Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World Class Trainers by Captain Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Lea Benjamin

Dog Tricks: Eighty-Eight Challenging Activities for Your Dog from World Class Trainers, Captain Arthur J. Haggerty and Carol Lea Benjamin. New York: Black Dog & Levental Publishers, 1978. small hardcover, 303 pps.

Blondie-- the older blond dog with a red field nose and black tongue on the left-- trotting on the sandy road is looking at Hermione coming out of the brush on the right. Hermione is a black and white dog, smaller who at first resembles a border collie with less hair. In fact she is  an Australian Cattle Dog mix with a bit of hound dog and retriever thrown in. She has black freckles on her white socks and her black tail with white tip on it  is low slung like those of Australian Cattle dogs. Note to copyright monopoly trolls: these are my two dogs, I took the photo myself, so go away.

I scored some old but well-kept books about dogs at a garage sale free recently. Dog Tricks was part of the haul. This little gem of a book became a valuable bit of my library as I discovered that my Australian Cattle Dog/ retriever/ hound dog cultivated secret dreams of being a trickster dog.

Hermione is Blondie's best dog buddy in the whole world. They met about a year ago and became walking companions. Blondie was diagnosed this past April [2015] as having terminal liver failure. Hermione came to live with use by her own choice at the end of August [2015] on a permanent basis. Both dogs are thriving from the arrangement.

Blondie's health has been steadily improving as much as a dying dog's health can be. She is happy, has a good appetite, solid fecal matter, enjoys hiking on a daily basis and swimming when we do that, and is pain-free. 

Hermione is delighted with all of the exercise that is now part of her daily routine, has made her peace with our two cats, and has several jobs around the backyard and homestead.

Both dogs love living together in the same pack.

But I have digressed.

sapphoq reviews says: The book Dog Tricks does exactly what it promises. There are indeed eighty-eight of them with decent directions, whimsical drawings, and a trick aptitude chart in the back. Highly recommended! Should you have a dog who wants to learn something else, grab this book if you get a chance! 

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn and Susan Hubble Pitcairn

Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats, Third Edition. Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM PhD and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. Emmaus, Pa: Rodale Publishing, 2005.  large paperback, 466 pages, including end notes, index, and recipes.


Although some of the general suggestions in this book are okay-- home cooking for animals, paying attention to the conformation of an animal when picking one out to take home, description of medical problems-- I am wary of many of the specific ideas in this book.


Rabies vaccinations or titres showing immunity are practically a must. There are no [non-alternative] peer-review journal articles to my knowledge that establish the effectiveness of Bach Remedies [r, tm etc, no copyright infringement intended] or coffee enemas for dogs or cats or human beings for that matter. And there is no way that I am adminstering any concoction containing deadly nightshade to any animals in my charge, period. I am just not doing that. Period. End of discussion.


sapphoq reviews says: It is dismaying that the Pitcairns do not footnote the research studies that they base their conclusions on. For this alone, I recommend giving Complete Guide a miss.

Cesar's Rules by Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier

Cesar's Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog, Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier. New York: Crown Archetype/ Random House, 2010. e-book, 222 pps.

Friday night in our household is Cesar Millan night. The younger cat and I watch several episodes of Cesar 911 together. Of the three animals-- which include the older cat and the dog but not the frogs in tanks-- Sirius Black is the one most interested in the moving electrons on the magic box.

I have benefited from watching Cesar ever since I discovered him on television some years ago. An old guy who used to show Springer Spaniels and then switched to German Shepherd Dogs was the one who taught me how to train my dogs in formal obedience. Cesar Millan taught me how to train myself. 

Being the pack leader involves energy. I also include proper posture in the expression of this energy. My dog notices. 

The current dog is going to be thirteen years old on April 2nd [if she lives]. She has old age problems plus a current additional problem of a bacterial infection from eating rabbit turds. Other than the recent expression of her fascination with the wondrous snacks from heaven, she really is an intelligent dog. And she has been easy to train. I will miss her when she dies.

Cesar's Rules delineate the basics involving dog psychology. Chapters include techniques developed by other trainers as well as having a balanced pack and the stuff that makes Cesar Millan a great benefit to those dogs whose people get training from him. 

There is new material also. I had never heard of Dr. Ian Dunbar before reading this book. I was happy to have the information about puppies and off-lead work. If the next dog is a puppy, I am going to give that a try [in fenced-in and secure areas] also.

sapphoq reviews says: We are a Cesar Millan household. I endorse and highly recommend all of the Dog Whisperer's books. Naturally, this one also.

Living With Yorkies by Pruitt Farm Publishing

Living With Yorkies: Things You Should Know, Emily Pruitt of Pruitt Farm Publishing. self-published via Pruitt Farm Publishing, 2011. e-book, 62 pps.

