5 comments about Ninety-Nine Newfies.

1. I ordered this book since I was soon to get a newfie pup. I am so glad I did. The book is filled with 99 different stories about 99 newfies. They are short reads that touch your heart. I just have to share the stories with whoever is around while I am reading it! It is a fun and inspiring book. Although there are no pictures ( I like to see photos of the dogs) it is still an excellent book.



2. This book is for anyone who's ever wanted a newfoundland dog! Know what your up against BEFORE you welcome one of these drool slinging, fur dropping, vacumn killing puppers into your life! 'Cause once you do, your done. Your life will no longer be your own, neither will your bank account, house, or anything else you used to hold in high esteem . This book will show you the ups and downs, the laughter and tears, and frighteningly, how much smarter they are than us!
   Read this book to understand you are getting so much more than a "dog". You are getting a human in a dog suit, in other words a Newfoundland!



3. This book shows the true sides - all the wonderful traits that we grow to love. Including the stuff only a Newfie "parent" can appreciate!

   Of course, with 4 of the stories being about my "grandpuppies", I had to have it on my bookshelf!




4. This is a must have for any owner or wanna-be owner of a Newf (or any dog for that matter)! Through the eyes of many different people you can pull together a true picture of what life with a Newfie can be, from the good to the sad to the ridiculous. The varying perspectives come together to show what wonderful, loyal, loving furballs these `Gentle Giants' are and how much they can add to your life. In addition, 90% of the profits made on this book are going to the Newfoundland Health Challenge for scientific research to benefit this beautiful breed. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll want to hug a Newfie! Congratulations and thank you Pat for putting it all together :)



5. While readers of this book will enjoy the benefits of generous doses of laughter (and sometimes tears), Newfoundland dogs everywhere will benefit from the purchase of "Ninety-Nine Newfies." The author, Pat Seawell, is generously donating 90% of the book's profits to the Newfoundland Health Challenge, a trust run by the Newfoundland Club of America, which funds scientific research into Newfie health problems. So buy the book to bring joy to yourself and to bring improved health to our Newfoundland friends.

2 comments about Beef Cattle: Keeping a Small-Scale Herd for Pleasure and Profit (Hobby Farms Series).

1. I find Ann Hansen's book very helpful and different from other books. Her attitude towards cattle and how to handle them has worked very well for me.
   Her description of fencing, setting up a "hay corral" for winter hay bale feeding, things to look for in purchasing cattle and many other small points have been very useful. The idea that you don't need to chase cattle all over a pasture but get them to come to you is a subtle but important part of enjoying raising cattle. It is probably not for long-time cattle owners but Hansen's book is in my opinion just right for someone getting a few cattle for the first time. I have a very different opinion of the boook from the other reviewer and that's why I am writing this. I have read quite a few other cattle books before starting and this offerred the best beginners advice. A good book to go with it is "Salad Bar Beef" but Salatin's book is much more philosophical where Hansens is practical. They go well together, in my opinion.



2. Hello, all, I have bought a bunch of books from Amazon but this is my first review. I am writing it to give people a better idea of what this book offers.
   My recommendation? If you are thinking of raising beef and want to get a very broad overview of what is involved, it may be OK. If you are already down that slippery slope, there are much better books (as well as the extension divisions of most Ag Colleges).
   A little about my situation: I luckily have a real job, but bought 35 acres north of town last year, always wanted to be a rancher, so am feeding 3 steers on very meager non-irrigated pasture, with hay and grain supplementation mandantory.
   I'm sure the author didn't intend this book to be a comprehensive tome, but it is VERY superficial in many areas.
   Examples:
   FEEDING: I now know how many turnips Thomas Jefferson recommends that I feed my cattle, but wish there had been more on how much grain to plan on feeding rather than pretty cursory treatment of the subject.
   WHEN ARE THEY READY TO BUTCHER?: It's...."When you can see the fat around his cod, over his pinbones, and on the rear flank. If a steer has fat around the tailhead, he's close to grading prime; If he has a fat brisket, he's too fat." HUH?? Perhaps a diagram of some of these terms? If you're writing a book for us novices, don't throw these terms at us!
   BIRTHING: I'm not dumb enough to try breeding for now, but if you are interested and have a cow get into trouble, just..."Gently look and feel until you have an idea what the problem is, then give the appropriate assistance" (!!!!!!!) Or, as she goes on, "or call your vet or neighbor to help." I should add that this text is accompanied by a photo of a farmer with his hand somewhere up into the south end of a northbound cow. (This is an interesting combination of not enough/too much information in one photo!)
   I don't mean to be too harsh, the book is well made and the photos are lovely, and 2-3 years ago before I knew what I was getting into it probably would have been fun reading. Just understand that it won't answer many questions.
   Jim

