog, Train Your Dog. Much better training books for your dollars to spend on!

5 comments about The Best Dog in the World: Vintage Portraits of Children and Their Dogs.

1. I received this book as a gift from a fellow dog lover and have been pouring over it ever since. This is the kind of book that I keep out on my coffee table and browse through it over a cup of tea. i love all of authentic photos and appreciate how much the author has put into researching the content. This book is not only about the bond between humans and their dogs but also about life at the turn of the century. "The Best Dog in the World" is not only beautifully done, but it's interesting, informative, and just fun to look at! This would be a simple, timeless gift for any dog lover or someone who loves all things vintage.



2. Of course we all believe that we have the single best dog in the world, but as the images in this wonderful book show, there have been and will always be children (and adults) who believe that their dog is truly the best. You can't help but get drawn into the lives of the children who are photographed a century and a half ago in beautiful sepia images with their beloved pet. Though I do not consider myself a true "dog person" I have the deepest affection for the dog I spent my childhood with and indeed was photographed with her in much the same fashion, although in color. This book brought back those memories of childhood and having a true best four-legged friend rushing back to me. I picked up off of the shelf and could not put it down.



3. What a great little book. I loved the photography and the history. Wonderful book for dog lovers and history lovers.



4. Ms. Long's daughter is in my class and so I got the oppurtunity to look at the book at length. The photographs are smile-inducing and original. Who can resist photographs of children with their dogs? But before you think its all about cute overload, let me say that the most interesting aspect of the book is actually the well researched text. It goes into the delination of breeds and their uses without being overly verbose or scientific. A lot of the photographs have inscriptions on the back and those long forgotten letters are included. This is the true selling point of the book because it give you insight into the lives of these people and the their lives with their loved ones (both human and animal). A worthy buy for not only dog lovers but lovers of social history.



5. I came across this book while looking for a gift for a friend. I wasn't thinking to get a dog book, but after seeing the pictures and the interesting facts about the various breeds, I knew instantly this was the book to get. It makes a great gift for anyone who owns a dog or for someone who wants to experience the loving bond that children have with their dogs. Who can resist!

5 comments about Pug Mugs: Good Pugs Gone Bad.

1. You will laugh out loud on every page...this little book is a treasure and really brightened a dreary day here at the office for myself and my colleagues. YOU WILL LOVE IT.



2. Erica Asahan wrote:
   
   All I have to say is 'HILACUTSIELUV" Every household should have this book! It's very cute and funny! Pugs are so adorable!



3. What an adorable pug book full of pug pictures or mugs as it is titled. It is a very cute book for pug lovers of all ages!!



4. Anybody who loves pugs will love this book. It is funny with cute pictures and equally cute captions and stories about pugs.



5. Wackiest pug book EVER! I have two pugs and I love to cuddle with them and read this book to them. I have never seen such risks taken in pug photography! Bravo!

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?

5 comments about It's a Dog's Life...but It's Your Carpet: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Four-Legged Friend.

1. This book makes a great gift for your dog loving friends! It's a funny, light and informative read. Dr. Lee gives plenty of advice and offers a compassionate and caring opinion, interspersed with lots of wit and sarcasm.



2. Lots of people have mentioned how funny this book is -- rather than echo those comments, I'll mention how touching and heart warming the book is too. The author is clearly an expert and is very funny, but the thing that stood out the most for me is how deeply she cares about our 4-legged friends.
   
   The author provides sage advice on how to best care for our dogs, maximize their quality of life, and even discusses the best options for when it is time to say goodbye. This book is a fantastic tribute to the slobering little buggers that bring joy to ours lives like nothing else in the world. Bravo Dr. Lee! Can't wait for more from you!



3. This book is funny and informative! It covers serious and not so serious questions with a sense of humor and some interesting facts. I couldn't put it down!



4. It's a Dog's LifeIt's a Dog's Life...but It's Your Carpet: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Your Four-Legged Friend
   
   A fabulous book full of humor and great information! Dr. Lee covers a lot of material left out of most books. I found myself laughing out loud reading this informative and entertaining book. A must read! J.Pantaleo



5. "I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
   A powerhouse. A tour de truth.
   I laughed. I cried. I lost 15 pounds!
   A must buy!"

5 comments about Labrador Retrievers (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. Short thin little book wasn't worth the money. I didn't learn anything new and the pictures were not very great either. I received the book, read through it cover to cover in 10-15 minutes, placed it on the shelf and it's been there ever since.



