5 comments about How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do.

1. ...for anyone who owns a dog, plans on getting a dog, or is simply curious about the workings of canine mind. Coren does not over-anthropomorphize, nor does he alienate dogs or attempt to describe them as mere objects for study, as the scientifically minded are prone to do--instead he strikes a balance, admitting that dogs do have feelings and emotions in their own way, but that they are not exactly like us. There really need to be more authors out there like Stanley.
   
   The book's contents have been thoroughly researched, the information backed up with some very interesting examples and stories, and the conclusions are entirely believable--for those who aren't stuck under the belief that animals are nothing but organic machines. All in all it is a highly informative and detailed book, but still an easy read and you will find yourself looking forward to reading the next chapter... and the next... and the next!



2. Coren is a master of communication. His fluid style with easy to understand 'technical' terms, interspersed with some light hearted explanations and asides makes this book one of the very best for anyone with even a passing interest in dogs, how they think and how they interact.
   
   Coren is undoubtedly one of the great Masters when it comes to the canine world and this, one of his many books ranks as one of his best.
   
   The subjects covered here leave the reader with an incredibly clear insight into what every dog owner needs to and should know.
   
   This is one of those books that should be on the shelf of every school library as the importance of understanding dogs in our society is so very much underestimated.
   
   "How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do" offers one of those rare insights into "Man's best friend", that is a joy to have.
   
   Read it and understand what goes on in "Fido's" mind and you will share a far better bond with your dog than you can imagine.
   
   Reviewed by: Australian Canine Psychology Centre & Paws Are Us - Animal Behaviour Consultants.



3. As the owner of an established pet care business, and the parent of a rescue dog with severe aggression issues, I've read just about every book on dogs you can imagine. How To Speak Dog is without a doubt the single most informative and interesting book relating to dogs that I've ever read. Coren's detailed and precise explanation of canine body language has helped me aniticipate and prevent acts of aggression by my troubled dog a countless number of times; the book has opened my eyes to all the communicating our client's dogs have been doing with us and each other, and we've been able to resolve a number of behavioral issues with our clients simply because we are able to understand what the dog is telling us about why it does what it does. The book is also an enjoyable read; remarkably, Coren manages to make reading ultra detailed scientific information pleasant, not tedious. Every dog owner should have this book on their coffee table, and every dog professional should have it in a holster at their hip.



4. This book makes so much sense. The author writes in language clearly understandable to laypersons, with lots of examples and cited studies. This book has answered a lot of the questions I have about what my dog is doing; what she senses; and what she might be thinking. The author shows how genetics and instinct translate from wolves and wild dogs all the way down to the cute little furballs we keep around our houses.



5. The book was not at all a fun read! Almost every chapter was boring and non informative. The book goes on and on and yet you still feel you have not read anything of intrest.

5 comments about Give Your Dog a Bone: The Practical Commonsense Way to Feed Dogs for a Healthy Life.

1. I highly recommend this book to anyone thinking of feeding their dog a raw diet. Dr. Billinghurst provides subtantial information on the benefits of feeding raw over processed food and makes it easy to understand what is required to properly feed your dog for a longer and healthier life. Most raw feeders consider this book their primary reference. It is not an easy find, especially at a reasonable price, and I was thoroughly delighted to find it available at Amazon. The condition of the book was exactly as described and the transaction was simple and speedy.