5 comments about Living with a Shih Tzu.

1. Another great book if you own a Shih Tzu! The book has a lot of great information on the breed of dog! Lots of tips and suggestions!Good pictures...



2. This book was somewhat helpful. It was interesting to know about the personality of this breed. But I have a lot of unanswered questions now that I have had the puppy for two weeks.



3. The book is a great manual for Shih Tzu owners. From day one it was helpful for us to understand how to handle our puppy. She is now 8 weeks old and is healthy, active, curious, mischievous and sometimes seems to have read the book before we did. The author perfectly describes the usual behavior of this breed and, best of all, she provides useful hints and instructions on how to deal with specific situations and problems such as feeding, discipline and playtime. We recommend the book with enthusiasm.



4. As a trainer and breeder of Shih Tzu for over ten years I highly reccomend this book. It has great practical advise and is full of great pictures and stories. I give this to all my Shih Tzu puppy buyers. Enjoy your bundle of joy!!!



5. As the owner of an eight week Shih Tzu, the book provided many good ideas on raising my puppy. This book was recommended by the breeder as a "how to" book.

1 comments about The Guide to Owning an Australian Shepherd.

1. Sheila has done an outstanding job on this new book about our wonderful breed ! It gives very important information on our breed including care, training, grooming, nutrition, and even includes information on the breed's rescue program...
   Its a MUST for new Australian Shepherd owners and a good reference book for those who have been in the breed for awhile...
   I strongly suggest breeders puprchase a copy to go home with every puppy they sell....

5 comments about Back to Work: How to Rehabilitate or Recondition Your Horse.

1. This book does what it promises, which is to offer real-life care and rehabbing guidelines for a variety of common layup issues. I found it very well organized and have referred to it a few times as I re-hab my own horse. Great information to have all in one place!



2. Interesting and very clearly written, well laid out, yet with a personal touch. Covers tendons, ligaments, colics and the dreaded laminitis. Chapter 5 is interesting with tips from riders and experts. Covers a range of different case studies from a realistic and personal angle, with sound advice given for each scenario. A very useful reference book to have on you shelf.



3. Great book. I learned quite a bit about caring for my horse after a tendon injury. There is so much confusion and misinformation out there and this book really clarifies things. It gave me clear guidelines when I started riding my mare again. It also made me feel better hearing other people's sadness and emotions over having a horse with similar injuries as I could really relate to it. I think the book is worth the money and it helped me quite a bit. There is also a section on bringing a horse back after colic surgery so that would be helpful to those in that situation.



4. I liked the individual case histories that allowed me to compare with my horse. I wish I had found this book sooner.



5. I have just reviewed the book, not study like I plan. As a rehab therapist for horses, I see this as a great addition to my books.

5 comments about How to Toilet-Train Your Cat: 21 Days to a Litter-Free Home.

