5 comments about Horsekeeping on a Small Acreage: Designing and Managing Your Equine Facilities.

1. This is probably one of the first books you should buy when considering keeping your horse at home. It gives enough information to be helpful and to start making intelligent decisions about what you will need to keep your horse and improvements needed to your property.
   
   It's a great jumping off point that will let you know where to go from here and what aspects you will need to further explore. Worth the money as a basic manual.



2. This book is the best I've seen on building or buying a small equestrian property or horse farm. Warning - this is not the book for starting a horse business or operation, but it certainly covers all the bases from zoning issues, to how to lay out your property to handle weather situations and parts of the country. A really great guide book.



3. The book covers everything from horse behaviors, to feeding, and to horsekeeping. A very thorough book that covers many areas of owning a horse. Goes into enough detail for any horse owner keeping horses, even if they don't have acreage. I was impressed by how informative this book is, every horse owner should read it.



4. This book is a great resource for those wishing to build an equine facility - on any scale. However, this is not a guide book for horse ownership. If you board your horse somewhere, you do not need this book. If you are shopping for land and want to build your own horse place, then this book is perfect. If you are trying to figure out if your set up is safe and good for your horses, then get this book. If you are dedicated to making the best out of your land and your horse, then this book is the perfect resource, and it will help you decide if your land is right for horses or if horses are right for your land. Appropriate land use is important, and Cherry Hill shows how to incorporate horses into your land management practices - or is it incorporating good land management practices into your horsey haven? Her ideas and standards for barn design are also good industry standards. I highly recomend this book for architects and land planners who design equestrian homes/communities/barns.



5. This is a nice over view for a first time horese ownwer and acrage ownwer very informative.

5 comments about Labrador Retrievers for Dummies.

1. I have bought this book as soon as I've bought my labrador, and she is still alive... I'm just joking... I have the female labrador and this book really helped me to teach her some manners and right now I have a great dog that can be with me wherever I go. If I go to the coffee shop she is with me, if I go to the beach she is with me and I have no problems with her.



2. When I bought my little yellow lab puppy, I searched the internet and scoured reviews to buy the best book to prepare me for my new endeavor. I purchased this book, and I am sad to say, I was a little disappointed. It barely skims the surface of each topic, and did not prepare me to be a first-time puppy owner, or a first-time lab owner. I highly recommend Barron's "Training Your Labrador Retriever". I just bought it (my puppy is three months old) and I wish I had bought it first - it has much more information on how to handle your new puppy!



3. Cool book. I'm a lab retriever owner and loved the information from the book- brought me up to date on everything I should know about this breed...



4. This book was easy to read. It had a lot of general information about all dogs. It had really good training tips.



5. On December 11, 2006 I adopted a 7 week old lab puppy who needed a home. So, as a retired teacher, I needed a guide! Walton's book is practical and well written to help new, or experienced,pet owners. It has practical tips and humorous insights that make it easy to read and full of useful information. Lucky, my lab, is growing happy and healthy and I am not tearing my hair out trying to figure things out on my own.

5 comments about The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood.

1. If you love true memoirs in this type of animal genre you'll enjoy this book. Sy Montgomery is an excellent & intelligent writer. She writes in a very easy and flowing fashion. In spite of her noticeable intelligence she doesn't write in a haute style. I loved the fact that she used no foul language or cursing in this book. I was quickly drawn into this story and it held my interest right to the end. I found myself identifing with many of the author's experiences.
   
   The author, Sy Montgomery was a somewhat eccentric nature lover who had always thought herself more animal than human. She was estranged from her parents and had few close friends. That was before the sweet Christopher Hogwood came into her life. When Sy and her husband Howard get Christopher they nurse him slowly back to health. He soon is getting into loads of trouble all over town. Thanks to some very understanding neighbors, Christopher Hogwood is soon the most popular member of the neighborhood. Of course when people hear about Christopher they want to meet him. Pretty soon Chris is a celebrity too. In turn, Sy is forced into human relationships. The surprise is that she finds that she's actually enjoying it. Christopher Hogwood ends up touching everyone's life that he comes in contact with, until the day he dies. It was like he was sent into Sy's life to reconcile all her human relationships. Christopher is truely a special pig.
   