2. I bought this book about 8 years ago, when my Boxer wasn't doing well on any commercial diet (I tried a few premium brand foods). He also had lots of other ailments and I was one of my vet's best clients.
   After starting him on Dr. Billinghurst's ORIGINAL diet of raw meaty bones along with vegetables, I haven't needed a vet, except for rabies shots when I wanted to take him with me to Germany, and when he needed stitches in his ear after a fight. I was so happy that he was so healthy!
   Of course, unfortunately there is no guarantee that your dog will not get ill when fed an exclusively raw diet.
   My beautiful boy was diagnosed with malignant lymphoma at the age of 8 years and 9 months. The cell-types were of a kind that couldn't be cured with chemotherapy. We did enjoy another 3 months of playfull and quality time together, until I had to take the final decision.
   My other dog (now 5 years old) has been fed a raw diet since he came to us at age 13 weeks, and has only been to the vet to be chipped and to have his puppy-shots and/or rabies shots. He has never been ill during these past 5 years.
   Since Dr. Billinghurst's book I read a lot of other books on this topic, but I did find his book helpful for the starter on the path to B.A.R.F., that I was then. I re-read it a couple of times throughout the years.
   The only thing that surprised me and I think is a pity, is the price...



3. I found a boon with Dr. Billinghurst's book "Give Your Dog a Bone." I've been an advocate of home made meals for some years now. I knew dogs needed the calcium from bones. I thought it was enough to provide ground bone in their meals. I never anticipated that pets might derive satisfaction from doing what God intended them to. Rip, tear and crunch. My dog, up to that point, had been happily living on pooch meat patties I bought from the market. In this book, Dr. Billinghurst condemned these. He said they robbed a dog of satisfaction.
   
   Made sense to me. My dog is a rescue. She has issues. She needed some satisfaction.
   
   It was so funny giving her her first chicken wing. She had NO idea what to do with it. This really surprised me! She knew she wanted it. She whined and danced around the bone. She licked it and whined some more. My Persian, on the other hand, took to it like Jabba the Hutt.
   
   In the past, she'd had taken only two or three minutes to wolf down her food. Sometimes she'd barf it right back up. Too much, too fast. But with the wings, she takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes to eat. She really enjoys her food. Often she makes little noises like a nursing puppy.
   
   To top it off, she had an emotional break through as a result. As an abused dog, Honey had a lot of issues. Some manifested as her over eating. Some manifested as destructive behavior. After putting her on raw meaty bones (complimented with Orbee Tough toys during the day), these behaviors ended. Also, while she remains a very high energy pooch, she is no longer manic.
   
   The sad ending to this story is that, I just discovered Dr. Billinghurst has sold out. I liked his book so much I went looking for more. Sadly, his third book advocates exactly what he condemns in his first book. Prefab doggie meat patties. I guess he smelled the profit factor.
   
   While it's true that a dog can live a happy life on these patties, don't deny your dog the satisfaction of a raw meaty bone.
   
   Also, I have an issue with Brewer's Yeast. If you won't give your pet by-products of a meat plant, why give them by-products of a brewery? Brewer's yeast is bitter and can cause gas. The alternative is often cheaper as well. Because the focus is health. Not making profit off of trash. "Nutritional yeast" is grown specifically for its nutrient qualities. It has a mild cheddar taste that both my dog and my cats love. You can sprinkle it on food or mix it with a little water and flax seed oil to make a yummy and nutritious sauce. As a side note, it goes great on popcorn.



4. Dr. Billinghurst has done it again. This is a great book for Raw feeders, which I am. I use all the Billinghurst books as my "Bible" of raw feeding and information.
   A must have for every raw feeder IMO..



5. Suddenly you realize you are what you eat, and we are all designed to function best with the right diet, man or beast.

3 comments about Buddy: The First Seeing Eye Dog (Hello Reader!, Level 4).

1. The characters are Buddy, the first seeing eye dog, his master that was blind, the person who trained Buddy and the person who trained Buddy's master.
   
   It took place in a big field, on a boat and in his master's home.
   
   Buddy was trained to be a seeing eye dog. His master was trained to know how to take care of Buddy.
   
   This book is awesome! It was exciting and fun and it had a dramatic ending.



2. The characters are Buddy, the first seeing eye dog, his master that was blind, the person who trained Buddy and the person who trained Buddy's master.
   
   It took place in a big field, on a boat and in his master's home.
   
   Buddy was trained to be a seeing eye dog. His master was trained to know how to take care of Buddy.
   
