Pet Books

A well written description of training a herding dog from step one. It includes how to train dogs with different personalities which is very helpful. It focuses on the Border Collie which is the ultimate herding dog and take to herding more naturally than probably any other dog. It may take longer to teach another breed of dog which has instinct but if you work at it you will end up with a dog that herds. It is very good at explaining why you do certain things which helps you understand your own dog which is important in training.

I first read this book when my first Aussie was about three months old. Frankly, I did not get it. I think it is difficult for the average person to learn how to work with a herding dog. Vergil Holland has not only put down all of the steps one might need to become successful at this activity, he has a lot of great advice in the book including very useful exercises and as the subtitle suggests, a progressive training method.

However, the reason I did not get it when I first read the book was that the meaning of much of what he says is dependent on having the actual experience of herding. After many years of training stock dogs, I went back and re-read this book. It was very revealing in that I found myself agreeing with almost everything he said about training. I also found it helpful to get a clear picture of exactly what I wanted to do in a training session to read the portion of the book-- usually fewer than two pages at a time-- that was relevant to what I wanted to acheive in the session. So for me, this has become a valuable hands on training tool.

I still recommend it to beginners and I think it would really help anyone getting ready for their first exposure to stock to have read the preliminary sections on getting started and basic commands. It would help the beginner become familiar with common training techniques and concepts so that a clinic experience would be more valuable than going in without the insights that are offered in this book.

But this is not just a book for beginners. It can be useful at several levels. For the more experienced trainer/handler, the troubleshooting section provides very useful exercises for solving common problems that are likely to be encountered.

I do think the section on herding breeds is a bit simplistic and in the case of Aussies not really accurate. But I think it is only there as a summary of what one might expect from herding breeds and therefore does not take into account the variance of different lines within a breed. I would not recommend the traits listed in this chapter to select your dog. However it does contain some very good advice such as basing your decision in part on the parents' abilities and characteristics.

The diagrams could be improved as was mentioned elsewhere, but they are accurate. The pictures are not very clear and they could be improved to actually demonstrate better the points they are intended to make.

Overall I give this book high marks and recommend it to anyone who is building up a stockdog library. But remember that there is a lot more information in this book than there appears to be at first reading. Go back to it often as your skills develop to really get the full potential of the book which really does offer a progressive training method.

Brand new book received in good shipping time.
This book is very informative, easy to understand and clear as to how to apply what is presented.
I believe it will help any level of sheepdog handler.

I have always had an interest in herding dogs and have owned them and been around them most of my life; however I have never known anyone that had any real knowledge of training for herding, or had a dog that was trained for that matter. This book is fantastic for a total novice. It takes you carefully and "progressively" into the world of herding and explains everything from the very beginning, including the somewhat confusing language that is used to communicate with the dog while the two of you are at work. Thank you Mr. Holland!

This book contains some really great information. The author gives details about all of the herding breeds, including many that I didn't expect. He gives insights about what each breed has been specifically bred for, i.e. driving, gathering, etc., that is very helpful in understanding your dog. A careful study of the personality types of dogs as it affects their approach to stock is also extremely helpful. He also gives several progressive excercizes that that seem very useful. Also, I appreciated the calm, quiet, but firm training style emphasized in this book.

Despite that, I was disappointed with the lack of explanation and clarity. If you are just getting started in herding, as I am, this might not be the book for you. I was often confused and feel that this book lacks enough details about the training process to be useful for beginners. Also, the author's clear preference for Border Collies as the ultimate herding dog was emphasized at points in such a way that made me a bit defensive about my "inferior" non-border collie.

With all due respect, Mr. Cohen, there is no photography without manipulation. The lens used, where one chooses to point it, the depth of field chosen, the film used, how digital files are processed, and as you say, "cropping," are all subjective interpretations. The only way to purely record nature's beauty is to look at and remember it. The moment it is recorded by an instrument by a human being, the image becomes subjective and interpretive and its purity is gone. It's the nature of the process.