   The reason I gave this charming book only 4 stars? At times the author goes into a few personal musings about her extensive travels, beliefs about religions or about people who eat meat. Whether or not, you would agree with her opinions- it doesn't really add to this otherwise awesome story. Also, at times Ms. Montgomery 'name drops' a bit too much for my tastes.
   
   Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes stories on human/animal relationships. I'd read this again. Very well written and touching story.



2. Ms. Montgomery writes in a forthright manner and has documented an unlikely partnership in an authentic style. My appreciation for pigs in general has grown exponentially as a result of her frienship with Christopher Hogwood, a fellow creature who lived comfortably - very comfortably - in his own skin and through his immediate circumstances. The author describes how one's delights in ordinary abundance sets an example for every one of us - this would be the pig doing the treaching by example. If anyone of your associates should ever call you piggish you will know, having read this book yourself, that it is a deep compliment. For a biography I can ask no more than a book like this provides. Treat yourself.



3. What a delightful book! I do so wish I could have met Christopher - he really was an excellent pig. Sy Montgomery's life sounds so interesting, and she writes in a very easy, readable way. I have recommended this book to several people, as well as buying a couple of copies as gifts.



4. I loved this book. I read it in less than 2 days, I couldn't put it down. People have so much to learn about animals and I think this book reminds us that if we stop our busy lives for one minute and get to know an animal in a different way it would change the way many of us think. This book teaches you more about yourself than anything. Great book, though now I want a pig of my own!



5. Not just a story about a pet pig, this book is a review of lessons learned in surprising places and at unexpected times. Sy Montgomery is very astute and well spoken, the kind of person you would just love to meet for real!

5 comments about Dog Grooming For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

1. This was purchased just in time to supplement the adult Ed. Intro to Pet (dog) Grooming classes (10 hours) at the local JVS.
   The class is strictly an INTRO to dog grooming, BUT, was disappointed that instructor/school for our $150 fee did NOT give us an actual book on the subject. We got some printed copies of pages from insructor's book...
   DOG GROOMING for DUMMIES is a GREAT source for home groomer want-to-be's.
   I think it is well written and not at all boring.
   I am glad I got it for I have 2 new pups and two older dogs, and, I I have found out, I can do a LOT more for both me and the dogs' benefit.



2. Although I used to be a Vet Tech for years & years, I found this book to be very thorough and informative. It explains step by step how to do everything from basic dog handling and bathing; to more specific procedures, as how brush, groom, clip (including which number blades to be using on different areas)as well as addressing the 'how to's' for various breeds. I highly recommend it, especially for a beginner!



3. This book is full of useful information, but unfortunately it is lacking in illustrations or photos that would help the "Dummies" learn from scratch how to bathe, clip, and otherwise groom their dogs. This is too visual/hands on a process to be simply described in words.



4. All the "Dummies" books are great. They tell you all the things you need to know, want to know, and things you don't care to know.



5. This book is very good. It can help you to be a PRO Groomer and no doubt it can be used by an individual too. One must keep this book if you are having a PET.
   
   Shailesh Sheth

5 comments about Complete Book of Dog Breeding.

1. This book was of great help, particularly when our pups began to dehydrate after birth. There were only 2 things it did not prepare us for, having smaller than normal litters and the mother's nervous behavior affecting her care of such a small litter. According to the emergency vet on holiday call, there are breed specific behaviors which play into the mother's care and can interfere. My only wish was that I could have found a book more specific to my breed. As a general instruction manual, it was of great help. The two little pups are dear and are doing well now, 2 weeks later.



