No comments about Competitive Obedience.

5 comments about Perro De Presa Canario: Special Rare-Breed Edition : A Comprehensive Owner's Guide (Kennel Club Dog Breed Series).

1. A must read an a book that should be added to one home's library for those researching a possible family dog companion and guardian and or Dog Fanicer of Working Dog Breeds . In addition, beautiful photos of various Presas. Its author Manuel Curto Gracia is a breeder an expert from the Canary Islands who has played a part in introducing the Presa to Dog Lovers throughout the world .



2. This is the only book I have found on this breed of dog. Very informative.



3. This was a solid book on the breed. It was factual and mostly specific to the presa canario, although there was a lot of boilerplate in the training and health sections. But it was a good introduction for anyone interested in the breed. The pictures were top-notch.
   
   Although the training section was good, it is really just an introduction to the topics -- a novice should get a more in-depth book or professional advice.



4. This easy to read book provides all the information you need about this rare breed. It's complete with photos, training tips, diagrams and fascinating as well as essential information.



5. I purchased this book during the first week of owning my new presa puppy. Although I was somewhat familiar with the breed through internet research and message boards, it was good to have a hardcover book that covered the history of the breed as well as on that provided information to the presa owner on what to expect throughout the life of my pet. It gave excellent tips on how to deal with the behavior of a presa from the chewing and jumping my puppy does right on through to the aggression I hope I never experience with my dog. Thanks for the solid foundation. I wish there were more pictures on what the dogs look like each month from the time they are born until they are adults. All in all, I think it's a great book and I'm glad to have it as a reference.

5 comments about Gone to the Dogs (Dog Lover's Mysteries).

1. if not the best. Also as someone pointed out, a great Christmas mystery. Conant writes about dogs with love. About people less so. But this is a satisfying mystery, both for dog lovers and mystery lovers in general. Cozy mysteries don't get much better than this.



2. Although it's not Christmas, I enjoyed this Christmas mystery, as I have enjoyed all the books so far in this series aimed at dog fanciers everywhere. This was an excellent story, as well as a chance to see Rowdy and Kimi again. I am getting quite fond of Rowdy and Kimi. The book is about disaappearances and an "anal retentive" vet. Steve has finally given in to Lorraine and accepted that he requires another vet to help run his burgeoning practice. So Lorraine hires a new vet and he and his wife come to Cambridge. Althought the vet seemes competent, Holly has a few misgivings. The book is a little different as no bodies turn up, but that doesn't spoil the mystery. This is a very enjoyable series, and I can't wait to read the next one.



3. The 5th book in the Dog Lover's mystery series follows Holly Winter, dog lover/owner, on her next case. It seems that Holly and her two Malamutes, Kimi and Rowdy, are always finding themselves in the middle of investigations! This case involves missing vet, Oscar Patterson, and Holly cannot seem to let the mystery go. She asks mutual friends for information regarding the vet, and soon learns that another acquaintance has vanished, supposedly with the vet. Have these two run off together or was it murder? Can Holly and her two canine companions solve this case?

   I have enjoyed the four previous books in the series and was a bit surprised by this installment. The author has signed with a new publisher, and I noticed right away that this book was much longer than the previous four. Even though her books were always pretty cerebral, this one seemed much more so to me. I enjoy the fact that I have to "think" I bit more when I am reading Conant's books, but at times I found the storyline a bit hard to follow. However, I love all of the aspects involving the dogs, and I believe that these books offer a wealth of information regarding dogs. As the author has done in the past, in this book she focuses on one topic of pet ownership that she feels strongly about. In this book, the author speaks strongly about harsh training methods, and the "unprofessional" trainers that practice them. If you are interested in dogs and like mysteries (albeit not the "simple" variety) this is a good series for you!

   The first book in this series is "Paws Before Dying". Enjoy!

   A Cozy Lover




4. "Gone to the Dogs" is the 5th installment in the Holly Winter Mystery Saga, but the first with a new publisher. I like what this publishing change has done for the quality of these books. Conant, always a good writer, has expanded her typical story length by a good hundred pages. This allows her to fill her stories out a little more making the pace and flow of the plotting better.

