5 comments about A New Owner's Guide to Papillons.

1. THIS BOOK WAS FULL OF USEFUL INFORMATION. I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH IT. IT ALSO, CAME COMPLETE WITH PHOTOS AND VALUABLE TRAINING INFORMATION.



2. This ia a small yet very informative book for anyone who wants to learn about the breed. I am the first time owner of Papillon and this book was a lot of help. Along with other valuable information I learned from it that Papillon is a very fragile dog that gets along well with cats and most small dogs, but should never be around large dogs, also is not a very good pet for small kids. I also enjoyed the friendly manner in which the book is written and very nice color pictures.



3. I selected this book in order to gain an understanding of the Papillon and am very pleased with Deborah Wood's style and presentation. The color photographs are excellent in conjunction with explanations of the nature and qualities of Papillons and the care and cautions required in being responsible for this small, lovely dog.



4. There was alot of interesting facts and tidbits in this book. It was informative but not opinionated.
   
   It was an indepth reference like that of an encyclopedia.
   I recommend for any new Papillon owner. Veteran owners should and will already have this basic knowledge.



5. Was very dissapointed. Did not think this book was as breed specific as other reviews claimed. Most advice seemed very generic. Housebreaking section was very limited and did not offer advice for difficult dogs. Also, another problem I was experiencing; teething, biting and chewing, was not even addressed in the book. Good for history of breed, but advice section was extremely limited. Would not recommend if you are looking for advice with various problems.

5 comments about Training Your Boxer (Training Your Dog Series).

1. Highly recommended for the prospective boxer owner. Offers a unique perspective to training the boxer and covers most facets of ownership. Lots of good practical information in terms anyone can understand. Have read the book repeatedly and glean more information each time. Will be a continuing source of reference as my boxer matures. Thanks to Joan Walker for this outstanding practical guide.



2. very useful book. packed full of common sense advice that is easily adapatable to your personal situation with your dog - whether he/she is a puppy or older dog. I'm glad I read this book and would reccommend it to anyone who is considering or has gotten a boxer - they are a special breed with their own unique personality traits and it is very helpful to understand how they think when training them.



3. This book tells of numerous ways to train your boxer so you can pick which method works best for your dog. Easy to follow instructions makes training fun and alot less daunting.



4. I found this to be well written and informative. A good buy.



5. It's great to see the author writing customer reviews of their own book? Turned me off from buying the book. How stupid does she think people are?

5 comments about Pug Mugs: Good Pugs Gone Bad.

1. I bought this book for my sister in law and brother, they both love pugs. I love this book! So cute and funny!



2. You will laugh out loud on every page...this little book is a treasure and really brightened a dreary day here at the office for myself and my colleagues. YOU WILL LOVE IT.



3. Erica Asahan wrote:
   
   All I have to say is 'HILACUTSIELUV" Every household should have this book! It's very cute and funny! Pugs are so adorable!



4. What an adorable pug book full of pug pictures or mugs as it is titled. It is a very cute book for pug lovers of all ages!!



5. Anybody who loves pugs will love this book. It is funny with cute pictures and equally cute captions and stories about pugs.

5 comments about Excel-Erated Learning: Explaining in Plain English How Dogs Learn and How Best to Teach Them.

1. This book is for anyone who wishes to compete in obedience competition, become a pro dog trainer or has an interest in understanding the canine brain and how they learn. It's not for your average pet owner or first time dog owner. I enjoyed this book and it has made me a better trainer.



2. I was very disappointed with this book. It is certainly not in plain English, focused way too much on theories and makes it not very approachable. I was hoping to find practical solutions, not some professor talk. To some extent I can only blame myself: only a PhD can write something like that and then put "plain English" in the title. Next time I will make sure I check the author's background first...



3. This book is a must for anyone serious about training dogs. Scientific mumbo jumbo is streamlined for the rest of us.



4. This has to be about the worse book I have ever attempted to read related to dog behavior. It is a difficult read in that it is mostly theoretical statements with absolutely no practical suggestions as how to approach and solve dog issues. I threw it in the trash about 5 minutes after I began browsing through it.



5. Simply excellent. It explained in clear terms how and why many techniques work and where they might go wrong. As someone who competes in obedience regularly I would highly recommend giving this book a read.

3 comments about French Bulldogs (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).

1. I really enjoyed this book, it in real speak talks about the breed and details many aspects. It is very conversationaly and informative. Buy and enjoy!



