1 comments about The Encyclopedia of North American Sporting Dogs: Written by Sportsmen for Sportsmen.

1. I am anything but a hunter but I love the sporting dog breeds since we have own both an English Pointer and a Chocolate Lab. Book is very informative on all the various sporting dog breeds and characteristics(some of the breeds I have never heard of before). Highly recommended for dog lovers

5 comments about The Shelter Dog.

1. My dog and faithful companion was adopted from the county shelter.
   He had such a big heart and gentleness to his spirt. I believe he knew
   what it meant to be adopted and lived each day with the sheer joy of being with me.
   
   The Shelter Dog is a must read for anyone who has ever adopted a dog or loves dogs. It is a magical heartfelt book for all ages that brought me fond memories of my own dog.



2. Christine Davis has done it again with her newest book, THE SHELTER DOG. She has captured the magical spirit between humans and their furry friends, this time turning the focus to shelter dogs; touching on both the plight they face and the promise they bring.
   
   With its heartwarming message and colorful illustrations, this book makes a great gift. I have given it to all of my dog-loving friends, and keep a copy for myself close at hand. The next dog that comes into my life will be from a shelter.



3. Christine donated 8 of The Shelter Dog books to DogsDeserveBetter.org. I read it with a tear in my eye, and then promptly ordered more! I love the happy ending, and as a graphic designer myself, couldn't be more tickled with the beauty and attention to detail given in all the type and illustrations. She is indeed talented!
   
   What I most love about this book is that it holds a deeper meaning, it opens your heart to possibilities of a higher level, and it brings an important issue here on earth to light...that of the older shelter dog, so many times ignored, unadopted, and left to die.
   
   These books are genuinely for ALL ages to read and thoroughly enjoy. I know I did.
   
   Tammy S. Grimes, founder, Dogs Deserve Better



4. The Shelter DogThis is a beautiful story that will be appreciated by dog lovers of all ages...it is the touching story of an elderly dog hoping for adoption and the stress of being an older dog in a shelter situation where elderly animals are so often passed by for the younger animals. The theme of the story is important for all people whether young or, like the dog Hero, well beyond middle age.



5. The Shelter Dog is a gentle picturebook especially recommended for young dog lovers. Hero, a dog enjoying the afterlife, asks the Shelter Angel if she could send him back to an earthly animal shelter. After all, Hero considers, what could be better than to be selected from a shelter by a loving family. She warns him that not all the animals in the shelter find happiness, but he is resolute in taking the chance. [...]. A heartwarming story especially recommended to help young people become accustomed to the benefits of adopting an animal from a shelter, rather than buying from a breeder.

4 comments about The Essential Guinea Pig (The Essential Guides).

1. This book really helped get us prepared for our new lil buddy!!



2. A must read for any current or potential guinea pig owner! We (the TX Rustlers Guinea Pig Rescue) recommend this book to all our new guinea pig adopters.
   It covers most aspects of Guinea Pig care, including caging + diet. This would be a good book for Guinea Pig novices.



3. My niece gave my daughter her guinea pig when she was moving. I have to admit, I was not too happy with the rodent at first. I am more of a dog/cat type of person..but soon this little furry creature stole my heart. I bought this book for her to learn how to take care of the guinea pig. It has EVERYTHING you need to know about them. I have looked at several books like this in book stores, but found this one on-line and took a chance that it had all the info that we needed. It gives a history of the animals, different breeds, and all of the care instructions that you need to have a happy healthy guinea...plus it gives other resources to follow up with, which has been extrememly helpful. If you are a new guinea pig owner, this book is a must have!



4. This Book Gives So much Good information On Guinea Pigs. They Are really fasinating creatures, you not regreat buying this book! I enjoyed reading all the little facts on guinea pigs. This is one of the best books on guinea pigs there is out there!

No comments about Doggin' The Poconos: The 33 Best Places To Hike With Your Dog In Pennsyvania's Northeast Mountains.

5 comments about Clara: The Early Years: The Story of the Pug Who Ruled My Life.

1. I was looking forward to this book when I picked it up, but by the time I was halfway through, I was looking forward to putting it down.
   
   I love books about animals, and have enjoyed many other authors in the genre, but this one was a big disappointment.
   
   The author is a columnist, and the writing shows that. It is snappy, sassy prose that beats you over the head with jokes and observations about life, but it fails to build a cohesive story that gives the various episodes a greater significance.
   
   A book that lauds a dog must be careful to maintain a semblance of believability, and the best dog books celebrate the dog's character without losing sight of the dog's essential "dogness." Kaufman, on the other hand, anthropomorphizes every tilt of the head and blink of the eye, to the extent that we are asked to celebrate Clara's humanity.
   
   I can get behind this to an extent, but the characterization of Clara is so unrelenting and insistent that I found it to be a huge turnoff. I had the same problem with Farley Mowat's account of his dog Mutt, but Mowat is at least a hardcore, rough and tumble writer who was looking at his childhood pet through the haze of years and sentimental youth.
   
   Kaufman, on the other hand, comes across as pampered, sheltered, and rather foolish, treating Clara more like a human child than a dog. I have no problem with loving a dog, but fooling yourself into thinking that a dog has human tastes is a disservice to that relationship.
   
   This book will probably appeal to a certain brand of pet owner, the kind that feel their animal is unbearably precious, and is even moreso when dressed up in darling outfits.
   
   But for anyone who is more concerned with animals maintaining a semblance of dignity, this book will not impress.



