4 comments about Small Dog Breeds.

1. of all small breeds. I was happy to see that both the pro's and con's were presented. I am a dog lover and it is important that people know the commitment and the personalities before committing to a puppy or dog.



2. Good book for dog lovers. If you are trying to decide whether or not to get a small dog, buy this book. Great pictures. Lots of reminders about the important differences between small and large dogs. Nicely succinct descriptions of breed characteristics and origins, temperament, height and weight expectations, and especially doggy attitude.



3. This book, made in the Barrons fashion, has wonderfull photos and adequate information on various small dog breeds. Actually this book had a few breeds more than I expected to be in the book like the small Podengo. I was rather confused on why the Keyz was listed...being around 50lbs. I don't consider it a small breed?! But a good book all around for those who are mainly interested in the small end of the canine spectrum.



4. The tittle of this book is Small Dogs. Some dogs are big and some are small. Some are cute and some are not.The dogs also have feeling to not just us. Dogs have different Lke sometimes they feel lonely some dogs don't some feel happy.If you chose a small dog I think you made the right one. Dogs are really great pets to have but it is your choce.I think dogs are pertect pet. So just get a pet if you want If you don't then you don't bye.

1 comments about Dog Training: Retrievers and Pointing Dogs (The Complete Hunter).

1. I received the book timely and it was what I wanted. Would use this supplier again.

5 comments about The Artful Dog: Canines from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1. A great gift for the dog lover on your list. Great art, great quotes. An excellent coffee table book. Easy to pick up, dip into and put down. An appropriate gift for most occassions.



2. This book is a jewell. My husband and I keep in on our table and read from it every day. The quotes inspire us for the entire day. Each one is endowed with great wisdom and humor. The art is exquisite. Shari Thompson has accompished an amazing body of work. Her research and choices have produced a rich and beautiful little book.



3. I have just received the six new copies of The Artful Dog which I intend to give to all the dog-people on my list, (and some cat-lovers, too). Shari Thompson has discovered a splendid canine collection in the MM of A and matched them to an assortment of most appropriate quotations from a wide range of dog-lovers - St. Bernard (the human) to Ogden Nash. It is a visual and verbal delight.



4. This makes a delightful gift for every dog lover on your holiday list. It's also a much better host/hostess bring-along than a bottle of wine, for it lasts much longer, providing enjoyment each time the reader opens it. Dogs in art and clever quotes are superbly matched by the editors!



5. This beautiful little book, which I received as a gift, is pure joy with it's delightful reproductions of paintings and photographs of dogs of all types from New York's Metropolitan Museum. Each work of art is accompanied by an enchanting quote or short poem that miraculously reflects the art...how did the author ever find these? Dog lovers and art lovers alike will be totally charmed, as I am. It was a great gift.

2 comments about Bullmastiff (Comprehensive Owners Guide).

1. This book is very useful for first time bullmastiff owners. I would recommend it to anyone who plans to buy or just wants to learn about bullmastiffs.



2. the author has a good approach on every topic... many good information about this wonderful and rare breed... to be perfect it could only have a little more topics about training ....

5 comments about A New Owners Guide to Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (New Owner's Guide To...).

1. As a recent new owner of this magnificent breed of dog, I have collected as much information as I can about these dogs. You have help considerably as you are the only source I've used to get the material I need, because you had it and I didn't have to go to bookstores around town to get anything. Thank you.



2. I will soon be an owner of a Cavalier - and I thought this was a very helpful book! I recommend it!



3. This is a typical breeder's vanity book. It has some valuable information, but it is downplays the very important health issues. Cavaliers suffer from major hereditary diseases, such as mitral valve heart disease, the leading killer of the breed, which afflicts over half of all Cavaliers by age 5 years and nearly all Cavaliers by age 10 years, and hip dysplasia, which afflicts over 20% of all Cavaliers and can cause terrible pain and debilitation, and syringomyelia, which causes severe head and neck pain and paralysis to a growing number of Cavaliers. www.CavalierHealth.org



4. For those only wanting an introduction to the breed, the book is useful. If you already know a great deal about CKCS, skip this book--it lacks depth.



