1 comments about Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1. While researching my dog I went bonkers buying books. This one by far is the best one i purchased /looked at!

No comments about Spirited Women.

No comments about Poodles For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets)).

4 comments about A Dolphin in Front of You.

1. This book helped me a lot, but the information it provided was kind of already know. Otherwise this is a pretty good short and sweet read.



2. Pete Davey has once again writen a great little book. However, don't let the tiny size fool you, it's loaded with tons of information that will help aspiring marine mammal trainers break into the field. From his own beginnings to sound advise on writing a great resume and interviewing tips, Davey's book is for anyone looking to have a dolphin in front of them!



3. I purchased this book after having difficulties transferring the advice from various "mainstream" resume books to my search for a job in the animal care field. I had heard that there was a section specifically on resumes, and thought it might be helpful.
   
   When the book arrived, I was a bit surprised. The book itself is very small in size, about the size of a 4"x6" photograph. I was able to read it all in about a half hour. Overall,I feel it would be a really useful book for high school age kids who are unsure about where to start on their path to a career in dolphin training, but not for someone with experience in the field. The resume section was very vague, as was the interview section.
   
   Overall, the book was OK, but not the resource I expected it to be. Unfortunately, there are very few books on the market dealing with the unique challenges faced in this career field.



4. this book is great for people who want to persue the carrer of bcoming a marine mammal trainer. i myslef have always dreamed of becomeing a trainer and this book gave me great pointers of how to become one. I thoughrougly enjoyed reading this book.

3 comments about Canine Terminology (Dogwise Classics) (Dogwise Classics) (Dogwise Classics).

1. Canine Terminology by Harold Spira is a timeless classic that every dog enthusiast should own. If you are the slightest bit interested in breeding dogs, showing dogs or just knowing about dogs this book explains clearly,concisely and with excellant drawings what all the terms that you will find in dog breed standards and show reports actually mean. It is written for all levels of knowledge in a non-patronising way that imparts knowledge and instills confidence in the reader and also shows a love and respect of the subject. This book is widely recommended by many courses on dogs, quite deservedly so.



2. What a book! For anyone in the dog industry, I found this book of canine terminology fascinating. I love it! To me it's the "Dog Dictionary". As I'm fairly new to the industry this book will certainly bring me up to speed.



3. If you can have only one book on canine terminology and structure, this is it. Thorough, interesting and well illustrated. It will help anyone understand breed standards and breeders' "dog talk".

No comments about Speaking for Spot: Be the Advocate Your Dog Needs to Live a Happy, Healthy, Longer Life.

5 comments about Yorkie Doodle Dandy: Or, the Other Woman Was a Real Dog.

1. Being a Yorkie lover, I really did enjoy the story. Smoky was quite a dog - they are an exceptional breed. I think any pet lover/history buff would enjoy the book.



2. I love this book about Smoky, and I almost didn't buy it, because a reviewer said it was poorly written. But I find it quite well done, and I have read some self published books that were not. This is really a lovely little book. I think anyone would enjoy it. Certainly, dog lovers will be most interested, but those who don't care about dogs might find themselves a dog lover by the time they finish this book. The photos are great, too. I have a little Yorkie, so I especially love this story. I'm going to buy the book for some older relatives who fought in WWII. I think they'll be charmed.



3. I first learned about Smoky through a Wikipedia link where she immediately captured my interest. Buying the book was the next logical step in learning more about this amazing and wonderful dog, but sadly none of my local vendors had it and was in fact greeted with several different smirks when given the name of the book to search for. Thankfully Amazon had it in stock, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone. The story of Mr. Wynne and Smoky seems almost unreal during the War and the story of their life home and on the road will keep you captivated to the teary end.



4. When Bill writes of his experiences with Smoky it feels as though you are right there along side both of them,experiencing what they are going through.Well written and he even gives you training tips to train your dog with.Yorkie doodle dandy is a must have for any family library.Way to go Bill and thanks for bringing Smoky back for us all to enjoy!!!



5. Yorkie Doodle Dandy is not just another story of a man and his dog. It is a real life story of a miracle and I guess what is meant to be will be. Mr. Wynne finds his little Yorkie literally in the middle of nowhere on an island during a war. I don't want to give the story away but it shows the bonding that can take place between owner and pet and what sacrifices will be made for each other. Be prepared to laugh and cry. If you have Yorkies, like I do, run and get this book. If you don't have Yorkies, read this book and you will want a Yorkie. My deepest respect to Mr. Wynne who is one of those rare people who truly understands dogs.

5 comments about The Cairn Terrier.

