5 comments about Backpacking With Your Dog.

1. I didn't find this book as helpful as I hoped to. I found the information very general. I did value the suggestions regarding putting together a first aid kit for dogs as well as the information on dog foot pad care.



2. Now in a new and significantly revised edition, A Guide To Backpacking With Your Dog by dog-owner and backpacking expert Charlene LaBell is a no-nonsense guide to the ins and outs of enjoying vigorous outdoors hiking with one's canine pets. Individual chapters address necessary training and conditioning, mountain biking, geocaching, selecting a pack that properly fits one's dog, bringing along the right amount of food for oneself and one's dog, legal and permit issues, and much more. Black-and-white photographs and easy-to-follow rule lists nicely flesh out A Guide To Backpacking With Your Dog, which is practical, "user friendly", and enthusiastically recommended for pet loving hikers with their canine companions.



3. Charlene LaBelle admirably covers such practical matters as selecting and fitting dogpacks and planning hikes, and has a special gift for instilling confidence and generating enthusiasm.



4. If you want a great book on getting started with backpacking with dogs, look no further. Charlene has written the definitive guide to packing with dogs. Don't listen to the naysayers! This is it when it comes to choosing a pack, planning a hike, and camping with dogs. I highly recommend this book -- it's the first and the best out there.



5. This book has the basics just fine. But nothing on the more experienced side. If your trails require fording you find no help here. Tent training, protecting tent floor & inflatable sleeping mattress from dog's nails etc stuff are missing.

   The best part of the book was dog's health checkup, signs of dehydration, paw hardening recipe etc.

   Conclusion: If your hike lasts a day, the book is fine. If it lasts a week in the wilderness, your dogs will be in trouble unless you find some more information.

5 comments about Cats Into Everything.

1. This is the second book by the authors of The Cats' House. We bought this copy for friends in B.C., and they tell us they love the ideas in the book. They also plan to "open up" the walls of their new home with cat-ways, make cat-tunnels between rooms, and paint everything in bright Mexi-colors. We can't wait to see how it turns out!
   
   If you and your friends love color and cats too, this is the perfect gift!



2. Amazing what cats can "Think" of to get into. Such delightful creatures to watch,enjoy,love!!!



3. This is another book by the authors of the Cat House. This is their story of how they live with the felines who run their home. It's both funny, touching, silly and amazing to what lengths they go to keep their furry brood happy. I can only say that they've exceeded my efforts, but only just. Best wishes to them and to the felines blessed to share their 9 lives with them.



4. Every kitten should come equiped with this book. If you don't like it, you ought to consult a physician. A no-BS, colorful, I-wanna-kittie book, we loved every page. But then...ours is a multi cat home with house cats, barn cats, in-the-studio cats and even yard cats. So maybe I'm a bit too subjective, waddya think?

   It's not brain surgery, it is just plain cute. Right now I am ordering six more copies to send to friends and family. No kidding.




5. This book did not match my expectations. It is fun to flip through and look at some of the images, but most of the photos are not very well done, too cluttered with everything, but the cats. The layout of the book is too cluttered, confusing too. That said, there are a few very nice shots and overall it's a fun book, but i still put it down with a bad taste in my mouth. If you're looking for cool pictures of animals in nice pet-friendly surroundings, but "Animal House Style" by Julia Szabo. It's a so much better book!

5 comments about Bark If You Love Me (Harvest Book).

1. This is not your typical human finds dog, dog redeems human story. It is a "warts and all" look at a NYC female who thought she did not particularly care one way or another about dogs, but obviously had some semblance of compassion deep within her that Libro brought out. For the most part, it is quite humorous to read and keeps the reader wanting to find out how things turn out (for the outcome is sometimes questionable). As you read, you realize you are seeing an evolution of a pair of souls here and you do feel there may be hope for this author and Libro, even though the kicking incident made me cringe terribly and almost made me put the book down permanently. However, do keep reading, for it does get better. The throwing up incident was a great punctuation mark to the author's stage of life at that point. In summary, this book is not an altogether easy read for the truly soft-hearted animal lovers out there (of which I am unashamedly one of them). However, it is a good story and one which in the end is satisfying. I am now about to start reading Ms. Bernikow's follow-up book "Dreaming in Libro" to see where these two souls have since traveled.