5. I think this book is a must have for anyone interested in this breed and wanting more information. She talks about the history, the health, the care and lots of cute pictures. My mate and I both read it cover to cover and found it very informative and helpful.

2 comments about Love Your Dog Pictures: How to Photograph Your Pet with Any Camera.

1. As the previous review indicates, this book is aimed at the person who is not a photographer but rather the loving pet owner who wants better photos of their dog. The book is full of clear examples that will help get a better photo of your dog. The author has an easy writing style and her instructions are easy to incorporate into photographing. After reading this book, any dog lover should be able to get pictures that will be more individual and representative of their dog. Definitely for the beginning/snapshot photographer who wants pictures that will actually look like their dog without distortion, and add some creativity in their photos.



2. This book is not about becoming a professional dog photographer but it is intended for the family photographer who wants to know how to take the best pictures of their dog or their family's dog. Pictures they can hang on the wall later on or put in scrapbooks. It will help you create images of your dog that will catch the dog's true spirit.
   
   It does not matter if you have a cheap film camera or an expensive digital SLR camera, the tips and techniques in this book will work for any camera. Throughout the different chapters the text is accompanied by famous dog quotes every now and then and along with all the tips and techniques are 305 illustrations in total (only ten in b/w) that clearly show you before and after situations and different camera setups and their resulting photographs.
   
   In the first chapters you'll get familiar with all the technical stuff like equipment and exposure, then you'll move on to more practical techniques like lightning, composition and taking great action shots, posing and portraits. The last part explains in short chapters how to digitize your film photographs, how to enhance your digital pictures and how to
   turn them into scrapbook pages. In the appendix you'll get to meet all the dogs that were models for the illustrations throughout this book.
   
   With its 144 pages this book is a definite handbook for beginning photographers who want to know everything about taking beautiful photographs of their beloved dogs. If you are looking for more professional dog photography you might be better off with Creative Canine Photography. This book, Love Your Dog Pictures, though handles everything you ever needed to know about dog photography and with a creative mind I'm sure you can be just as well a professional dog photographer. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to improve their photographing skills and who wants to catch their dog's real personality on image.
   
   - reviewed by Eveline for Euro-Reviews

5 comments about Top Working Dogs: A Training Manual--Tracking, Obedience, Protection.

1. This book covers many different possible 'occupations' of a working dog, and is written clearly. Not many pictures, it is full of information. If you are considering raising a working dog, this book outlines the various levels and certifications you (the handler) and the dog will need to complete. If you are interested in learning about a particular aspect more, this book will provide a description of that occupation and what that occupation entails.



2. Found the font size small, not that easy to read. However, the content is superb, if there is an updated version (training methods etc. change)I would be first in line.
   It is so good to get a book from a pro, someone who's been there, done that, got the T shirt at the very highest level.



3. After purchasing many dog training manuals and finding them not quite up to snuff, I was very pleased to finally find a book which was comprehensive and authoritative. It breaks each area of the sport down and is easy to follow. The book is intelligently written.



4. The 3rd edition (1994) of this book is VERY HARD TO READ. The font set is about 5 or 6 points, single spaced, very tightly packed. You need great eyesight and still must be ready for eyestrain. I can read anything up close, but this is the worst book, PHYSICALLY, I've ever had to read. Still, you can't fault the quantity of information and the first (brief) perusal makes me want to read more. I was dismayed when I opened the book so I'm giving you a heads up. I'm going to buy a magnifying glass.



5. I have owned this book since shortly after it was published, except for the short period of time when a local police dog-man "borrowed" it. I ended up repurchasing it! This book is solid and sound in content, and has information that will appeal to beginners and experts alike in the fields of tracking, obedience and man-work. I review it as a resource book whenever I need a fresh training idea for a dog or a group of trainers. I no longer loan it - I recommend you buy your own.

