5 comments about It's Not the Dogs, It's the People! A Dog Trainer's Guide to Training Humans.

1. This is an awesome book! If you have watched the Dog Whisperer at all, this book parallels Cesar's style and helps with the interview and talking to people one on one when figuring out what is really going on with the dog and human. If you truly want to help people and their dogs this a good book to get your confidence up and in their door.



2. Although I not a "clicker trainer" (I use those "mean methods"), I enjoyed this book. It has helped me to become a better group training instructor. The author and I might disagree on dog training methodology but we do agree on the people training methods. I have been able to manage the training groups better, with people and their dogs having better learning success. This is a good book for anyone who instructs the public in dog training no matter what method they use.



3. I have been working with dogs for over 30 years and a service dog trainer for the last nine. I have just started my own private training business and this book was a refreshing read. Having worked with many people and their dogs, I could relate to many of the personalities described in the book. Reading this book was positive reinforcement for me and helped me realize that I have many of the tools to get my business up and running. It gives lots of helpful suggestions on how to work "with" people, encouraging them to understand and hopefully agree with you even if your suggestion differs from what they originally thought; making them think it was their idea. Expect the unexpected when working with people and their dogs. Relax and get ready to smile and learn.



4. This is a good book to help teach those at the "other end of the leash." Information can be direct but most communication is by perception.



5. I've been a professional animal trainer for 20 years and I still found this book very helpful. I was a psychology major in college and knew much of the stuff in the book, but I was fascinated by the way Nicole applies many of the principles for dealing with people, to dog training. Everybody can learn something new from this book, and the tips on dealing with the individual personality types was described in detail and applied to a dog training setting. Even the concepts I already knew about were enforced in this book and it helped me to refresh my memory and once again work on my people training skills...because as they say...it really IS not the dogs, it's the people.

5 comments about Labrador Retriever, with DVD: Your Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Great book. Perfect for training the active lab. I love that is comes with a DVD. This book covers everything you need to know about your lab from birth to old age. Wondering though, why is there a golden retriever on the cover???



2. The author gives clear and consice advice that really works. You will not be disappointed



3. This book was great. My 3.5 month old labrador retriever already does "sit", "down" and "shake" on command, thanks to this book. He is also fully crate-trained. I would recommend this book to anyone.



4. Here is an attractive entry by author Liz Palika, a book that takes a loving look at America's singular and by far most popular wonder dog, the Labrador Retriever. As she points out so well, there are few other animals who draw such love from humans as a dog, and surely the Lab is the most loveable of the breeds. Here she presents the Labrador Retriever in all its wonder and does a yeoman service to the rest of us by enumerating all of the superb qualities the dog has to offer potential human enthusiasts. They are by reputation excellent working dogs, both as field dogs and as guide dogs for the disabled. They are also incredibly loyal, and the news services are often filled with wonderful and heartwarming stories of Labs crawling out on the ice to save their masters, often at considerable danger to themselves. Nonetheless, they stand by our sides.
   
   Therefore, this book, "How To Train Your L:abrador Retriever" is a great tribute to the breed, and is chock-full with stories and photos that actively serve to substantiate what might otherwise seem as idle boasts and overethusiastic praise. In fact, for anyone who spends any time around Labs, like me, it is hard not to use superlatives when describing them. More than one of the stories herein will bring a smile to your face, a tear to your eye, and the idea in your noggin perhaps it is time to consider getting one of these incredible creatures into you rlife, and that of your extended family. they boost the energy level in any room they enter, are incredible chick-magnets, and have been shown to reduce high blood pressure and dissipate depression through their mere presence. This is a wond
   ful book, and one I am sure you will enjoy!



5. A good useful book for anyone who needs some help training a Lab. Goes over a lot of general lab information as well as training tips.

5 comments about The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against an Epidemic.

1. This is a good read and as I said in the title of the review...if you love dogs you will love this book. Our dog got a ton of pets and hugs when I was reading this true well researched story.