And it is a fact that the quality of cameras and lenses used directly affect the quality of the file. P&S cameras with IS really can't hold a candle to a more professional system.

This is not really the book to start flower photography with. I say this for several reasons. It requires elaborate camera and equipment. It deliberately teaches techniques that distort the perspective that one might have using their own two eyes.

I am more of a purist and believe that Nature's beauty is everywhere and that it can be captured relatively simply using new and inexpensive digital cameras particularly those with image stability and macro functions built in.

I published an entire collection of photos without any manipulation except cropping to fit the page. Matt CohenZen of Watering Your Garden

This is a fabulous book! It has great ideas. The techniques used in each photo are described in easy to understand language. I also like the fact that there is not much written information so solely focused on each photo and how to produce the same image. Great book for the money!

Cool...abstract photography. Clear pictures, great as a table book or as a useful 'textbook.' Pleasure to look at; pleasure to read. Well worth it!

The pictures in this book are very beautiful, but I was hoping for more discussion of the basics of outdoor nature/flower photography, like lighting and composition. This book spends a great deal of time with mutliple images and zooming and "special effects" which are interesting but not really helpful if you are trying to take better pictures of flowers. Also, it seemed sort of repetetive at times.

This is an excellent book for the first time shihtzu owner. Has instructions on how to groom your own puppy, etc.

This book was a great introduction for me, who has never owned a dog before. It teaches you about Shih Tzus, but also about dogs in general.
The techniques work, and I feel that I am now smarter than my puppy. A dummy no more!

I ordered this book after bringing home my 6-week old puppy, and it has helped me tremendously. I have one other book which talks a lot about the history and temperament of the breed, but this book is a lot more useful for everyday knowledge. I love the suggestions for getting the dog used to daily grooming so that he get used to being handled. My puppy is already starting to nip at my hands and feet, and this book is helping me respond to this and other undesirable behavior.

This is my first dog, and I had not a clue about how to housebreak or socialize him. With this book, I feel a lot more confident in my ability to raise a friendly family pet.

Exellent book for people who know very little and who desire to know more about the Shih Tzu breed. It covers everything from puppyhood to senior citizen. I am very happy with this book.

Very useful book. Good information on dealing with problems, plus background information on animal and parrot behavior.

The Parrot Problem Solver
My sweet lovable Goffin had turned into a biting, cantankerous monster. I could not, for the life of me, figure out what I had done wrong or why he had learned to hate me so much. After reading this book I was relieved to find out that he didn't hate me. He was just trying to communicate something I couldn't understand. After reading this book and putting the suggestions into place (It took only one week, by the way), we are now back on speaking terms. Barbara Heidenreich has saved our relationship!

I know Ms. Heidenreich personally and worked with her for years. As I believe parrots to be the most misunderstood of all pets it is always a touchy subject to discuss parrot behavior with parrot owners. Barb is one of the few "parrot experts" I have ever met after 13+ years in the zoo animal training field. I highly recommend anything written or offered by her. Good luck!

Barbara provided great insight into parrots and why they do what they do. She uses reeal world examples from Parrots and many other animals that she has experience with. This book breaks down the different types of aggression and signs to look for. I wish I had ordered "Good Bird! A guide to solving problems in companion parrots" at the same time as they are complimentary as I understand it. It will arrive this week. One other thing, the book has a ton of great photos as well! You won't be disappointed with this book.

Excellent reference for owners of large parrots. This book will explain why your bird does what it does. It is absolutely the best book I have purchased so far concerning the behavior of my macaw. It takes the mystery out of your birds aggressive behaviors. It explains your bird's natural daily routines. I found it most enlightening. Once you understand how parrots behave in the wild, your bird's behaviors will make a whole lot more sense to you, and that truly helps you provide the best for your companion. This book is a real jewel for owners of large parrots and I think it should be required reading for all who own one. Well written and highly informative, it is by far the best book that I have found on parrot behavior to date. It will really help you understand your bird.

