Pet Books

I liked this book better than all the other learning theory books. Although she does teach the scientific jargon which is important to know, the author explains learning theory in terms/analagies that the layperson can easily understand.

As a dog trainer this was one of the required reading materials when I first started at Guide Dogs for the Blind. I think it is a good idea to read many different kinds of training guides as I find myself using positive only training methods.

-Julie the online dog trainer from www.webDogTrainer.com

Works wonders for my dog, and I've noticed my boss uses these methods to get the best from me also (and I don't mind!).

"This book is about how to train anyone -- human or animal, young or old, oneself or others -- to do anything that can and should be done. How to get the cat off the kitchen table or your grandmother to stop nagging you. How to affect behavior in your pets, your kids, your boss, your friends. How to improve your tennis stroke, your golf game, your math skills, your memory. All by using the principles of training with reinforcement."

That first paragraph from the foreword pretty much sums it up. The book is delightful to read. I'm not a behavioral scientist, but it seems like a reasonably thorough introduction to training through reinforcement and shaping. It has helped me better train our dogs, and clarified my understanding of what actually is going on in the training process.

I really like her systematic approach to the material, with definitions and examples. She includes a little background -- the"Clever Hans" phenomenon, the contributions of B.F. Skinner, her own background with marine mammals, the traditional punitive approach to animal training. The book is not exclusively about training dogs; she doesn't address dominance (except as an explanation for the prevalence of punishment in society) or pack psychology. She does clearly explain reinforcers, aversives, markers and the importance of timing, stimulus control, methods ("recipes") vs. principles, variable schedules, behavior chains, successive approximation (shaping), etc. Particularly valuable for me are the rules of thumb about reinforcer size, the "Ten Laws of Shaping," the "Training Game," and the concept of backwards chaining.

Perhaps controversially, the book advocates using operant conditioning to improve the behavior of one's fellow humans. This struck me as manipulative, but I think I'm starting to agree with Pryor. Operant conditioning ultimately is a tool for communicating. There are clearly occasions when it is a more effective and efficient way to communicate than discussion or argument.

Fantastic. Reading this has helped me gain a bit of insight into relating better with our dog (and people too). For five years I have tried many things to aid in getting our dog to stop pulling while on leash. A Gentle Leader didn't work. A choke collar didn't work. I even resorted to using a Herm Sprenger prong collar, to no avail. After reading this, I realized I needed to "speak" a language my dog could understand. He pulls, I stop. He wants to walk, so he stops pulling. Our walks are quite lovely now, and I didn't need to buy an expensive training aid to accomplish that.

This is a must for dog and cat owners who want to give their pets a healthy natural diet and who want to use alternative medicine -- a really super book with tons of information!

Once you've read this book, you'll never go back to commercial dog food again. This book was very informative and helped me understand everything I needed to get started cooking for my dog. And it's easy! It takes about 30 minutes to prepare food for your pet for the whole week. I've only been cooking for him for 2 weeks and he's like a puppy again. If you love your dog, buy this book - You're dog will thank you.

This book is extremely helpful with lots of good information in caring for your pet. It informs you on how to keep your pet as healthy as possible and avoid the vets office. Wonderful advise.

I have had the original Pitcairn guide for many years now, and consider it a classic in the field of natural healthcare for pets. As a canine behavior specialist, I am well aware of the link between nutrition and behavior issues, so I find this information especially valuable and have recommended it to many of my clients.

I like that this new edition contains information on environmental pollutants and toxins, which is a topic that is thankfully coming more to the forefront in the public's minds. This book will help owners to understand just how much of an impact those factors can have on our beloved pets.

To comment on a review by another reviewer, I am guessing that the information regarding raisins and grapes and the link to renal failure came to light after this guide was published, and I certainly hope that any recommendations to include raisins in the diet will be removed in future printings.

I was really looking for more recipes than are offered in this book. Also not quite ready to do raw feeding and didn't realize that most of the recipes are raw. There is quite a bit of info on nutrition so if that is what you are looking for this is the book.

It is a good book. Not great by any means. I was not aware it had a sad ending, so it loses lots of points with me for that reason alone. I don't like to cry when I finish a book, thank you.

A wonderful story abut the impact that "Lay Me Down", a formerly abused horse has on the book's heroine and the other people and creatures that "Lay Me Down" interacts with. Be prepared for tears,but definitely a worthwhile read.

