Pet Books

THE INTRODUCTION TO THIS BOOK SAYS IT ALL.

I told myself I'd never own a "pitbull". A friend at work does rescue work for this breed, and I decided to take in a foster pup. Never say never. These really are words to live by. I'm on my second foster pit, and seriously thinking of adopting one of them.(ok maybe both) This book has helped me come to that decision. I never take on ANY BREED, until I've learned what I believe is all I need to know. Don't just read a book though, talk to owners of the breed your considering too. I never knew a more cuddly, funny and amazing breed than the Pit. GO PITS !!!

I OWN THIS BOOK AND I READ IT IN THREE DAYS, IT HAS EVERY THING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT A PITBULL. IT ALSO HAS A LOT OF DETAILS OF THE LITTLE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW! WHAT I REALLY LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK IS IT ACUALLY TELLS YOU HOW NICE PITBULLS ARE,AND HOW YOU CAN HELP THEM!!! THIS BOOK IS SO GREAT!!! IF YOU WANT A PIT BULL YOU SHOULD BUT THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dr. Coile has immense experience and expertise in raising and training dogs for numerous canine sports. She offers an easy and fun to read manual for the novice Pit Bull owner and a handy guide for the ol' timers too. Great pictures, great advice, and important facts about our breed. Looking for books on the breed? Start with this one, it's a must have.

first of all, all bulldogs come from the same line (pits, english, american, etc.). What made the pits fight like they do is mixing in TERRIER BLOOD !!! Terriers are bred to hunt down little animals, rats, mice, etc. that is what they mixed with pit bulls to make them PIT BULL TERRIERS!!! I have a pit who lives with two other dogs, a cat, and a number of small rodents and birds that are our pets, and children; he is a therapy pet, a service dog, and a wonderful companion. I think you people in denver are not addressing the situation properly. Its not the breed you should be attacking, but the horrible owners who abuse them into thinking that they should attack. All the people in Denver are going to do is find another dog to use. There are plenty of other types of dogs that are much more aggresive then pits, pits are just cheaper. What about Presas or Cane Corsoes, bet you didnt check them, they are much bigger and more dangerous than pits.(Nothing aginst Presa or Corso folks, im just making a point.)
Anyone who wants a breed banned is missing the big picture, the people who are training these anamails ! The people who are training them to fight are NOT the USA's finest to say the least, THEY ARE YOUR TRUE PROBLEM ! You could make a golden or a lab attack to kill of you try hard enough! DOGS, EVEN PITS, ARE NOT BORN TO HUNT DOWN HUMAN BLOOD ! IT'S REALLY CRAPPY PEOPLE WHO MAKE THEM THAT WAY !
*my last final words are*
"All creatures on earth should be respected"
&
"No matter how poor you may be, having a dog makes you rich."

AND FINALLY- focus on the real problem, not the indivdual dog breeds, but the horrible people who train them to fight.

I own this book and have read it several times. It makes perfect sense that these are great dogs and they have developed a bad reputation based on having bad owners. A dog is a biproduct of their owner. We have seen the same thing happen with German Shepherds, Rotts, and Dobermans. This book was very helpful and there is no bias, only truth. The American Pitbull Terrier is a wonderful family dog when properly raised and socialized.

This book is fun, easy to read, and has many practical tips and ideas for integrating a rescued dog into your home. I work with rescued dogs and offer this book to new adopters when they pick up their new best friend.
Carol Lea Benjamin has written several dog training books, which offer dog owners lots of training advice.
Great book, great ideas!

This book is dangerous and filled very bad, dangerous advice. It was written in 1998, so giving the benefit of the doubt, perhaps our thinking about homing a rescue dog has evolved, but this book is extremely outdated. It recommends using the dog's crate as a place for punishment -which we all know is wrong. It further recommends "pops" with the leash to jerk your dog into obedience and "staring down" a dog into submission -again, outdated, inappropriate concepts. It is a very high level, superficial, quick read riddled with inappropriate advice that certainly does not speak to how one goes about brining a new, most likely scared, rescue dog into your home.

