THE BOOKSHELF

For those who enjoy reading about animals, or are looking for a gift for a "pet person", we are presenting brief book reviews of some of our favorite reads.

The Perfect Puppy-How to Choose Your Dog By Its Behavior-by Benjamin L. Hart, D.V.M. and Lynette A. Hart:  A great book looking at specific breeds and their behavior tendancies.

The Right Dog For You-Choosing a breed that matches your personality, family and lifestyle-by Daniel F. Tortora, Ph.D.: Another good book looking at individual breed behaviors.

Puppy's First Steps, edited by Dr. Nicholas Dodman:   Dr. Dodman is the behavior specialist at the Tufts University Veterinary School, and the author of two best-selling books on pet behavior problems ("The Dog Who Loved Too Much" and "The Cat Who Cried For Help").  This puppy book tells you everything you need to know about:  How to choose a puppy, how to bring the new family member home, feeding, training, and most of all, how to understand your new dog.  Even if your dog is well past the puppy stage, there are plenty of useful things to learn from this book.  

Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan:  This self-taught master of the misbehaving canine is know to watchers of his television show as "The Dog Whisperer".  His central philosophy is that dogs need to be dogs in order to happy and well behaved.  His formula for the sucessful dog might be difficult for many dog owners to accept.  Cesar stresses that dogs need (in this order) exercise, discipline, and affection.  He advocates heavy exercise (running, fast walking) for 2 hours a day.  He insists on rigorous discipline to establish the dog's appropriate role at the bottom of the human "pack".  Only after the dog is tired and submissive can it receive affection.  These things are probably all true, although they may be difficult for many owners to achieve.  Cesar does go too far in his dominance-based approach; many of the behavior problems that he views as the dog trying to be the leader are actually the result of a fearful, anxious dog acting out, and taking a dominant approach could make the behavior worse.  The book is a good read, however, and an excellent reminder that dogs have their own needs.

Pets Living With Cancer-A Pet Owner's Resource-by Robin Downing, DVM: A veterinarian's firsthand story of dealing with her own dog, Murphy, and his battle with cancer. Very practical and compassionate story of coping with the the dreaded "C" word.
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The Cat's Point of View-The Complete Book of Cat Behavior-by Gwen Bohnenkamp: Cats are not small dogs-they are there own unique creatures and this book really looks at cats in a special way.

FELINESTEIN-Pampering The Genius In Your Cat-by Suzanne Delzio and Cindy Ribarich, D.V.M.:  A humerous look at your cat and understanding his or her approach to life.