I don't have time to write a long review about a book, and I assume neither do you to read it. So I keep it simple and to the point:

I have read several books about day trading and this is one of the best by far. It explains in detail what to do and not to do when you attempt to trade stocks as a beginner. It will stop you from losing money and save you a lot of headaches. Make sure to read it twice!!
This book is an excellent guide to anyone new to this field, even if you don't know the technical terms. It is not boring either... I wish it had been longer..

Read it!!

I would higly recommend any novice or not so very experienced trader to read this book, and reread it once you have a some experience. She has explained various day and swing trading setups very thouroughly and does it without making it very complicated.

This $10 book has made me double my money in a couple months in OTCBB/Pinksheet stocks. This explains big board stocks but is everything the same as penny stocks. Buy this book if you want to start trading. The author gives instructions in spoken word not scientific as some books do. This is as if someone was talking to you not a college lecture you can't just jump into.

As with that, I've doubled my money and expect to be a millionaire from HARD work, remember that. My recommendation, it's a buy!

I think this book in absolutely a must for anyone who is interested in finding out how to day trade, has the intellectual capacity to feel they can succeed, but has really no clue how the stock market works!! Everything you've always wanted to know about day trading 'but were afraid to ask'. Toni starts from square one and explains everything from bid price, offers, indexes and the history of the stock market. If you are beyond this level, then you will likely feel it is too basic, 'chatty' or 'inspirational' in the first half of her book. Personally, it has proven to be an invaluable resource. Toni's writing style is clear and she gives great analogies and speaks in layman's terms while dissecting and discussing the complexities of trading. It goes from big picture to hands-on detailed examples and strategies. Thanks Toni!

Very informative indeed, and I am more-than-ever convinced NOT to daytrade. I know, now, that I have too little education, the wrong software, not enough energy, and not the gambling spirit. I also learned a bunch of other good stuff that can help my longer-term investing.

I buy one of these for all my new puppy families. It's complete, updated, lots of photos and very helpful information about the breed and dogs in general. A must for every first time Cavalier owner!

D. Woods's Amazon Review describes this book very well.

We've lived with Clive, our black and tan Cavalier, for two and a half years, and haven't found one error in the book. The author is clearly an experience breeder, and describes this type of dog very well in easy to understand language.

I'm writing this Review to emphasize a point the author makes; this breed gains weight very easily, particularly if the dog is castrated or spayed. It's partly the pleading eyes and loving personality, but it must also be in the genes. It must be terrible to be so hungry all the time. Clive and I take three to five mile walks a couple of times a week, and yet he can put on two pounds in a week.

Our vet suggested that slowing Clive's eating would help him maintain a healthy weight. We tried putting rocks and later tennis balls in his food bowl, but he quickly learned to extract the impediments and scarf down his food. The Brake-Fast Dog Food Bowls - Small Red looked like a joke gift, but in fact it is amazingly effective.

Clive has to work for at least a minute to work around the prongs and finish every last morsel. The bowl can be put on a mat so it won't move, but it takes him even longer to eat when he pushes the bowl around our kitchen floor. We sometimes a bit of egg white and microwave the bowl for a few seconds to "glue" the food in place. The result:

Brake-Fast Small Dog Food Bowl: $[___]

King Charles Cavalier Spaniel: $[___]

Watching Clive growling with frustration as he pushes his bowl around the floor: Priceless

Robert C. Ross 2007 2008

Great book to have before purchasing this breed of dog. There are alot of things people need to know before finding a breeder for Cavalier King Charles.

This book by Norma Moffat is excellent! I decided to buy another Cavalier puppy as a result!

