No comments about Dictionary of Veterinary Terms: Vet-speak Deciphered for the Non-veterinarian.

5 comments about Nop's Trials: A Novel.

1. I read this book after reading two others by McCaig and was not disappointed; I think this is his best. I love the way his dog characters carry on conversations with each other. McCaig seems to be able to get inside the head of his canines. He brings his personal experience to bear on his fiction and masterfully keeps the reader turning the page with his wonderful ability to keep you in suspense.



2. I found "Nop's Trials" quite by accident. I had been running searches for books on dog behavior and training, and books on sheepdogs, border collies in particular, and "Nop's Trials" popped up. Thinking it was a book on training sheepdogs and trialing, I bought it. It seems like I always find my favorite books by accident. Donald McCaig's writing style is simplistic, but so lovely that it just sucks you into the story completely. I found myself crying, laughing, running the gamut of emotions. Even now, when I think back on it, I get choked up. I've always admired the border collie for its intensity, intelligence and energy and this book has given me an even deeper respect for the breed. It also opened my eyes to realities that we so often choose not to acknowledge. It's a great, great book.



3. Nop's Trials, by Donald McCaig, is a heart-warming story of Lewis Burkholder's prize border collie, who is stolen while wandering a bit to far with the puppy. He is then, of course abused by redneck Grady Gumm, who is later killed in the end of the story. Nop, the main character, is then transported all over the place by dog abusers, dog lovers, dog haters, and dog users. This is a story where you will be happy at some times, be sad, cry, and feel the pain of Lewis' determined journey to find his best friend, Nop. If you havn't read this story, I reccommend you read it now!!



4. If you have or are thinking of getting a border collie this book will give you insight (good and bad) into their head. They aren't like other dogs...but I saw my border collies in "Nop". Excellent way of explaining and describing factual things that sprinkle through this book. If you liked the Lad books of old; Lassie Come Home and others you'll like this book. Highly recommended for dog lovers.



5. Being the dog lover I am, and living with two amazing border collies, I had high HOPES for this book. However, after getting only to page 44, I felt sick and horrified! I couldn't believe I was actually reading this. This is by far the worst book I can remember, and I will not spend anymore time discussing it. My only hope is that I can save someone else from wasting time and dealing with such agony.

2 comments about Paw Prints in Heaven?: Christians and Pet Loss.

1. My Lhasa Apso was only 2 years old when she died. She was hit by car. Of course, I was overwhelmed with grief. Shortly after her untimely death, my fiance gave me this book as a present. I'm so thankful he did. As a Christian, it gave me a lot of insight into The Bible about the afterlife of our beloved pets. It is an easy read, and the author reviews the main points after each chapter. God Bless Dr. McClinton!



2. Of the several books I've read on the topic of animals' eternity in heaven, this one is a must-read. It has sound scriptural references, is easy to read, and covers all aspects of losing one's beloved pet. I highly recommend this one!

5 comments about So Your Dog's Not Lassie: Tips for Training Difficult Dogs and Independent Breeds.

1. This book follows a similar training regimen and philosophy as the course my dog & I were just enrolled in locally. I purchased the book as a reminder and reinforcement to the training techniques "we" had learned in the class.



2. This is a very good book for dogs who are stubborn and really don't have too much drive.



3. This book has some good insights into independent breeds that will be helpful to new dog owners or those thinking of getting a dog. However, I do wish that the author provided more detailed steps related to actually training dogs, rather than anecdotal tips.



4. I enjoyed reading this book about how to train the independent, lovable dogs that many owners own, and then come to my obedience class bewildered and frustrated on how to train to do even basic obedience commands. This book emphasized how to positively train dogs of any breed or temperment.
   This was an easy read and not so much about theory about dog behavior, just great tips on how to get your dogs to be the great dog that you want them to be for everyday life and competition.



5. This is a great book. I have several dogs, and the techniques for training work on them all. However, it is great for my independent pup, a Dogue de Bordeaux.
   
   She was always interested in something else, shutting down when she had enough. Which she will still do, but now I have a way to impart information in a manner she learns while still keeping training sessions short enough to keep her interest!

5 comments about What Dogs Teach Us: Life's Lessons Learned from Our Best Friends.