This book was so disappointing! I bought it after we got an adult dog from a shelter who had some serious behavior problems. But this book was completely useless!

It isn't about rescued or adopted dogs or how to help them. It is a VERY basic training guide [and I do mean *very* basic]. It is only 93 pages long and at least 30% of those pages are just hand drawn cartoons or stark black and white photos that are irrelevant to the text. I read the whole thing in less than 1 hour [an hour that I wasted unfortunately :( ].

There was *nothing* specifically about training or working with second hand dogs and the special problems/challenges and rewards you face.

The training advice is pretty bad too. First, it is very basic. Second, it is very negative and punative - most "modern" trainers would not advocate or approve of her methods. Third, some of the advice is just plain dangerous. [For example, her advice on how to deal with a dog who is growling is actually contra-indicated by every other resource I've read - her advice will actually teach the dog to *bite* first instead of giving the warning growl. Many of the techniques she recommends would be especially inappropriate for a rescue/shelter dog who faces special challenges in getting past aggression and/or fear because of their history.

Do yourself a favor and skip this book - there are many better books on both dog behavior and dog training. This book is a waste of your time.

I was recommended this book as I adopted a dog. I've had dogs, but never an adult rescue dog. I thought it would give me advice on dealing with issues specific to an adult rescue dog, solutions to problems I may encounter, what to expect, etc. What I got was a sappy "be patient and love your dog" summary. Any advice in the book was extremely basic and common sense, especially if you've owned any dog before. Yes, we need to understand and train our second hand dog, but this book provides NONE of the "how". I thought it was a complete waste of money.

I read this book before adopting my first Weimaraner; 4 years later I volunteer as a foster for Weimaraner Rescue and I've re-read it several times. After reading many other training books over the years, I've found Carol Lea Benjamin's dog-training books to be the best in their class.

Our rescue gives Second Hand Dog to each new adopter. I also highly recommend Dog Training in 10 Minutes. Both books provide invaluable information--in an entertaining and informative format--as an easy to read, easy to implement way to acclimate & train a new dog in the household.

All of Ms. Benjamin's books give newbie & experienced dog owners insight to canine behavior as well as provide the vehicle to make your dog "the dog you've always wanted." She emphasizes consistency and humane training that's enjoyable to both owner & dog.

Carol Lea Benjamin's dog-training books should be a must-read for every new dog owner!

Many of the selections within this book contain little more than increasingly tedious descriptions of wilderness scenery.

Contents -

William Byrd - History of the Dividing Line
William bartram - Travels in Florida
Meriwether Lewis - Across the Continent
George Catlin - Buffalo Country
John James Audubon - Missouri River Journals
John C. Fremont - West of the Great Basin
Francis Parkman - Hunting Indians
Henry David Thoreau - "Ktaadn"
Clarence King - Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada
John Wesley Powell - Exploration of the Colorado River
Clarence Dutton - Canyon Country
Verplanck Colvin - Adirondack Wilderness
Isabella Bird - A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains
Plenty Coups - Vision in the Crazy Mountains
Theodore Roosevelt - Hunting in the Badlands
John Burroughs - Birch Browsings
John Muir - The Range of Light
Mary Austin - Land of Little Rain
John C. van Dyke - The Desert
Aldo Leopold - "Thinking Like a Mountain"
" - The Green Lagoons
Rachel Carson - The Edge of the Sea
Edwin Way Teale - Land of the Windy Rain
Wallace Stegner - Packhorse Paradise
" - Wilderness Letter
Edward Abbet - Desert Solitaire
John McPhee - Coming into the Country
David Roberts - The Mountain of My Fear

I used The Wilderness Reader in teaching a course in stewardship and field ecology for teachers. I found that the book contained a wide variety of different types of environmental writing and that all of the selected pieces were excellent examples of the genre. Several of my elementary school teachers even read parts of the reader to their students.

The book came on time. It was a delight to read and very informative. I especially devoured the chapters on Puppy Care, Understanding Your Poodle, and The Versatile Standard Poodle.I read it from cover to cover in two days. Discovered that a local breeder, whom I had contacted about a puppy, had a champion dog of her's pictured in the book on page 159!