2. I bought this book on a whim as I already have plenty of other similar books but to my delight I found it to be funny and insightful as well as interesting and informative. The authors obviously have in-depth knowledge of this lovely breed and will give the reader many chuckles as they comment on the Frenchies quirks and peculiarities. However, it is also an excellent guide for the prospective owner giving good, sound information (and masses of photos)on how to look after a special little dog.



3. This is an excellent resource for anyone considering a french bulldog. (I also recommend it if you just like lots of cute puppy pictures!) It's packed full of everything you need to know about your frenchie, with special attention paid to health and training issues. Please make this book your first step in acquiring a french bulldog. Proper research is key to finding the right dog for you!

5 comments about Second Chances: More Tales of Found Dogs.

1. The dogs' stories are very moving and inspirational, but anytime you have a book that takes stories from multiple people, there are always going to be some that just aren't that well written. I felt like that took away from the impact of the book.



2. This is a good book with lots of short stories about dogs given second chances



3. Every day we read about the horrible things people do to each other, to their children, and to animals. This book lifted my spirit by letting me know there are still some good people out there. There are still people who care about what happens to a poor stray dog, or an animal that is scheduled to die. They may be few, but they are out there.



4. ... but this book was a let down for me. Almost each and every story was poorly written and I could not really "feel" for the stories the way that I wanted to and the way that I think these animals "deserve". It was mostly "... and then this happened, and then that and then that and now we are happy together..."
   
   Could have been a much better book in my opinion!



5. [...]
   Second Chance is a touching story about adoption. Mom and Ryan, her adopted autistic son, go to an animal shelter to adopt a dog. Chance is a Rottweiler, German Shepherd mix puppy. He is now Ryan's dog. Chance has to adjust to having two smaller brothers and a smaller sister. He has to learn Mom's rules. Chance is a lucky dog to live with such a loving family. The front cover is beautifully illustrated. I read this story to my 6 and 7-year-old grandchildren. Unfortunately, it did not hold their attention. The illustrations inside the book are dark and muted. The printing is in white, which made it hard to read. Personally, I liked the plot, but it lacks appeal to children.

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

1. Really lovely book, easy to read, looks of interesting points, made up my husbands mind to buy a Shiba



2. Good, book but short/small. If you really want to learn about Shiba's I would get something a little more extensive. But, it did the job.



3. This book was great for learning about specific care needs of the Shiba, personality traits of the Shiba, and breeding and showing your Shiba.



4. Concise but packed with breed-specific information. Very very helpful as I start educating myself more on this wonderful breed!



5. A basic book. Gives you a bottom line what the Dog is. A good help if you decide to get one and have no idea what they are like. This dog has alot of pluses. They are a great breed but not for everyone. What dog is?

No comments about Bad Dog Page-A-Day Calendar 2009 (Original Page a Day Calendars).

5 comments about Training Pointing Dogs, 2nd.

1. I read this book in no time at all and was looking for some training techniques that would help my dog and I become better hunters. The book was informative although it was somewhat outdated and should be updated. If you could overlook the idea of burning your dogs nose with a cigar,cigarette or a lighter to get him to release a bird, then the book may be an asset. After I read that I was kind of turned off by the author for even suggesting such an idea. Was that the best idea that he could come up with to get the dog to release a bird? Other than that the book was helpful



2. This book is the worst training guide I have ever read. Suggested training techniques, such as applying burning cigars and cigarette lighters to a dogs nostril, are unnecessary, cruel, and illegal in most countries. I am a South African field trialist and have acted as field steward and learner judge, and can confidently state that if even the more reasonable of the techniques advocated in this book were applied at any Field Trial club or trial (or organized hunt) in South Africa the handler would be summarily expelled, his dogs confiscated, and he would be reported to the police. Ironically, most of the techniques suggested are sure to be counterproductive and break the dogs spirit. Pointers and setters do require a certain amount of discipline, but respond far better to positive reinforcement.
   
   
   There are a number of far better training guides, which will provide you with a wide ranging yet responsive dog. Probably the best of these is a book entitled "Dog Breaking", written by a General W.N Hutchinson in 1850. Despite the title, the General advocates what later came to be termed positive reinforement and writes that "(The) brutal usage of a fine high couraged dog (by) Men who had a strong arm and a hard heart to punish - but no temper and no head to instruct (has) made my blood boil." He would probably have used a horsewhip on Paul Long.