2. Do we really need another book about the great dog-sled rescue team racing serum to Nome to save the town from a diphtheria epidemic? Why, yes, actually, we do indeed. This thrilling book recounts not only the canine and human heroes of the rescue team but tells us about the heroes in Nome, e.g., the doctor who had to play god and how he did it. Also, the Balto myth is debunked.



3. I am doing genealogical research on one of the participants mention in "The Cruelest Miles" and found the book most help in narrowing my research. I found the book well written and documented.



4. This is an excellent historical review of Alaska dogsledding years ago and how a medical epidemic was averted in the early 1900's. Being true, it is remarkable how interesting and exciting fact can be compared to fiction.



5. -I'd like to add another five-star vote for this book, which recounts the desperate emergency dogsled run to deliver diphtheria toxin to the town of Nome, AK, when it experienced a sudden epidemic during an Arctic blizzard (this journey served as the inspiration for the famous Iditarod race). At the time, Nome was hundreds of miles from the nearest point of transport, and dogsleds were the only way to get the serum through. So ... who could not love a well-told documentary about one of the most exciting legends of the North, featuring people like Wild Bill Shannon and Gunnar Kaasen, dogs like Balto and Togo, and a race to keep dozens of helpless children from dying? This story kept America riveted for days as the news came in. This was not a sure thing -- the authors show that only the most careful attention to detail, superlative "trail sense," and an amazing endurance could have delivered the serum. The dogs and humans did succeed in a race against time, and gave dog-sledding, and its blend of animal and human cooperation, one of its finest and most charming hours. The book expands the story by giving us the foreground and aftermath, and what a fine story it is.
   
   -The influence of the Serum Run extended far beyond those whose lives were directly saved. At the time, our national public health immunization and innoculation program was also fighting for acceptance and publicity. The major public attention given to this dramatically successful race-against-time helped win that acceptance. In just a few years, diphtheria went from a relentless killer of several hundred children a year, to a dormant medical curiosity (many US health professionals finish their careers without seeing a case). The success and management of the public health program then encouraged an attempt to eradicate one of humanity's great scourges -- smallpox. This terrible disease has probably killed more people than the Plague or all the armies in history. The worldwide smallpox vaccination program became one of the great triumphs in medical history, as it overcame civil wars, social anarchy, and social misunderstandings to deliver the gift of Life. The last person died from natural smallpox over a decade ago, and one of humanity's deadliest scourges is now naturally extinct. So ... unbeknownst to them, the small band of dogs and drivers who brought the serum to Nome and gave preventive public health such a boost were forging a small but charming part in the great chain of events which led to the eradication of one of humanity's greatest killers.
   
   -I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story, especially one which shows what humans can do when the chips are way down. The authors have documented a victory of the human spirit that can bring joy to us all, and which has the elements found on the beloved statue of the Serum Dog in New York's Central Park: Endurance, Fidelity, Intelligence.

1 comments about The Book of the Greyhound.

1. Hello everyone!

   I wanted to let my readers know that The Book of the Greyhound was recently awarded the Maxwell Award as the best Single Breed Pet Guide for 2000. The Award was presented by the Dog Writers Association of America at a Ceremony and Dinner at the Southgate Tower Hotel in NYC on February 11, 2001. I was grealy honored to receive this award and want to take this opportunity to thank my Editor, Connie Isbell, and everyone at TFH Publications who worked so diligently to bring this book about.

   The Book of the Greyhound covers just about every detail related to owning and loving a Greyhound. It covers the history, standards, performance activities, showing your Greyhound, adoption, top show dogs and producers, and breeders from all over the world. This is the most comprehensive book published about the Greyhound and has been very well received and reviewed by its readers.

5 comments about Living with a Greyhound.