There was a family yorkie that was sent to me when she was eight years old. I spent the first two weeks correcting her for biting me. She bit me whenever I put her in the car and bit me whenever I took her out of the car. After the first two weeks, she did settle down some but she remained a bit cantankerous for the rest of her life. She was a cute dog though, and smart too. She got the same obedience training that all of my dogs get and was subject to the same rules. She got to have a lot of fun with me and my dogified household. 

We went on numerous hikes and back-packing trips. I'd carry her when she got tired. She would sleep in the tent with me either on top of my sleeping bag or inside. The other dogs usually preferred to sleep right outside the tent and I had to drag them inside when storms were hitting. She swam some too. When I groomed her, she would pick out her own barrette for her hair. She would walk in my footprints or ski marks in the snow but refused anything that resembled dog booties. She was a determined dog for sure. She died of old age.

Living With Yorkies was written by Emily Pruitt, the daughter of yorkie breeders. She points out the good and the not so good about yorkies and also what to watch out for. My yorkie had chronic pancreatitis-- diagnosed before I got her but not treated until my vet discovered this fact in an old vet record-- but never did get any signs of hypoglycemia.

sapphoq reviews says: Anyone who is considering getting a yorkshire terrier for the first time ought to read Living With Yorkies first, along with doing other research. Highly recommended.

Must Love Dogs by Greg Dinneen

Must Love Dogs: How to Form Friendships with Dogs and Teach Your Dogs with Kindness, Greg Dinneen. self-published, 2015, 2009. e-book, 66 pps.

Must Love Dogs is full of white space. White space makes it easier for people like me to read books. I don't necessarily need larger print. I do need lots of blank space between sentences and paragraphs, the more the better. Although Greg Dinneen's e-book tops out at 66 pages on my e-reader, if regularly spaced there would be much less of it.

My initial impression was something like, "The beagles they got in Australia must be really different from the ones they got here" [in the U.S.A.]. I have to admit to being astonished that he got his beagles to walk off-lead safely. Beagles and safety are two words one does not find together often on this side of the pond. My second impression was, "Greg Dinneen doesn't care for Cesar Millan much" [or a Cesar Millan counterpart in Ozland]. 

I wasn't expecting stuff about horses. But there was bits of stuff written by someone years ago and I liked that.

sapphoq reviews says: Must Love Dogs was free when I picked it up. I don't know whether to recommend it or not. So, that's up to you. If you are looking for tips by a professional, then-- no. Otherwise, maybe. As long as it is free. 
I've had quite a few dogs now over the years [and cats and frogs] and have obedience trained my own dogs and helped a few random strangers out with theirs on occasion. Disciplining a dog is not the opposite of loving a dog. And I do follow Cesar Millan on Twitter [tm] and I watch his stuff on the television. 
On the other hand, the stuff about horses was fascinating reading and I may have to look up the old manuscript from which Greg Dinneen quotes.

Butt Ugly Dogs by Dizzy Daphne

Butt Ugly Dogs: A Photography Survey of the Top 10 Ugliest Dog Breeds in the World! (Butt Ugly Stuff, #1), Dizzy Daphne.  self-published: Butt Ugly Books, 2014. e-book, 42 pps. with pictures!

sapphoq reviews says: Butt Ugly Dogs lives up to its title. The ten breeds of dogs in this book are uh, different. The information provided by the author Dizzy Daphne is accurate and spot-on. Each breed mentions has at least one picture, a profile, history, temperament, and "Rude Comment." This book was short and sweet and free when I got it. Recommended to those canine-philics and others with a sense of humor.
     
N.B.: The pictures in this book are "Royalty free images reproduced under license from stock image repositories." (p.41). They fit well and are much appreciated.

http://ButtUglyStuff.com

OF CATS, DOGS, AND FROGS 12/27/06

CATS:

1. don't have to be walked or obedience-trained in classes.
2. can be left up to 3 days alone comfortably.
3. won't eat all of the cat food left out in 1/2 hour.
4. will amuse themselves easily.
5. can settle their own territorial disputes with other catmates.

DOGS:

1. are genuinely happy to see ya.
2. can be taught to be good canine citizens and to do tricks.
3. know that petting them makes their humans feel better.
4. can be included in walking excursions and car travel easier than cats.
5. will listen to the dominant cat of the household.

FROGS:

1. settle territorial disputes by eating the offensive tankmate.
2. don't usually talk back to their humans.
3. are easily contained in a tank environment.
4. some will sleep for several months at a time, thereby saving on the cost of food.
5. don't get into power struggles with the resident cat or the resident dog.

sapphoq reviews