A Dog Year : Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me

by Jon Katz

Change sometimes comes on four legs. Jon Katz has two low-maintenance Labs named Julius and Stanley whose chosen work is to lick neighbors and to accompany him through midlife. His year begins with a new arrival at the airport, a two year old border collie named Devon. Devon escapes from his cage and goes tearing around the terminal and is captured and taken home to meet his other two dogs, Julius and Stanley, who are not quite sure of what to make of this new collie. The collie turns out to be very demanding and Katz's training of him is very slow and agonizing. Devon eventually settles in. Later on in the year, after Katz appears on the Oprah Winfrey show, he decides to take her advice and adopt yet another border collie named Homer, who is a sweet puppy that is everyone loves except for Devon. But the two seem to get on easier when he takes them to a farm where they herd sheep. Katz reflects on how important it is to be devoted and have a total understanding of any animal that one brings into their home and how to live peacefully with border collies. It's still obvious that the most important ingredient in a human/dog relationship is love.

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Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds

by D. Caroline Coile Ph.D.

In this updated volume of the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds, we find more than 150 breeds of dogs that are arranged in different categories specified by the AKC, such as: Sporting Group, Hound Group, Working Group, Terrier Group, Non-Sporting Group and Herding Group. With each entry there is a color photograph and each profile tells us why the breed was developed All this advice for perspective dog owners will help in choosing a breed that will be compatible with their own needs. All the breed descriptions are organized into subsections that tell us about the “History”, “Temperament”, “Upkeep”, “Health”, “Form” and “Function”. There is also another sidebar that has list of characteristics for each of the breeds, they include things like playfulness, friendliness towards other dogs as well as other pets and strangers, their energy levels, protection and watchdog ability, vulnerability to specific health problems, their exercise needs, all their grooming requirements and how they tolerate the hot and cold. You will find it very easy to compare breeds using the “At a Glance” sidebars.

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Puppies for Dummies

by Sarah Hodgson

This is a book you will love and it is a must read for every soon to be puppy owner. It will walk you through everything you need to know about raising a puppy. It helps you discover how to choose the perfect puppy for you. Raise a well mannered pup. House train, quickly and effectively. Provide proper care and nutrition and to keep the peace between kids and puppies. The book is written for those novices in mind. It offers very highly practical clues like playing classical music while owners leave their dogs alone. Guides you through puppy socialization. Everything you need to know is in this fun friendly guide. It focuses on behavior and relationship and Sarah Hodgson will help your puppy grow up to be a healthy wonderful dog.

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