This charming and colorful guide is filled with life lessons learned from our best friends. Chief among them is their passion for the joys and simplicities of life that we humans so rarely achieve. We can all become better friends to one another by applying the inherent wisdom of canine nature to our own lives and circumstances.
Review by Amazon.com Caroline Knapp is head over heels in love--not with a human being, but with her mixed-breed dog, Lucille. From the moment Lucille first locked eyes with Knapp through the bars of an animal shelter cage, the intelligent, pointy-eared mutt began to transform Knapp's life. Reeling from the deaths of both her parents, a breakup with a long-term boyfriend, and her newly won sobriety after a 20-year battle with the bottle (which was skillfully chronicled in a previous memoir, Drinking: A Love Story), Knapp found in Lucille not only companionship, but "consistency, continuity, connection. In a word, love." Although she doesn't regard Lucille as a replacement for alcohol and lost loved ones, Knapp does believe "that in loving her I have had that sense of being filled anew and essentially redirected, an old identity shattered and a new one emerging in its stead." In Pack of Two Knapp, with the help of dog psychiatrists, trainers, breeders, and owners, explores the partnership between human and dog and the mysteries of the canine mind--how dogs love, how they think, and how they see human beings. And despite her findings that the dog will remain essentially "mysterious ... unknowable," Knapp is ultimately at peace with this, still devouring the moments when dog and human can "transcend the language barrier" to "understand what the other wants and feels." This book pays homage to the wonderful and complex relationship between one woman and her dog. --Naomi Gesinger --This text refers to the hardcover edition of this title
Reviews - The author, Walt Zientek, wzw@aol.com , October 11, 1999 Help "Heart Dogs" help dogs in need. Heart Dog Diaries is a collection of stories from folks around the world, about the "special" Heart Dogs in their lives. Based on themes from Labrador Tales, I have expanded the focus to all breedsand will be donating a significant part of the proceeds to canine rescue groups around the country.
Book Description Not only are golden retrievers great to look at, they are ready, willing and able to perform myriad tasks for their owners. This full-color guide unlocks 101 of their heretofor hidden talents including backseat driving, home security alarm, foot warmer, taste tester, and many more. Captured by the vivid photography of Denver Bryan, this book brings to life all the heartwarming, endearing characteristics that make these dogs favorite companions.
A Whole Earth Catalog for dogs! Packed with product photos and fascinating true dog tales, here's a catalog of everything imaginable for dogs and dog lovers. Each product listing includes a colorful description, an appealing photograph of the item, and detailed pricing and ordering information. 650 illustrations. Recommended by Michelle
Michelle says, "When I decided to rescue Goliath, I found this book and it has been perfect for me. It tells what to expect immediately and even years down the road. I love it."
Synopsis Superb photographs and a fascinating cast of people and dogs make this book irresistible to anyone who is moved by the human-animal bond. Contributions by such celebrities as Jamie Lee Curtis and Al Gore enhance this delightful collection that captures the bond between people and the dogs they love. 45 photos.
Every year, millions of dogs are abandoned - at racetracks, animal shelters or just on the side of the road. Although many of these animals end their days without ever experiencing a loving relationship with a human being, a few are fortunate enough to be found and given a second chance. And these dogs, many rescued from death's door, seem to have even more than the usual canine capacity for love and loyalty. You'll meet found dogs who are service dogs, protectors, and friends, offering solace, aid, companionship and inspiration. Found Dogs is a moving tribute to the power of love between people and dogs - how that love has transformed dogs who were lost, and the people who were lucky enough to find them. Recommended by Michelle
The first book to deal specifically with purebred rescue, the dogs, and the people involved, Save That Dog! explains what purebred dog rescue is and how it differs from shelter adoptions. Heartwarming profiles of abused, abandoned dogs which have been placed in loving, responsible homes are interspersed with details of the adoption process. 30 photos. Recommended by Nicole Fassbender.
Synopsis: Partly autobiographical, partly journalistic, this work relates the experiences and chronicles the travels of the authors as they take an advocacy role for the needs and rights of the disabled, especially those who use specially-trained dogs as their eyes, ears, or as attentive assistants. 84 photos." Recommended by Steve Armstrong.
Synopsis: "These touching animal stories make a powerful statement about the intense love which animals have for their owners. From selfless gestures to grand, heroic displays of courage, these tales recount the exploits of dogs, cats, horses, pigs--even an iguana--who have warned and rescued peoples--some at great risk to themselves." Recommended by Steve Armstrong
"From Sweet Lips (George Washington's foxhound) to Millie (George Bush's spaniel), dogs have been at the side of American presidents wherever they went. In this lighthearted romp through American history, Roy Rowan and Brooke Janis put a human (or rather canine) face on the dignified statesmen and their families who have lived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Drawings, paintings & photos." Recommended by Steve Armstrong.
Synopsis: "America's estimated 50 million dogs are governed by laws. Completely updated to reflect the most recent legal changes, this revised third edition of a very helpful handbook answers common legal questions about biting, barking, veterinarians, leash laws, travel, landlords, wills, guide dogs, pit bulls, cruelty, and much more." Recommended by Steve Armstrong.