Gorgeous book! Beautiful color pictures on almost every page. 20 pages dedicated to grooming including a variety of hair styles and all major topics are covered such as health and training. Of all the poodle books I've purchased this is by far my favorite.

Eileen Geeson does a fabulous job of giving background information pertinent to standard poodle owners. She touches on a broad range of topics, from our emotional attachments to our furkids to puppy-raising information and everything in between. One of the most helpful sections gives warning signs of injuries and diseases prone to standard poodles. The pictures in the book are precious, and Geeson's book is a fluent read.

This book is full of wonderful pictures and a complete history of the standard poodle. However, the author is a former show judge in the UK and spends a considerable amount of the book discussing British standards for show. The recommended diet (raw human food) is contrary to what most American vets prescibe. The information on grooming the standard poodle is quite informative and includes pictures of finished cuts. However, it does not include enough information for a novice like me to attempt the trims.

What a wonderful book! I bought my first Poodle and this book was a treasure!

This book might be what you are looking for IF you are planning to get a Goldendoodle. The first 2 chapters are spent telling you stories about how Goldendoodles came to be and what great dogs they are. If you already know how great these dogs are, it's nice to read from someone that loves doodles so much, but it wasn't really informative. I was really hoping to get more specific insight for training tips, different stages in their lives, maybe more pictures of how they keep changing during their first year of life, how often to bathe, more practical tips. It has useful information on how to find a breeder and what to look for. As an owner of a Goldendoodle puppy, it was enjoyable to read but didn't get my questions answered :)

perfect companion piece to the 'puppies for dummies' book, if Goldendoodles are your thing.

As the soon to be owner of a goldendoodle pup I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book. I couldn't find any other books on these marvelous dogs. I sat down to read a few pages and found myself reading it cover to cover. It is an easy read- packed full of useful information for someone considering a goldendoodle, as well as the new owner and some fun facts as well. I especially love the enthusiasm that comes through by the author. You can tell Kathryn loves these dogs and knows her stuff. The pictures are great too! Now I really can't wait to get my pup!

Interesting content on the development of this "non-breed" but not particulary helpful for what I was looking for. I would've liked to see the puppy coat types as they change develop into dogs...important for picking out a pup from a litter. The chapter titled "Breeding" shoud be changed to "genetics" or something, I was frightened it would be a "How-to" chapter...thankfully it was NOT.

Also, I think it has some of the most disappointing Goldendoodle photography out there! I have been surfing the web and have found much better looking pictures and more variations of Goldendoodles (coat types, colors, sizes, natural/clipped coats) than this book offers. So if you are looking for pictures, I would just do an image search...it turns up much more satifying results.

The "Puppy Aquisitions" assumes the only way to geta Goldendoodle is through a breeder. Some tips and info on finding one through a rescue or shelter wouldve been nice.

Overall it was an interesting study of the recent history of this mixed breed.

I loved all the photographs and informative tips about goldendoodles that were in this book. We got our new puppy from the author and she did a wonderful job raising our pup for us until we took her home.

I enjoyed this book enough to order the second in the series. The main character, Raine Stockton, was well-developed and interesting. I agree with another reviewer that the romance side of the book was confusing. It was hard to understand what Raine's relationship was with her ex-husband. But, perhaps the author is intending to elaborate in her next book. Overall, a good choice for dog lovers.

I am a addicted to dog stories. One can tell That Ms. Ball is an expert in dogs, and specifically in rescue dogs. The mystery story is average at best, but the dog part is great. 3.5 stars.
P.S. This is The FIRST book in the series, NOT the SECOND!

As the first in a new series, this is very good and very interesting. It is very similar to Virginia Lanier's Bloodhound series. The same type of main character although this takes place in the Smokey Mountains rather than Georgia. This isn't a bad thing since Lanier's books were probably the best in the genre. Like Lanier, the characterization takes second place to the mystery, which I happen to enjoy. Bad mysteries and not enough characterization as in Susan Conant's dog mysteries are too boring.

Ms. Ball will grab your attention with the first line of the book, and you won't be able to put it down til you have finished the last page. This is the 1st of a great new series. How can we not love a book with such a wonderful dog featured.

