|
| |
The Chihuahua Club of America is an AKC Syndicate
member.
The AKC Syndicate articles are provided here with permission from the
American Kennel Club.
© 2008 American Kennel
Club.
|
| |
Book Reviews
Cesar's Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide
to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
By Cesar
Millan
Review By Daisy Okas
I’ve been a fan of Cesar Millan’s since before he was well
known as the Dog Whisperer on his National Geographic
Channel TV show. But then, he knows the way to a dog owner’s
heart: on tour to publicize his upcoming show, he stopped by the
AKC offices and praised my Beagle “Olive” commenting on her
“calm energy.”
Millan’s latest endeavor is “Cesar’s Way: The Natural,
Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog
Problems” (Harmony, $24.95) an extremely comprehensive book that
I would recommend to any current or potential dog owner,
especially those who watch the show yet haven’t been able to put
“Cesar’s way” in to practice.
Viewers of the Dog
Whisperer know about Millan’s common sense understanding of
dogs as animals first, dogs second, breed third and lastly
individual personalities, and about the “calm-assertive energy”
he believes we must project to keep our pets in line. It’s
always impressive to watch Millan in action on the show, but
rather intimidating to think of dealing with that high-energy
hound on one’s own. But Cesar’s Way illustrates
Millan’s theories in a way that allows the reader to gain
confidence both in themselves and in Millan. He describes his
lifelong love of dogs and his varied experiences as a boy
watching pack behavior on his grandfather’s farm in Mexico,
grooming dogs as a new immigrant to the United States, and
ultimately becoming a trainer dealing successfully with deeply
distressing cases of abuse, fear and aggression.
It seems that Millan materialized on scene when needed most –
our culture anthropomorphizes dogs as never before.
While role models like Paris Hilton appear on magazine covers
and TV shows with their dogs in fur coats and pearls, Millan
urges readers to understand their dog’s animal instincts and
innate needs in order to prevent or address behavior problems.
Many of his theories and recommendations directly challenge the
current trend toward indulging and humanizing our dogs and
therefore may seem harsh to some pampering pet owners. Yet any
dog owner, whether they think they need the advice or not, would
be well served to read and consider Millan’s very complete and
convincing treatise before discounting him.
Millan’s common sense attitude extends to many canine
controversies and he is blunt about what it means to be a
responsible dog owner, and what one needs to consider before
acquiring a dog. The book advocates the importance of
considering the right dog for your lifestyle, or as Millan puts
it, a dog “to match your energy level.” He is against breed
bans and puts the onus on humans to give every dog the
leadership it needs -– for the well-being of the owner, the dog
and society.
Between Cesar’s Way and new hour long episodes of
the Dog Whisperer airing every Friday at 8 p.m. ET/PT
there is no excuse for any dog owner not be the leader of their
pack.
-Daisy Okas is the Assistant Vice President of
Communications at the American Kennel Club
|
|
|
| |
Book Reviews
Sneeze-Free Dog Breeds: Allergy
Management & Breed Selection for the Allergic Dog Lover
By
Diane Morgan
Review By Lisa Peterson
If you suffer from allergies and have always wanted a dog,
Diane Morgan’s new book Sneeze-Free Dog Breeds:
Allergy Management & Breed Selection for the Allergic Dog Lover
(T.F.H, 2006) is just what the doctor ordered.
This handy 160-page guide to better living with your canine
friend will not only help you find a tolerable breed but offers
an abundance of housekeeping tips and treatment options.
She attacks allergies on many fronts, from the living
environment to keeping the dog as dander free as possible.
Morgan stresses it’s all about treatment. To control the
situation treat your symptoms, treat the house by cleaning it,
and treat the dog by keeping it groomed, wiped down and healthy.
Beyond the obvious tips for the house, such as buy an air
filter, Morgan offers tips about how to first get the home in a
dander-free zone, such as removing carpets, heavy drapes, and
upholstered furniture and replacing them with hardwood floors,
easy-to-clean blinds and leather sofas as a way to keep
allergens at bay.
