The Complete Guide to the Belgian Malinois


Book Description

The Belgian Malinois is one of four closely related shepherding breeds that were developed in Belgium during the 1800s. This is a hardworking, intense breed of dog that is absolutely devoted to its owners and trainers.The Complete Guide to the Belgian Malinois will become your go-to guide as you navigate the challenges of raising your spirited Belgian Malinois pup into a confident and dependable canine companion. This guidebook is packed with valuable knowledge covering everything from your first few days home with your dog to caring for your aging Malinois. Learn the answers to crucial questions such as:?Is a Belgian Malinois the same as a Belgian Shepherd? ?Is this the right breed for me? ?How do I prepare my home for a busy Belgian Malinois??Which training methods are most effective for working with the Belgian Malinois?These highly intelligent dogs manage to be both exceptionally easy and remarkably challenging to train. While they will pick up commands quickly, they can also be headstrong and will often test their trainers. Living with an active and strong-willed Belgian Malinois requires determination and dedication, but those who choose to embark on this adventure are often rewarded with a staunch companion with exemplary decorum in public. Gain essential information about owning a Belgian Malinois, including:?The history of the Belgian Malinois?The Belgian Malinois at home and at work?How to find and select your new Malinois companion?Preparing your family for a Belgian Malinois?Household dangers-indoors and out?What to expect the first few weeks at home?Introducing your new Belgian Malinois to existing pets?House-training the Belgian Malinois?The importance of socialization and training?Essential and advanced training techniques ?Mental and physical exercise ideas for your Malinois?Grooming the Belgian Malinois?Belgian Malinois-specific health and wellness information for every life stage




The Speckled Beauty


Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin', the warmhearted and hilarious story of how his life was transformed by his love for a poorly behaved, half-blind stray dog. Speck is not a good boy. He is a terrible boy, a defiant, self-destructive, often malodorous boy, a grave robber and screen door moocher who spends his days playing chicken with the Fed Ex man, picking fights with thousand-pound livestock, and rolling in donkey manure, and his nights howling at the moon. He has been that way since the moment he appeared on the ridgeline behind Rick Bragg's house, a starved and half-dead creature, seventy-six pounds of wet hair and poor decisions. Speck arrived in Rick's life at a moment of looming uncertainty. A cancer diagnosis, chemo, kidney failure, and recurring pneumonia had left Rick lethargic and melancholy. Speck helped, and he is helping, still, when he is not peeing on the rose of Sharon. Written with Bragg's inimitable blend of tenderness and sorrow, humor and grit, The Speckled Beauty captures the extraordinary, sustaining devotion between two damaged creatures who need each other to heal.




Training the Best Dog Ever


Book Description

Training the Best Dog Ever, originally published in hardcover as The Love That Dog Training Program, is a book based on love and kindness. It features a program of positive reinforcement and no-fail techniques that author Dawn Sylvia-Stasiewicz used to train the White House dog, Bo Obama, and each of Senator Ted Kennedy’s dogs, among countless others. Training the Best Dog Ever relies on trust and treats, not choke collars; on bonding, not leash-yanking or reprimanding. The five-week training program takes only 10 to 20 minutes of practice a day and works both for puppies and for adult dogs that need to be trained out of bad habits. Illustrated with step-by-step photographs, the book covers hand-feeding; crate and potty training; and basic cues—sit, stay, come here—as well as more complex goals, such as bite inhibition and water safety. It shows how to avoid or correct typical behavior problems, including jumping, barking, and leash-pulling. Plus: how to make your dog comfortable in the world—a dog that knows how to behave in a vet’s office, is at ease around strangers, and more. In other words, the best dog ever.




Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult


Book Description

Want access to this book online? The full book content is also available as part of VetConsult, an online subscription platform with a powerful search function. Find out more at www.wiley.com/learn/vetconsult and subscribe today at https://vetconsult.wiley.com/subscription. THE VERY LATEST INFORMATION ON DISEASES AND CLINICAL PROBLEMS IN DOGS AND CATS Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline, 7th Edition provides up-to-date information on feline and canine disease in the familiar, popular, and trusted 5-Minute Veterinary Consult format. This reference puts all the necessary information regarding common diseases and conditions in dogs and cats at the reader’s fingertips. Covering 845 specific disorders, Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult is the most comprehensive and timely reference on canine and feline medicine available today. It is carefully designed for fast and easy access to vital and accurate information. The companion website allows the reader to access more than 350 downloadable client education handouts, as well as images and video clips. The book makes it easy to find essential details on: 845 different diseases and conditions, from amebiasis to zinc toxicosis Diagnosis Common treatments and prognoses Blackwell’s Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Canine and Feline is the leading quick-access reference for veterinary practitioners and students everywhere.