1. There is no better book to read if you want to learn about Greyhounds or are planning to adopt one. An absolute MUST read. Cynthia Branigan is the ultimate expert and the rescues I know all recommend this book as a prerequisite to adopting.



2. This book does give good iformation on greyhounds.However it does make it sound as though you have to be with your greyhound 24/7. In my case, my greyhound does do well with being separated from us for a few hours at a time. The bottom line is if your not a dog person willing to give your time and devotion to any dog,then a greyhound or any dog breed is not for you, and you shouldn't have a dog. All dogs need time and attention,they also need trained.You just have to remember,that although a greyhound is fully grown,when they come into your home they are like a giant puppy.



3. I think this new book edited by Cynthia Branigan and primarily distributed in England, is a great addtion to the new greyhound owner's library. It really focuses on getting to know your dog and all the positive aspects of adopting a greyhound. It doesn't bash the racing industry as so many other readers would like to see which would probably just inhibit many people from persuing adoption as they may think that the majority of these dogs are scarred for life from their experiences. Instead this book helps to share real life experiences from owners and foster parents alike. The racing pictures are definitely english, but the pictures of the dogs at liesure are from the actual owners and foster parents, it's wonderful to see how much love and compassion goes into the day to day life of a retired racer.

   Being a seasoned greyhound owner myself, I would recommend this book to any new greyhound family that wants a glimpse into what the future holds for their new life with these majestic, loyal and very often comical companions.




4. I think the book "Living With A Greyhound" accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do: it describes what it is like to live with a former racing dog. I don't understand how anyone can complain that it does not go into the downside of Greyhound racing--that is not the subject of the book.
   I loved reading the first-hand experiences of people who have adopted. They explained how they do such things as get them used to their cat or how they take them into nursing homes as therapy dogs. And the part written by the woman who told of how she nursed her dog through his final illness was very touching and memorable.
   Cynthia Branigan edited this book, she did not write it. The last time I checked, an editor's job is to make sure the information presented is factual and readable. Of course, Living With A Greyhound is both of those things.
   As for comparing this book to "The Ultimate Greyhound", again, that was edited by Mark Sullivan, not written by him. Furthermore it costs more than twice as much as "Living" does.
   In short, "Living With A Greyhound" presents a potential adopter with a comprehensive, affordable glimpse into what it is like to share your life with one of these special dogs.



5. I?ve just finished "Living with a Greyhound" and think it?s a terrific addition to my greyhound library. As the title indicates it is not a guide to adopting a racing greyhound; Ms. Branigan covered that territory first and best in her classic, the appropriately titled "Adopting the Racing Greyhound".
   "Living" covers just what the title says, what goes on after the adoption when the hound is part of the family. I thought the articles on greyhounds as therapy dogs, in agility trials, as lure coursers, and in many other arenas were very instructive and helpful. All were written by owners who have extensive experience in the area they discuss, and this gives them real authority and credibility.
   As an aside, the same thing applies to Ms. Branigan. The fact that she has been running a greyhound adoption agency since before the first edition of "Adopting" came out in the early ?90?s gives her a wealth of experience and credibility that I don?t see matched in subsequent guides, which unlike "Living" don't cover any new ground and are basically just rehashes of her original.
   "Living with a Greyhound" is very readable and its production values are great, nicely printed and bound with beautiful pictures which all seemed fresh to me. I?d recommend this to any greyhound owner or anyone else interested in the breed.

2 comments about Miniature Schnauzer (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1. Miniature Schnauzer (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series)
   
   This is the best information I've seen yet for the miniature schnauzer. Better information on the breed than other books I have read, which just says this breed is a terrier. Explains puppy behavior very well. Easy to read. For first time dog/puppy owners, I recommend reading this book before purchasing/adopting the canine.



2. This is a great book to establish everything you should know to understand this very intelligent breed. It also establishes the minimum maintenance that this very special breed deserves.

5 comments about The Pembroke Welsh Corgi: Family Friend and Farmhand (Howell Best of Breed).