   This book is awesome! It was exciting and fun and it had a dramatic ending.



3. This book is an excellent chronical of The Seeing Eye, yet written in language a child can understand. The examples of exciting events punctuate and enliven the text.

5 comments about German Shepherds for Dummies.

1. I've had this book for two years now and agree with many other reviewers. While the information in the book is helpful in a general sense, the cover picture and title could be changed and it could apply to any dog breed. Really nothing specific about German Shepherds.



2. This is a very good book on the basics of owning a German Shepherd and has many helpful suggestions.



3. I'm new to dog ownership and I just adopted an 18-month old German Shepherd Dog from a local shelter. I wanted to learn as much as I could about dogs, specifically GSD's so I ordered this book. My observations are:
   
   1) The book is informative and covers I wide range of topics, i.e., training, feeding, housebreaking, etc.
   2) This book can be used as a reference guide so you don't need to read the entire book if you just need advice on specific issues.
   3) This book was easy to read and I read the entire book in a few days.
   4) Although I gained some knowledge from this book, many of the items covered I was able to find quite easily on the internet for free.
   5) This book was inexpensive and available through Amazon with free shipping, which is how I got it.
   
   Bottom line: If you don't mind spending a few dollars, this is a nice reference guide to have. Otherwise, you can find this information for free on the internet.



4. I liked this book because it gave me a lot of information on how to take care of a german shepherd and general techniques of what to do if they are sick, what to feed them, etc.



5. I was surprised by all the negative feedback on the book. I really liked it. I know it's not pure, pure, GSD, but dogs are dogs, you're going to run into some overlap.
   
   I wish I had bought the book, before I got my dog, but it was still helpful none the less. I got my GSD from German Shepherd Rescue. The book talks about like programs as well as breeders.
   
   If you're thinking about getting a GSD, I'd recommend the book.

3 comments about The Companion Species Manifesto: Dogs, People, and Significant Otherness.

1. This is a lovely, engaging short volume. It was just the right mix of theory and very pragmatic discussion to appeal to anyone from the reader who just plain loves dogs ... to those interested in better understanding contemporary scientific discourses.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. The previous comment seems to me to miss the plot of Haraway's text. I don't mean to cause offense by saying this, but only to explain why I feel like I should write. The way I read this manifesto, Haraway is working to lay out a social metaphysics that takes relations with radical otherness as integral to and inseparable from any identity. Classical liberalist / modernist theory imagines humans as fundamentally discrete and fungible. This necessarily produces hostility to anything marked as other (e.g., women, dogs, nature, etc.). By drawing off her earlier cyborg theory, Whitehead's process metaphysics, and her own very intimate and concrete relationship with her beloved companion, Haraway is working to construct an intimate and concrete conceptual alternative. This is probably not a text that you would want to wander into without at least some previous (e.g., undergrad) introduction to 3rd wave feminist theory.



3. The traditional contradictions found in relationships between human/nature, nature/machine, art/science, have no place in this work by Donna Haraway. In The Companion Species Manifesto (2003), Haraway spends a fair portion of the book in what seems to be a possible beginning of a future book; in honor of Foucault, she might name it "The Birth of the Kennel" (61). Haraway's distinctively postmodernist style gives voice to those groups who otherwise do not have any; she speaks mostly of dogs in the book but notes that the dog is really a metaphor, "Let the dog stand for all domestic plant and animal species, subjected to human intent in stories of escalating progress or destruction, according to taste" (28). The relationships between human and dog are seen as creating a new history, one that breaks down the traditionally bifurcated social construction among the species.
   Humans more and more are defining themselves, their activity, and their lifestyle with dogs (companion species) in mind. This may be truer in Western cultures, but there is a curious "emergent natureculture" emanating in modern society, one that sees human-pet relations as central to one's being. Dogs are not only welcomed at some houses, they are expected, because they participate in the social structure we have created, a pack of humans and dogs with clearly delineated rules of social interaction and an equally clear, although often challenged hierarchy. The animals and humans interact within curious sets of relationships. Dogs and humans are certainly not the same species, no matter how large we define species as, but Haraway's attempt at deconstructing relationships and reconstructing them in terms of intra-specie relations is both creative and difficult to conjure. While this book was a good read, it seems incomplete at times and could use some further fleshing out of the logic and themes.