2. We just had a litter and everything went great. There are nine healthy pups. We had to do the slinging thing with one pup, and with the illustrations and directions it worked and the pup is healthy. We didn't loose one!!!



3. I bought this book to help me get through breeding my two Yorkies. It was comprehensive and easy for the non-vet to understand. If I had a question, it had the answer.



4. Excellent book. My dog just delivered 8 healthy puppies. I had read the book several weeks earlier and kept reffering to it as the whelping approached. It directed me all through the process and I learned many things that helped me avoid what would have been costly mistakes.



5. This is the best of the dog breeding books I bought when wanting to learn specifics about breeding my bitch. It gives time lines, what to expect when and also info on what to expect from the stud. I found this book to be very practical as it answered most of my breeding questions.

5 comments about Making Natural Hoof Care Work for You.

1. Great book. Great concept. A must for 'natural' horse care people. Would like to see more specific how-to in a chart or chapter.



2. Yhis is an excellent book. The observations made by the author appear sound, and the advice practical.



3. A mind opening book that makes sense of hoof care and lameness problems. The author dispells many ideas associated with lameness and tells why natural trimming should be your first choice to starting your horse toward recovery. I bought this book as a study guide prior to taking a class to learn to trim my own horses. I see no reason for my horses to ever wear horse shoes again.



4. This book was invaluable to me when my own horse suffered a bad case of founder. I was lucky to have Pete trim my horse's feet at one of his clinics 8 months after her acute illness. This book helped me through the tough times when I doubted my horse would recover. But this book, Pete's lecture, trim, and encouragement helped me stay on the road to barefoot and sound again!! If you want to give up the iron shoe and save your horse from a life of pain after founder, this book will inspire you!



5. Ramey's book is a real eye opener. What he advocates goes against much of what I have been taught about hoof care. However, it makes more sense than traditional farriery and the results are nothing short of amazing. Even if you don't plan to do your own trimming, you owe it to your horse to read this book.

5 comments about The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists.

1. This book inspired me to do a live reef tank instead of just a fish tank!



2. Wow, this is a wonderful book. I am going to set up a reef tank very soon, and this book will be very helpful when I have to make decisions for my new tank.



3. I have used this book for years. I found it easy enough to read and help me through my first few years of dealing with marine tanks. And unlike a lot of my books from the beginning this one did have enough "meat" in it to still be relevant as I progressed through the hobby. Overall the content is great and it covers the gambit of marine life. On a different note, the paper and print is of a really great quality as well. This book takes a lot of use and abuse at my house and it really is still in suprisingly good condition. I only mentions this because some of the "cheaper" aquarium books I have picked up throught the years are all falling to pieces. Hope this helped!



4. Written by one of the foremost experts in the hobby, this is an essential book for beginner and intermediate marine aquarists. It covers the fundamentals of setting up, stocking and successfully maintaining a saltwater aquarium and does so in a common sense, easy to understand fashion. It is an approachable and well-written primer on the topic and is the best way to get started.
   
   
   
   However, the book was written in 1999 and is now 8 years old. Remarkably, that means it is already out-dated given the rapidly evolving state of technology in this hobby. The author, Bob Fenner, frequently provides advice and suggestions to aquarists on an internet website and much of the information in his book is qualified or revised the advice he provides now. For example, he highly recommends that macroalgae calupera in this book but, while still recommending it some setups, cautions people today that this algae is not right for all setups due to a tendancy to take over tanks. Some of the modern trends in saltwater aquariums are also not covered in enough depth -- simply because they weren't a trend eight years ago.
   
   
   
   Accordingly, this is a GREAT book to read as you begin your research on setting up a saltwater aquarium. Not only is it a first read, but it is a valuable resource that you will continue to turn to before, during and after setting up your aquarium because it is filled with useful advice. However, it is also advice that should be complimented by additional research with more up-to-date materials.
   
   
   
   If Bob is reading this, I'd just like to say this: This book is incredible and I can't thank you enough for writing it. If you have the time, please consider writing a Second Edition -- the hobby would benefit from such an endeavor tremendously. Thanks!



