Posts tagged "books"

Recently we brought you suggestions for fun books for pet lovers, but what if you need more informative reading about training and care?

The diverse range of pet books on the market may seem overwhelming, but a few standouts can help guide you through the basics of pet care while giving you special tips for your four-legged friend's individual needs. Our friends at Zootoo rounded up some of their favorite books on pet care to help you get valuable information while filling out your summer reading list.


An informative, basic guide to bringing rescued pets into the family, The Happy Adopted Dog by Tammy Gagne takes a look at the specific needs of adopted pets, including behavioral challenges that commonly arise among former shelter dogs. In addition to taking potential pet parents through the steps of the dog adoption process, the book also addresses ways to bring adopted dogs into their forever home successfully, with useful training tips and advice.


Combining comprehensive advice with light-hearted anecdotes, Caring for Your Aging Cat by Janice Borzendowski helps cat owners navigate their feline's senior years by providing step-by-step insights into geriatric pet care and ways to improve quality of life. Borzendowski also uses a compassionate touch to delve into the tough end-of-life issues, in addition to useful tips about appropriate care during your cat's golden years.


Thought-provoking and easy to understand, 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog by Tamar Geller uses a canine-centered approach to help owners build a closer relationship with their dogs while tackling basic behavioral issues. Although 30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog uses the chapter-a-day method for owners hoping for results within a month, Geller's new perspectives on classic problems make this book a valuable resource no matter what your training schedule looks like.


Get a peek inside the feline mind with How to Have a Happy Cat by Andrea McHugh. This nuts-and-bolts book about satisfying even the most finicky of cats delves into the basics of communication and body language to help owners understand the complicated feline personality. And veteran owners will also appreciate the innovative tips on cat-i-fying your home and improving your cat's relationship with the family.


An entertaining read that also helps owners integrate four-legged friends with their two-legged relatives, A Member of the Family by Cesar Millan offers tips on training dogs to bond with the entire household. Drawing on his years of experience, Millan brings a humorous touch to the book, using inspiring anecdotes to illustrate his advice. For first-time owners, A Member of the Family also provides information about selecting the right dog for a family's lifestyle.

There are heroes. And then there are superheroes. Meet Mary Spencer. She's giving Wonder Woman a run for her money.

Spencer joined the SPCA of Texas in 1992 and served as its chairman for eight years. Today, she chairs the organization's building committee and represents the mayor of Dallas on the city's Animal Shelter Commission. Last week hundreds who share her passion for homeless pets attended an event in Dallas to launch her book, "All My Fosters Are Rockstars," which weaves stories of some of her foster pets with information about the importance of microchipping, spaying and neutering, adoption, and other animal welfare issues. This week Paw Nation sat down with the affable advocate to talk about her life-saving work.

As a one-woman rescue organization, you have fostered an astounding 500(!) pets. Have you had a favorite?
There have been a few really special ones. Some I still keep in touch with. The blind standard poodles are an incredible story. They were puppy mill dogs I got from a shelter. They were in very bad shape, and their rehabilitation was a unique experience for me. They are now happily living at Rolling Dog Ranch in New Hampshire. It is a utopia for disadvantaged animals, where they can run and play and be cherished like children.

When you love animals as much as we do, you find yourself drawn to animal-related items in every walk of life, and that includes reading material. These are a few of the animal books that I've been recommending to friends.

"100 Heartbeats: the Race to Save the Earth's Most Endangered Species," by Jeff Corwin
We won't lie -- this isn't the easiest read you'll find, but then again, it's never easy to read about animals suffering the effects of climate change. However, Corwin is careful to not only write about the animals facing possible extinction, but also write about what's being done to help them. He includes success stories from years past to show that there is hope and includes enough personal anecdotes to make each of these species, even the ones that aren't cute or cuddly, tug at your heartstrings.

When you suspect something is wrong with your pet, the obvious move is to take it to the vet. But there are times when that's not as simple as it sounds.

Perhaps it's the middle of the night and you aren't sure the situation warrants a visit to the pet emergency room. Or maybe the nearest vet is too far away, such as on the island of Molokai, where there are no full-time veterinarians and the Humane Society has had to learn to handle as many types of animal issues as possible. Even if you have a terrific vet right down the road from you, what if something happens when he's out of town? Or what if you're traveling with your pet?