1. i just bought this book last night and i read it cover to cover. granted i already did a few hours of preliminary research on cat toilet training methods and available training products online, the book was overly simplistic and i was appalled by some of the methods the author suggests.
   
   first of all, only 33 pages of the book are actually dedicated to the training process itself which is 27% of the book. the majority of the remaining pages covers litter box training, a subject that i can probably safely assume that most of us have already addressed. the author does not address questions related to correct toilet seat posture, training multiple cats, getting your cat to use other toilets, and traveling with your cat.
   
   the 33 pages of applicable material covers a 21 day process: the first 16 days consist of moving the litter box to the bathroom (1 day), gradually elevating the litter box to toilet seat height (12 days),and gradually moving the litter box from the stack of newspapers directly onto the toilet seat (3 days). on the 17th day, the author instructs you to remove the litter box altogether and give your cat the next 4 days to use the toilet seat itself. equipment needed? just heavy duty plastic wrap, adhesive tape, and newspapers. wow! lift the toilet seat, take a sheet of plastic wrap and attach the plastic across the toilet's porcelain rim leaving a slight indention in the middle. fill the middle with a cup of kitty litter and lower the toilet seat. the last 3 days instruct us to cut a small hole and then larger holes each day in the middle of the plastic wrap while at the same time using less and less kitty litter. on day 20, voila, get rid of the plastic wrap and litter! day 21, congratulate yourself. so in actuality, this is a 20 day training process.
   
   the author's instructions are much too simplistic and give more weight to the height adjustment the cat will have to make (jumping up to use the bathroom) than the changes associated with posture and balance on the toilet seat, the removal of kitty litter, and the water in the toilet being exposed as the barrier disappears. most importantly, i'd like to know how many cats the author has actually toilet trained using his methods b/c i don't understand how heavy duty plastic wrap and adhesive tape can support the weight of anything larger than a 3 lb kitten. if the cat doesn't feel safe on the training contraption, it is probably going to refuse to use it. if the cat were to actually fall in, i'm pretty sure the cat will rebel against any other attempts at toilet training.
   
   also, unless you have a spare bathroom, you may give up on toilet training before the cat. i imagine it will get really annoying removing, repositioning, and reattaching flimsy plastic wrap to your toilet everytime someone in the household needs to use it. or reinstalling and cutting holes in plastic wrap each time the cat soils the plastic wrap. i suggest buying one of the commercially available toilet training plastic pans, such as citikitty or litter kwitter, or just finding a metal bowl with the same diameter as the inside of your toilet bowl or aluminum baking pan that will sit securely under the toilet seat.
   
   in all fairness, the book does address two topics that were completely new to me. in the first, the author states that you should not even attempt to train an unaltered cat. however, he does not address why this is true. secondly, he suggests that many cats can be "hooked" on the smell of chemically treated litter, so they should be slowly weaned off the scent by mixing the old litter with a new unscented (flushable) version.
   
   i bought this book at half price books for $2.98. it wasn't even worth that.



2. The book was very clear and the steps are easy. My cats started off following right along, However I didn't follow the directions exactly & did have a set back. I'm looking forward to trying again & hopefull that it will work this time. I would advise anyone trying this method to make sure the rest of their house is clean though. If your cat does hit a point where they decide to resist the training, that fresh pile of clean laundry seems to be a favorite site for them to express their irritation at the new change to their lives.



3. Most of the book contains information about how to litter train a kitten, but the last 20ish pages are the key. Our cat, Fenway, was not successful in just 21 days and required the alternate method. But, we are litter free now and have been for about two weeks. Plus, we really didn't need to buy anything new for this book. We had everything on hand. It was a bit annoying at the plastic wrap time as we had to leave our apartment to find another toilet. It would be nice if it had other chapters such as "Adding a second cat to your house" and "Moving to a new home." Check out this blog for photos of our Fenway in action--baggypantsandbravado.blogspot.c0m.