This book is a gutsy look at a hard life, and at the same time a moving story of a horse/owner relationship most of us will only dream of. Definitely a book for adults (not for horse-loving teens), it describes coming to terms with a difficult life in middle years, and how the past can be overcome, no matter how tough. It's a lovely story, told with honesty and courage. Susan Richards' horses are described so vividly as to seem like human characters. A book to be read alongside a box of Kleenex.

Based on other reader's comments, I purchased this book in anticipation of a great story. Somewhat disappointed and expected much more. Would not recommend purchasing; borrow from a friend or library.

A fast & easy read. A touching and heart-warming story. It is pleasing to to know that when others don't care about the welfare of animals that there are others who do. This is such a story. As an owner of several adopted animals, they have given me so much more than what I give them.

A comprehensive dog owners manual! I read through this manual before getting our first dog last week and it proved to be invaluable. We have followed it's instructions to a "t" and our puppy is house trained in one week with no accidents. She sleeps through the night (and has since day 1) in her crate and is already learning simple commands. The book hits home the need to have a schedule, be consistent, and be aware of your tone of voice. Excellent purchase!

I thought that Mr. Kilcommons had a lot of great ideas. The thing is you use what works and your leave the rest. Not every trainer works for every dog. The main thing is that the person must be the alpha dog and act properly so that your dog respects you and wants to work for you.
I like the fact that Mr. Kilcommons says that the owners need to do their part, such as exercise. If a dog misbehaves, a lot of time it may be because they are not getting enough exercise. So if they still misbehave, give them more exercise. There is a lot of responsibility to being an owner. Also, I saw the results regarding using plastic bowls for my cats; I used Mr. Kilcommons' advice in using ceramic or stainless steel bowls instead and one my cats lost her black mark on her chin. So the book has a lot of good advice.

this book is amazing!! it has great tips and really helped me with my puppy triaing!

This is a good book if you need information about your dog, and things that you need to improve on! Its worth the money!

I read this book over 15 years ago before I brought my dog home. The advice was invaluable...I raised a happy, healthy, and emotionally secure Westie who lived to be almost 15 years old. I referred to the book and revisited chapters throughout Murphy's life, and ultimately found Brian's advice about the inevitable very comforting.

This is the most fascinating book I have ever read. The amazing Temple Grandin takes two subjects: autism and animal behavior,and draws comparisons with remarkable insight. She brings the world of animal behavior into sharp focus with examples and explanations and makes it easy for the lay reader to understand. She and coauthor, Catherine Johnson, write with a conversational prose that makes even the most difficult concepts easy to grasp. Every chapter elicits a "Wow".

Although the dry title may put some people off because it sounds clinical and cerebral, this absolutely exciting book holds a plethora of facts and wonders about the animals we come into contact with on a daily basis. A real eye-opener!

- C.A. Wulff, author of Born Without a Tail

This is a terrific book. I learned about animal behavior and autism. I am a science teacher and I gained understanding of my autistic students and my pets and insight to share with students regarding animal behavior.

she has several positive points to make about her own autism which is a change form other books i have read,

Please do not use this book as a guide to understanding your dog. Dr. Grandin does not appear to know anything about dogs or even like them very much.

With all the force of revelation, an autistic scientist offers the rest of us revolutionary insights into the animal mind. It is written in clear, deceptively simple prose. There's so much here that it is hard to keep it in the bounds of a short review:

The first section is about Temple Grandin and her autism, how she has coped with it and used her unique perception to help animals and the people who work with them. This is an inspiring story.

The second section talks about how animals perceive the immediate environment and how people do not. This was literally an eye-opener! Since then, I have become a better observer of my own animals. My horse trusts me more because I can respond to his alerts. My dog has an ability to detect the approach of dangerous weather.

The third section discusses animal feelings in a scientific manner and challenges some modern methods of animal breeding, care or confinement that produce abnormal behaviors. This is a fascinating chapter that covers many aspects of animal behavior and altered my own. After reading this chapter, I started buying only eggs that were labeled "cage-free".

The chapter on animal aggression had a lot of information about dogs and cats, animals of prey that have become our closest companions. A fundamental difference exists between a dog happily killing a squirrel and a dog angrily biting a human.

She makes an equally fundamental point in the following chapter about animals masking pain that suddenly explained why a horse I once had who had just broken a bone suddenly put his head down and started to eat grass as if everything was fine. In following chapters there was food for thought in how animals think and about animal genius.

In short, if you like animals, this is an invaluable book made more useful and effective by its wide-ranging focus on a variety of species.

It's a great book for serious wildflower lovers, but it's somewhat hard to follow. As a non-professional plant lover I found the book useful, but had a difficult time finding the info I needed without a lot of page turning.