This is an excellent well rounded book written by someone who really knows and loves the breed. It is a hardcover with 144 pages of good information and great photos. If you are new to the breed and are getting only one book, this is the one to buy. It covers almost everything you can think of, although doesn't cover breeding much because serious breeders and exhibitors discourage people from breeding dogs, which they believe is best left to the people who know the breed standards and health concerns.

To me this book covered all aspects of the equine in an easily understood format; the pictures were informative; the written word simple.

This is a great book. Its packed with information to help you with basic horse care and to identify and treat numerous injuries and ailments. It has lots of pictures color pictures and it organizes the information in an easy to read format. I would recommend it.

I really liked the first 2 sections, Keeping your horse healthy and the Anatomical Index of Diseases. I wish the A-z sections describing different disease was a little more in-depth. Its a little more general than I wanted but still a very very knowledgable book.

This book is very detailed with diseases, illnesses, cut, fractures, snake bites and more. I like to take care of my horse when I can and not take her to the vet except after she foals. I like to give the shots and do what I can. This book is very detailed and very helpful.

This book will surely convince any horse owner of the benefit of natural hoof care. Jackson provides a thorough explanation of why natural hooves can do the job better than shod feet. This fascinating book is a "must read" for anyone interested in keeping their horse on, or transitioning to, a natural hoof care program.

I think this is a great book and a smart move for horseowners. Only downside is I would like a little more instruction on the exact how-to. Easy to read.

This book is a great beginners book. It goes into detail about the structure of a hoof, both wild and domestic, internal and external. The detailed instructions for trimming are very helpful and easy to follow. I recomend it highly.

After over 35 years of keeping horses and caring for their feet...I have discovered I was wrong...and Jamie Jackson's methods are right...this book began the process of my rethinking hoof care...at 55..if I can change my thinking and start rehabilating my horses feet...you can too...start by reading this book.

I'm grateful to Mr Jackson for his pioneering observations of the hoof in nature and for writing them up. But I didn't find the book itself particularly useful. It has very little step-by-step, practical text or pictures; and throughout there is a tendency towards pomposity that gets very off-putting.

I bought this and Pete Ramey's book at the same time, reading Jackson's first, as Ramey advises in his book. Never re-read Jackson, but Ramey's is dog-eared from studying again and again. I also appreciate Ramey's voice--humble, sincere, doesn't have to be "right;" eager to learn from any source and to incorporate new research and better technique the minute they occur.

I have the previous edition of "the pink book", and knowledge has advanced in these species such that I desperately needed the new edition. An excellent text that is a must have if you see small mammal patients.

As a ferret owner, you have the responsibility to know what diseases or cancers your ferret could get, and for making sure they get the proper treatment as soon as possible. Early diagnosis is the key. This is one of the best books you will find and it's more than worth the money invested. Every ferret owner should have a personal copy. Check with your vet to see if they have a copy as well, this is an awesome Christmas present. Read! Highlight! Consult! Together, you can extend the life of your ferret.

This is that kind of book , that helps you to increase your knowledgement.
For every veterinary and student who work with Ferrets, Rabbits, or Rodents.

This book is the absolute best resource on the medicine of these species. The book is easy to follow and find specific information as necessary. Most illustrations are quite useful, although in black and white. The book is organized mostly by taxonomic groups. However, the book seems to repeat itself in some chapters as well as in different chapters, and sometimes, finding information may be indexed in more than one place only to find that they are all quite similar pieces of information. I HIGHLY reccomend this book, and its is the best amount of informtion at a very affordable price.

I got this book so I can better understand what the heck the vet was telling me about two of my ferrets. It is a reall good resouce for pet owners to learn more about the different medical conditions that will come up with owning a ferret. However, be warned!.... This book explains thing in terminology that a vet or a vet tech will understand. It is not a book for the average person per se, but it did help me ask the right questions and to be better informed. One vet I talked to uses this book as a reference quite often. I enjoyed going through this book and it was very educational.

My baby loves to explain the pictures to me. I think this helps them to learn better/faster.

Cute book!

