5 comments about How to Teach Your Old Dog New Tricks.

1. I'm a veterinarian, very involved in behavior training, because that's what keeps my canine patients alive. I've found that if I can get clients involved in teaching a dog who has found out that learning is fun, that dog stands a much better chance of staying alive of becoming an indispensable member of their family. I've checked out numerous trick training books, and this is hands down the best. It's focused, breaks the tricks down into easy, understandable steps, and is written by someone who knows and loves dogs. Bravo!



2. This is a very clearly written book that shows step by step how to make your dog impress people with how "smart" it is. The best thing about training your dog to do some of these tricks is that the basics sit, stand and stay also get transmitted. If you have a dog with behavior problems, once you start them out with this book everything else will follow. The book itself shows this with it's cross-reference at the end of each trick letting you know which tricks will be easy to teach in the future based on the foundation of just one trick!

   This book would be great for puppies as well.




3. I taught my field spaniel to shake, speak, rollover, beg, bow, crawl on her belly, climb ladders, open and close doors, etc. Also, using the techneques in the book, I made-up other tricks. Now she can slp-you-five and jump and twist in midair.



4. My Scottish Terrier, Sgt. Pepper, is currently working on the balance the milk-bone on your nose, and rollover trick.

   At this point we're having so much fun gazing into one another's eyes over the milk bone, that we don't much care whether he learns it or not.

   This is great fun!




5. This wonderful book is lavishly illustrated, and takes a step-by-step approach that results in a over-all well-trained dog. Easy to follow and a fun read.

2 comments about The Canary: An Owner's Guide toa Happy Healthy Pet.

1. Diane Grindol has written another useful and interesting book for the bird owner's library - THE CANARY. This little book is a good basic volume with diet, grooming and other health care tips including a section on various ailments such as mites, cysts, and canary pox. In various sidebar sections Grindol includes a recipe for pellet muffins, the benefits of formulated diets and and how to turn seeds into nutritious treats by sprouting them. Her sections on cages and cage supplies, as well as perch choices are probably cover some of the most important aspects of canary ownership. Apparently, canaries can become ill if they sit on the same sized perches all day.

   I did not find this book any more useful than the Barron's handbooks on canaries although it does include a few different features. My book is a hardback and will probably last longer than the books with paper covers. This book includes many charming photos as do the other books I purchased - however, two of them show a canary with a Siamese cat, which made me wonder about the advisability of letting a cat so near a canary, even for a photo op. The book includes a description of the most common canary, the `German Roller' which apparently has the most beautiful song. A useful feature of this book is the list of Internet sites you can visit if you really want to investigate canaries in detail.




2. This is a great book for any canary lover. Before I read this book I did not know much about this animal other than seeing him getting chased by Sylvester. Diane writes wonderfully, you will be through with the book before you know it! Clearly an expert in the field, her love for these birds is obvious as you read this book. Whether you own a canary now, or are just thinking about getting one, you must get this book!

No comments about Tigers 2009 Calendar.

4 comments about Caring for Your Aging Cat: A Quality-of-Life Guide for Your Cat's Senior Years.

1. I found this book very useful in finding ways to take proper care of my cat ERNIE in his senior years. Their needs such as possible change in diet and exercise and what to look for in spoting changes in their health(things you can do)and when to see the vet, are clearly explained. I highly recommend this book.



2. This is a wonderful book! I have already recommended it to several friends and our vet. Easy to read- well organized. Some sad stories though. But as sad as they are, they are meant to "light a fire" under the reader, so that they don't fall into the same situations with their beloved feline. The writer is definitely passionate about her cats. Good to use as a reference book as well. Easy to look up symptoms, treatments, etc. A must read for all cat lovers.



3. This wonderful book strikes the perfect balance between really useful information and deeply touching stories about the feline companions in our lives. The author has created a rhythmic dance that offers very smart, insightful ways to deal with all the circumstances of an aging cat, while keeping us delightfully entertained with pictures and true stories. The advice and information will arm you for just about anything, and help to make you a pro-active partner in your pet's aging process. Each story will touch your heart, bringing a smile, or maybe even a few tears as you remember the pets you've known. And now you'll be better able to make sure that the dear kitties in your life today won't suffer needlessly, due to things you might not have realized before. This is a delight to read!



4. I received this book as gift and it is amazing. As the person of an older cat I have found it, even in just a few days, to be of extreme benefit. It is a comprehensive, well written, accessible guide to helping your best friend age. It makes getting older less scary and details how you can maximize your older pet's quality of life. There is medical advice from veternarians as well as pet owners on how to deal with the medical issues that inevitably come up. The book gives you the knowledge, guidelines, and options to confidently deal with and enjoy your future with your older cat.

5 comments about The Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.

1. This is one of the best books that I have found on Koi. Beautiful color
   photographs abound in this informative book. If you have to have only one book on Koi-this is the one. Lot of good advice on building a pond, what to do if there are problems such as illness, identifying fish pathogens and their treatment, different kinds of koi. I especially like the pictures of other people's ponds and landscaping-full of good ideas.



