Pet Books

I purchased this book along with several other raw feeding and natural pet care books. I expected it to simply be another raw "how to". And while it does include a chapter that gives a basic overview to feeding raw, the majority of the book is dedicated to the scientific reasoning of raw. It is a major confidence booster to the beginning raw feeder to see exactly WHY they are making the best possible diet choice for their animals. Dr. Lonsdale writes in a way that even the average pet owner can understand, while avoiding dumbing the material down. It is also fascinating to see the struggle that modern vets who support raw have had with trying to prove the worth of this diet.

This book is a helpful guide for those discussing a RAW diet with their vet. Lonsdale provides an in depth account of what he's seen as a doctor of veterinary medicine. The book was much easier to read than some other books related to this topic. We used this book as a companion when discussing our dogs' health with our veterinarian. She found the information useful and I believe that is a compliment to the book. If not for making the choice to switch to RAW, it will have you asking your vet more questions about your pet's healthcare.

I just wanted to take a second to write a little review. No not one of those big reviews that yells "give me all the attention, I'm the best reviewer out here!"

But a lil small review that covers some of the things some people have spoken about and what not.

First some say this book seemingly is all about the author, Tom Londsdale. Ok, the forward, preface, and even chapter 1 is about him and the industry, but then he goes in to great detail about dental care, how artificial dog foods damage the teeth and so forth and so forth.

Some say it's hard to follow, well, I'll admit at times it is. It's a book of detailed reasons of why to go on the raw diet. It's not a recipe book, it's a good book to give you an idea about the raw diet, and frankly for the raw diet you dont need a recipe book! What's so hard about giving a raw chicken?

So I give this 4 stars, because it is a good book, however it can be a bit boring at times.

I just ordered "give your dog a bone" how I look forward to reading that!

Vets are good for medical stuff. I use them for drawing blood, running blood tests and prescribing medication when needed. Other than that, I would disregard anything a regular vet has to say about both animal nutrition and animal psychology*. Vets are brainwashed by these food companies when they are in vet school to push their unhealthy (but profitable) foods. There is a reason this author had to fight so hard to get his ideas out there.
Dogs survived thousands of years without bagged kibble, doing guess what? Eating Raw Meaty Bones. This book is such an eye-opener to something that should really be just simple common sense. Dogs are meant to eat MEAT, not corn meal, wheat or high-fructose corn syrup. Cats need meat even more so.
The DAY we changed our dogs over to eating Raw Meaty Bones, we noticed an astonishing difference. They are healthier and happier because they are doing what dogs should do!
READ this book, take the little bit of extra time to FOLLOW it and you will be rewarded 1000x over by your animals.
*My husband has been involved in animal training for years and follows something close to Cesar Millan's approach. So as far as dog psychology goes, if you can't hire my husband, read Cesar's book and watch the Dog Whisperer!!

For those who have more time to read about raw feeding, this is your book. Dr. Lonsdale's book "Work Wonders" (in my previous review) is great for shorter reading. Since I have owned dogs all my life, I have also lost many to cancer and other related illnesses. With my new dog, I am trying raw feeding and reading all that I can about it. It's different and takes time getting the right diet and what agrees with her. I believe in being open minded, and this book really opens the mind.

What kind of person stands by and watches as another person beats an innocent and helpless dog? Doesn't that make you an accessory to the crime?

MR. KATZ NOT ONLY UNDERSTANDS DOGS,BUT UNDERSTANDS HOW WE HUMANS FEEL ABOUT OUR PUPS. I TRULY LOVE HIS BOOKS AND HAVE READ ALL OF THEM....

I've read many, many good dog books. After reading this one I can say without reservation that this is not one of them. It's formula based and predictible and poorly written. Seems like I've seen a lot of this "stuff" before.

If you love good writing and dogs and books about dogs don't crack this book. Don't make me say I told you so. Yuk!

Other reviews of this book have done a good job of summarizing its thesis, which is that dogs were "previously" bred for physical labor and are now primarily in the business of serving their owners' emotional needs.

I've really enjoyed some of Katz's previous books. I am not a "dog person," but I have found his analysis of dog/human interactions to be well-documented and surprising. This book, however, was a big disappointment. Katz provides little evidence for his historical generalizations, and, by focusing largely on suburban owners who have unbalanced relationships with their canines, he overstates the significance of the "new work" he identifies for dogs.

Katz focuses almost exclusively on middle-class American dog owners, with little attention to urban dwellers (save one chapter)or rural dog-owners who still use their dogs for farm labor or hunting, not "show" sheepherding. What about dogs in other countries and locales, who still perform work in a variety of contexts? We don't even have to leave the US for examples. How are dogs in Alaska or Wyoming or the Jersey Pine Barrens different from dogs in the smug 'burb of Montclair?