5. I bought this for my mom. She enjoys all the color photographs and the helpful information about setting up a saltwater tank. She isn't ready to start one yet but this was the perfect book to help her when she does. She especially appreciated the photographs of the different types of fish which helped her identify those she would like.

5 comments about Better Food for Dogs: A Complete Cookbook and Nutrition Guide.

1. I liked the nutrition information in this book and the recipes have everything for a healthy dog. I found most of the recipes too complicated--I did not want to cook gourmet meals for my dogs. The recipes are for a specific weight. I have two dogs: 50 lbs and 100 lbs. It was hard to make one recipe for both. I took the ideas of the recipes and make my own. I tried taking the fresh veg/fruit in the blender and my dogs did not like it. I cook the fruit/veg together with meat and they look the food!



2. I bought this book some time ago and use it often. I found it easy to use and very complete. Good recipes for the finicky eater and most importantly healthy for them!! This is not in the book but something to consider as to why we should feed our pets home cooked foods. Before the end of WW2 and the start of commercial dog foods, dogs where fed from the table eating most what we humans eat. Back then dogs lived well into their 20's. Now if they live to 10, 12 years it's concidered old!! Something to think about as we feed our dogs commercial foods and vaccinated the heck out of them!



3. I found the recipies to be a bit difficult but the book is good and I decided to go raw instead and use an occasional recipe from this book as a special treat for my dogs. It is well balanced without a milloin supplements required (a few in each recipe). I found my dog won't eat rice at all even with something good mixed in my puppy will but the dog will eat whole wheat maccaroni noodles so that in itself helped me. There was a lot of information in this book that I liked and some I didn't but it is a great buy for someone considering cooking for thier dogs.



4. I would read this book as a companion with "The nature of animal healing." This book is very easy to read and gives you a basic understanding of diet & health and it does give you some great recipes with easy instructions. But I would not rely on it soley. Read it with "The nature of animal healing" and you will shock your vet with how much you have learned and you two can actually have a serious conversation about your pets health...you may even be able to teach your vet something! Mine in fact purchased both of these books shortly after I spoke to her about them! (thats kinda scary actually...)



5. This book is a wealth of knowedge. I had recently purchased 3 other books of a like nature, but this is my favorite by far. I especially like the fact that the author is not suggesting that BARF (a raw meat diet) is the only way to go. Instead, options are explained - learn how to feed raw, learn how to prepare home cooked meals or at the very least learn how to feed the best quiality manufactured dog/cat foods. In addition, I learned about the importance of adding vitamins, minerals, probotics, etc. A few of my co-workers who have borrowed the book have returned it to me the next day since they ordered their own copy right away. This book is a must have for any pet owner who wants to learn how to feed their other family member better.

5 comments about The Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss Is Heaven's Gain.

1. Wow...I"m so glad I purchased this book! I searched and searched (and read many reviews) to find the perfect one, and I'm so glad I purchased this one. I also purchased another one, but I immediatley started to read this one first. She has such a way with writing and totally eased my heavy, painful heart after loosing my 15 year old beagle. I struggled with would I ever see her again, because my mother told me years ago that since dogs do not have souls, that they would not be in heaven. This truly tortured me and I desperately wanted to know the truth. Look no further...this book put my concerns to rest. I now know that my sweet beagle has her eyesight in heaven and is doing one of her very favorite things right at this very moment...chasing those silly squirels and lovin' her life as she once knew it here on earth. I"ll see you again my sweet Mudsey...but until then...I miss you so much.