Chapter 3 is a stand-out for it describes what causes
allergies and why no dog is 100 percent hypoallergenic. Kudos to
Morgan for her buyer beware message of the new trendy designer
dogs. She writes, “Do not believe claims that someone has
developed a designer or non-allergenic dog. While there have
been several attempts to develop a truly allergy-free breed,
this effort has not met with notable success. They do not exist,
and cannot exist until someone makes a dog without saliva,
urine, or dander.” And her sense of humor shines through as well
as she states, “And believe me, when someone develops such a
urine free-dog, more people than allergy sufferers will be
anxious to get one!”
The book also has the ubiquitous section on where to get a
dog, and while Morgan places herself firmly in the “rescue a
dog” camp she devotes equal time to finding a responsible
breeder in addition to how to contact a rescue organization.
The majority of the book is devoted to the Meet the Breeds
section which includes her list of 21 hypoallergenic breeds.
Included are breed standards from the national breed clubs.
Breeds are broken down into four groups: Curly-Coated and
Corded; Hairless; Single-Coated and Low-Shedding; and Terrier
Type. Morgan also does a great job of not only talking about
coat type and allergy status but has handy charts and ratings
for each breed which tracks its activity level and trainability.
With all this information at hand, a potential dog owner can
certainly do their homework with ease and research a breed to
fit their lifestyle before they commit to dog ownership. Add to
this the book’s glossary and resource section and anyone with
allergies wanting to bond with man’s best friend will find this
book the perfect prescription for success.
Lisa Peterson, a long-time Norwegian Elkhound
owner/breeder/handler, is the Director of Club Communications
for the American Kennel Club.
|
|
|
| |
Book Reviews
Please Oh Please Can We Get A Dog?
Parents' Guide to Dog Ownership
By Cheryl Peterson
Review By Lisa Peterson
At this time of year, most parents have bought all the gear
for their kids to begin enjoying summer. With long, sunny days
and the kids out of school it seems like the best time in the
world to get a new puppy. You know the drill, your child comes
home from day camp, has met a fellow camper who has a dog and
then comes the punch line – Please Oh Please Can We Get A Dog?
Author Cheryl Peterson (no relation to the reviewer) grabs
that line for the title of her recent book, “Please Oh
Please Can We Get A Dog?” Parents’ Guide to Dog Ownership
published by Howell Book House® in 2005 as a Howell Dog
Book of Distinction.
You may be thinking, yeah, we could get a dog. How cute, the
puppy and the child can start the summer together and before you
know it you are the proud parents of yet another bundle of joy.
But before you make that leap of faith, parents should read
Peterson’s book, especially the chapter on how to say “no” to
the child when the puppy request comes in.
As a long-time breeder of Weimaraners and Vizslas and an AKC
judge, Peterson has expert credentials. Plus, she speaks from
experience as she has consulted many families on whether to take
the big step into dog ownership.
The Big Questions
Peterson has a list of the most important questions you
should ask yourself and your family before committing to
drastically changing your life for at least the next 10 years.
- Is your lifestyle suitable for a family dog?
- What is involved with responsible dog ownership,
and how much will it cost?
- How much can you reasonably count on the kids to
help once the newness of owning a dog has worn off?
- What breed or mix will best fit your family?
- How do you find the right dog?
- How do you train the dog?
But even before you tackle these topics, read chapter three,
“Saying No To Your Child.” Not only does she give great advice
about how to tell the child they can’t get a dog because the
older brother is allergic, but also how to tell them “no” now
means “maybe” later on in some cases. It’s a delicate topic that
children will remember for a lifetime.
How many of you told the breeder when you picked up your
first dog, “I always wanted a dog as a child but my parents
wouldn’t let me. So now I’m finally getting a one.”?
Peterson gives workable examples of how not to cause stress or
lifelong resentment when explaining the reasons why you have
said no.
Best of Breeds
If you decide the answer to the title of the book is “yes”
then read ahead at warp speed. There is plenty of great
information in this 192-page book. It’s an easy read with
breakaway vignettes and cute photos. At times, the author
assumes the reader knows a bit more about purebred dogs and dog
shows than the average first-time owner, but still she does a
good job of explaining the topics very well.