5 comments about Beyond Basic Dog Training.

1. The negative reviews are 180º off the mark about this most excellent book. Not only is correction NOT encouraged at all, the word NO is NOT to be used with this method at all. Ms. Bauman teaches that to be WRONG more than OK, it is a learning opportunity for the dog. There are NO, nada, absolutely zero harsh corrections, only gentle "helps" to the dog when they don't understand the command. The (there is no other word for it)LIE that chairs were thrown or any other such horrible thing isn't even in the *realm* of truth about this book. This book stresses a method that will produce very very good results, and a methond in which the dog remains happy and pleased to do the work, a VERY far cry from the criticism that was launched at it. No "hang-head" obedience dogs will result from this book, only HAPPY, healthy, dogs EAGER to do these exercises, because it gives them such a sense of confidence. I trained a dog using this method back when the book first came out. We never went beyond novice because life got in the way. But the method is simply the best you'll find out there. There may be others that work, but you'll not wind up with a HAPPY dog to do it. With this method you will have a very happy and CONFIDENT dog.



2. Beyond Basic Dog Training is a competent, if uninspired, account of Diane Bauman's methods for training dogs to perform Kennel Club obedience routines. The book is a series of short chapters covering most obedience exercises from Novice to Utility, as well as short discussions on training equipment and trialing tips. Due to the limited scope this book will not be especially helpful to the pet owner wishing to teach basic manners and practical obedience, though it could be a useful read for an obedience competitor.
   
   The teaching methods themselves are old fashioned and rather boring. Dogs are pushed into sits, pulled into send aways, ear-pinched into retrieving. There is no discussion of other methods that can be used to achieve these behaviours (luring, shaping, capturing, etc), leaving the reader rather at a loss if the given method does not work for them.
   
   Bauman's catch-phrase is that it is "good to be wrong", which means that a dog should not be corrected in the learning phase of training. Like most good trainers, she believes dogs should only ever be corrected if they are defiant, not if they are confused or frightened. Bauman discusses how to safely fit and use several types of correction collar, and how to determine which collar is best for a certain dog.
   
   Bauman emphasises the importance of praising the dog for good work, but doesn't present a particularly coherent account on how to motivate a dog or utilise his drives. She does suggest using small food tidbits to reward dogs, but does not go into detail about how or when to deliver these. She does not discuss the use of prey drive or toy rewards at all, despite them being exceptionally useful for some dogs. Neither does she explain anything about operant or classical conditioning, or about marker words or bridges.
   
   In conclusion, although I doubt any dog would be harmed by use of these methods, I also doubt that this method will get the best obedience performance out of every dog. Some dogs need more motivation than Ms Bauman provides, or do better with "hands-off" techniques, and this book unfortunately does not cater for the learning styles of these canines. However, it is still worth a read for kennel club obedience competitors, who might well pick up some useful tips.



3. Two days ago, I was extremely excited about receiving this book in the mail. I was lulled by promises that the book would show me how to "become a thinking handler who can train a thinking dog" and how to encourage "dogs to learn by removing corrections for incorrect responses". Now here I sit utterly disappointed in having wasted money on a book that encourages people to pinch their dogs ears and to "use the collar choke approach for dogs who are not responsive to an ear pinch" (p.163 Beyond Basic Dog Training, Bauman). If you're not sure how to do the latter, the book has a picture of a dog being choked for your reference! Wow! This book is very outdated and needs to be modernized to reflect all of the advances that dog training has made in recent years. I have seen many handlers achieve stellar obedience scores through the use of positive training ...looks like I'll be turning to them for advice instead of this book.



4. Bauman's book is a no-nonsense approach to obedience training with an eye on competing. She is thorough in her discussions and accurately provides details into the how, why, where and when to create the results that are wanted with training. I found this book to be very complimentary to other positive training books I've previously read. Would recommend this read to anyone who is a novice trainer like myself who wants/needs more information than they are receiving in a class setting. Additionally, I believe it would serve the trainer who must train alone.