1. Unless you are going to breed or show, don't buy this book. Three of the chapters aren't even written by the author. Breeding history and standards make up most of the book. The functional sections give very little useful information.



2. This book is a must for all cairn enthusiasts, breeder and pet owner alike. Very comprehensive, covering all aspects of care and breeding. The quality of the hundreds of glossy, colored pictures is amazing. If you only have money to buy one cairn book, this is the one!



3. this book is one of the best books on the market in years. It is extremely well illustrated with gorgeous photos. It's easy to read and understand and yet is as comprehensive as the Cairn Terrier is complex. It belongs on the holiday list of every current or prospective Cairn owner.



4. All the reviews you post on this book are five stars. Why doesn't it come up when I search for Cairn Terriers? I had to search for Cairns and the author to get it to come up on your search. This is by far one of the best books I've seen on the Cairn Terrier in years. People won't be able to judge for themselves if they aren't offered the opportunity to buy it. It's extremely well illustrated and informative, has many excellent photos and, as a breeder of Cairn Terriers, I feel it should be on every Cairn owner's holiday list.



5. Not only does this make a great coffee table book with beautiful, high quality photos, but it is chock full of good information about this lovely breed. The section on grooming is especially informative.

5 comments about Cat: Seventeenth Anniversary Edition.

1. I love this book! I may buy more for friends. It arrived on time in excellent condition.



2. Alas, Bernard "Hap" Kliban is gone, but his genius lives on in "Cat", a book of cartoons that captures the personality of the cat as seen by cat lovers. Strangely enough, Kliban was a cartoonist for "Playboy", contributing cartoons for that publication until his death. The cat cartoons were discovered by a "Playboy" editor and the 1975 book "Cat" was born.
   
   Kliban's cats are rotund bug-eyed creatures with a smile on their faces that says the joke is on you. The cartoons include the cats doing nonsensical things as well as performing deeds that you always suspected they might be guilty of as they interact with dogs, mice, people, and in some cases impersonate people. Included among the cartoons is a cat playing a banjo singing a tune of his own making with the lyrics "Love to eat them mousies. Mousie's what I love to eat...". For those that can remember the days when a television was a heat emanating device that invariably attracted napping cats there is a cartoon of a couple sitting in front of a television with a transparent cat standing in front of the screen. Their comments: "We enjoy the television set now that we got ourselves a transparent cat!". Interspersed among the "Kliban cats" are truly beautiful and elegant drawings of Kliban's own real-life cats, to whom he dedicated this book.
   
   If you enjoyed Gary Larson's "Far Side" series and you are a cat lover I'm sure you'll enjoy this book. I highly recommend it.



3. ENGAGEMENT CALENDAR
   "Get ready for a year of Cat gluttony and sloth, mayhem and misadventure, and--as always--a fine disregard for the law. (Laws governing physics and animal behavior come in for especially vigorous abuse from these feckless felines, as well as the law Thou Shalt Not Swipe Thy Neighbor's Sushi and that other law, Don't Juggle With Kittens.) ¶ Now in their third decade of worldwide popularity, the Cats show not the slightest sign of starting to behave like adults. Or like small-c cats, either. They will do whatever it takes to send you through 2006 with a smile on your face. Even if it means hugging a big, smug fish. Even if it means taking a bath. Even if it means missing a meal. Well, perhaps not that last one. ¶ 112 page, spiral-bound weekly engagement calendar with 53 reproductions, and clear plastic covers. Size: 6 5/8 by 8". Calendar features 53 weekly grids and full-page 2006 and 2007 yearly grids. Includes international holidays and a page for notes. ISBN 0-7649-3049-4 . . . Other calendars: wall, mini-wall, and 365-day. Additional publications available in our Kliban Gallery."--© Pomegranate
   
   WALL CALENDAR
   "The debauch continues. Cats have a go at Abstract Expressionism (and simultaneous inadvertent body art), feed a wild variety of birds from a park bench with nary a thought to their own nominally predatory nature, doze in the soporific vapors of a plate of pasta, and pop furtively and in sizeable numbers from the tall grass at the rustle of a sandwich being unwrapped. Other hi- and low-jinx take place as well. ¶ 13 x 12" wall calendar (opens to 13 x 24") with twelve full-color reproductions. ISBN: 0-7649-3053-2 . . . Other calendars: weekly engagement, mini-wall, and 365-day.Related items available in Kliban Cat Gallery."--© Pomegranate