Once again, Carl and baby are off on an adventure, this time doing all the things that you know your toddler would love to do if let loose in a department store. It's a lot of fun to "read" and the Carl books are great for being stories that even a young child can enjoy by themself because there are so few words. The dress-up scene is especially good.

I think the controversy over whether it is bad role-modeling is just silly. These books explore a child's desire to get to do fun exciting things without her parents' watchful eyes in a safe way. The only thing that bothered me at all was that I think Carl steals a box of dog treats for himself, but it is unclear (they may have been free samples).

The images in this book seem somewhat less polished in places, there are a couple where the baby's face looks positively ugly in comparison with other Carl books. Unfortunately, we got this as a board book instead of full-size. Maybe the full-size version doesn't have those problems. The images are really the whole story, so be sure to buy it at a large enough size to appreciate!

My almost 2-year old daughter loves the Carl books. I don't really like these smaller board books as much as the large hardcover books that we have, but she doesn't seem to mind the difference and carries the board books around with her.

Great book. My three-year-olds have loved it for at least a year, especially enjoying that the store has an elevator and pet and toy sections as well. Seems to appeal to a wide developmental range.

I always got the feeling that the "Carl" series was a feeble attempt at obliquely lavishing Satanism onto the minds of young children. Carl's ominous stance and focused, yet glaring control over the toddler seems like a veiled and shadowy attempt at mind control and looks like a deleted scene from one of the Omen films.

Many people have spoken out about this series of books over time and have been shouted down in the process by the militant and frothing fans that associate themselves with this very strange and very suspect material.

Historically, Rottweiler's have been associated as Hell hounds, Demoniacally possessed, guardians of souls, in both film and literature throughout the ages. When the parents relinquish control of their toddlers to "Carl", it comes across, subtly, like it's a passive reference to giving up your child as a sacrifice to Satan, himself.

Drowning your baby and throwing them down into a dark abyss are close to the top of situations that occur in Satanic Ritual Abuse cases nationwide and finding them as dramatic and comical situations in a children's book series leads one to raise an eyebrow and question the true motivations of Alexandra Day. Drowning, burying a child alive and immolation are the three most common occurrences with SRA crimes in America today, pawning them off as children's educational fare is suspect. All of these instances, and more, show up in all of the Alexandra Day books that are currently published.

I first became familiar with "Carl" when I was admiring the artwork while passing a large display conveniently placed in a large walkway at Nordstrom's. The artwork is really fine quality and rivals that of many children's books. But the stories themselves though lead one to only grimace and feel confronted with downright concern. Here are just a sampling of themes and situations that occur throughout the "Carl" series:

1. "Carl" rides away with child on its back, which is reminiscent of illustrations from Dante's Inferno.
2. Toddler falls into a large fish tank, symbolizing a dark baptism.
3. Infant is abandoned in a park and left under the auspicious control of "Carl" to vagabond and live hedonistically.
4. "Carl" locks adults out of a classroom, separating the child from adult supervision.
5. "Carl" leads the unsuspecting child into a burning building to save its offspring and a likely death.
6. "Carl" leads the child to a druggist for an all-to-obvious rendezvous.
7. "Carl" leads child into explicit adult situations with photographic equipment and double-entendre's to bear witness to lascivious deeds.
8. "Carl" takes control of the child during Christ's birthday, avoiding church and leading the baby into a freezing white blizzard, painting a sarcastic analogy of Heaven.
9. "Carl" leads the baby into a dark cellar on his birthday and disappears with the child for an inordinate period of time, only to return looking oddly disheveled.
10. "Carl" attacks three children and mauls a young female toddler on her hindquarters in "Follow Carl". Obvious punishment when you don't "Follow Carl".

The problem with the series is that while the goal might have been to make a cute story out of a Rottweiler and a child, it left more people than not, the dour feeling that something else was going on below the surface of the story and the parallels are all too remarkable.