   Diehard mystery fans might be disappointed with the level of mystery in these books. There is a mystery but it isn't that intricate, nor is it approached like a typical mystery novel.

   The strength of these books is the information, research, and history given of dogs and show events. When I started this series I never though a dog mystery could be interesting in any way. But like any good author, Conant is able to fuel her passion into her writing getting you caught up in the enthusiasm. I've learned a lot about dogs reading these books, and I've enjoyed every minute of it.




5. Ms. Conant once again outdoes herself with this one. I have read all of her books and this is one of my favorites. This is an excellent read for mystery buffs as well as dog lovers.

5 comments about The Essential Shih Tzu (Howell Book House's Essential).

1. I fould this book very informative. I just brought home a shih tzu puppy and it helped.



2. This is my favorite book on Shih Tzu. When we have a little of puppies each family goes home with one of these books in their "puppy bags". A must have for the serious Shih Tzu owner.



3. My Shih Tzu recently had puppies so I bought a bunch of these books to give to the new owners of them and I think its great for an owner and a new Shih Tzu owner as well, its easy reading and straight to the point.



4. This is the first time I am getting a dog and it really help me in every way.



5. This is a great book for the new Shih Tzu owner - breeders should think about adding it to the new puppy packets they give to new owners - pretty color pictures

3 comments about Bullmastiff (Comprehensive Owners Guide).

1. This book is a must have for people who are planning on being or are currently bullmastiff owners. It covers everything history of the breed, characteristics and standards, puppy care, mature care, training, healthcare, and showing. Not to mention, this book looks nice. It has great pictures and an attractive cover.



2. This book is very useful for first time bullmastiff owners. I would recommend it to anyone who plans to buy or just wants to learn about bullmastiffs.



3. the author has a good approach on every topic... many good information about this wonderful and rare breed... to be perfect it could only have a little more topics about training ....

2 comments about The Family in Dog Behavior Consulting.

1. Understand I'm a layman, not a professional. And, yes, I did see "dog behavior consulting" in the title. :-) To be honest, I bought this because we have seven people in and out of our house and we've been raising two dogs. I expected something different but I still found this a useful resource. The author is described as both family therapist and dog behavior consultant. She is obviously sensitive to both dogs and people - if that's possible. I'm guessing this would be a useful handbook for dog behavior consultants even if you don't consider yourself a "positive dog trainer" because of the family elements that she highlights and strategies she purposes. It's nicely laid out and easy to use with short chapters divided into shorter sections, lists, charts. She's practical and down to earth. Even though it wasn't what I expected, I definately found it interesting and worth looking at.



2. To begin with I would like to include a quote that describes my opinion regarding this book."
   
   "Talent is the ability to hit a target others cannot hit; genius is the ability to hit a hit a target others cannot see." Schopenhauer/author
   
   Lynn Hoover's new book is a refreshing change which includes a comprehensive outlook regarding treating the dog's "problem behaviors" within the context of the family and other support personnel.
   
   As an applied behavior analyst by trade and experience with people,and animals specifically horses, the book provides an interdisciplinary process based upon systematic procedures validated in the behavioral world as "state of the art treatment". Buy the book and improve the quality of life for your animals and your family. Debbie Strother, MS, BCBA, CABA/Equine

5 comments about The Tao of Bow Wow: Understanding and Training Your Dog the Taoist Way.

1. The exercise of you being a dog while another person attempts to "train" you without using words is outstanding. The book really reminds you to be very clear and focused when dealing with your dog. I am a first time dog owner, and I would higly recommend it. My only problem is that I wish it dealt with aggressive behavioral problems more in depth.



2. I like her training methods -- positive reinforcement, no negative "punishment." But, she's not the first to suggest this, nor necessarily the best. I definitely felt that the "Tao" part was an merely added as an attempt to set her "style" apart from others -- a superfulous & poorly integrated attempt in my opinion. Was a waste of my money; we've been training for 3 years.



3. The Toa of Bow Wow is a super cool book. The author reminds us that it is an honor to share our life with a dog and that it is our obligation to train our dogs in a respectful and loving manner. She encourges the reader to think like your dog and to not expect your dog to think like you - remove your ego from the relationship. It is a beautifully written narative on the special bond between dogs and their human compainions.