1. I enjoyed the book,but as a rule unless you plan to breed or show your corgi this book will be of limited use.Found few helpful hints as I plan to keep my corgi as a pet.



2. Good mix of photos, history and temperment of a Corgi in the book. It helped us to understand and relate to our Corgi and work with her personality - it's easy to expect all dogs to be the same. We learned such is not the case with a Corgi and because of understanding a Corgi's temperment [through this book] we have a wonderful time with our dog.



3. This book isn't meant to be an all inclusive guide to owning a corgi, as the writers admit to early on in the book. I've already read those types of books, but I was looking for something different to give a friend who is considering getting a corgi. It is charming and nailed dead on what living with a corgi is like. I've "been owned" by a pembroke for 10 years now and I recognized a lot of behaviours and characteristics familiar to this breed. It's a fun read with lots of great photos for anyone contemplating the purchase of a corgi. It discusses their health issues, personality traits, physicality, along with their intriguing history and myth. It's honest about both the good and bad points of the breed. I think this book makes an excellent complement to other more detailed sources on corgis and addresses what they never could = just how wonderful these little dogs are. A must for anyone seriously considering sharing their lives with a corgi.



4. I was looking for info on training my corgi in the various categories mentioned in the review - obedience, agility, herding. No methods were discussed, only that the corgi can be trained to do these things. The book did give addresses of clubs that might help with these tasks. Not the reference book I was looking forward to, more of a coffee table book. The little story, poem?, about how corgis came from the wee folk was excellent and somewhat redeemed the book. All in all, I was a little disappointed.



5. This is the best book on the Pembroke Welsh Corgi that I have found. The author covers everything from the history, buying, health, grooming, versatility of the breed (obedience, agility, herding and therapy dog). Every picture and every bit of information are all breed specific. That is what I like about this book. It has a wealth of information and I learned what sets the Pembroke Welsh Corgi apart from other breeds.

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!

2 comments about Jack Russell Terriers (KW Dog).

1. This is a wonderful, wonderful book. The information is probably THE most accurate of any Russell book I've read so far (and I've gone through quite a few with my first JRT!). Author is very descriptive and covers everything from breeding to old age in depth. Adorable pictures.



2. I loved this book. It gave a lot of information about the breed and the pictures were so cute! It gave me all I needed to know about the breed's history, habits, its trainability and physical features. For anyone who is thinking about purchasing a Jack Russell Terrier, I encourage them to buy this book. Even if you don't want to buy a Jack Russell Terrier, it is still a great book to read and gather information about Jack Russell Terriers.

2 comments about Focus Not Fear: Training Insights from a Reactive Dog Class.

1. This is a good book on a topic that needs much more information out there. that being said, it's basically just a diary of her training sessions. She takes you through each training session with her reactive dog class and describes the progress of each dog each day.
   
   Pros: Great to see the ups and downs of each dog. Also nice to see how different dogs needed different things
   
   Cons: If you're looking for things to do with your own dog, there's no apendix that explains the exercises she does. It's sometimes hard to get a good picture, even though there are diagrams. Also, it can be confusing trying to remember which dog was which. In addition, it's very repetitive and doesn't keep one's interest.
   
   Overall: I recommend the book Controlled Unleashed instead.



2. Ali's Focus Not Fear walks you through the classes of a group of dogs over a period of seven months. You get to meet the dogs and their issues as well as their handlers. Then Ali details how the classes went over that time, and the ups and downs that happen over that time.
   
   Training behaviors or dog behaviors are in bold through the sections, so if you wanted, you could skim for those in the training logs. They are also easily indexed in the back of the book for quick page finds.
   
   Photographs! Tons of photos in here and not hard to see black and white ones but full beautiful color ones. Diagrams are also in color!
   
   Ali was our guest author in November 2007 at CSDogBookReview for this book, check out our archives for that visit.