2. I finished this book. It was a struggle; although the author describes the dog quite eloquently and I grew to care about him, I could not bring myself to care about the author. She rescued this abused animal and for that she should be credited. But sadly, the dog did not redeem her. She brings home a limping, hungry, neglected, and abused dog and yet does not take him to a vet? FOR A YEAR?! She mentions that she is concerned about her bank balance; I can relate. However, she then goes on to describe lunch and dinner dates throughout Manhattan. Her social life does not suffer, but the dog . . . ? How about checking to see if the dog had a microchip? To see if some family was missing him terribly, if they'd somehow got separated? We'll never know because Louise never bothered to check.
   
   And then we get to the part where she kicks the dog because he ate pages out of her address book. Kicks, "hard". Any feeling I had for her self-centered, neglectful personality went right out the window. When she finds out her boyfriend is a lying cheat she shuts the dog up in the other room "because I was afraid I would hit him." Again, the dog who only wants to love you and be loved in return bears the brunt of your problems? Why? I think I hate this woman.
   
   Libro deserved far better.



3. I really enjoyed this story. Woman rescues dog. Dog rescues woman. This dog sounded like the perfect gentleman. He had the "it" factor with dogs and humans alike. There was a part in the book that made me sad, when the little guy was extremely punished for a minor infraction. And there will always be the mystery of where he orginally came from.



4. Being owned by a Boxer I really wanted to read "Bark If You Love Me". This is a wonderful book about a rescue that turned into a great friendship. The book is funny and heart-warming. It is a must for anyone who loves dogs and shouldn't be passed by if you are not a dog lover. Just a really good story.



5. I love dog books. I bought this one on the basis of a quick glance at a few of the sentences. The writing looked clean, unsentimental. I don't require much in a good dog story.
   
   My mate, my dog, and I went away to a cabin for a few days and I looked forward to indulging in this book. There, blithely reading along, doing my best to ignore the author's self-centered narrative, waiting for the part where the dog redeems her and she finds herself and becomes less Manhattan-shallow, suddenly she makes a confession that makes me ill. She comes home one day to find the dog in the bathroom, where she sends him when he is bad. Apparently, he knows he's done something wrong. She goes into her office where she finds her datebook chewed to shreds. Furious, she storms back to the bathroom and kicks the dog, "hard."
   
   Ugh. Even thinking of it now it's like I've been kicked in the stomach. How can you kick a *dog*? How, especially, can you kick a dog that you've already seen cower from past abuse?
   
   It's great that she confessed, and I hope she never did it again. But I didn't stick around to find out.
   
   I tried. I tried to pick up the book I thought I was going to be reading and keep on. But it made me sick, and finally, I realized I couldn't keep reading a book written by a woman who abused an abused dog. I don't care if it was just once. If you kick a dog who already knows it's done something wrong, a dog that has already cowered from past abuse, there's something wrong with you and you should not be owning dogs, much less writing about them.
   
   If you want to read a good dog book, there are plenty of others. Pick one of those instead.

5 comments about New Complete Dog Training Manual.

1. This is my second purchase of this book. The first copy disapeard. When we obtained our second dog I had to have this book. It is filled with great ideas and very simple easy to understand training tips. My youngest son trained our first dog to laydown using this book and he was 8 at the time. AWESOME book!



2. A simple book, easy to follow.
   Its a little heavy on the treats system for me to say I Love it. It does however, tell you to eventually wean out the treats and replace with praise.
   
   It certainly helped my daughter get a start on working with our puppy, and it does have plenty of other good tips on restraint, and control.
   I really want to give it 4 stars... but the treat thing... just keeps it at 3.5



3. This is a nice coffee table picture book. However, when a specific behavior issue comes up about my dog's behavior the text is lacking. Wish the author would give more specifics on the select topics covered in this book. Not an on the spot survival kit!



4. I recently acquired an Alaskan Klee Kai (mini husky) & he thinks he's the leader of my pack - I bought this book hoping that as a new puppy owner it would help me better understand how to train him, but it was so basic that everything it explained I knew already.



5. This book has some good ideas and good techniques but it is VERY basic and short. Seems more like a picture oriented training manual for kids. Not really what I was looking for but ok if you just want some good advice and pictures.

4 comments about Dachshunds: Lightweights Littermates.