3. I bought this book on Amazon and literally read the whole text in about an hour.
   It offers solid advice that is based on fundamental techniques to training a
   pointer. I have applied SOME of the techniques to the training of my new Vizsla
   puppy with solid results. He is coming along very well. If you notice....I used
   the word SOME. Readers don't have to do everything Long writes about. The author
   writes about what has worked for him in the past and works the majority of time.
   What works for Long may or may not work with your dog. With this book, a few
   DVD's on training, hours of time and patience working with your dog, you should
   be successful. Just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day..training your dog should be approached the exact same way.



4. This book is an o.k. read and offers some good information if you don't mind sifting through the outdated advice. (First Copyright in 1974).



5. Had I known that the book was written for bird hunters I would have saved myself the trouble.

5 comments about Puppy Chow Is Better Than Prozac: The True Story of a Man and the Dog Who Saved His Life.

1. Everyone needs to read this book, whether you are a dog lover or not. A truly inspiring story.



2. Being a dog owner and a person who lives with bipolar disorder, this book caught my attention. I waited a few weeks to read it, but once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book in a 24 hour period. The author's depiction of living and struggling with bipolar disorder is so real. I am very glad that he was so honest, as it will help people understand what we are dealing with.
   I have been through some struggles with bipolar disorder and my dogs have been there with me through it all. I don't know how I could be here today if it were not for my babies.
   I have a better grasp on my bipolar disorder because of this book. It really touched me!



3. Bruce Goldstein clearly put 110% into this book, not one person can deny him that. However, his writing leaves a lot to be desired. He states in the introduction when he was writing this novel that he drank pot after pot of coffee and it is clearly reflected in his writing. Coming from an understanding of bipolar disorder, I would say that the entire book save for the very last chapter 11 years later was written during his manic episodes.
   
   As I read a lot of other reviews I was disappointed to see that several people criticized him for the way the book was written centered around his illness. Hello this was the whole purpose of the book itself? Other people were focused simply on Ozzy and call this a book for dog lovers. I am puzzled by this also because I found that the parts with Ozzy and especially the parts where he goes trolling to meet people and the irritating descriptions of "Pupeeeeeeeeeeeee! Look at the puppeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" were tedious. He basically describes that all of us dog lovers turn into blathering, mindless 'puppeeeeeeeeee" idiots when we see a dog.
   
   I admire Bruce for putting himself out there and really trying to cope wiht his manic depression. His dedication to Ozzy is doubtless throughout the whole book. I think that he gives a great insight to people who want to learn a bit about the manic side of bipolar disorder to what it is truly like. However, the middle section of him getting Ozzy and the endless descriptions of puppy potty habits leaves the reader lacking and detracts from his story. Potty training it one thing, but constant talk of fecal matter is another.
   
   Overall I would recommend this book to people who want to learn about bipolar disorder and enjoy dogs (both, together, not either or, this is not a book for dog lovers who could care less about the mental illness piece). However, I would not recommend paying $17 for it.



4. I have had several friends with bi-polar disorder and a boyfriend that was much like Bruce. Yikes. I don't wish that situation on anyone. For me the book was tedious and a bit over the top, but then I thought, "THAT is mental illness." Everything is magnified. The book actually made me much more sympathetic to those with mental illness as I can't even imagine how many of those people get from one day to the next. Obviously many don't. A homeless man in British Columbia (who suffers from mental illness) had one of his dogs taken from him and all he wanted was his dog back. Michael Phelps, on an interview with TODAY, just wanted to see his dog. Dogs do something for all of us. If Ozzy gave Bruce his life back then not a big surprise to the many, many of us who's lives dogs touch. Not sure if I'd recommend this book just based on the tedium. Not every sentence needs to be a ringer.



5. Hi,
   I just want to share a little story. My baby girl Abby was a shepard/ rot mix and she was 10 when she left this world. I am bipolar / manic depressed and the story in this book is so true. Abby loved me unconditionally and I her When I was real down she was there. When I was feeling better she was there. True friendship and love. This book reminded me so much of what happened to me and how she helped me through the bad times. Now that she is gone I can,t help but think what will happen now but the words in this book ring true A dog is more than a best friend it IS A LIFE SAVER and I hope it will inspire more people to seek help. Depression is an illness that some of us have to deal with and we need all the help we can get. I myself don,t know what the future will bring but if I could have her back for just one day I think I could make it but now we all have our own demons to fight and PUPPY'S ARE BETTER THAN ANY DRUG
   Kevin Stenson