Although this fieldbook at first seems a first cousin to the Peterson guide it differs in one very significant way -- it has a key which even those who never took (or don't remember) Plant Taxonomy 390 can use without frustration-- what does "hispid" mean anyway? Anyone can key a plant to at least a short list of probables without difficulty. And the drawings (which I usually prefer to photographs) are clean and clear. My approach (having had Plant Taxonomy many years ago) is to have lots of books with lots of pictures. This book is a very welcome addition to my collection.

If you are looking to identify wildflowers of the northeast, this is the best pocket field guide out there. It includes more species than other pocket field guides and uses a systematic approach of identification.

It may take a little practice to get a handle on the system, but once you do, you will be identifying wildflowers in lickety-split time. There will be no more leafing through 50+ pages of yellow flowers to find the one you're looking at. This book will walk you through a key that will take you directly to the page your flower is on.

For those of you who like "pretty" photographic field guides, I recommend purchasing one of those as a sidekick to your Newcomb's. When I lead wildflower walks, I carry my Newcomb's with me, but I also carry a National Audubon field guide. This way, if I find a plant that isn't yet in bloom, I can show the participants a photograph of it.

This is a nice system for systematically identifying a wildflower, BUT it only covers the Northeast from Wisconsin down to Kentucky over to Virginia and up to Maine.

As the RI Master Gardener Advanced Education Coordinator, I have used this book for two years in workshops delivered to our membership. The "Locator Key" and identification system is easy to use (easier than using the weed identification systems) and the drawings and descriptions are clear. Would recommend to anyone interested in identifying wildflowers or "weeds."

There is nothing I can say that would do any justice as to how great this book is. It was everything you could possibly hope for in an ethnographic text. You learn a lot about a culture very different from ours and it is truly just fascinating!

What do people make of places? Basso's opening sentence is a good example of what the Apache call `letting one's mind have room'. As we read through the chapters of the book Basso continues to add layers to the meaning of this opening question. It allows us to reflect on various uses of the word `make'. We make sense of places by interpreting them. We make places intelligible by foregrounding them. We make use of places; as sign posts or land-marks through the use of descriptive naming. We make places or constitute them as sites or repositories of learning; we invest them as placeholders for morality tales or homilies. We make places vital; we invest them with agency, we enchant them, animate them, in the spirit of golems; we take a piece of earth and through magic or metaphysics we bring it alive, giving it a mission and a life of its own.

Wisdom sits in places. The Apache are a good example of virtue ethics. This is a theory of ethics, usually based on Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, which argues against an ethical universalism and in favor of a particularism. It foregoes the quest for nomothetic foundations and looks instead to the development of certain skills or character traits. Aristotle created a catalogue of areas of behavior or traits with a continuum of possible dispositions. The virtuous behavior was the means between the two extremes of each continuum. Thus the virtue of bravery was somewhere in the range between cowardice and foolhardiness or irrational voluntarism in the face of impossible odds or a meaningless risk.
Aristotle's concept of phronesis finds an interesting parallel in the Apache moral imagination. Phronesis is a meta-virtue; it is the ability to choose the right action for each particular event; the ability to find the virtuous means between vicious poles. It is the essential skill for particularism which is the theory that the right action, the correct moral choice is particular to each unique event. It is opposed to the universalist proposition that there are sets of moral propositions or codes that we can apply in a covering law model. Universalism holds that when two of our moral codes clash we resolve the dilemma by applying a meta-rule, most commonly a deontological (Kantian) or utilitarian proposition.
The Apache's sense of wisdom is a good example of a pragmatic ethics informed by a set of virtues that are learned and continually developed throughout their life's journey. In the first chapter we note how each speaker brings the homily (the moral lesson associated with a place name) forward, making it their own, fleshing it out. One imagines that each speaker and hearer of place names is expected to silently immerse themselves in each homily; making it real by seeing it happen. The act of giving vision to the oral narrative is a process of developing layers upon layers of particular exemplars of the lesson. It is thus internalized and carried forward for the next use. As one gains wisdom one becomes more proficient at seeing when and where to apply these lessons.
This is similar to the thought of the American pragmatist and logician, C. S. Peirce, who proposed a fallibilism about knowledge, truth, and scientific results. He felt that we were always discovering more and that a full statement of any putative universal law was always deferred. Peirce's original pragmatism differed from what James and Dewey later made of it. For Peirce we expanded our sense of a truth through a process of discovering layers upon layers of particular applications and gradually gaining more of an understanding of the wider truth. But his sense of fallibilism posited rich moral concepts such as justice or duty as essentially contested concepts.