1. I purchased French Bulldogs: Lightweights Littermates and Dachshunds: Lightweights Littermates together, as gifts... I flipped through them prior to sending them off to their final recipient and was pleased to find that the photography and composition was appealing to my tastes. Sharon Montrose's composition skill is what sets these photos out from the rest. I like the bold imagery. And having tried to take pictures of my own pets, I know it's a VERY tough experience to have them pose... they're curious little creatures. My 1-star off of the review is pretty much for repetitiveness; the concept is fresh to begin with, but it gets boring, real fast.



2. I have always loved dachshunds and owned a couple. It is a race you can get addicted on: loads of personality and energy and the funny shape - despite which they are really highly mobile and athletic and strong and brave - and cleverness that can baffle humans. I found this book by accident, opened it - of course - and adored it. There are litters of dachshund puppies, mostly 4-5 weeks old, together and then on individual portraits, each of the puppies on a scale, their name and weight written on the page. And that's all. The scales are of different types and puppies come in smooth- and long-haired variations and several colours, all of them are cute and clearly have their own personality already. Just watch these coy, mischievous, sulking, endearing faces and their round little bums, short legs and long ears! You need to get a living dachshund puppy after these pictures - but watch out: I can tell you from personal experience that a 2-month-old dachshund puppy can wear down two young, healthy, highly fit retrievers and still bounce around yapping "What are you lying there for? I just got started!! Get up and play!!!"



3. Love the adorable pictures! I have had dachshunds my whole life, and these pictures capture just how precious they are, especially as puppies. I would highly recommend this book if you are a dachsie lover!



4. Ok.. i dont need to say much for this adorable cute book!
   This book has everything!!! high quality book, great photographs, bright color backgrounds make the book alive! and of course, Dachahund puppies! The photographs are very well taken and trust me!!! you can hear the puppies's "sigh...." , you want to jump into the book and give them kissy and smoochies their bellies......and you can smell puppies's breath!!!!!! at least i do.... great book for all dachshund lovers out there!! worth every penny!

4 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Pugs.

1. Proved to be a good introduction for first time pug owners. It is easy to read and a well rounded survey of pug-related issues and topics.



2. this book was great many tips on cleaning, looking for pups,training... everything specific to pugs. if you are getting one read this book first!!



3. If you have lived with a Pug or are considering it, this book is a must have. It covers everything you need to know about the Pug. From the challenge of finding a Pug and training a Pug, to the rewards of Pet Therapy work with a Pug. This book offers many solutions to common problems like housetraining. It has the best nutrition information in easy to understand language, including recipes for home cooked diets. Even one for Pugs recuperating from an illness or injury. There is also a hypoallergenic diet. The training section is very helpful and encouraging with ideas for fun ways, like agility, to keep your Pugs weight down. This book includes the latest health information. This author knows Pugs and their people! If you keep this book handy for quick reference your Pug will surely live long and prosper.



4. This book is loaded with wonderful chapters discussing the many joys and problems you encounter living with a Pug. If you are a Pug owner, or just wondering if a Pug is right for you, this book is great. I'm a Pug owner, and found the information helpful, and the pictures delightful. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in Pugs.
   BW

3 comments about 101 Eventing Tips: Essentials for Combined Training and Horse Trials (101 Tips).

1. This a good book for anyone who is trying to start up in the eventing. However, it offers only basic advice (101 tips) and it is definitely not for a professional rider, or for one who is familiar with the world of 3-day eventing showing. There is not much practical advice of solving actual problems that a competitor may encounter, nor are schooling exercises presented...



2. I absolutely loved this book. Exactly as titled it is the essential tips of dressage, showjumping and cross country from one of the most highly respected eventers of all time. A quick read that you can go back to over and over for a brush up prior to your competitions or whenever you have a problem and need to get back on track, it is written with Jim's trademark sense of humor. Riding is all about great basic skills and this book covers the bases perfectly.



3. It is a well known fact that James Wofford is one of the best instructors of our time and a superior rider. That being said, don't expect an advanced treatise on Eventing from "101 Eventing Tips". The majority of the tips are basic at best, often downright obvious (eg: "Follow the Rules"). That is not to say this book doesn't have its place or wouldn't be valuable to many riders, but with most tips only a couple paragraphs in length, there is little depth to the material.
   
   I have never read anything from the "101 Tips" series, and was hoping to find some technical advise on difficult Eventing "questions" (especially in Cross Country, the discipline unique to Eventing), or suggestions for improving my show-day performance which can only be learned after years of experience. While there were some very helpful tips, I would say by and large most of the information is fairly obvious to anyone who has Evented before, or perhaps even just shown before.
   