4. I bought this book recently after being fed up with cleaning the cat box, stepping on litter that had fallen out, and lugging a ginormous amount of litter up stairs.
   The majority (2/3) of this book is about cat behavior, even to what your cat's meows mean. In essence, why cats do what they do and how they have the potential to be toilet trained.
   I did more research on the internet before I began Kunkel's method. His method, for me at least, would involve more money being spent than I was inclined to spend (new box that fit the size specifications, undeoderized litter to wean my cats off of the deoderized kind, etc.). Plus, his last few steps involve saran wrap and tape that goes over the bowl of the toilet. In other words, I feel there is a lot of potential for psychological damage for the cat - and maybe the owner, too!
   Instead, I purchased a CITIKITTY (www.citikitty.com). My cats used it immediately - 20 minutes out of the box - and I am highly satisfied with the results so far. It is filled with litter and fits over the bowl of the toilet, under the seat. It is durable enough that the cats can stand in it and it is easy enough to take off when I need to use the toilet (no adhesives or other mess). A hole is made in the center that gradually gets larger so that the cat is forced to stand on the seat itself.
   Toilet training your cat is an exercise in classical conditioning, whatever methodology you use. Go slow and with the pace of your cat. Good luck!



5. Well, the book got made, and I bought it. Maybe I'm the dumb one!
   
   We are still (months later) trying, as we really want to eliminate the litter, but have had to research other books and the internet for more, MUCH more info. This author doesn't even offer info for more questions. It's as if he's covered every possible scenario in the world, now it's up to you, the reader, to do it.
   
   All you have to do is read the other reviews of this book to see that he's left out A LOT of possibilities. The reader is left to his own devices to fill in the numerous blanks. And as much time and energy as it takes, I find it almost impossible to believe the author has spent time training his friends' cats, too. It is time consuming, messy, and so far, extremely frustrating for both me and my cat.
   
   We have followed, word for word, every instruction in the book, and have still been unsuccessful. The Saran Wrap? Bad idea - the cat falls through, every time (even with heavy duty wrap & very light Siamese cat ) which causes MUCH consternation on the part of the cat. We finally rig it so he can go again - he'll go, but doesn't like it. He has to be contained in the bathroom, and even still, will go on the floor rather than in the pot.
   
   The pace of the training is entirely too fast, and offers no other options. Note to publisher: if you reprint this book, it needs some serious revisions.

5 comments about The Doggy Bone Cookbook, Second Edition.

1. I bought the 1st edition of this book several years ago and it is a great little book. The recipes are easy and the ingredients are readily available. You can even customize the recipes; try adding a little cooked bone marrow or ground up bits of cooked meat (you know the stuff that you don't eat, like gristle) grind it up in a food processor and add it to the dough. Just remember to store the biscuits in the fridge (short term) or the freezer.
   
   The only problem with this book is that when I don't have time to make homemade dog biscuits and I buy store bought-my dogs spit them out! Even the gourmet kind! They'll just spit them out and start trying to "shake" and if that doesn't work they'll try "down" and then "down & shake" at the same time. They think that if they do enough tricks I'll fork over the homemade cookies! And when they realize that there are no homemade cookies in the house, they'll pick up their "crummy" store bought cookie and take it to their bed and pout!
   
   So, remember to always keep some in the freezer, or else things could get ugly!



2. There are only a few recipes in this book but they are simple and the dogs seem to like them well enough.



3. This is such a great, fun cookbook! I bought this book before Christmas to make some treats for family and friend's pets, and all the ones I had leftover I ended up feeding to my two dogs! I must say the downsides were some of the recipes made the dough flimsy and hard to work with, and it was extremely difficult keeping my dogs out of the kitchen. With recipes like the peanut butter one, I found out the more you add to the mixture, the more it stays together. I'm not saying go overboard, but a spoonful here and there won't hurt. Wheat flour is hard to work with, so if I added more ingredients it actually worked out better. I love this book! My neighbors have been begging me to borrow it!



4. I purchased this book to start my doggy bag barkery business and the biscuits really sell. I recommend this book for anyone starting out in the business. Be careful with the Minty Bones because they mold quickly.