We have maps in our heads. There are other interesting parallels with the ancient Greeks besides virtue ethics. There is a significant body of study regarding Plato's thought on the spoken and written word. Plato argued that reality resides in absolute and eternal forms. Thus the impressions available to our senses are imitations that is but a shadow of these eternal truths; they confuse us and should not be trusted. Worse still are the imitations of imitations; thus his polemics against poetry, art, and the written word. It would be interesting to combine this with the study of texts in the 20th century to look at the Apache's preference for maps in the head. Barthes, Derrida and others all expanded our notion of what can serve as texts and it might be interesting to look at Apache use of places through some of those lenses.
In addition there are interesting parallels with the sophists. Although Plato and Socrates succeeded in creating our contemporary disdain for sophism, recent work in the study of Isocrates and others brings a new appreciation of certain tenets of sophism. The sophists exhibited some similarities to the Apache notions of epistemology. They both saw the elders and ancestors as the source of wisdom and warrants for knowledge to be used for current problems. They both argued that the knowledge of the past resided less in universal laws than in practices of the ancestors; actual responses to past dilemmas that are best accessed through interpretation rather than a rote use of the covering law model or a slavish rehearsal of rigid and dogmatic rituals.
They both thought that knowledge (as justified true belief) was discovered and ultimately ratified and warranted by the voice of the majority; the interpretation that found the most general favor. The sophists proposed that vigorous debate in an open forum of citizens is the most epistemologically sound form of inquiry. Their best speakers would take both sides on various propositions of what the ancestors would have done in the current crisis. The goal was to make the best possible argument for all options and let the citizenry decide.
Both the ancient Greeks and the Apache continued to observe religious rituals but it would also be interesting to compare characteristics of their religious cosmology, the role of the gods, and their associations with natural entities and nature in general.

This book was mediocre at best. Although Keith Basso did provide some insight into why the Apache people cherish their land, I felt that Basso kept on saying the exact same thing in every sentence. I had the point of the entire book by the time I was ten pages into it, and it kept on going, therefore making me lose my concentration on what I was reading.

Anthropologists, language students, and Native American culture afficionados will find this book, and any by Keith Basso, written links into a cultural past which struggles to exist today. As the Western Apache tribes become more modern, the information found in this and other Keith Basso writings, become necessities in the preservation of traditional Apache culture; with the exception of the knowledge of a few hundred very traditional Apaches still living in Arizona.