Dogs have labored as part of the family for centuries, and they still do in many parts of the world. But that doesn't mean they also haven't served as loved and loving companions as well. Literature from previous eras is full of examples of how domestic pets have meant more to their humans than just "go get the sheep, Spike." (And not just in children's books; check out poet Christopher Smart's seventeenth-century poem "In Praise of my Cat Geoffrey.") Katz doesn't talk about the history of dog/human relationships in depth; he simply argues by assertion that dogs were "previously" used for physical labor and are are "now" primarily engaged in emotional labor.

I think a wider perspective and a "both/and" focus would be more informative for Katz to pursue. Today, serving humans' emotional needs may be the primary task of suburban dogs - but it's not the ONLY THING. Sometimes humans' relationships with dogs are balanced rather than pathological or subtly abusive (like many of the owners he portrays in his book). Some dogs aren't just "used" by humans, but develop powerful attachments to people - in spite of Katz's assertion, based on advice from a breeder friend, that dogs will forget a vanished human almost immediately.

Finally: when humans observe emotional responses in animals, this doesn't necessarily mean we're anthropomorphizing. Perhaps emotions aren't a uniquely human province. Perhaps humans as a species aren't as exceptional as we like to think we are. Perhaps there is a much wider territory out there than Katz maps here.

I really enjoyed reading this book about the new work of dogs. Jon Katz writes what I always see in the lives of people with dogs, but can't exactly put into words. He does a great job of that by writing about the lives of people with dogs and how their dogs serve them. Yes, there are actual working dogs in the world working on farms and such. But the work he writes about in this book is more emotional, even spiritual. It is about how we see our dogs, what we expect of them, and in turn how we treat them. Some people in the book relied on their dogs for emotional support, companionship, unconditional love. Others only needed them for a season of their lives, then discarded them, or didn't see their dogs as in need just as we are for just being dogs and having human companionship. I see people like this everywhere. Jon Katz does a fantastic job of writing about real-life examples of this new work. Some stories are heartbreaking, while others make you smile. It's a great book.

I bought this book with several others, and I just can't put it down. While it is true that some of the pictures are not photo-realistic, they are truly amazing. The author helps you with technique, and breaks down several aspects about animals that make drawing them difficult. I would have liked to know more about the whole body of the animal, but this isnt a drawing book, rather it is a technique book that covers the eyes, fur, feathers and to a lesser extent the expressions. She gives excellent advice on cat eyes to make them look liquid and translucent, and she breaks down some common mistakes. Overall an excellent book to own.

I got some use from the book but it wasn't as helpful as others I've seen.

I'm 41 and am renewing the love of drawing and sketching that I lost when I graduated from high school. I just didn't have time for art in my life, but when I finally picked up a pencil and paper a few months ago, I immediately fell in love with drawing again. A friend gave me a beautiful set of coloured pencils as a gift, which is one reason I purchased this book, and I'd be thrilled if I could ever produce a picture as nice as anything done by this author. Her drawings are just gorgeous, and the book is worth buying just to look at the pictures.

One thing I noticed is that the artist doesn't solely work with coloured pencils. In some images she uses gouache paints to draw whiskers, for example. It's a small thing, but worth noting if you hope to produce these images.

This book would be less misleading if the "realistic" were left off of the title. The drawings are good illustrations, say for a children's book or the like. There's actually a couple included drawings that I had to wonder why they were included because they looked like good drawing for someone in highschool. Anyway, it may help if you really are just beginning to draw, but it was not what I had hoped for at all. If you want to see amazing colored pencil drawings and some interesting techniques, I would recommend the "Colored Pencil Solution Book" by Janie Gildow and Barbara Benedetti Newton.Colored Pencil Solution Book

Lots of details about producing the appearance of details in animals. It is amazing what you can produce. I refer to this book a lot.

Nic Bishop's FROGS provides photos of big frogs and tiny ones and provides nearly fifty pages of frog facts, including a glossary and index. The blend of natural history and colorful frog photos makes for an outstanding presentation perfect for either reports or leisure learners.

This book is great reading for someone who is or will be a first-time APBT puppy owner. It explains the special needs of these great dogs and why they've developed a bad reputation. If you are looking for more extensive info on training and activities for you and your dog, i recommend another book.

The book is excellent and provides a usefull information for raise and American Pitbull Terrier

This book was helpful when I first got my APT a few years back. Besides teaching you the basics of taking care of him/her, it also goes into how the breed has been abused and misinterpreted. American Pitbull Terriers can be the most loyal and friendliest of dogs, if taken care of properly. (I can attest to that, being a former owner).

This book gives a truthful picture of APBT's. It also has exclent information on caring for this breed through it's life. I purchased it for my mother, who was nervous about the breed, before I adopted my dog. After reading the book she was looking forward to having the adition to the family come and was sharing her new found info with friends and family who had negitive reactions when hearing I was getting an APBT. An exclent book to have on hand and share with those intrested in the breed, who own the breed, and who don't know the breed.