2. I remember the first time I read this book a few years ago and I laughed so hard. I am just now re-reading it and am loving it all over again. I'm not sure why the author wasn't more popular in her lifetime - she has a great way of writing, very easy to read and very witty. It's fun hearing about her rich mom in NYC and her beachfront bohemian neighborhood and her husband and her effort to adopt a Chinese baby, all thrown into the book. If you've ever loved a pet, you'll recognize yourself in her humorous retellings of dealing with her pug Clara, a little furry diva.



3. I was sad to learn that Margo Kaufman died of cancer in 2000. This is a delightful book and no doubt many others were eagerly anticipating more "Clara" stories. The morbidly obese pug, (obese pugs are called "fluffy pugs" in pug circles) barrels her way into readers' hearts. Clara was a delightful fluffy pug, all wrinkles and curly tail who found a home in many hearts.
   
   Kaufman gave her curly tailed dog a "voice" and her humor was the thread that kept this story woven together.
   
   This is an ideal book for anybody who wants a good laugh and a foray with a fluffy pug. I love pugs and everybody, pug lovers and those who merely tolerate the adorable curly tailed dogs will find a lot of fun with Clara.



4. After stumbling upon this book in a tiny country bookshop, i read it in just a few days and fell deeply in love with pugs. i was completely charmed my the author's dogs, especially Clara, and soon i had rescued my own little black pug from a shelter. My pug goes with me everywhere, and as the author states, "is living proof that god has a sense of humor." these little dogs make me laugh every day, and this book will make you laugh on every page. Clara, Margo, and their adventures in LA will have you splitting your sides, and whether this is your first introduction to pugs, or your a long time lover of the breed, you will relate to and be touched by this book in unexpected ways.



5. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, after all we do have two black
   pugs, but the second half was more about their adoption of a foreign baby and the pug story got left by the wayside.

No comments about The Cat: Its Behavior, Nutrition and Health.

2 comments about Aqualog Special: Shrimps, Crayfishes, and Crabs in the Freshwater Aquarium, New Revised Edition.

1. All of the Aqualog books are excellent value, although they are not particularly cheap. They are full to the brim with first class colour photographs and to reproduce these in a book is an expensive process. Whether they are about Shrimps and other crustaceans, or some other species of fish they are the most comprehensive identification books you can buy. They never become dated because as new fish become available to the aquarist trade the books are updated.
   
   They do not deal with the basics of fish keeping, there are many and varied books that do that. They are in the main a fish identification encyclopaedia and nothing more. But for those aquarists who are particularly interested in a single species they are indispensable.



2. I would have liked to have stories about illnesses also in the book. Also couple mistakes found. But still good value for money.

1 comments about Successful Duck Hunting: A Look into the Heart of Waterfowling.

1. As a beginning duck hunter, I plowed through this book with excitement. It really fed my enthusiasm. When I was done, I started planning for the season by researching gear I needed to buy and planning trips. At this point I tried to go back to the book to get some idea of this persons opinion on these decisions. Unfortunately, they were not there. It is a good overview of all aspects of duck hunting but does not go very deep. Take decoys for example. He explains the different sizes and motion decoys available but does not offer insight on when one is better that the other, what species make up a good spread, etc. DU magazine had a 4 page article some months back that nailed all of these issues. I compared it to this books chapter and found the latter lacking. That has repeated itself on other topics as well. So, if you love to duck hunt and want a book to get you excited and has great photos, get the book. If you want the nitty gritty, go elsewhere.

2 comments about Australian Shepherd: A Comprehensive Guide to Owning and Caring for Your Dog (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1. A great deal of information for all stages of your Aussie and lovely pictures. Includes information about diseases, insurance, poisons, collars, grooming, breed standards, puppy proofing and body charts.



2. While many of the suggestions and explanations about this wonderful breed are consistent with other research documents I've read, I felt like there should've been more "meat" or text included on certain topics. In particular obedience training, feeding and the like.
   
   Australian Shepherds are *extremely* intelligent dogs (far more so than most labs or retrievers for example - though I certainly love those breeds as well (and own one)). For this reason they have very specific training requirements if both owner and dog are ultimately to have a good relationship. However this book gave equally thin treatment to this topic as it does for others of less importance. I sort of get the impression the author said "well we can only dedicate x pages per topic on average" and then stuck to that, instead of allowing more pages for the really important stuff and skimming the more obvious or less critical topics.
   
   This book *will* teach you something you didn't know most likely, but it will also leave you wanting more in-depth info. I'd give it 3.5 if I could....
   
   Friendly Advice: while I was well aware of the breed's characteristics before buying, please DO NOT let your kids (or your own conscience) talk you into buying one of these dogs just because you've seen them catching frisbees on the beach or because they're so cute. If you do not have the time and space to dedicate to this dog every single day, you will wind up with a frustrated and destructive dog. Shepherds need to keep their minds going and their bodies going as often as possible; they are not couch potatoes like many other breeds of similar temperment and looks.
   
   Also be sure to check your local Australian Shepherd rescue for available dogs before going to a breeder. You'd be amazed how many great dogs are out there already looking for homes. Don't contribute to the dog overbreeding problem in this country (more than 15 million dogs are euthanized every year in the US).

1 comments about The Guide to Owning Dwarf Rabbits (Guide to Owning A...).

1. "The Guide to owning Dwarf Rabbits" is a good basic guide to the first time rabbit owner. This book covers topics like Housing, feeding and health. "The Guide to Owning Dwarf Rabbits" is written in an easy to understand style and contains all you need to know for your first rabbit, but is not very in depth for those with rabbit experience.