4. Another excellent book that treats animals(dogs) as the thinking, loving life forms that they are. We share this planet with some amazing, fellow creatures. Dogs are one of the most interesting and intelligent. We have taken them from their packs and placed them into our homes. We have the responsibility to provide ourselves and our home as their new pack and den. They understand us far better than we understand them. Deborah Wood helps you understand them and their world as only a sensitive, intelligent observer can.



5. This book should be the standard in training a dog. I thoroughly reccomend this book, and the use of Taoist techniques in the obedience training of a dog.

5 comments about The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beagles.

1. As the owner of a rescue beagle, I found this book to be incredibly helpful. This book provides a full range of history about this delightful breed of hound. I was able to determine what materials and equipment my hound would need. It is an excellent book for all owners of beagles, from happy pet owners to people interested in showing their hounds. My beagle is a lovable and trusty pet, so I was mainly interested in the parts aimed at pet owners.
   
   A good book and no doubt beagle owners and those who love beagles will enjoy it as well.



2. This book is helpful to any beagle owner. It covers all of the basics and goes into plenty of detail for just about anything you might want to know about your beagle or to consider when thinking about welcoming a beagle into your family. The book does go into quite a bit of detail about breed standards and AKC events and whatnot. Unfortunately if you don't have an AKC registered dog none of this pertains to you. Good intentions abound, but the level of snobbery in the AKC will keep plenty of good dogs (maybe even better *gasp* dogs) from field and agility trials. This isn't a downfall of the book, but if you're like me and have a rescued or adopted beagle, or even one thats just been fixed, much of this book is useless as it pertains to AKC or Nat'l Beagle Club trials and events. I would have liked to see just a little more coverage of training and behavioral issues, but the information overall is pertinant and usefull. Whether you have a registered beagle or not this book is a good tool and packs plenty of bang for the buck.



3. Having grown up with a beagle, I thought I knew this breed, but author Kim Campbell Thornton pleasantly surprised me with new facts and insights into all that is Beagle. Her book covers everything you need from nose to the white tip of the tail. I especially enjoyed the Beagle Bonus pullout boxes. This is a must read for anyone blessed to have a Beagle in their life.



4. Just had to comment on The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beagles...a couple of years ago I decided that I'd like to have a beagle again...I had one during my teen years...and thought that a little research was in order. I was right and this book covered so many facets of beagle behavior that I realized that I would have to learn to accomodate if I was to have a meaningful realtionship with one of the little darlings. The book gave me a much better idea of what my expectations should be and what kinds of compromises and precautions I would have to make to make beagle ownership a joy and not a trial for both me and the dog.
   
   Both Poochie and I give it five stars!



5. Found this book to be the answer to all. Very enlightening!

No comments about Puppies: 2009 Mini Day-to-Day Calendar.

4 comments about Dogfriendly.com's California and the West Dog Travel Guide.

1. This is the perfect traveling companion book for those who never leave their dogs behind. Do check for updates though. The Arizona section is pretty lean...there are many places dogs are allowed in Northern Arizona that are not included in the book. We take our two Lhasa Apso's with us everywhere and wouldn't leave home without this book!!!!!



2. Any who would travel with a pet in California, and any libraries catering to California pet owners - which is most general-interest California collections - needs CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST DOG TRAVEL GUIDE. It highlights all kinds of lodging, from standard hotels and motels to upscale resorts, campgrounds and RV parks too, and includes assessments of attractions that welcome dogs as well. This means dog owners can now plan a holiday without the usual uncertainty of what to do with a pet (take it along!), and can travel with confidence knowing exactly where the pet parks, beaches, and even restaurants with pet-friendly patios are located. It's a unique, essential acquisition.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. The guide pointed us to many interesting locations which were fun for both the humans and the dogs. We found a few dog-friendly locations that were not in the book, but never a location that was listed as dog-friendly that turned out to be dog-unfriendly.



4. Was really helpful. Wished it included more about the states other than CA, but it is suggested by the title that this might be the case !