Even though I knew that this dog wasn't as "mean and aggressive" as people made it seem, this book was extremely interesting and i learned many new facts. Besides being a great care-guide, it explains the breed's character and history.Everything that you would ever want to know about the American Pit Bull Terrier can be found in this book, accuratly portrayed.The book is clear on how to prevent accidental fights and that this great dog should only be owned by responsible people. Hopefully the APBT will one day gain the respect they deserve and people will know the truth about them.

I purchased this book through the Amazon associate shop [...]
Emergency work is an exciting field for veterinarians. The numerous authors are comprised of a 'who's-who' of the veterinary emergency world. I found this book particularly useful in coverage of common and uncommon scenarios an emergency vet is faced with on a daily basis. Internal medicine topics like acute pancreatitis and acute renal failure are also tackled from a different angle or ICU perspective, compared with 'traditional' internal medicine texts. There is fantastic coverage on respiratory emergencies including ARDS and PTE, cardiovascular disorders, acid-base and electrolyte disturbances, fluid therapy, acute endocrine presentations, in-depth discussion of various intoxicatins seen in emergency practice, neurological disorders (including a chapter on CSF sampling), infectious disorders, haematological disorders, intraabdominal disorders including management of peritonitis and GDV, urogenital disorders and trauma events. Colour plates depicting various emergency procedures such as chest tube placement etc... There are also chapters on hard-to-find topics such as mechanical ventilation, ICU care of post-operative patients, colloid osmotic pressure and osmolality monitoring, blood gas monitoring, intracranial pressure monitoring, capnography, anaesthesia and analgesia of critically ill patients, and an extensive section on drugs commonly used in veterinary emergency and ICU wards. All-in-all, a worthy read and essential text to have on the emergency room shelf. This book has been a long-time coming.

Again, The Fury Logic series has lived up to it's name. Anytime I am feeling down, all I have to do to put life into perspective is reach for one of my 4 Fury Logic books and I feel better within minutes. I find the art work to be awesome! I am so impressed with what can be done with only one bristle. Keep up the good work.

These books are a great thing for bathrooms, side or coffee tables. Great humor and artwork.

Jane Seabrook does a wonderful job of providing humorous bits of wisdom, along with great animal illustrations. The pictures alone are worth the book, but the quotes are the icing on the cake.

A couple of my favorites:

There's a drawing of a grizzly bear from behind with the caption, "Your order for lessons in patience has been received - please allow four to six months for delivery."

There's a picture of two Atlantic puffins talking and one is saying to the other, "And please keep your mind open until I can get a little more of my argument into it."

The book is a very quick, fun read and makes a great gift book!

i love the way she writes, and the way she expresses her thoughts and feelings. and i love each individual dog's story... 100% worth the $ for any animal lover, anyone interested in rescue, and anyone who has a dog of their own!! definitely a must read

This was a great book and what made it even better was that it included resources at the end so you could get involved. The book is well written, draws you in and makes you feel like a part of each rescue and tragedy. I plan on reading this again and again. It gives you hope that one person can make a difference one or two dogs at a time

I loved this book! I found it very inspirational and motivational. Thanks to people like Randi, I have the most amazing little rescue dog and I love reading about other successful rescues as well. As a dog lover who also sometimes volunteers for dog rescue in the Bay Area, I was touched by Randi's stories. I also love her spiritual approach, of searching for divine order in a chaotic world. The book has inspired me to begin volunteering/fostering for rescue again, and to give dogs that might appear unreachable a second chance.

A current trend in books about dogs is that the dog(s) serve as a back drop for the author to talk about himself or herself. This book is not one of those books. And Randi Berger does a wonderful job telling the dogs' amazing stories.

I truly enjoyed reading this book about troubled dogs who are rehabilitated by Ms. Berger and end up as wonderful pets.

Berger's stories of her years managing her full-time dog rescue organization are not only entertaining, but inspiring and sometimes painful to read. This is real-life in the dog-rescue world. Very hard work. You really get a sense of the committment and the endless effort it takes to run a successful rescue organization. Berger laces her book with humor, wit, and lots of great dog photos so you can really get a feel for each of the dog characters she writes about. I recommend this book to ANY dog lover...but especially to those who've rescued a dog from the street, a shelter, or a bad situation. You will enjoy this book. A must-have for your dog library!

This is a must-read for any equestrian who needs to train mind as much as body. It is written with humor, clarity and an insider's understanding of how learning to give the proper mental aids to our brain is even harder than mastering the proper cues our legs and hands give the horse.

