Books for Pet Lovers
If you are looking for gifts for animal lovers this year,
here are a few suggestions.

One of my favorite dog-related books is Bones Would Rain
from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. The book speaks of the
special bonds we have with our dogs, sometimes that we are
not even aware of.

Clothier is a nationally renowned dog trainer. Using both
her own dogs and dogs she has trained for others, she
illustrates how dogs think, the nature of their
relationship with us, their behavior and other lessons.

I found it beautifully written; moving, sweet, funny at
times, heartbreaking at others. I highly recommend this
book to anyone who owns or wants to own a dog.

For lighter stories, there are always James Herriot’s
wonderful books, beginning with All Creatures Great and
Small. His most well-known works are available in a gift
set.

My all-time favorite cat book is The Silent Miaow by Paul
Gallico. Subtitled “a Manual for Kittens, Strays, and
Homeless Cats”,it’s written in the first person-cat. The
aim of the book is to teach motherless cats how to properly
live with humans. It is a twenty-year old book, but is
still available in paperback.

The book’s narrator explains: “there is no question but
that we are quite the most graceful animals in existence,
and this you must keep uppermost in your mind in all of
your attitudes and poses…” . On doors he tell the
reader: “..teach them [your humans] the necessity of
dropping whatever they happen to be doing to open one of
them to let you in or out.”

A nice picture book for breed identification and
description is the Eyewitness Handbooks series Dogs or Cats.

Originally written in England, the group discussed in the
book may differ from the American Kennel Club or the Cat
Fanciers Association. They are meant to be international in
scope.

Descriptions are brief, and will not be enough information
for choosing a breed to adopt, but it is a great book for
simple identification, or as a starting place in the
decision making process.

Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin is a no-holds-barred,
well-researched book giving the consumer a unique look into
the pet food industry. She exposes the often-unappetizing
truth about the foods we feed our animals. A must read for
anyone feeding grocery-store brand pet foods.

There are numerous books available to on in keeping your
pets healthy and dealing with health concerns.

One of the first authors to address holistic healing for
pets is Dr. Richard Pitcairn in his Complete Guide to
Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It is now in its third
edition, updated with the latest information and the
doctor’s own experiences, and is the first book I turn to
when I have a question about an animal’s health.

The only book I have found that specifically addresses
natural care of cats is The New Natural Cat by Anitra
Frazier. The author goes into great detail on every aspect
of caring for cats, from feeding to grooming to specific
health problems.

When it comes to dog training, there are many approaches
and many books and videos. Basically most books can be
placed in one of two schools of thought as far as training
method, either traditional negative punishment-based
training, or the newer, positive reward-based training.

I believe that positive training is the way to go, even if
it is harder for the human to learn. The best book I have
seen on operant conditioning, as it is formally known, is
Pat Miller’s The Power of Positive Dog Training.

In her book, Miller explains both the theory positive dog
training as well as the mechanics of making it work. She
includes chapters on basics, such as “sit” and “stay”, as
well as covering some common behavioral issues.

Pat Miller is a dog trainer with over thirty years of
experience, and has used many methods and tools in that
time.

There are, of course, plenty of other books on the subject
of pets, from ‘how-tos’ to photographic essays, and religious jewelry.

Hours can be spent in just one aisle
of the bookstores, trying to decide on a title or two.

But what a great way to spend some time! Happy Holidays and
happy reading!
—————————————————-
Elyse Grau is an herbalist and a long-time pet owner,
well-versed in pet nutrition and feeding. She is the author
of Pet Health Resource, your web guide to a healthy, happy
dog or cat. For more articles, see:
http://www.pethealthresource.com