1. This is one of the best books I have ever picked up...I have given it as gifts to many of my friends.



2. I found this book at a very low point in my life. I picked this book up at my vet's office and read it while a procedure was being done on my very ill puppy. It lifted my spirits, and gave me some much needed hope. Both my puppy and I are doing much better!



3. This book is an excellent introduction to the world of dogs and how they impact on our lives. As a pet therapy partner with my dog, Coco, I recommend this book to everyone who is involved with their pets and what to have some real insight into their animals' behavior and needs.



4. A delightful pictorial of how dogs of all ages and breeds can teach us the basic and simple lessons in life. Each picture is accompanied by a telling phrase that gets the message across. The table of contents includes such subjects as Health, Self Esteem, and Day-to-Day living. In the end the author sums it up with a smiling golden lab with a lolling yet perfect pink tongue, below him is the inscription, "Life is, on the whole, pretty doggone good". That just about says it all.

   I found myself enjoying the pictures as well as the wisdom imparted. It is a book I am able to pick up again and again. My favorites being the chocolate lab puppies. This is a cute book for the dog lover in your family. Kelsana 12/05/01




5. Excellent photography combines with pithy phrases to create a collection of wisdoms shared by anyone who has lost his or her heart to a dog. Just over 100 pages are devoted to sections "On Health," "On Self-Esteem," "On Interacting With Others," "On Self-Improvement," and "On Day-to-Day Living." And what words of wisdom these are! Those who DON'T own dogs would do well to pull this book out now and then to gain some perspective on the things that really are important in life, scaled down to essential simplicity. A ridiculous little dog with fangs bared is captioned, "If you are mean, people will try to avoid you." Break out this book when the mean, fang-baring people of the world get you down.

2 comments about Storey's Barn Guide to Horse Handling and Grooming (Storys Barn Guide).

1. The lay-flat binding and emphasis on visual step-by-step photos makes for an excellent guide to horse handling and grooming in Storey's Barn Guide to Horse Handling and Grooming: Essential Techniques in a Hands-Free Format. From approaching and catching a horse to grooming, braiding, tack and more, tips are presented in clear large-sized photos and illustrations perfect for any newcomer to horse care and management - and perfect for libraries catering to the new or young horse owner, in particular.



2. As someone who's been involved with horses throughout my life I've always sought a really thorough, easy-to-understand guide for newcomers to the world of horses and riding. This is the publication I've been looking for: It contains well-written and clearly illustrated step-by-step procedures for all the basic tasks in horse handling and grooming, plus a special emphasis on safety throughout. The friendly, "visual" format with photographs and detailed drawings is great for this kind of instructional text.
   
   Although aimed at new riders, the book will also be of interest to seasoned riders too as it not only provides knowledge and skills but also an informative guide to how horses think and how to more effectively communicate with them. The author de-mystifies horse behavior in the "Reading a Horse" chapter and shows how to understand the cues that show a horse's moods and important "warning signs". These are the kinds of things that experienced riders have spent a long time learning to see but the book provides a huge "leg-up" to people who haven't spent a lot of time around horses yet.
   
   The book closes with a really fun chapter on "Horse Play" with step-by-step instruction on how teach your horse some cute tricks.
   
   So I highly recommend this book for new riders, young and old. I've already given away a couple of copies and gotten rave reviews.

3 comments about A New Owner's Guide to Great Pyrenees.

1. I recently adopted a Great Pyrenees puppy and have never owned one before. This book was very helpful in understanding the breed better. The book has great pictures and information that I found very relative to the questions I had about this breed. There were a lot of tidbits I had no clue about that were brought to light such as these dogs will dig a "bed" to lay in to guard their territory. Totally explains why we keep finding holes in our front yard. Would recommend to anyone thinking about adopting their first Great Pyrenees.



2. This book could possibly be helpful to people wanting a show dog, but if you intend to use your Great Pyrenees for what it was bred for, guarding livestock, it is no help at all. I bought the book hoping for some advice in correcting my two Pyrs' bad habits like digging and chewing. The book basically said that my dogs chew because I hurt their feelings by leaving them outside and not letting them in the house. Puhleese.



