For most dogs, a visit to a dog park is a great experience filled with chances to interact with other dogs and get some exercise. But not all dogs (not to mention their owners) have a great experience every time. So what can you do increase the chance that going to the dog park will be safe and fun for your dog? Cheryl provides you with the information you need to know including: * The design features a well-planned park should have. * The four key behaviors your dog needs to know to thrive in a dog park. * Dog park etiquette - for both humans and dogs. * How to evaluate your dog's temperament to determine if he is dog-park ready. * How to read canine body language to anticipate and prevent problems. Anyone who takes their dog to a dog park - especially those who may have had some negative experiences - should benefit from reading this book. For you trainers who are asked by your clients about the pros and cons of dog parks, this book should be on your recommended reading list.
Anyone who lives with and loves dogs knows that they are smart. Really smart. They understand our body language and emotions, can be trained to perform important services, are devoted companions, and enjoy walks, tricks, dog sports or just hangin' out on the couch. So, how "Dog Smart" are you? What do you know or wish to know about the dog's history, perceptions, understanding of humans, and responses to different training methods? These topics and more come under the scrutiny of the Science Dog in Linda Case's latest myth-busting book. Learn to separate fact from fiction about the relationship between dogs and wolves, whether dominance should be a factor in dog training, what forms of reinforcement work best, and how to apply evidence-based training methods. "Dog Smart" will not only help you to be a better trainer, but will give you the tools for communicating the most current information about dogs to others - including the popular Science Dog character, neighbor Joe (who happens to know a lot about dogs).
In 2015, Cara Achterberg’s Pennsylvania farm became a haven for Operation Paws for Homes, which rescues dogs from high-kill shelters in the rural south and shuttles them north to foster homes. Nine puppies arrived with less than a day’s notice; a heart-worm positive dog; a deeply traumatized stray pup from Iraq; and countless others who just needed a gentle touch and a warm place to sleep. The stories of these remarkable dogs—including an eighty-pound bloodhound who sang arias for the neighbors—and the joy they bring to Cara and her family (along with a few chewed sofa cushions) fill the pages of this touching and inspiring book.When asked how she can possibly say goodbye to that many lovable pups, Cara says, “If I don’t give this one away, I can’t possibly save another.” Filled with humanity and hope, Another Good Dog will take the reader on a journey of smiles, laughs, and tears—and lead us to wonder how many other good dogs are out there and what we can do to help.
From Sofi Oksanen, the internationally bestselling author of Purge, comes a captivating story about a woman unable to escape the memory of her lost child, the ruthless powers that still haunt her, and the lies that could well end up saving her. Helsinki, 2016. Olenka sits on a bench, watching a family play in a dog park. A stranger sits down beside her. Olenka startles; she would recognize this other woman anywhere. After all, Olenka was the one who ruined her life. And this woman may be about to do the same to Olenka. Yet, for a fragile moment, here they are, together — looking at their own children being raised by other people. Moving seamlessly between modern-day Finland and Ukraine in the early days of its post-Soviet independence, Dog Park is a keenly observed, dark, and propulsive novel set at the intersection of East and West, centered on a web of exploitation and the commodification of the female body.
The Man in the Dog Park offers the reader a rare window into homeless life. Spurred by a personal relationship with a homeless man who became her co-author, Cathy A. Small takes a compelling look at what it means and what it takes to be homeless. Interviews and encounters with dozens of homeless people lead us into a world that most have never seen. We travel as an intimate observer into the places that many homeless frequent, including a community shelter, a day labor agency, a panhandling corner, a pawn shop, and a HUD housing office. Through these personal stories, we witness the obstacles that homeless people face, and the ingenuity it takes to negotiate life without a home. The Man in the Dog Park points to the ways that our own cultural assumptions and blind spots are complicit in US homelessness and contribute to the degree of suffering that homeless people face. At the same time, Small, Kordosky and Moore show us how our own sense of connection and compassion can bring us into touch with the actions that will lessen homelessness and bring greater humanity to the experience of those who remain homeless. The raw emotion of The Man in the Dog Park will forever change your appreciation for, and understanding of, the homeless life so many deal with outside of the limelight of contemporary society.
A resource on service dogs includes an overview of assistance dogs, and information on deciding to get a dog, team training, the access a service dog provides, veterinarians, routine home healthcare, illness and retirement of a service dog, coping with the death of dog, successor dogs, and puppy raisers.