That Winning Feeling is not about getting blue ribbons or pushing your horse despite how the horse may feel. It is about doing your personal best in your own personal situation. In her introduction Jane Savoie states it clearly: "To win--let us understand--is not necessarily limited to bringing home the blue ribbon. It is developing your potential and using it for a purpose that makes you happy. It is leaving your all-too-familiar comfort zone and striving for more than you thought you could achieve. It is putting forth the kind of effort that makes you proud to sign your name to your work." And, in the last 30 pages of the book when she does speak specifically about competitions, the author says: "After the performance, you can always feel victorious about your personal milestones. Perhaps this was the first show where your horse didn't buck at the canter depart. ... Ot maybe this is the first competition where you didn't feel nauseated before your ride. ... Don't let anyone--least of all yourself--dictate any limits. The joys of competition with your partner are to be fully experienced and savored." Thus, this book is about helping you do your best with your partner, your horse. It is not about winning blue ribbons or achieving Olympic status. It is a realistic, down-to-earth, practical and effective psychocybernetic approach for helping achieve you and your horse's best no matter what your goals are.

I am not a dressage rider, yet I found this book to be completley inspiring! It taught me so many things that myself nor my trainer could ever instill in me. 2 years ago I was a Multi National champion on my horse HL Karavan+/ and I truly believe that this book lead me there. before a class I would read selected passages from my trainer, and I went in the ring with a sense of accomplishment even before the class was finished. I would reccomend this book to any athlete who has ever doubted his or her abilities. I can not express what Jane Savoie's writing has done to improve my sportsmanship, and riding skills.

This is the first book I ever bought on how to use your mind when riding - in fact, I own TWO copies, for some unknown reason. They have different covers, and a slightly different subtitle, so that may be what threw me. The inside of my older book is all marked up with highlighter, and it's a familiar friend.

Jane Savoie, if you are not familiar with her, is an Olympic competitor. It takes strong mental focus, and lots of determination to reach that kind of a goal. She wasn't a talented rider when she started her quest, nor did she have the best horses, but she didn't allow that to stop her.

Instead she chose to learn how to leverage every opportunity - even if that was just the opportunity to watch a top rider.

Jane learned that the things you say to yourself are absolutely vital to your attitude - and that your attitude is vital to your success. You can learn to use it to your advantage, or you can allow it to use you. You can be the master - or the slave.

Jane gives many, many examples of people who used their mind to overcome all kinds of hardships, and she also gives many exercises to use to help you do just that.

You don't need to be "talented", and you don't need "the best" horse/tack/support team/etc - all you need is the desire to do the best you possibly can with what you have available.?"Talent" is highly over-rated. It's not the most talented rider that wins; it's the most DRIVEN one.

This book has helped me immensely with my riding, by showing me examples of people overcoming things that "should" have completely stopped their riding careers, and by giving me practical exercises to help me create an awesome relationship with my horse. I highly recommend that you give it a read, mark it up, take notes, and see what it will do for you.

Happy Trails!
Patricia Reszetylo
AcceleratedLearning4Equestrians.

I found this book borderline offensive. It typifies for me the mindset of so many competitive dressage riders for whom the horse, however much they say they "love" him, is no more than a fancy piece of sports equipment. "Winning" is everything, or so it seems. Dressage is supposed to be about the horse, not the rider. Certainly not about "winning." What has happened to this sport? How have we become so terribly lost? I regret the popularity of this kind of "dressage" writing and it makes me wish more riders knew there is another world of riding out there, where the horse is the best and only judge of our riding, and competitive kudos or "doing a movement" are not the measure of success.

I Love the imagination that Steven kellog puts into his books and illustrations.
This book is just pure and humorous, of what a young child's imagination and thought process is.
Steven Kellog is a favorite authur at our house.

This is the kind of book with humor, imagination, and gorgeous artwork that both kids & adults will love & remember. I bought this one for my grandson to be born in 2 months, because I remember how much his mother loved it. I read it many times to her & then she read it to me & her little brother. Truly the kind of book that lives on in your heart and sparks a love of reading in children.

I've been a Steven Kellogg fan for nearly 20 years now. His work is original, engaging, and entertaining. He does his own illustrations which "make" his stories come to life for me.

In this book by Kellogg a lonely little boy is in search of a friend. In the natural course of events the little boy either brings home or asks his mother if he can bring home animal after animal for a pet. Thus the book's title, "Can I Keep Him?" His mother's responses are typical, but the translation of her responses in her son's head (shown in picures also done by Kellogg) are hilarious!

A definite hit with children and adults alike!

Give it a try.

Definitely 5 stars.

Alan Holyoak

I really enjoyed Can I Keep Him? It was funny. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good read. What will happen to the little tadpole Arnold's uncle sent to him? I will tell you one thing, it doesn't turn into a frog.

I really enjoyed Can I Keep Him? It was funny. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes a good read. What will happen to the little tadpole Arnold's uncle sent to him? I will tell you one thing, it doesn't turn into a frog.