   I do believe that this book would be valuable to the right rider: a beginner to horses who is thinking about taking up Eventing might find these tips invaluable. However, for the experienced (even mildly so) rider, I would recommend you take your money elsewhere (for example, Mr. Wofford also has an EXCELLENT book on gymnastic exercises).
   
   I was also surprised to discover this book is undersized (I had envisioned a large book from the picture, but it is actually only about 4 or 5 inches long at the spine), and has no color pictures. I was able to read it in less than 2 hours (it may have been even quicker than that, as I was reading it while doing other things). To summarize, this book would be helpful for the beginner interested in Eventing, but don't expect anything truly life-altering. If you have been Eventing before, this book will probably not give you "that edge" that you're looking for. For the intermediate to advanced rider, you will get only paltry value from this book and may be better served looking elsewhere.

5 comments about An Unlikely Cat Lady: Feral Adventures in the Backyard Jungle.

1. In her sassy, humorous memoir, Nina Malkin describes life as an accidental cat lady. She and her husband noticed feral cats in their Brooklyn neighborhood, had their hearts stolen away, and then educated themselves about proper handling of feral colonies. Nina and Jason quickly became Trap/Neuter/Return (TNR) advocates. TNR is a grassroots effort to trap feral cats (a humane trap will run you $50), have them neutered and vaccinated, and return them to the wild. A true cat lover can not just feed feral colonies, encouraging continued breeding, so TNR is a true way to show humane support for animals.
   
   Nina lovingly names her cat-neighbors after rock stars Axl Rose and Sid Vicious, and throughout the course of the book, she teaches the reader to appreciate these lost and wild cats on their own terms.



2. The book was informative in general, but I became a little weary of the author's sarcasm. I was also greatly disturbed when they disposed of one of the dead ferals in the trash can. That was surprising to me given their level of emotional and financial investment in the cats. I would have expected that a proper cremation would be in order.



3. I read up to page 32 where the author complains about some bad tenants
   who are white and says "They are textbook examples of what black people
   mean when they say white children get no home training."
   I've lived in Chicago all my life (57 years) and have
   never heard that black people say white children get no home training.
   It was a racist slur against white people and since it accused blacks of
   a racist belief which I don't believe they even have, it was also anti-
   black. Her bigotry disgusted me. I threw the book in the garbage where
   all racist trash belongs. I do not recommend this book.



4. This is the first published book i've seen that describes someone's experience with TNR, (trap, neuter, return) which is what everyone should do if you have a feral cat in your backyard. You look up your local cat rescue or SPCA groups to find who is supporting TNR in your neighborhood, you get a vet appt or find out when the next TNR vet day is for feral cats (many vets won't work on ferals hence a good idea to hook up with an existing TNR group, or just start your own), you buy or borrow a cat sized humane animal trap (20-40$), trap the cat, take it in to be vaccinated and neutered, and then if feral, release it back in the same location. And then, ideally, feed and monitor your TNR'd cats (their ears will be tipped so you can tell who you've done and who is unneutered). No more kittens or cat explosions, and you have the security of knowing the ferals in the area are protected against rabies.
   
   More and more people are getting on the TNR bandwagon. It's pretty easy to do, and you know you've done some good for the animals in your neighborhood. Feeding of course is not enough, because the animals continue to breed. Feral cats aren't easily adoptable, and many shelters will just euthanize them. They're in that middle ground between wild and pet animals, but with a little effort they can be given a niche to survive in the environment, and TNR is what they need, plus a bowl of kibble and some water.
   
   This is a light and amusing book that describes one woman's first venture into TNR. The only cautionary note was that I didn't like it when she let one cat out of the trap and didn't TNR him because she didn't find him attractive. It's a sorry thing when such care is only available to cute kittens. And if she didn't like him, why leave him unneutered to sire more just like him? And I wondered if she had gotten him vet care, if he would have made it, since he seemed ill. At least he could have been humanely euthanized rather than being let out, ill and still unneutered. But other than that one diappointing occurance, it was a reasonably good tale.