What do people make of places? This is the central question examined by Keith Basso in his ethno-linguistic study of the relationship between language and landscape among the Apaches of Cibecue, on the Fort Apache Reservation in central Arizona. Basso, a professor of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico, has spent over 30 years conducting field work among the Western Apaches. His publications concerning this group include articles on language, patterns of silence in social interaction, witchcraft beliefs, and ceremonial symbolism, among others. The idea for Wisdom Sits in Places stemmed from a study conducted between 1979 and 1984, in which Basso, with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation and the guidance of the Apaches, conducted a study of Apache places and place-names; how the Apache refer to their land, the stories behind the place-names, and how these place-names are used in daily conversation by Apache men and women. The result is a stunningly informative account of the use of landscape and language in the social interactions of the Western Apaches.
Basso divides his book into four sections: Quoting the Ancestors, Stalking with Stories, Speaking with Names, and Wisdom Sits in Places. Each chapter's focus is to examine how landscape and language serve distinct purposes in Western Apache society. Basso incorporates the oral history of, and discussions with, local Apaches, as well as his formal training as an ethnographer-linguist, to explain the underlying themes of this book.
First, Basso introduces the reader to the idea of place-names and in the Western Apache construction of history. As conceived by the Apaches, the past is a "well-worn `path' or `trail' which was traveled first by the people's founding ancestors and which subsequent generations of Apaches have traveled ever since" (31). The ancestors gave names to places, based on events that occurred there. Regardless of the physical changes in the landscape that occurred over time, the story of what took place, as well as the place-name, was passed down through generations and serves as a connection between the people and their ancestors.
Second, Basso examines how the language and the land are "manipulated by Apaches to promote compliance with standards for acceptable social behavior and the moral values which support them" (41). The historical tales of place-names are without exception morality tales, intended to influence patterns of social action. Their purpose is to serve as warnings, criticisms, and enlightenment for those who are behaving improperly; not in accordance with the Apache way of life. The telling of a historical tale is "intended as a critical and remedial response" to an individual's having committed one or more social offenses. Apaches contend that if the message is taken to heart, a lasting bond will have been created between that individual and the site at which the events in the tale took place. In short, the land, accompanied with its historical tale, "makes the people live right" (61).
Third, through the act of "speaking with names", place-names can be condensed "into compact form their essential moral truths" (101). "Speaking with names" is considered appropriate only under certain circumstances, generally to enable those who engage in it "to acknowledge a regrettable circumstance without explicitly judging it, to exhibit solicitude without openly proclaiming it, and to offer advice without appearing to do so" (91). Evoking images of a particular place and narrative thus replaces a more direct form of advice or criticism, with "a minimum of linguistic means" (103).
Finally, with the guidance of his Apache friend, Dudley Patterson, Basso examines the path of wisdom in Western Apache society. Patterson explains there are two mental conditions, "steadiness of mind", and "resilience of mind", which lead to a third and most desirable condition, smoothness of mind. These three conditions are not innate; therefore, one must work on one's mind in order to gain wisdom. To work on one's mind, "one must observe different places, learn their Apache place-names, and reflect on traditional narratives that underscore the virtues of wisdom" (134). A resilient mind, according to Patterson, does not "give in to panic or fall prey to spasms of anxiety or succumb to spells of crippling worry" (132). A steady mind is "unhampered by feelings of arrogance or pride, anger or vindictiveness, jealously or lust" (133). Steadiness and resilience give way to a sense of "cleared space" or "area free of obstruction", conditions necessary for smoothness of mind. Only those who continue on the trail of wisdom their whole lives come closest to having a smooth mind, and are "able to foresee disaster, fend off misfortune, and avoid explosive conflicts with other persons" (131). Thus, wisdom is intertwined with the idea of survival through the consistent and thoughtful evocation of landscape and language.
Keith Basso and the Western Apaches of Cibecue have provided readers with an insightful and provocative account of the connection between language, land, and a people's cultural history. Wisdom Sits in Places opens the door for future research on place-names by shedding light on a previously overshadowed topic in anthropological studies. Basso's dissection of certain stories and social interactions can be overwhelming and a bit dry, but his purpose is made clear when his examinations are added together with the Apache narratives. What results is a clear picture of what language and landscape mean to the Western Apaches, the functional versatility of place-names, and the importance of being aware of one's sense of place.

I am a long-time fan of James Herriot's books. I worked in an independent book store when I found this jewel, and I have given it at every baby shower and young child's birthday since. It is a collection of stories taken from his books and illustrated. The stories are sweet, poignant tales of the literary veterinarian's encounters with four-legged friends in England.

If you are an animal lover or Herriot fan, this is a must- see. The illustrations are realistic with a touch of warmth and they bring life to the stories that graced these literary masterpieces. Many friends and family who recently have had children love this gift. It is a book to be cherished and read to/with your children for years!

The binding is solid with a dustcover I remove when reading with small children (who love to rip my dustcovers!). The papers is a tolerant high gloss that can easily withstand sticky little baby fingers. My niece and I have clocked many hours reading and cleaning this book!

The stories in here are not just bedtime tales. This is life-enriching literature with quirky characters and poignant emotion which you will treasure for years to come. I got as much out of reading these to our son as he did, and you will all enjoy the illustrations. As with real living, the death of a beloved pet is included in one of the tales, so if your children would be upset by this, you might discuss beforehand.

Our 3.5 year old daughter loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories compelling. They are on a level that she can relate to without feeling condescended to. The stories are interesting and fun for adults to read and they are great to talk about afterwards.

My 7 yr old son and my 5 yr old daugher both LOVE this book. And so does mom! It has beautiful illustrations and the stories are warm and wonderful.

This is a great example of a living book. The stories transport the listener to another place, and the journey is a pleasure. My 5 and 8 year old daughters love these stories and their illustrations.

Book in perfect shape. Arrived in very timely manor. Thank you for your great service.

I've purchased many dog behavior and trick books over the years. This little gem is definitely the best trick book. My golden and I have had many great times learning some of the tricks. Easy to follow and the progressive technique makes great sense. I'm amazed at how fast he can learn following the simple directions. Patience and consistency as always is the key.

This is a very good book. It has may good points about tricks and teaching your dog.

It is definitely for beginners. The authors explains every detail about everything so you will be succesful in teaching which tricks you want and doing it correctly and efficiently. It displays a few pictures of dogs performing the tricks but its not a visual book, but more of a guide book that you have to read most of to understand who to do things properly. All in all its an amazing book if you want to teach your dog great, fun things.

This was a great book. Easy to follow steps. Needs more pictures. A DVD to go along with it would be better.