The Complete Guide to Miniature Australian Shepherds


Book Description

The Miniature Australian Shepherd has taken the world by storm, but what makes this breed so fascinating? Written by Miniature Australian Shepherd owner and enthusiast Kearsten Williams, this book will give you actionable advice and unique insights into this lovable breed. Whether you are trying to decide on what breed to buy, have just purchased a puppy, or already own one or more Miniature Australian Shepherds, this book will answer every question you have about being a Mini Aussie owner. Gain knowledge about the breed’s history, traits, affinities, and special flair. What makes this dog breed so versatile? Is a Mini Aussie the right breed for you and your family? The Complete Guide to Miniature Australian Shepherds witll answer every question you have, such as: Is a Mini Aussie the right breed for me and my family? I brought my Mini Aussie home. What now? How can I successfully train my Mini Aussie? What are some common mistakes should I avoid? Chapters Topics include: Miniature Australian Shepherd Facts Choosing a Miniature Australian Shepherd Preparing Your Home for a Mini Australian Shepherd Bringing Your Miniature Australian Shepherd Home Being a Puppy Parent Housetraining Food & Nutrition Grooming Your Mini Aussie Physical & Mental Health Routine Veterinary Checkups & Health Socializing with People & Animals Training Your Miniature Aussie Teaching Commands Giving Your Miniature Australian Shepherd a Job Advanced Mini Aussie Health & Aging Care This book will guide you through the life of a Mini Aussie, from puppyhood to aging adult. Learn how to keep your dog healthy, understand common medical illnesses, and discover how to choose the correct veterinarian. The Complete Guide to Miniature Australian Shepherds will give you tips, tricks, and the tools you need to make the most out of your experience as a new Mini Aussie owner!




I'm Not Single, I Have a Dog


Book Description

At age 60, Susan Hartzler has learned to accept, even love, the single life, provided she has good friends and a dog or two by her side. Always attracted to the quintessential bad boy with his good looks and charming ways, she was sure she could change "the one" into a devoted partner and loving father, but her compulsive giving and fixing behaviors went hand in hand with her disappointing and disastrous romantic relationships. On a purposeful trip to the pound, she hoped to find a dog to care for, one that would sniff out the bad guys, give her a sense of purpose, and help her find meaning in her crazy world. Thoughtful and funny, this memoir follows Susan's life through the many ups and downs on her way to finding unconditional love. Her journey is a personal one, full of the hard decisions it took to learn to put herself first and stop entering and staying in unhealthy relationships. By saving a dog, she rescues herself, learning to love herself as much as her dog loves her.




The Other End of the Leash


Book Description

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.




Writing on sheep


Book Description

Sheep are marginalised in literary criticism and in discussion of pastoral literature. This book brings an animal studies approach to poetry about sheep that allows for the agency of these sentient beings, that have been associated for humans over ten thousand years. This approach highlights the distinction between wild and domesticated species and the moral dilemma between the goals of animal welfare and those of saving species from extinction. Discussion of mostly contemporary poetry follows a new reading of works from the pastoral and georgic canon. Allowing for the sentience and sociality of this species makes it easier to imagine a natureculture within which to make kin across the species boundary. Reading poetry about sheep has the power to make new meanings as we try to adapt to an increasingly complex and problematic environment.




Born to Win, Breed to Succeed


Book Description

The most important book on dog breeding and showing ever written just got bigger and better! Complete with new and updated content by Patricia Craige Trotter, who won her signature breed group at Westminster a record-breaking ten times, Born to Win, Breed to Succeed, 2nd edition is now the most inclusive how-to guide on dog shows ever written. This full-color edition feature’s updated and revised information on everything from tips for breeders, owners, and handlers to the proper documentation of your breeding program. In addition to the expanded content, this book also contains more than 400 color photographs of historic and current show dogs with informational sidebars.




The Complete Guide to Australian Cattle Dogs


Book Description

Written by experienced ACD owner and professional dog trainer Tarah Schwartz, this book will give new owners as well as those experienced with the ACD breed all the necessary skills and insights to keep your Australian Cattle dog happy and healthy from puppyhood through his or her golden years. Within these pages you’ll learn enough about the breed to make an informed decision about whether or not the Australian Cattle Dog is the right breed for you. Not only will you learn about the breed’s history as a working cattle dog, but you’ll also gain invaluable knowledge about their ability to compete in a variety of modern dog sports. If you plan on adopting a dog from a shelter, you’ll learn what to look for in your ideal dog. If you would prefer to buy a puppy from a breeder, this book will guide you through choosing a breeder and bringing your puppy home. Find answers to questions like: Is a Australian Cattle Dog the right dog for me? I brought my ACD home. What now? How can I best train my ACD? What are some common mistakes should I avoid? Whether you are a veteran ACD owner, or new to the breed, there will be something for everyone in this book. Chapter topics include: Choosing an Australian Cattle Dog Preparing Your Home for Your New ACD Being a Great ACD Owner Housetraining Socializing with People and Animals Australian Cattle Dogs and Your Other Pets Physical and Mental Exercise Training Your Australian Cattle Dog Basic Commands Training a Working Australian Cattle Dog Unwanted Behaviors Traveling with Australian Cattle Dogs Nutrition Grooming Your Australian Cattle Dog Basic ACD Health Care Advanced ACD Health and Aging Dog Care From your first day together until your last, this book will be a vital resource that you’ll be able to consult throughout your Australian Cattle Dog’s lifetime. Whether you have questions about training or healthcare, you can rest assured that this book will have the answers you’re looking for.