A heartwarming story about a man and his dog, and the first-ever book about dog parks and the part they play in the lives of both humans and canines. Off the Leash is a group portrait of dog people, specifically the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather at AmoryPark, overlooking Boston near Fenway Park. It’s about author Matthew Gilbert’s transformation into one of those dog people with fur on their jackets, squeaky toys in their hands, and biscuits in their pockets. Gilbert, longtime TV critic at The Boston Globe, describes his reluctant trip into the dog-park subculture, as the first-time owner of a stubbornly social yellow Lab puppy named Toby. Like many Americans, he was tethered to the digital leash. But the headstrong, play-obsessed Toby pulls him to Amory, and Amory becomes an exhilarating does of presence for him. At the dog park, the dog owners go off the leash, too. Dog-park life can be tense. When dogs fight, their owners bare their teeth at each other, too. Amid the rollicking dog play, feelings tend to surface faster, inedited. Amory becomes, for the dog owners, an idyllic microcosm, the home of enduring friendships and romantic crushes. Meeting daily, a gathering of dog owners can be like group therapy. A charming narrative, Off the Leash will appeal to anyone who has ever enjoyed watching a puppy scamper through a park. Praise for Off the Leash “An admitted curmudgeon just a few steps away from Cruella de Vil, Gilbert sees his life change when he falls in love with a dog person and then falls in love with dogs. . . . Gilbert captures with great humor the world within the dog park. . . . Beyond the individual quirks, Gilbert finds community and the ability to empathize among people who on the surface have little in common.” —Los Angeles Times “Gilbert’s book is witty, sweet, and affirming.” —The Boston Globe
Choosing the right dog food in a world with too many choices Walking down the dog food aisle in a pet supply superstore can present you with an overwhelming number of choices. Reading about dog food on the internet can make your head spin with so many opinions and stories. And judging the content that you find on dog food packaging can be confusing and misleading. How can the average dog owner make an informed choice in accordance with her dog’s age, size and condition? In her latest book, author Linda Case describes how to make logical, evidence-based decisions for what to feed your dog amid all the options available.
You will learn • How pet food marketers appeal to your emotions to persuade you to buy a particular type of dog food. • To distinguish between scientific, evidence-based information and the anecdotal evidence which is so pervasive—and often misleading—in the dog food arena. • Is there a scientific basis for dog foods designed specifically for puppies, senior dogs, canine athletes—even various breeds of dogs? • How to read and evaluate all of the material included on a typical package of dog food from the ingredients and label claims (“Natural,” “Anti-Oxidant,” “Low Fat”),to the Nutrient Analysis and Nutritional Adequacy statements. • How to avoid choice paralysis and the cognitive traps that can interfere with clear decision making.
What experts are saying about Dog Food Logic Pet food is like a religion for many—but now those strong emotional ties can be backed up with fact. Linda Case separates fact from fiction, explains the complex terms and offers a guide to pet nutrition in simple to comprehend language. Unlike other books on this topic, there is no agenda here—except to present facts and then allow pet owners to make their own logical conclusions, letting the kibble drop where it may. Steve Dale, CABC, columnist Tribune Content Agency; radio host Black Dog Radio Productions and WGN Radio (Chicago); contributing editor USA Weekend; special correspondent Cat Fancy; author Good Cat!
Dog Food Logic is the indispensable guide to the science behind canine nutrition that will help us to make wise, well-informed choices about how and what we feed our dogs. It takes the fear out of trying to understand proper nutrition and will empower us to determine what is best for the health of our dogs. Claudia Kawczynska, Founder and Editor-in-chief of The Bark
Don’t read this book if you want someone to tell you what to feed your dog. This is a book for people who want to learn, in a reasoned and thoughtful way, how to figure it out for themselves. Dog Food Logic goes way beyond the usual textbook list of nutritional requirements to cover the pet food industry in all its glory: the history, the business, the marketing, and best of all, the science. Case deftly navigates the most controversial topics in pet food and presents the big picture without interjecting judgment about what approach is best. There’s something here for everyone: pet care professionals and dog lovers alike will learn something new from this informative, easy to read, and well researched book. Jessica Vogelsang, DVM, CVJ, author, speaker, and CEO of Pawcurious Media
Raymond Chandler meets David Sedaris—the first in a dynamite new cozy series that's "a lot of fun, full of unexpected depths and twists." —Josh Bazell, bestselling author of Beat the Reaper Amy Carter is missing. And there's no one less capable of finding her than Max Bravo. Max Bravo is a mid-rung opera singer with a diva's towering ego. And he doesn't do favors. Not until the day he visits a troubled friend in Berkeley and offers to walk her dog. Max quickly discovers the local dog park. It's an odd, private little world—a preserve for neighborhood crackpots and lay-abouts, and, incidentally, their dogs. But, the park regulars are friendly. Clubby. They even serve beer. Before long, Max can't stay away. When one of the regulars disappears, Max's interest in the dog park turns to obsession. Amy Carter – beautiful, adored, pregnant – has vanished. The circumstances bode the worst. What happened to Amy? The dog park club has brewed up a theory. And they mean to prove it.
Learn how to read canine body language in groups of dogs, manage off-leash play, identify signs of trouble and much more. For pet professionals who work with groups of dogs in daycares, boarding facilities and dog training classes and serious pet-parents.