4. This book is my absolute favorite, I have recently decided. My B. Kliban legacy goes back, way back, to my grandmother (we call her "Darling") who fell in love with the Qats back in the seventies (now keep in mind this is not some frumpy old lady. At the time she was the coolest little activist hippie this side of South Street.) Then there's my mother, who, out in San Fransisco around the same time used to roll with laughter at the Cat cartoons with her zany friend.
   Enter me. As a kid, I never really understood Kliban--I also didn't have a cat yet. Then I did--first came Serena, then Zubi, and finally Torquil Hevoir James (AKA Booboo Kitty.) And so I loved B. Kliban. And this book is the most hilarious thing I've ever seen. Now that I'm going off to college, I think I'll frame some pages for my dorm room. And place them randomly around the campus. Most people I know who don't have cats really don't get it, but that's okay. I mean, the drawings are beautiful and whacky enough to get anyone. And the concepts--what was this guy on? Catnip, I believe. Whatever the inspiration, Cat is definitely the besties and the greaties.
   P.S. I don't actually have this particular edition of the book; I didn't even know it was still in print. I have Darling's hardcover copy from 1976, and I love the cover: "Cat" in huge red letters with two of Kliban's pen-and-ink cats looking at it from below. Beautiful, beautiful.



5. I bought this book by accident. Well, not really, but I allowed another reviewer to seduce me into buying the new Kliban Cat Calendar and I saw this book listed as well on the calendar's detail page. I saw the words 'anniversary edition' and decided to order it. It was only after I received it that I discovered that seventeenth anniversary of "Cat" was in 1992, two years after Kliban's death. So 2002 is really the 27th anniversary. All that being said, I want to state that this little book would be fantastic no matter what it's age is, or what the age of it's reader is either. I love this book.

   There, I've said it, this crusty old man goes all soft hearted when he leafs through a 25 year old book of cat cartoons. As well he should! Kliban captures something entirely different from other feline cartoonists. They aren't kitten cute, nor are they wicked Garfields, as Art Spiegelman points out in his introduction. Instead they are the light hearted chubby denizens of a world of whimsical, good natured self-interest. They relax at the beach, dream of the stars, and steal cheese sandwiched with equal aplomb. They exchange traditional concepts of cat beauty for an enticing comfyness which only a cat lover could understand.

   Love is an important and operative word in this little volume. Not one of Kliban's cartoons is made at the expense of cats. Instead, each opens a door to the essential nature of our furry friends, and the non-judgmental affection that they display to those in their circle of trust. A snarl turns into a lick, a meow into a purr and then all is well. Kliban is the only artist I know who has managed to really capture the feline Mona Lisa smile. You know, the one that cats use to melt their owners. Cats forgive with a grace from which us humans could learn a great deal. And Kliban captures it all. Many of the cartoons are not really cartoons, but innocent studies of the artists own cats, drawn with genuine affection.

   Art Spiegelmann, artist and author of MAUS, provides a short and delightful introduction to the anniversary edition, and there are 16 pages of Kliban's color work for our further delectation. Everyone who likes cats needs to have this book around. Placed somewhere so that it will fall to hand in those irritating moments when we need to look at cats in order to remember what it is to be human.

3 comments about Be the Dog: Secrets of the Natural Dog Owner.

1. I am a dog lover so I do a lot of reading on everything related to dogs, just for my own enjoyment and to learn different viewpoints. And I have learned that they are merely "viewpoints" and that's all.
   
   This book had some interesting nuggets of information but unfortunately they were delivered with a lot of derisiveness and a frustrating judgemental attitude.
   
   Right away, dog owners are separated into good owners ("natural dog owners" that follow all his advice) and bad dog owners (which he labels "coddlers"). The author feels that dogs of coddlers supposedly are not living the lifestyle they really desire and deep down are very unhappy, which is manifested with rude manners and destructive behavior.
   
   First of all, I hate labels. People can't all be judged as one way or another. I really disagree with this. According to his analysis, I fall more into the category of a coddler. Why? Because I show my dog LOTS of affection, let her sleep on my lap or on my bed, comfort her during thunderstorms when she gets scared, buy her special toys, take her everywhere I go including vacations, put a sweater on her when it gets cold, etc. etc. He makes it seem that all of that is bad. And what does my dog do back for me? She helped ease my empty nest syndrome when my only child went off to college 5 hours away, she keeps me active, she gives me focus, she lavishes me with unconditional love, she makes me laugh, she keeps me happy. I cannot disagree more that she is deep down unhappy. She radiates happiness and joy. We went through obedience classes and also do agility classes together and I know she recognizes me as the leader.
   