A solid mystery with good characters, good pacing, interesting backstory (more revealed in next book) a likeable protagonist and wonderful overlay of information about search and rescue dogs.

This is a very informative book, detailed in every way. The only problem is understanding the parts being I am a layman. But with much study I believe this book will help me recognize and determine the proper procedure to take to better comfort my mare.

One of those timeless treasures that will be referred to over and over and over.

Very easy to understand and follow. I am interested in becoming certified and this was a big help in showing me what will be expected and give me a jump start on learning anatomy.

This is a great book that has become invaluable to me. It gives a good round view of massage, from anatomy to practical exercises and stretches you can do with your horse.

I think this book covers everything a horse owner needs to know about massage.

This book is very good. My horse has back problems and I found the book helpful as to how to massage him so he feels better. The book has alot of great information and I would recommend it highly.

As everyone has stated, this is a good book with lots of good information. One thing to know about it, however is that the information is presented more in a 'conversational' style than an 'encylopedia' style. If you are looking for a traditional 'field guide' type style with color-coded cross-references and the like, you may want to look elsewhere. However, if you don't mind a more casual presentation of the information - and it is that way in this book - then this one is for you. In other words, you'd be more inclined to pick up this book for some casual reading than you would a traditional field guide.

I live in southeast Alaska and this is the book I have been looking for years. I love it! It goes into such depth, but it is simple to understand.
I enjoy hiking and like being more informed of who/what has also pased this way before me. Great Resource for anybody who enjoys hiking. The photo's are excellent.

I usually check out tracking and reading sign books from the library because I would rather spend my hard cash on backpacking gear, fuel, and tires to get up and down those rocky roads, but this book was one that I had to buy. Most tracking guides have sketches and if they have photos they usually are not very good quality. This book has amazing photos that will aid you in scat and sign identifying. It is a great book for begginers and just a pleasant read. I would have to agree with another reviewer that he does tend to focus on northern or eastern animals. Learning about Mule Deer sign would be more pertinent than learning how to read Moose sign. There is also another book on Amazon that is PACKED with photos and has more photos of dens, tracks and sign. I would have to rate that book higher than this one, if I had to choose one, but this book definately earns 5 STARS!

This book provides an excellent introduction to reading animal tracks. In the first chapter the author explains why we should try to understand the tracks around us in the forest, and what we might see. He then delves into the kinds of observations we need to make, such as trail widths and trail patterns and scat. The rest of the book is divided into chapters by animal family, including chapters for rodents, rabbits, weasels, dogs, cats, bears, and hoofed animals. There is also an extensive bibliography and index.

Each chapter is comprised of short articles about the specifics of tracking the individual animals that make up the family covered in the chapter. Rezendes provides a short informative description of the animal with a color photograph. The descriptions cover behavior, range, and diet. Rezendes also includes black and white photos of the animal's feet, both front and back. The next section of the article covers tracks and trail patterns, and it includes illustrations or diagrams, photographs, and typical trail width and stride measurements, as well as a lot of information to help you sort out this critter's tracks from all the others out there. He also includes short sections on signs, such as dens, food caches, kill sites, and scat, also with photographs or illustrations.

I purchased this book after moving out into the country because I wanted to identify the critters that visited at night leaving their tracks in the snow around our house. I found Rezendes' approach captivating and easy to understand, even as a beginner. Rezendes explains how tracks can tell us much more than just the identity of an animal- -through a careful study of tracks, you can determine how fast the animal was moving, whether it was browsing, being chased, or chasing another. This book is a highly informative reference; it's also a delightful read on a blustery winter afternoon.

I am an old guy-pushing 60-and have examined books on tracking ever since I was a child. No other book compares to this one. I purchased it based on the positive Amazon reviews and on this book they were right on the mark. I mean, this guy not only provides excellent photos of tracks, he has photos of the ANIMALS' FEET! What a simple yet sensible idea! I very much like his philosophy of tracking, his emphasis on looking at the whole picture of the impact an animal makes on its environment. Good job, Mr. Rezendes.