Synopsis: "Does your dog wag his tail and bark? Does your cat purr? Does your bird just peck at her food? If so, they may suffer from low self-esteem! So says Michael Dowling, author of the hilarious new book, Boosting Your Pet's Self-Esteem. This tongue-in-cheek satire, with 40 witty illustrations by Sarah Dowling, pokes fun at our culture's obsession with self-esteem, self-help programs, and political correctness. The book describes the symptoms of low self-esteem in pets and gives advice on how you can have a mutually affirming relationship with your domestic companions. A wonderful gift and a must read for pet lovers, psychologists, self-help devotees, people tired political correctness, and everyone else who wants a hearty laugh!" Recommended by Steve Armstrong.
The bestselling author of When Elephants Weep provides surprising insights into the delightful and curious behavior of canines. Like the dogs he loves, Masson's writing--drawn from myth and literature, scientific studies and true accounts--will capture readers with its playful, mysterious, and serious sides. 16 line drawings. This book recommended by Matt Molay (and it's on my bookshelf, too, and I forgot to list it!)
Discover here why some American Indians ate the dogs they loved, how one stray Victorian puppy saved three million canine lives, and how ten thousand more soldiers' names might have been added to the Vietnam Memorial Wall had it not been for dogs. Anthropologist Mary Elizabeth Thurston will revolutionize how we perceive "man's best friend" and empower anyone who loves dogs with a new sense of wonder and appreciation. in full color. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
These personal stories, in which people tell of the profound experiences they had with a pet that somehow touched their souls, explore the special relationship between people and animals and explain how animals can act as spiritual guides. Photos. Illustrations. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
To get the information needed to write this book, the author sent a Letter-to-the-Editor to both Dog Fancy and Dog World magazines, asking people who lived with more than one dog to share information with her by sending for a questionnaire. The response was incredible, and the amount of information she received was overwhelming. She mailed out 1052 questionnaires and received 928 of them back!
Combining her own experience of living with five dogs with the information received from across the country, as well as internationally, the author wrote this book on the topics that most directly impact a multiple dog household. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
When Travis Cornell and Nora Devon meet "Einstein, " they are touched by the dog's intelligence. Einstein is one of two altered life forms escaped from a top-secret lab. The other--The Outsider--is a deadly hybrid. To protect themselves, Travis and Nora must learn to be deadly as well.
Einstein is a golden retriever! This is a GReat book, and Dean Koontz recently donated a First Edition, autographed copy for our GRiC raffle.
Martin Stillwater is a novelist with a wife and children he adores -- and an imagination he can't control. One rainy afternoon, a stranger breaks into Martin's house and accuses him of stealing his family, his name, and his life. Martin has no choice but to take his family and flee, even as he questions his own sanity. But wherever they go, the stranger is right behind them.
This is a GReat book! Dean Koontz has donated a limited edition, signed (and autographed) edition of this book in slip jacket which we will be auctioning off on GRiC in a few months.
If you think you've got it tough, meet Christopher Snow, the hero of Dean Koontz's novel Fear Nothing. Not only did his parents die under mysterious circumstances, but he's also being stalked by shadowy characters who want Snow to stop trying to find out how they died--or else they'll bump off his remaining loved ones (his supersmart, beer-lapping dog Orson; his best surfing buddy Bobby; and his late-night deejay girlfriend Sasha). And as if being on the lam in his own hometown, Moonlight Bay, California, isn't bad enough, Snow has to outrun his pursuers without leaving town. He has XP--xeroderma pigmentosum--a rare genetic affliction that forces him to avoid light. Cumulative exposure to sun, fluorescent lights, and the like will give him cancer eventually, and he doesn't dare leave the place where he's skillfully "done the mambo with melanoma" for all of his 28 years. Koontz makes the night-town of Moonlight Bay come alive in this sometimes pulse-pounding, sometimes funny, but mostly rather lyrical thriller. Fans of Koontz's legendary 1986 novel Watchers will love this book's similar theme: our hero and a loveable super-dog deal with a genetic engineering laboratory run amok. Horror fans will savor the evil mutant rhesus "millennium monkeys" who hunt Snow, the few scenes of eloquent gore, and the plight of certain mutating townsfolk who are, as they put it, "becoming" something very creepy.
Fear Nothing is a real page turner! A must have for all Dean Koontz fans.Susan Conant writes mystery novels revolving around the dog world. Her main character, Holly Winter, is a writer for a dog magazine. Holly's parents were golden retriever breeders and very much involved in the world of dogs. Holly, however has 2 Alaskan malamutes. Her books are easy, enjoyable reading. Susan Conant is very involved in malamute rescue in the New England area.
Writer Holly Winter and her two beloved malamutes, Rowdy and Kimi, are caught up in a wickedly amusing tale of dastardly deeds and delightful eccentrics involving an unscrupulous dog psychic.
Friend Gail in New York comments about this book...."I've just finished Animal Appetite and think it's one of her best books (and there is a golden in it)."