2. I lost half of my Koi in the space of 6 hours, because I was counting on this book, and it does not even mention the catastrophic disaster known as PH Crash. Unless you find out about that, and take preventative measures, this WILL happen to you!!

   This book fails to describe water chemistry in sufficient detail, and these days it's pretty outdated. However, it does have a fantastic photo catalogue of koi varieties, and a decent overview of health problems, pond construction, and seasonal care. If you have fish, make sure to get multiple books in case one is missing important information.




3. I have kept koi and bred them for around 5 years now. And when I pick up a koi book this always seems to be the first one I go to. As far as I'm concerned, if I had only one koi book this would be the one. If you're about to get into koi don't do it without the Tetra Encyclopedia of Koi.



4. Amazing. The only problem I had with this book is getting it out of my wife's hands. It covers EVERYTHING. Sections on Filtration, Pond design, Feeding (listing alternative foods that Koi enjoy), Anatomy (first rate), Selecting & showing your koi, a detail listing on the different patterns and scale formation and probably the best ( in my opinion) Parasites and Diseases, what they are, were they come from and how to destroy them.

   This could be and should be renamed to "The koi instruction manual". If you are a koi breeders, I highly recommend this book, after reading it, I would wager that it would be THE book to recommend to your customers. The reason being that they would have less problems and get better enjoyment out of their hobby. It truly would be hard to go wrong with this book.




5. This book is as easy to read as any grade school book and as indepth as books which I have read that cost 5 times as much. I have enjoyed reading it so much that the day after I was done reading it, I started reading it again. I own a nursery for watergardening plants, fish and supplies, and I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Piggy Potions.

1. Peter Gurney before passing away has written many great books on the care of guinea pigs, this being one of them. It tells you natural ways to care for your Guinea pig.



2. Any book by Peter Gurney is well invested especially if you love guinea pigs. I wish I would have known about him when we first started getting guinea pigs 6 years ago and I have now set up a guinea pig dept at our local agricultural fair and have my son doing a FFA (Future Farmers of America)prject. We had 33 guinea pigs and are now up to about 50 with the births of new baby's. Peter in his guide to Guinea Pigs saved lives of some of my piggy's where when my youngest son got his first guinea pig then the 2nd his first one died and if I would have had Peter's book then I probably could have saved his life. I have been a piggy mid wife showing as Peter says good husbandtry. I have helped deliver a sows lat 2 baby's out of 5 she was exhausted and I have photo's of several of my sows delivery beginning to end and it is such a beautiful sight. I recommend any of his books to everyone especially when I do educational talks on guinea pigs or displays at our country fair. I have worked in medicine for 25 years so I was not afraid to try things he mentioned in any of his books, but a novice should always have a more trained person help or assist them the first time and finding a vet specialized in guinea pig care is hard. I live in Amish country in Lancaster County, PA and I see so many of the Amish breed their piggy's literally to death or get so many they let them run in the wild and it gets cold here. Like Peter and many other of us piggy lovers stories we hear are heart breaking. We can't save them all, but with Peter's books we can certainly deal with many situations when they arise or buy those precious minutes or hours needed to have a guinea pig live rather than die until you can get it to a specialized vet. Take his advice in everything--it works and piggy's do tell you in their own way what is wrong or that something is wrong and a little examination or routine examinations and his advice and remedies work well. I have used his first book Proper Care of Guinea Pigs so much it is falling apart and I am purchasing another book--his books are like my guinea pig Bibles. Desiree

5 comments about Hands-On Dog Care.

1. This book has saved me a minimum of 6 trips to the vet. The most recent was last night, when a visiting dog was showing signs of what I feared might be bloat. It wasn't, and I was able to figure that out based on the information in this book.

   Every dog owner, not matter how experienced, will benefit from having this book close at hand. I plan to send a copy home with every puppy I breed.




2. From a review in the Portland Oregonian by Deborah Woods.Hands-On Dog Care is touted as the 'complete book of canine first aid.'This comprehensive book contains the best first aid information I have ver seen in any book--and a whole lot more...The amount of useable useful information presented in this book is stunning.

   Paws up for this excellent encyclopedic book. It's a valuable addition to any dog lover's library.




3. From Dog News magazine "Every now and then a book does come along which is a must for every involved dog owner to read. I know that cliche is written in virtually every review but in the case of Hands-On Dog Care it's much more than a cliche. You MUST own this dog book and you should suggest it to everyone who buys a dog or a pup as well! It is a 408 page tome crammed full of vital facts and information that can save your dog's life. And more importantly you know the information is reliable."



4. From Pet Behavior Newsletter: At 408 pages, 8 1/2X11, illustrated and with index Hands-On Dog Care is a big book that handles a big subject with lots of illustrations, photos, charts and guides to what to do in the event of every imaginable medical emergency a professional in the dog business or a serious dog owner would need to know. It is split into sections. The first contains 15 chapters, all of which deal with recognizing symptoms for an incredible array of physical ailments and injuries, then applying first aid. The second section holds 25 chapters on how to establish a dog's baseline behavior, provide for regulasr clinical care, fleas and worms, give oral medication, examine eyes, etc. etc, etc. Even advice about getting a proper first-aid kit...It's all there! (whew)



5. From THE BOXER REVIEW: This is a worthwhile purchase for all but the most knowledgeable breeder because it covers when to call the Vet, and what to do until you can get the dog to the Vet, and how to handle illness and injuries that do not require a Vet office appointment. Even the most knowledgeable breeders could find this useful to reaffirm a judgement concerning a dog's well being. This Doral Publication is highly recommended.