   I do not believe in choke collars and other methods that cause pain, discomfort, and fear. For us, a good obedience class, lots of socialization as a young pup, lots of togetherness, and kind gentle methods of training have developed into an excellent human/canine relationship and mutual respect.
   
   Anothing thing that bothered me was that he recommends the crate as a punishment. If the dog does something wrong we're supposed to put them into their crate and ignore them for 15 minutes. Doesn't it seem that this technique would only make them dislike their crate? I feel that the crate is a secure cozy "den" for a dog - not something to be used as a punishment!!! And what happens when you have to have your dog in a crate during grooming, boarding, sickness, etc.? The dog will think he/she is being punished!
   
   One paragraph in the book is particularly disturbing - when he advises owners of geriatric dogs with incontinence issues that they should be moved to an outside pen with concrete floor. Although he says this may be hard on dogs in areas with cold winters. YA THINK??????
   Advice like this makes me bristle. What kind of heartless "expert" recommends putting an old dog outside to live in a concrete pen? Old dogs need lots of special care after giving us a lifetime of love, NOT be paid back by making them live out their days alone outside in a cold, hard, concrete pen.
   In fact, in several areas of the book he gives advice for owners of "penned" or "outside" dogs. Not a word is said about discouraging this sort of uncaring way to keep a dog. And it has been my observation that folks who keep their dogs penned outside are not usually buying books to improve their dogs' lives.



2. I basically like this book...basically. It's definitely a four star volume, but I have a problem with words like "never." For example, Duno says that to be the pack leader, never let your dogs sleep on your bed because height is associated with a dog's position in the pack. That's true...but...if everything you do places you at he head of the pack, then sleeping at the same height as your dog is perfectly ok. Same is true of feeding table scraps (which is a whole separate discussion involving nutrition). My dogs sleep on my bed and they have no doubts as to who is lead dog. On the other hand if your dog sleeps on your bed even if you don't want it to, then you have a problem. What all of this comes down to is whether or not you are in charge or your dog. My suggestion is to read the book with the intent of understanding why he is telling you what to do rather than following his rules without thinking about them. Sadly, the dogs that really need to be "put in their place" won't be because Muffy or Buffy or Cutsy won't be corrected for bad behavior, because "I love my dog and I could never do that." So the dogs growl at visitors, are out of control and are spoiled little brats.
   One of the best sections of the book is on people who gently caress their dogs or coo at them with quiet admonitions while the dog is growling at a visitor, another dog, a cat or whatever. Duno correctly points out that you are praising bad behavior. I see this all the time at the vet's waiting room. When he begins his discussion on obedience is where we differ,and, at the risk of being dismissed as a Neanderthal, I still feel that for obedience training the best book ever written is The Koehler Method of Dog Training. It may be out of print, but it should be readily available used.
   Some minor faults. With all the "call it what it is" that Duno writes about, he wooses out on choke chains. He calls them slip collars and tries to defend them as not hurting the dog, not cutting off their air supply and so on. They are choke chains and sometimes their use will hurt and they are the dog's hearing aid so that you can effectively communicate with the dog. I love dogs, I rescue dogs and I train dogs. Big dogs, abused dogs, dogs with big teeth. Often the choice is some "firm" clear direction or euthanasia. Then there is the mention of head collars. I don't like them and they are dangerous. Just google them and read the negative articles. Obviously, a dog that doesn't pull or doesn't pull hard will be ok with any form of collar, but a dog that makes strong, abrupt moves can hurt their necks. These dog "bridles" obviously are derived from horse bridles. Look at a horse's neck and then look at a dog's neck...Finally, the book doesn't stress that all techniques are not appropriate for all dogs. He does, to be fair, mention that tug-of-war toys should not be used for aggressive dogs, but are ok for submissive or fearful dogs. But more should be said about the other techniques - when to use them when not to. I would not train my daughter's toy poodle the way I would work with a 110-pound abused German Shepherd or a 30 pound Siberian Husky puppy. Of course, most books don't differentiate either so Duno's is no worse on this account. But all in all this gets four stars because it's clear Duno knows what he is talking about, he gets high marks for telling you why he is telling you to do what to do and he tells you what your probably doing wrong and he writes very well. Should be part of a dog lover's library.



3. Steve Duno has always been my hero when it comes to dogs and dog training. His book with Nancy Baer, Choosing A Dog, is my bible on breeds, their postitives and their negatives. His second book, again with Nancy Baer, Leader of the Pack, is my bible for living with my six dogs. Now Be The Dog goes further and gives me even more important knowledge of how a dog thinks, reacts, and shares a home with humans. A must for any dog owner or someone contemplating getting their first dog.