2. the chapter 'at home with your labrador' really helps with people that are going to get a lab. It tells you everything from the first day you get it to what needs there are.



3. Having only had Basset Hounds for the past 30 years, the addition of a Lab puppy has been great for our household. Since we didn't have experience with these puppies, however, we needed help. This little book has been very useful. I'd rcommend it to any Lab owner.



4. One of the aspects of this book that drew me in was its premise that the Labrador Retriever is perhaps the single most agreeable and people-oriented of all the domesticated breeds, the author shows the reader how and why to care for God's most perfect earthly creature, the Labrador Retriever! By showing us the degree to which the breed represents a witch's brew of intelligence, honesty and loyalty to its human companions, the author illustrates why the Labrador has become the single most popular breed of dog in the world today. Labradors are sturdy creatures indeed, bred for sporting use along the quicksilver shores of Newfoundland, where the water temperatures and sea conditions require a healthy dollop of strength and endurance, and those are qualities these dogs have in spades.

   For any of us that have seen them at work or play in the fields and in the water, their unique combination of physical attributes and obvious intelligence makes them the ideal human companion. I should know; I live with four of them! The proof of their adaptability to almost any condition and their loyalty, intelligence, and unparalleled work ethic is demonstrated by the wide use of them as guide dogs and as adjunct partners for the physically handicapped. Stories of Labradors crawling out onto the ice to save their masters are legendary, as are the tales of them rescuing children from fires or from underneath rubble. Never has there been a dog superior to them.

   The author has recruited a wide variety of experts to testify as to the qualities and abilities of the dog, and one walks away from a reading of the book much better informed as to the all of the many qualities and capabilities of the breed, which seems to represent an astonishing list of useful and worthwhile attributes. We also get quite critical information as to what to look for when choosing a lab, and how to analyze the quality of the puppy you see before you. The author offers a compendium of information regarding genetics, feeding, health care, and inherited dispositions, as well as some sage advice as to how to ensure your puppy becomes the grown up Labrador companion you will come to view as another family member. This is a great book, and one I heartily recommend! Enjoy!




5. To the person who gave the 2 star review. C'mon, what are you thinking...this is a $10-$15 book, and you are expecting it to go into fine details about the breed.

   I'll tell everybody this...this is an excellent book, and it does go into details about the breed. I'm sure you can go buy a $50 book that goes into more detail, but you get the most bang for your buck with this book. It is highly informative, and I would recommend it to novice/experienced dog owners.

   I guarantee you'll love this book!!!

5 comments about Paws & Effect: The Healing Power of Dogs.

1. This was really an amazing book-- I learned so much about dogs and how much they can help us. Sharon Sakson makes the science understandable, and her ability to get you into the lives of people and their dogs is just amazing. Truly a book I couldn't put down.
   
   Neil Plakcy, author of Mahu Fire: A Hawaiian Mystery



2. I bought it as part of my research into Animal Assisted Activities/Therapy and it has been such an inspiration! The author has found so many wonderful true stories about dogs and people who are really making a difference, and she writes about them is such a beautiful way. Dogs do not receive enough credit for all the ways in which they help humans, from detecting cancer and warning their owners of seizures to helping abused children though their ordeals in court and providing comfort to people in institutions. I now talk about this book with everyone I meet!



3. What a wonderful book! The writing is great, and it blends heart tugging stories about the love between owners and their dogs with interesting snippits from scientific studies. There are also entertaining stories about dogs and their connection with people throughout history.
   
   Ever heard of St. Roch? Turns out he is the patron saint of dogs. He was starving to death when a dog began to bring him loaves of bread.
   
   I expect everyone who reads the story of Toaster, the Mexican hairless who learned to warm and comfort a handicapped woman, will fall in love with him.
   
   Really, unless you have a heart made of stone you will love this book.