5. very good book though not many recipes (I think about 10) but very simple ingredients and easy to follow instructions. My copy also came with a bone shaped cookie cutter! very good though short and card pages so robust enough for kids etc... my dog loves the peanut biscuits

5 comments about Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs (Getting Started).

1. This book is very, very basic. If you've never heard or read anything about clicker training, it gives you a good overview of what it's about ad how to do it. The author explains how to shape basic behaviors and gives ideas for what you can shape your dogs to perform other behaviors.
   
   If you've done any training with your dog, especially any clicker training, skip this book. It's too basic for you.



2. This book was somewhat helpful in the clicker training process, however the DVD "Clicker Puppy" was so much more helpful. If you have no idea what clicker training is, or how to approach it, this may be a good beginner book for you. Wouldn't recommend for those who already have an idea of what clicker training is.



3. This book is a great step towards learning how to train your dog. We bought this book and other items from this publisher. We will be ready when our puppy gets here. Very excited!



4. Certainly Ms. Pryor knows her technique and provides good step-by-step basic instructions about using clicker training with dogs. She covers the do's and don'ts and provides essential advice with some examples.

   However, I thought that the portion of the book that dealt specifically with training dogs was somewhat scant and would have rather seen more about problem solving and working with crossover dogs---e.g., dogs that have had other types of training before ever hearing a clicker---and much, much less of the history about the pioneering clicker training done with dolphins.

   Hence, I thought the book quite expensive for the amount of practical information it contained.




5. Karen Pryor, the author of this book, is the woman who introduced clicker training into the dog training's world. As a dolphin trainer, she was convinced that the animal friendly method she used for training dolphins would work for dogs as well. And how right she was! Clicker training is now used by countless training schools and individual dog owners all over the world.

   "Getting Started: Clicker Training for Dogs" explains what clicker training is, why you should use it and especially HOW to use it. Clicker training is not about the clicker or about food! It is about reinforcement and correct timing, in such a way that information is communicated between trainer and dog. Together you and the dog will learn a new way of interacting. Learn from this book how training can be FUN, both for you and your dog!

   P.S.: no, clicker training is NOT about trick training (although you can use it to learn your dog funny tricks)! Learn from this book how to communicate with your dog using a clicker, and teach him to sit, lay down, heel, stay, NOT to jump up, NOT to pull etc. Enjoy!

5 comments about Horse Health Care: A Step-By-Step Photographic Guide to Mastering Over 100 Horsekeeping Skills (Horsekeeping Skills Library).

1. This is a good basic book for beginners, but if you have any experience with horses at all it will be WAY to basic for you. it doesn't even mention colic! It should at least list the warning signs. The leg wrapping sections are useful, but really, does anyone really step by step instructions about how to put a blanket on a horse?



2. This is a great book for the new owner who hasn't been brought up aroung horses. It has great pictures and goes into a lot of detail about nutrition, vaccinations, illness/injury, age characteristics ect.



3. This is truly for a first-horse owner or someone who is leasing a horse and who wants to learn the basics of horse health care. I found several of the chapters useful for treatments that I needed to give for the first time, but there are other sections that aren't as practical and there is a lot of space devoted to black and white photographs, which are not too useful either as it's difficult to look for differences in texture or coloration that the text elaborates on. Having said this, for a true beginner it is an adequate foundation and would be appropriate for a younger rider/reader as well.



4. In my opinion, this book is not worth buying, unless you are truly a beginner. And even then, you will quickly outgrow this book. It contains practices that you can quickly pick up at the stable where your lessons are. To learn them from others at your stable will more likely help you, because it will be in more detail and you will watch someone do it.



5. Without Cherry Hill and her books with all the pictures I am sure I would have been panicking at every little scratch on my horses. She explains things so a non-horse person can understand without having to run to dictionaries or other horse reference books to look up her explaination. I buy all her books as I find them and enjoy her friendly way of writing. Thank you Cherry Hill for taking the time to make the explaination interesting and informative.

No comments about Horse, a Portrait: A Photographer's Life With Horses.