When the proprietor of Puppy Luv, a pet store fronting for black market dog breeders, is murdered, Holly Winter links the killing with the disappearance of an adorable malamute pup and is soon entering the corrupt world of dog breeding.
Great look at a puppy mill...where "Holly Winter" saves a golden!
A New York artist has been murdered, and the only witness to the crime is his missing dog, a champion basenji named Magritte. P.I. Rachel Alexander and her formidable partner Dash find the dog, only to become targets of the killer themselves. From Soho galleries to the glamor of the Westminster Kennel Club competition at Madison Square Garden, Rachel and Dash are the most well-heeled crime-fighting duo in town. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Film professor Jackie Walsh and her ex-police dog Jake have a new partner, a large, unruly mastiff puppy named Maury, and a new case: the mysterious death of a university security chief. And Jackie must find the missing clues to a relationship between the chief and a dead girl before the rambunctious Maury botches the whole investigation. Original. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
In this Dog Lover's Mystery, Jackie Walsh and her crime-solving shepherd, Jake, tune into murder. The Rodger's U. radio station experiences a lot of dead air when millionaire Mannheim Goodwillie keels over and dies during his interview. Soon Jackie's friend Keith, the head of the radio station, is accused of murder. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Film teacher Jackie Walsh's interest in the current election intensifies when the mistress of one of the candidates is murdered, and with ex-police pooch Jake at her side, she investigates. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
When an elderly widow tells Jackie Walsh about a hidden fortune, Jackie and her crime-solving shepherd Jake start sniffing around--and discover a legacy of murder and deception that's still deadly after all these years. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
The discovery of a gunshot-wounded Alsatian shepherd in her backyard leads to a mystery for dog-loving sleuth Jackie Walsh, and she is soon on the trail of a murderer.
Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
A stray terrier leads Jackie to the body of a homeless woman--and into a puzzling mystery with wide-ranging implications--in this latest novel in the successful series that's "good news for those of us who like dogs and mysteries!"--"Sun-Sentinel". Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Culled from the pages of Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, these 13 classics of mystery will show readers why man's best friend can be a killer's worst enemy. Contributors include Margaret Maron, Cyril Hare, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Pauline C. Smith, Robert Campbell and eight others. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Whether underscored by humor or deep emotion, all of the stories here share the same theme--the strong, enigmatic bond between dog and master. A demonstrated bestseller in its original publication, Morrow has revised this volume to omit less popular stories and add contemporary stories by both famed and newer writers. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
Dog Music joins the pack as one of the most beloved books to celebrate our canine friends. Dog Music features over 100 poets in a splendid anthology of verse that runs the gamut of emotions from deep grief to playful joy. Photos throughout. Recommended by Mary Ellen Lunde.
The following titles suggested by: Steve Armstrong
Based on hundreds of letters to their newspaper column, "Dog Talk, " this book by the authors of Dog Talk and Puppy Preschool offers the answers to the questions dog owners ask most frequently about pets and their behavior. 30 photos.
As readers of A Cat Is Watching know, Roger Caras has a special affinity with the animal kingdom. Now, in a winning mix of psychological insight, factual research, and personal, paws-on experience, Caras takes the reader into the special world of dogs. 25 photographs.
In this fascinating book, Dr. Dodman tackles the most common and baffling of canine psychological disorders--aggression, fearfulness, and obsessive/repetitive behavior--and explains through engaging, often humorous, case studies his therapies to help both dog and owner.
The secrets that dog lovers (and, of course, dogs themselves) have always known about love are finally available to make life just a little sweeter and more loving for humankind. In a heartwarming collection of questions--inspired by what she learned from her own collie, Lady--Fowler captures the essence of love and devotion. Illustrations throughout.
Communicating with animals is a subject recently discussed on the G@H email list. This book has been recommended by one of the "animal communicators."
Another recommended book on the subject of communicating with animals.
Animal communications.
Is there a universal language of love, a "kinship with all life" that can open new horizons of experience? This intriguing book documents simple, real-life experiences that show how animals communicate with each other and with people. Recommended by Trish Umerski.
Sonya Fitzpatrick, an animal communicator who discovered her talent while growing up on a farm in the British countryside, shares her stories of speaking telepathically with pets--and shows readers how they can learn the same skill.
A unique feature of this book is the way it examines the dog-and-child relationship, with abundant guidance provided in an area seldom discussed.
Lori Whitwam of the G@H email list says: It talks about new babies, getting a dog when you already have a baby or toddler, and how to manage dogs with older kids.
In Our Best Friends: Wagging Tales to Warm the Heart, syndicated pet columnist Michael Capuzzo and writer Teresa Banik Capuzzo have collected some of the most endearing tales of humankind's best friend. Drawn from literature, history, and the experiences of dog enthusiasts, these tales of loyalty, love, heroism, and hope make this companion volume to the Capuzzos' Cat Caught My Heart an engaging read for dog fans everywhere. Recommended by Katie Coyne.
God created Dog Heaven, a place where dogs can eat ice cream biscuits, sleep on fluffy clouds, and run through unending fields.
Like the bestselling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books, animals bring out the goodness, humanity and optimism in people and speak directly to our souls.