The bottom line is that a responsible pet owner should have some basic knowledge when it comes to pet health. Understanding what signs to look for when you think your pet might be injured or sick, knowing what his vitals should be, and being aware of the information your vet needs in order to treat your pet are all important, and we've got two books that will help you learn it.

Veterinary Guide for Animal Owners, Second Edition
This 400-plus page reference, by Dr. C.E. Spaulding and Jackie Clay, is a comprehensive manual for identifying and handling a wide variety of medical issues affecting cats, dogs, cattle, goats, horses, poultry, sheep, and rabbits. For each type of animal, the book covers everything from birth to diseases to first aid, giving helpful tips on managing problems until your vet can step in.

We focused on the cat and dog sections, and though a good portion of the information is stuff a seasoned pet owner should know, there was still plenty for us to learn, including solid information on caring for orphaned puppies and kittens and the recommendation that, more often than not, you shouldn't bandage your pet's wounds.

Bonus: The book is written in plain language that nonveterinary professionals can understand, and the glossary will give you the precise language and definitions you need.

At Paw Nation, we share equal places in our heart for every breed, of course, but there is something particularly charming about the pug.

What is it about pugs that make them so darn cute? Ugh, that face! So wide, so full of life, emotion, and expression, the pug's face can say so much with nary a sound. Happiness, sadness, boredom -- it's all there, and photographer Jim Dratfield knows it well. The celebrity pet photographer and author of "PugShots" has returned with "PugNation", a collection of delicious photos that capture pugs in all their "quirky, bug-eyed, silly splendor."

An ideal coffee table book for the dog lover in all of us, "PugNation" does not disappoint. Dratfield's photos are both artful and thoughtful without ever feeling pretentious. It's clear that he is both great at what he does and exhibits a true appreciation for his subjects. Whether the pug is swimming, costumed, or nonchalantly chillin' beachside, the photographed pooches are a sight to behold, and Dratfield's gorgeous imagery details the evidence that the pug mug is, if nothing else, worth a thousand words.

Single dog owners face some peculiar issues. For instance, what do you do when you're getting intimate with a new love interest and your dog --- who's accustomed to having you all to herself --- is sitting there staring at you? Or worse, whining and trying to get in between the two of you?

"That's the topic of most interest to everyone," laughs Betsy Rosenfeld, the author of "The Complete Single's Guide to Being a Dog Owner: Choose the Right Breed, Train Your New Pup, Balance Dating and Dog Duties, Find Doggy Daycare and Travel With Your Dog." (Published by Adams Media and to be released May 18, 2009).

Her advice? Distract your dog with a treat, such as a bully stick or Kong filled with peanut butter, and shut the door. Even then, "some dogs will literally stand outside the door and cry," says Rosenfeld. She cautions single dog owners to "set the level of spoiling that you're going to keep up with," otherwise, you run the risk of a doggy meltdown when your pooch has to share your affections with a new (human) sweetheart.

Rosenfeld's book is for singles, but it's not a singles' guide. You won't find a chapter on the best pickup places for single dog owners (though there are entertaining anecdotes about dating with dogs.) Instead, you'll find information on everything from picking the most suitable breed to the perils of dog park dating.

"There's a heightened connection when it's just your dog and you. It's more intense," says Rosenfeld, who is in her thirties. "I had to figure out everything -- from budgeting for dog food to the dog park hours to how to not have my dog destroy the rental apartment -- all on my own. There wasn't anyone else to share the cost with or to run her to the groomer. There was just me."

Rosenfeld urges prospective dog owners to choose qualities that are right for them. "People don't get the right dog for their lifestyle," says Rosenfeld, citing it as a top reason singletons give up their dogs. "If I can help one dog not end up in the shelter because somebody read this book, that's what I want," says Rosenfeld, who is donating part of the proceeds from book sales to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Another important takeaway? Think long-term when selecting a dog because you may not always stay single. Rosenfeld, who went on a self-imposed "dating hiatus" to write the how-to guide, now has a boyfriend (whom she met just after turning in the book to her publisher, natch!).

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