4. I savored every moment of this book. Sharon Sakson enthusiam for her subject comes trough and makes the pages fly. Parts of it almost read like a triller-- you can't wait to find out what happen next. She combines a ton of fascinating research with wonderful storie of incredible dogs. The book isn't exactly was I expetect-I thought it would be a bunch of stories about therapy dgs. but it is much more than that. It is engagingly written and the information is so interesting that it turns out to ba a book you can't put down.
   She does a great job of making the scientific information interesting and useful. it is all so interesting and some time surprising, that I was never bored, even though I thought I knew plenty on this subject.
   And if you like this book, you should really go back and read her first book, Paws & Reflect: A special Bond Between man and Dog. some of the stories are Hilarious.Ans so well-written



5. I just recently completed this book and was positively amazed at its power. Once I picked it up, I found myself sneaking around so that I would be able to read it uninterrupted. The content blends little known information on dog history and lore with the most awesome stories. I indeed believe that to be able to draw the audience into the words on the page is a gift and Ms. Sakson is certainly gifted. I laughed at some of the stories, smiled and of course, shed a tear at some of the other "tails" that were shared. When I reached the end of the book, I looked for more pages, but there were not any. I am always able to tell the best books whenI am left wanting more and I was looking!

5 comments about Puggles (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I was suckered into buying this book because I too bought a Puggle 6 months ago and have found it difficult to find any specific information about the breed (in the form or a book anyway, there's lots of info online).
   
   Apart from the photos, which are admittedly VERY cute, the information contained within is not specific to the breed at all.
   
   There's an intro section which talks about the history of the pug and the beagle and the first cross breed. But following this the book just goes into general dog welfare, ie do you really want a dog, how to care for a puppy, how to toilet train, etc.
   
   Apart from the occasional pop out box which states some general traits of the puggle, they could have been talking about any dog.
   
   I was rather disappointed as I had done a fair bit of research about the breed I was interested in before purchase and since buying our pup - so was hoping for a lot more.



2. This book I found was very useful. We bought a Puggle back in June. And I still wondered so many things about her. This book, started with the history to each subject that you could run into. It has helped me in so many ways. I would suggest this book to all



3. I did not even know I had a Puggle until a neighbor said what a nice Puggle! This book is great and has a lot of good pictures.



4. I never got this product. they sent me an email later saying it was out of stock. so that was pretty much it.



5. This book was great advice and training information on the new "puggle" breed! I had been reading books on both the Pug and the Beagle to learn about our new family addition (Bella). It's great to have a book that speaks directly to the breed (Puggle).

5 comments about My Dog Skip.

1. This book is the story of Willie Morris' childhood companion, a dog named Skip. Willie recounts his adolescent years and all the fond memories of his dog and friends as they grew up together in small town Mississippi. The story is heartwarming and the author paints a very clear picture of all the shenanigans, good times and bad that he and his dog had together over the years. I liked this book; but I think a male reader would appreciate the bond between a boy and his dog more than I can.



2. This is a wonderful and touching story. It is a good read, and I recommend it to anyone who has ever had a pet. I especially like that it has a jack russell in the story.



3. This was a great book! It was so touching and heartfelt. I love dogs and this book is an example of someone who loves dogs like me so I can connect! Greatly recomended!



4. Willie Morris was a truly great author! This story of his childhood with his dog was really heartwarming. It is so simple and warm and humorous, you will just love it. Warning: you will cry your eyes out at the end, but it's worth the pain. One of the best animal stories ever, I hope many kids read this in school. If you loved the movie "A Christmas Story" you will love this book. The movie version of "My Dog Skip" is also quite good, though it is kind of upsetting that in order to create drama the wonderful father of the book is kind of nasty in the movie. Willie Morris was a great author who also wrote a cat book entitled "My Cat Spit McGee" and several books about his life that remind me a little of Russel Baker's memoirs. One is entitled "North Toward Home", another "Good Old Boy" and one is about life in New York City.



5. Willie Morris has recounted the life of not just a boyhood pet, but a dear and close friend.
   The Story of Skip's life as told by his owner is full of mythic adventures of childhood. Where every new day was full of joy and wonder. Morris' storytelling brings the dog, his family and the lush southern landscape into full and brilliant view.
   When you read My Dog Skip you can just feel how much this young man loved and revered his dog.
   Any of us who have had a much loved pet know that the bond between animal and human can reach so much further than just "pet and owner". Willie Morris makes the statement that Skip wasn't just his dog, but his brother... that is a beautiful thing. Morris grew up an only child but did not feel alone by any stretch of the imagination. He was loved deeply by and deeply loved his dog Skip.
   Another great point made in this book is how Willie Morris learned so much from his dog Skip. He clearly states that the most lasting lessons he has learned about love and loyalty came from knowing his dog.
   This book captures so well the love a boy or any human being can have for a pet... I loved the story and highly recommend it!