2. This book and it's author, Niki Berakis Shanahan, are truly the gain of all who have ever lost a beloved animal companion. I have read her other books ("There IS Eternal Life for Animals" and "Animal Prayer Guide") as well and they are all wonderfully uplifting and inspirational. "Rainbow Bridge: Pet Loss is Heaven's Gain" was especially so to me, particularly the section dealing with coping with grief and depression. Ms. Shanahan offers very helpful insights and ways of reconciling our moving forward with our lives while keeping our little ones in our hearts and memories. As she states, to recover from mourning does not mean we are forgetting or being disloyal to our animal companions. In a gentle and eloquent writing style, she encourages us to focus our thoughts on Heaven and the positive future God promises all of His creation--including animals.
   
   Ms. Shanahan's work is blessed and her books are a must-read for all pet owners and animal lovers. I very highly recommend them all!!!



3. Niki Behrikis Shanahan's gentle and beautiful book is soothing balm to those who have lost pets they love. I like the way she comforts grieving owners with the assurance their beloved pets are waiting for them on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge and that God is watching over them with tender loving care.
   
   In addition to the beautiful Biblical tone/theme of this book, Ms. Shanahan discusses domesticated animals throughout history and how pets are an important part of countless people's lives. Each such account warmed my heart and added cheer to my day.
   
   Each chapter includes information from the Bible and how it applies to pets and people who love them. This book tackles relevant topics such as depression and how to cope with the loss of a beloved pet. I like the way Ms. Shanahan paints an optimistic face on the future. It IS extremely comforting to think of the pets one has loved and lost awaiting a joyous reunion across the Rainbow Bridge.
   
   Her chapter about conducting a Memorial Service for pets is another way of providing a sense of closure and acceptance.
   
   I salute Ms. Shanahan and would like to join in with another reviewer in giving her a standing ovation. Pets ARE part of life's circle - they are waiting for their owners to join them in a loving reunion across the Rainbow Bridge. Her perceptiveness and loving awareness are to be commended. I say this with tears in my eyes, a heartfelt thank you to Niki Behrikis Shanahan. Thank you and bless you, Ms. Shanahan on behalf of everybody who has loved and lost pets and thanks to this wonderful book countless people can take comfort in the thought of seeing their beloved pets once again. Please read this and share it with somebody. You will be very glad that you did.



4. I Ordered This Boook when My 19 Year Old cat Passed away On 11/28/07. I am thoroughly depressed, and cant stop crying. This Book has Helped me somewhat I Must Say. It Helps to THINK of HIM IN HEaven, in a Better PLace, and Also Having read a Few Stories from people with NDE, that saw their Own Pets. It does My Heart Good, to Think he is there, waiting for me.That he is HAPPY, Not sad. I Miss Him so Much, But this Book did Help me quite a Bit. I will Take it one day at a Time, And I will keep reading and re-reading this Book. I feel it is a GREAT Book to help people like Myself , who Lost their Best Friend. God BLess You BANDIT, I LOVE YOU and MISS YOU BOY!



5. I read this book within a couple of weeks of losing my best friend, Lucky. It gave me great comfort that I'll see him again some day, and that he'll be healthy and happy again. Niki did an awesome job of bringing together the scriptures to prove, that our pets are in God's plan. God created the animals, so of course he will provide for them in heaven. There are so many wonderful things in this book, that reading it gives me so much comfort, peace and hope for the future with my Lucky. Thank you, Niki!!!!!

5 comments about Dog Language: An Encyclopedia of Canine Behavior.

1. The content of this book I found a little thin. Did not really get into the subtlties of dog communications



2. A highly technical, behaviorist slanted, wordy A-Z book of behaviors. A dull read which necessitates extraction for application in dog training. Not exactly what I thought it would be - but none the less a good reference book.



3. This was not at all what I thought it would be based on the description, etc. on Amazon and I was very disappointed.



4. Excellent book for all two-leggeds. The format is encylopedic, but what seems intuitively to be a fault is really a plus. The book has become close to number one on my shelf of books directed at learning dog. Short of growing a tail, this book will yield rewards in enriched relationships with the four-leggeds.



5. We are now fostering and I was curious what the dog was telling us. This is an excellent book on letting you figure out what the heck your saying.