5 comments about ABC.

1. I wondered if Wegman could surpass himself once again and he sure does. A generous treat for all ages with irresistible examples of how to find the soul of a weimaraner or two.
   An ABC changed into very heaven.



2. We originally found this book at the library. We wore it out in the two weeks we had it. The only problem was when the book was put together it was not in order. My kids wanted to check it out again but I was afraid they would think that was the order of the alphabet so I ordered them their own copy. The pictures are great and they will use the phrases from each letter over and over again. It's helped my three year old recognize letters everywhere. We bought a few more Wegman books because we enjoyed this one sooo much!



3. This was one of my son's first favorite books. He would listen to me read it as many times as I was willing, and because of Wegman's non-cutesy approach, that was many times indeed. Although the dog-formed letters aren't as clear as text, they don't need to be - there are many other instances of the letters on each page, and hearing them is as important as seeing them. Overall, a great experience in enjoying reading for parent and child alike.



4. This book made me wish learning the a-b-c's were this much fun back in my own childhood. The photos are amazingly original and your kids will truly enjoy coming back to their letter lessons with Wegman's adorable dogs. A very fresh approach to teaching! NOTE: check out Wegman's fairy tales featuring his prize dogs too.



5. My 5 year old son has this book memorized. He laughs everytime he reads it. It has also been very helpful in teaching him the alphabet. It is an especially fun book for us since our pet is a Weimeraner.

5 comments about Snog: A Puppy's Guide to Love.

1. As a professional photographer I am always looking at books in the "photographic section". I came across this book and immediately fell in love with the images. I gave the book to me 12 year daughter who loves the images for different reasons than I do. Just a fantastic book and a great gift.



2. I have a Snog book and so does my friend, Bernie Calaway. We both like it. Thanks!



3. After reading "Snog" a few times, I set it on my coffee table. So far, there hasn't been a visitor in my home who hasn't picked it up.
   
   The photography and phrases are first rate.
   
   Next time your puppy has an "accident" on the floor, and you wonder why you love him/her so much, just glance over at "Snog" on the coffee table. You'll remember why.



4. It would be hard to beat the cover photo but I think there were many just a good. I've seen a lot of calenders and books with dog photos but this may be the best yet.



5. This book is absolutely darling! The photography of these pups is outstanding. It is a beautiful book.

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

1. I was disappointed by the lack of information offered in this book. I have other "pug" books that provide more thorough information and advice in raising this breed. This book did not cover certain symptoms my dog was having as to help diagnose him, so that was no help when needed. I would not purchase this book again, nor recommend to anyone else for purchase. The "Pugs for Dummies" book offers a lot more info in all different pug-related categories.



2. As a new house dog owner, I was very pleased that the authors made it well known they were pug owners-- quite the family I might add! What I liked best about the book was how they gave more specifics than another book I bought. For example they showed a diagram of a type of clippers to use or told exact amounts of food they fed their own pugs instead of making generalizations. Nothing was insulting about how they presented the information, all was very helpful, comforting, and resourceful.



3. First, a little background on my experience with pugs: My husband and I have owned (or rather, been owned) by pugs for more than 15 years now. We love them dearly: they make us laugh every day and accompany us everywhere, from our hikes in the woods to a weekend in Carmel. They are friendly, spunky, reliable dogs who we utterly trust with both elderly relatives and children of all ages. They are clever and all of ours have passed basic obedience with flying colors, although they can be stubborn! Pugs are gluttons and are mainly motivated by food, so you have to keep an eye on their weight. But for anyone who is considering purchasing a pug, there are things you should know in advance, especially about their possible health issues.
   