3 comments about Parrots: Hand Feeding and Nursery Management.

1. If you handfeed birds or plan to this is a must have book. It's a great reference not only for general information on how to feed, but also the problems that can occur while doing so. It also details proper handling and sanitation procedures to keep disease from spreading within a flock. Small breeders may not be able to emulate all the procedures outlined in the book. Regardless, it is an excellent source of information on how an ideal facility should operate (something any size aviary should know).
   
   For breeders who incubate their own eggs I suggest Parrot Incubation Procedures by Rick Jordan as well.



2. This is a must have book for anyone new to breeding, and a great reference book for experienced breeders. Here are the chapter headings:
   
   1: Managing the Nursery
   2: Maintenance of Nestlings (Brooding)
   3: Formulas
   4: Feeding Instruments and Methods
   5: Feeding
   6: Weight Monitoring
   7: Non-Dietary Factors That Control Weight Gain
   8: Potential Health Problems in the Nursery
   9: Non-Pathogenic Death
   10: Medical Procedures for the Aviculturist
   11: Weaning
   
   Each chapter is packed with critical information and well documented with excellent photographs from experienced aviculturists Voren and Jordan.



3. This book is valuable to not only new breeders, but also to experienced breeders. Facts are explained. This book also encourages you to make changes to your existing set-up, supported by facts, rather than to let you question your own dicisions.

5 comments about Complete Aquarium.

1. The first half of book talk about how to plan e design the tank, and about equipament. The rest of book show how to mount various biotypes of tanks, realy, the second part is like a layouts guide, with types of fish, plants, rocks and etc for each biotype.



2. We have aquariums, but really knew next to nothing about the correct way to set them up and maintain them. This book was both informational and reinforced what we did know.



3. This is an usual book compared to many of the others I have read recently but I like it. It contains many beautiful pictures of aquarium setups with step by step directions on producing the finished product. The various aquariums are representative of different habitats all over the world. It is a joy to look through even though you may not be creating a new aquarium.



4. I first bought this book looking for a book about building aquariums and was very disappointed. It is titled "The Complete Aquarium, A practical guide to building ....... aquariums". It, however, does not discuss the actual building of an aquarium, what it is refering to is the setting up of an aquarium. It does provide beautiful information for setting up theme tanks, ie. natural environment tanks from lakes, rivers, etc from around the world. It is also very attractive and well organized as is typical of a DK book.



5. This wasnt the type of book for a newbie if you just wanted to know about fish. This is more of a HOW TO book for setting up different types of tanks. I guess it would be a great book if you were really deep into fish other than just wanting a nice community tank that looks nice and the fish wont eat each other.

5 comments about Cockatiels (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I am a recent cockatiel owner and this book helped answer many of my questions. I refer to the book often and it has been invaluable.



2. Though I have owned three Budgies before, I had never previously owned a Cockatiel,(I recently bought two) so I bought this book to learn a little more about them. It was a good, basic book, but I would not recommend this book to a seasoned owner, as they would almost most certainley not learn anything new. I would, however, recommend this book to a first time bird owner, as they would learn a great deal.



3. I'm a new cockatiel owner my husband got it for me for a birthday present actually early birthday present. I have read and re read the book over and over again. I still enjoy it.Also I look for information on cockatiels on the internet so I feel pretty well set on information I need.I got the bird on August 13,2001 from a breeder in town.He's a emerald cockatiel which is a recessive gene mutation. His name is Tristan Jade and I call him "Jade" for short.I have really enjoyed him tremendously :)Cockatiels are amazing birds!This book has all the things I needed to know.If you miss something then you can look it up in the index at the back of the book or read the pages over.You will see something you missed.



4. If you've owned cockatiels for a long time, this book is not for you. But if you're just beginning, like me, this book gives a great overview of all the things you need to consider when buying and taking care of a cockatiel. This book gives you basic information about feeding, maintenance, and characteristics of this great bird. By giving a brief and user friendly introduction to cockatiels, the author allows you to find the areas which require additional research based on your situation. Overall I'd say this book deserves an A++.



5. For some great advice email me at humorgirl86@hotmail.com. I have owned a cockatiel for 8 years and have alot of expierience. This book is informative on housing, feeding, breeding and healing. It has great pictures but, it's not the pictures that make the book it's the words! It doesn't go into great detail about everything. It hardly has a page on training and that doesn't even help if at all. Sure it may seem good but once you read it, it really isn't that good at all. I say that you should go to the pet store or book store and actually read the book or scan it to make sure that it has what you want. Petsmart and Petco are great pet stores that have plenty of books and all the needs for a cockatiel.