The chapter, “What type of dog should you get?” makes
deciding on the breed for you and how to find a responsible
breeder easier than starting from scratch. Peterson gives a
mini-lesson on genetics and health of purebreds and encourages
readers to read the official “standard” for each breed to know
what type of dog you can expect as an adult. She offers
extensive lists of breeds, registries and an excellent chapter
on how to interview a breeder along with what questions to ask.
This book is not just for parents it’s great for anyone – from
novice to experienced dog owner – interested in getting a dog.
This book is available as a paperback or e-book for $14.95.
To learn more about this title visit:
http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0764572970.html
Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian
Elkhounds, is the Director of Club Communications at the
American Kennel Club. Reach her at
LXP@AKC.ORG
|
|
|
Book Reviews
Puppy Perfect: The User-Friendly Guide to
Puppy Parenting
By Sarah Hodgson
Review By Lisa Peterson
Let's face it, how many times can
you say, "take the puppy out often to go to the bathroom, you
must train your dog to be a good member of your family and the
community, and that it's a lot of hard work." Dog books over the
years repeat basically the same message over and over just using
a difference approach or training method.
In this age of couples using puppies as replacement children
or substitute spouses, I applaud Sarah Hodgson in her new book
Puppy Perfect: The User-Friendly Guide to Puppy
Parenting (Howell Book House® An Imprint of Wiley) for
giving her readers an easily understandable method to not only
train young puppy charges but make it entertaining and fun for
us harried humans. By using the methods Hodgson outlines in her
easy-to-read 240 page, paperback with loads of bullet points,
paw-print stamped text boxes and cute photos, there is hope for
all of us who want to create the perfect canine companion from
the beginning.
I like the progression of this book, like in most dog books
first, the author discusses the types of dogs one can consider
before purchasing in terms of personality. She does a good job
of describing how there are different types of dogs based on
what the dogs were originally bred to do. She notes that not all
dogs are the same and when training you need to adjust your
methods and approaches based on these differences between dogs.
If you already have that bouncing bundle of joy, Hodgson
gives owners a needed resource with the Puppy Personality Quiz
as a great way to understand you puppy's inner workings. Knowing
this will help you deal with your puppy more successfully. But
it's not just all about the puppy, she also includes a quiz to
determine your personality and if it matches your puppy. She
offers suggestions how to make the two of you work together like
the team you are meant to be.
Her "Doglish" glossary at the end of the book is filled with
terms to help the doggie-term challenged. And the book has the
obligatory chapters on supplies, grooming and feeding time. But
I love the chapters on housebreaking, chewing, and barking along
with Hodgson's imaginative approach to cure those bad habits.
Her willingness and knowledge giving the reader the reason
behind why the dog does that makes the training method make that
much more sense.
I am especially fond of the sections on how puppies are
champions on "attention getting" which is one of my pet peeves
about how owners fall victim to their dogs when trying to remain
consistent and a pack leader during training.
Her Puppy Parenting Styles chapter is a gem, in which she
uses her experiences as a new mother and sees the parallels of
training baby and training puppy. This book is a must-read for
mothers who have never raised a puppy before. And Hodgson offers
great advice on kids and dogs, which is always a very important
consideration before getting a dog.
The only down side I can find in this great book is there are
too many times when she says if your puppy growls during this
game or that training exercise, "Stop and immediately seek the
help of a professional behaviorist. You've got a serious
problem." While I empathize with her warning, it scared me the
first time I read it. It made me feel like I might be the owner
of the next "Cujo." But I give her credit for waking people up
to the fact that they need to be responsible for fixing this
problem and taking responsibility for it rather than just
dropping the dog off at the local shelter because it's easier
than taking the time and spending the money to fix the problem.
Also, I found it annoying that she sends people to her website
first to find another website, say on pet sitting for example,
rather than just listing the pet sitting website.
Finally, I love all the games, especially the "push away"
game to teach your dog to come. She also classifies the games
according to what works best with different types of dogs. Also,
the chapter "Enjoying the first year" is an important read,
since it is the most important time in a dog's life.
The book, at $16.99, is well worth the investment. For more
information go to Hodgson's website
www.dogperfect.com
Lisa Peterson, a long-time breeder of Norwegian
Elkhounds, is the Director of Club Communications at the
American Kennel Club. Reach her at
LXP@AKC.ORG
|
|
|
..
|