   All of our pugs have been from Pug Rescue, and so came to us with various physical problems and emotional baggage. The emotional issues are easily handled in pugs with affection, discipline and exercise (see:Cesar Milan). Plus, all pugs really want to do is love and be loved, so once you have met that need, they become much more emotionally stable no matter what they have been through.
   
   Physically, however, pugs are prone to all sorts of troubles, many not so easily remedied. Here is a brief list of what we have run into: luxating patellas, dry eye, stenotic nares, nosefold and ear infections, bladder infections, food and skin allergies, immune-mediated polyarthritis, abraded corneas, interdigital cysts; the list goes on.
   Even pug puppies from "good" breeders can have these issues. A couple of our rescue pugs have been from "backyard breeders," people who just breed pugs without really knowing what they are doing. But one of our pugs came from a stellar breeder in L.A. who charges $1200 per puppy (don't ask how this pug came into rescue -- it's a long story) and that pup had serious medical issues too.
   
   All this by way of saying, a pug is a major investment. You may get one that is super healthy, but you may not. Phil Maggitti's book is an extremely helpful "first-glance" book for both people who are considering getting a pug and those who already have one or more. That is, the book is a wonderful introduction to the many aspects of pug ownership. Maggitti does discuss the medical issues but he also does a fantastic job explaining the pug personality, which is not easy to capture! He is a very good writer, and there were times when I found myself laughing out loud at some of his stories, and nodding in agreement at other times. And all this in such a slim volume! This is a gem of a book that no pug person should be without.
   
   One more thing: if you are considering purchasing a pug, you should know that they SHED. They shed TONS, a fact that many breed books will not share with you. Not only do they shed, but their fur (especially the fawns) is barbed, so it sticks onto clothing and upholstery with remarkable tenacity. We have worn out many a vacuum in our quest to subdue the pug hair, but it continues to overwhelm us on a regular basis. I mention this only because a good number of pugs are turned in to rescue because the owner claims "I didn't know they shed so much. I thought shorthaired dogs didn't shed!" Not so. Trust me! If you can get past the tumbleweeds of fuzz, though, pugs really are the best, sweetest, funniest, most loveable dogs you could ever hope to share your life with. We adore them, and so does Phil Maggitti!



4. the book is great and I really feel it has alot of information on how to train pugs... I will be a first time dog owner when I finally get a pug and I feel I have learned alot about dogs and how to handle the situations that pugs can get themselves into without hurting the dogs progress in training or their feelings!!



5. Maybe I was hoping for too much? But I didn't find it particularly in depth. I still had lots of grooming, health and vaccination questions.
   
   On the other hand...this isn't a generic dog health/training book. And the author has several pugs and knows the breed's quirks.
   
   It's the most entertaining dog breed book I've ever read, but not the most informative.

3 comments about The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog.

1. This book is a MUST-HAVE for any dog owner(s) that takes the pooch with em when they go! It has a GREAT rating system and also highlights "people-interests" as well as places to dine, places to stay and of course detailed "dog-places". I say, "Buy one for yourself and one for the dog-lover in your life." Awesome book!



2. For those of us who like to include our dogs in our adventures, this book is a great guide. It covers western WA & OR, as well as the southwestern corner of BC, Canada. Each of these areas is subdivided into regions such as the Kitsap Peninsula or the San Juan Islands. Within that region dog friendly locations are rated and described. You get the scoop on the good and bad of each location, which helps when you're trying to decide if it's worth visiting. You can also tell which locations allow your dog to be off leash. Places to eat and stay the night are also noted and described.
   
   One thing I didn't like about this book is that it only covers Western WA. I had hoped it would cover Eastern as well.



3. Found the book to be very informative and accurate, even down to "where the road may seem to end but look to the right and you'll see the sign for" ... etc. Very helpful guide. Loved the advice of the Wonder Weiners!

No comments about German Shorthaired Pointers (Complete Pet Owner's Manual).