5. I enjoyed this book more than I had expected. It was not only a delight to read,but informative as well. Being a cat lover and having adopted my share of "outside cats", I certainly could relate to the author's experiences. I read parts of the book to my husband who agreed that she captured the essence of many of our own experiences.
   If you are a cat lover or interested in animal welfare, you will find this a worthwhile and quick read.

5 comments about Cat Butts (Blue Q Kits).

1. I bought these as a gag gift fo a friend and she loved them! The best part is the price is so low, that even if people don't like them you are only out a little bit. Honestly, the look on peoples faces is worth far more than these cost. Highly recommended for anyone with a sense of humor!



2. I just received this as a gift today from my older brother. I laughed so hard when I opened the package at work that everyone had to come and see what was so funny. What a fantastically funny gift for the cat-lover in your life.
   
   I will have to get a few more of these to send out myself!



3. This product is hillarious to anyone who loves cats! A touch on the more vulgar side, but very funny nonetheless. Cheap way to get a laugh when you give a gift!



4. My whole family loves cats and I got each of them one of these Cat Butts items and they loved it! The field guide tells you exactly how cats..and their butts...are. I chuckle every time I see those magnets on my refrigerator too!



5. This is a great "anytime" gift to just let someone know you are thinking about them, and in this case a sibling living in another state who loves cats. It might also be a good prank for someone who did not like cats and frequently makes comments to that effect, but I haven't tested that approach. They definitely work if you want to "make" someone's day.

5 comments about Psycho Kitty?.

1. This book is absolutely excellent. The author writes in an easy to understand manor and describes exactly why a cat behaves the way a cat does. I've been working with cats for over 20 years and actually have learned something from this book.
   
   The author's case studies take you through each behavior problem and how she solved it for that particular owner. Of course, there are many more problems that exist than are defined in this small book; however, the author covers a wide range of issues on indiscriminate urination, aggression, wool sucking, etc. Many other issues owners will encounter are usually just variations of what the author already touched on. In fact by the time you've finished reading the book, you'll be thinking like a cat.
   
   Psycho Kitty was well worth the price. I enjoyed it so much that I just ordered several of her other books.



2. I read this book while sitting on a plane that took 3 hours to take off due to bad weather. I can't express how happy I was that I brought it with me. The book has numerous tips on how to work with a difficult cat (just like mine), but most importantly, the author explains why a cat might be misbehaving, that is, what is your kitty trying to tell you. Pam Johnson-Bennett does know about cats behavior!!



3. Yes, there are some crazy cats in the world, and George Herriman the artist who created "Krazy Kat" had his finger on their pulse (or paw). Here in this book we find out what is the rationale behind some of their apparently nutty behavior. What a lifesaver this has been, and I'm sure many misunderstood cats have literally had their lives spared because someone read this book and realized what was wrong.
   
   Did you ever read ANDROCLES AND THE LION? The "King of the Cats," brought down and humbled because of a thorn in the tender flesh of its paw. And only one man, a buffoon, realized what was wrong and how to make things right.
   
   Pam Johnson-Bennett is like Androcles, and her tips on how to restore your pet's mental balance will put YOU at ease too. Sometimes a cat gets a little crazy when his or her water doesn't taste right. There's a delicate equilibrium in a cat's life, and think of the enormous insecurity and delicacy of a pet's life. They are in bondage for all intents and purposes, and the life of a slave (even a pampered and petted slave) has its own rigors. Sometimes these burst out into bad or destructive behavior, like a raisin in the sun.
   
   Outside of that the book is a lot of fun. We've all been there, and now we'll find out why!



4. I have kept cats all my life and had become resigned to the strange or destructive behaviors that they sometimes display. I thought there was nothing I could do to change them, so I just accepted the bad with the good. The author of this book really understands cats and provides good, practical solutions to the problems that cat owners have. If you are about to give away or euthanize your cat because of a behavior problem, please give this book a try first.



5. I just got my first pet, a kitten, two months ago. Before I got her I read tons of books on cats and what to do or not to do. But many of the books were very dry and did not address behavior problems. Then a friend showed me Psycho Kitty and I read it in one afternoon. The book is easy to read and understand. And while the stories Johnson-Bennett tells are anecdotal, they do point out things we stupid humans do TO and FOR cats. I found out that some of the things I was doing were ENCOURAGING psycho kitty behavior.

   The author does not talk down to the pet owner and provides practical advice. By writing this book, she is also telling us that we are not alone with our cat's weird and fascinating behaviors.