3. I bought this book searching for information on the Great Pyrenees Dog. I was in the process of buying a puppy and wanted to know everything I could about the breed. This book answers all your questions and some you wouldn't think of asking! Kim Lansley has put together one of the best Pyrenees books on the market. Very well put together and informative. The pictures are beautiful and the layout wonderful! I would highly suggest this book to anyone interested in buying a Great Pyrenees Dog.

1 comments about The Lhasa Apso: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet.

1. When I bought my Lhasa Apso, this book kept me from freaking out! It does an excellent job of explaining the breed and all the challenges (and joys!) of owning one of these wonderful dogs. I use this book as my Lhasa "Bible" and it has helped me raise a healthy and very happy little puppy!

4 comments about Horse Schools: The International Guide to Universities, Colleges, Preparatory and Secondary Schools, and Specialty Equine Programs.

1. "Horse Schools" is amazing. It details horsemanship educational schools internationally by the discipline, costs, degrees offered, location, etc... It is easy to follow and has saved me much time because this book has done the initial searching for me.



2. This book is GREAT as far as helping narrow down what schools offer the degree or program that your college-bound student is looking for. It's a fabulous resource for parents as it lists tuition costs, etc., all in one place - no more searching websites, calling schools only to find out you can't afford it. I would recommend finding a book that helps you and your child narrow down their field of interest first, though, since it really doesn't go into detail what the different degrees mean to "lay persons."



3. Compiled and organized by horse expert Angelia Almos, Horse Schools is a detailed and comprehensive guide to international universities, colleges, secondary schools, and specialty equine programs -- all categorized geographically by nation. From Argentina, Hong Kong, and New Zealand, to Spain, and the many schools to be found in the Canada, the United Kingdom, and the U.S., Horse Schools surveys an immense number of learning facilities and summarizes the basic programs offered by each school, along with a brief but informative program description, degrees offered, contact information, tuition costs, and more. Horse Schools is confidently recommended as being a first rate reference for choosing an ideal location to learn equine handling for personal fun, professional necessity, or horse show competition.



4. This is absolutely the finest resource for locating Horse Schools I have ever seen! The format is easy to read and the extensive cross references make it a breeze to locate a school by subject, course, location or degree level. I had no idea there were so many schools available until now.

   A must have for anybody who is serious about a career in the field Horses.

5 comments about My Rescued Golden: True Stories of Rescued Golden Retrievers and the People Who Love Them.

1. I loved this little book so much. Of course having a golden retriever is what made me purchase the book and it shows what a great love and bond that can form between a Golden Retriever and it's human family. My retriever "Einstein" is a blessing in a beautiful gold fur coat that I just love with all my heart. His precious nose is always at my finger tips when I'm walking around at home and his big beautiful brown eyes are filled with so much love it makes my heart swell. A golden gives so much unconditional love and all they want in return is as much love as the give. This books tells that story over and over again. I never get tired of hearing it.



2. I felt so honored when asked to provide my Golden story for this book, and when it arrived I let it sit for a few days. I was worried that some of the stories would be sad and open old wounds for me. One day I sat down and read it cover to cover and am a better person for doing so. Author Margo gently nudged each and every one of her authors to speak from their hearts in their own voices and each tale is utterly unique and beautiful. This book pays a fitting homage to the most loving and companionable breed of all time, the Golden Retriever. It is a wonderful testimony to what adopting a rescued Golden can do to enrich the lives of the adopter and adoptee.



3. Kudos to Margo McHann for putting together such a wonderful book, that will tug at the hearts of all Golden Retriever lovers everywhere! This is a must for anyone who loves or has been loved by one of these wonderful dogs. My own little girl is featured in this book and it will forever be a very special book to me! Thanks Margo, for opening the eyes of the world to "Rescue" and what it is all about!



4. My Golden Frosty's story in in Margo's book. I read it first when I bought it, I was so proud. Then I started reading each of the other wonderful stories and was feeling every emotion, from tears to happiness and whatever lies in between. Each and every story brought such emotion to me. There are so many out there who love Goldens so much they devote their lives to them. I am very proud to be included in this wonderful book and to have been owned by such a wonderful dog.



5. In her book, Margo McHann proves that whatever you put into a dog, you get back with interest! The forward to this book couldn't encapsulate it any better: rescued dogs are not second-hand throw aways! Hopefully this book will convince many people why they should adopt from breed rescue groups.