5. When then book originally came out it was quite forward thinking in its methodology. Fortunately for our dogs there has been a quiet revolution in dog training to a less coercive method of training. For example, her method of teaching sit involves pulling up on the collar while pushing on the dog. In short physical discomfort is being created for a command that the dog does not even know. Her methods are based on negative reinforcement. The correct response will make the discomfort vanish. This type of training can be effective if you have the right dog for the stress it will produce and if you the handler have great timing and can always perfectly and rapidly make all pressure vanish when the performance is correct.

5 comments about Bach Flower Remedies for Dogs.

1. As a professional dog trainer with a gentle and holistic bent, I am always interested in information on natural adjuncts to behavior modification. At the time I purchased this title I was already familiar with and had been using the Bach essences for some time, but I still found new and useful information. The book is nicely laid out with a description of each remedy, but it goes even further in suggesting remedies for specific canine behavior issues such as hyperactivity, fear, and aggression issues. There's even a section on remedies appropriate to owners, which is valuable since owners have a huge influence on their dogs' behavior. I would recommend this book to any owner or canine professional looking to become more familiar with the fabulous Bach Flower Remedies.



2. I am so disappointed with this book. No Index badly organized. I bought this to find remedies for kidney and liver support in dogs. The is nothing about health in here. It is all Emotional healing aggression ect...
   What a huge waste of money! I wish I had read the reviews :-(



3. I found this book very disappointing. A large portion of the book talks about how the remedies apply to humans rather than dogs. The book is badly organized and is not laid out to be an easy to use reference book. There is no index and the table of contents is not very specific. Even the chapter detailing each of the remedies is not in alphabetical order for ease of finding a remedy.



4. I love this book and a few others of the Bach flower Remedies for dogs. It is a very useful book, easy to understand and it teaches you about bach flowers and there uses with animals. Bach flowers are very safe and I do rescue work and use it on dogs, cats, horses for many different ailments. It really has helped my animals. I also use them on me.
   
   thanks very much
   
   Kathy



5. I think this book will be very useful for veterinarians that, as in my case, use Bach Flowers to help to heal our patients and to undestand how each flower applies to the dogs instead of the humans. I like very much the comparative review that the authors give of each remedy, particularly by giving the explanation of dog's behaviour in each case.

5 comments about The Boxer: Family Favorite (170 color photographs) Winner--DWAA Award--Best Single Breed Book of 2000.

1. This is a great book. Wonderful photos. All inclusive. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in this breed. I just purchased a boxer and I found it informative and very helpful to get a good understanding of the breed. This is a great coffee table book also.



2. This is a nice book, but I did miss some information.
   Too little discussion about the differences between the european boxer and "the american style", both physical and mental differences are now very present. If you live in Europe, I would choose another book.
   For americans I`m sure it will hit the mark, though even for some of them this is an important topic.



3. Author Stephanie Abraham put out another great book in 2000. Enough readers & critics enjoyed it to have it earn the same year's "Dog Writers Assoc of America" award. It's a handsome hardcover book with 220+ crisp pages. Pictures on just about every page. Abraham is dedicated to the Boxer breed. She speaks of the Boxer with admiration as only a Boxer owner could. She writes well and in easy to read fashion. Topics include caring for, general health, choosing your Boxer and traits to look for in a puppy, history, basic tips in training... and so much more. I refer to this book constantly. This is a very thorough book and anyone who owns a Boxer should own it. The only thing it doesn't mention - the older your Boxer gets, the more he slobbers. My family (including our Boxer, Max) is better off for it.



4. Just to state the fact that The Boxer: Family Favorite won the Dog Writers Association of America award as the Best Single Breed Book of the year 2000. This book is THE definitive in-depth study of the breed by someone who has spent her whole life living with and loving Boxers. The color photographs are outstanding.



5. As an owner of three boxers and 10 boxer books, if I could only have one boxer book this would be it. It is full of wonderful information for both people who know and love the breed, and also is a wonderful introduction to someone considering their first boxer.