Product Description

The Boxer’s intelligence, strength, and fearlessness are qualities that make it a superb guard dog. This breed also makes a loyal, friendly household companion. Titles in this growing series are written especially for owners who have just acquired a pedigreed pup, as well as for prospective owners trying to decide on which breed to choose. Each book gives an in-depth presentation of the special needs and traits of a specific dog breed. Which are best with kids? Which make good working farm dogs? Which are good hunters? Is the breed ideal for an owner who merely wants a companionable house pet? Living with a Pet books give readers a detailed understanding of the title breed’s daily needs, special abilities, physical and personality traits, susceptibility to health problems, and the steps owners should take to ensure a happy relationship with dogs of all breeds. These hardcover and dust-jacketed volumes are filled with unusually attractive full-color photos and interesting sidebar features.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.


From the Back Cover

Noble, loyal, and intelligent, the Boxer is one of the most popular of all dog breeds. Living With A Boxer is designed to tell you everything you should know about this fun-loving canine.

You?ll find advice on a wide range of topics tailored specifically to the Boxer, starting with puppy care and training, moving on to adolescent problems, and then looking at the best lifestyle for adult Boxers.

Because Boxers make wonderful family companions, you?ll value the section that tells how to supervise Boxer puppies and children so that they can develop rewarding relationships. You?ll also find expert guidance on early learning and socialization training that will enable your pup to mature into a well-adjusted adult.

The Boxer was bred to be a working dog, and it is important to keep your dog physically fit and mentally active. The correct balance of diet and exercise is discussed, and a wide variety of training challenges are suggested. They include Competitive Obedience, Agility and Tracking, and taking advantage of the Boxer?s aptitude for work as a therapy dog, thus bringing comfort to many people.

Finally, well-known veterinarian Trevor Turner writes on the health of the breed. He outlines a comprehensive program of preventative health care, gives advice on common ailments among Boxers, and discusses the breed?s inherited disorders.

Beautifully illustrated with photos showing Boxers from all walks of life, Living With A Boxer is an essential guide for the caring owner.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

Product Description

Many of the most popular dog breeds, including Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, Shetland Sheepdogs, Australian Shepherds, and many of the terriers, are considered to be high-energy by nature–but even breeds not considered high-energy can have markedly energetic individuals among them.

High-Energy Dogs provides the owners of these intelligent and challenging dogs with the tools to manage their diverse physical and mental needs in a positive and fun way. In this informative guide, discover why certain breeds are hard-wired for tireless work and how to channel these energy reserves into positive behaviors. The author, an expert on dogs, offer tips on how to read and understand body language in order to make your demanding dog more manageable. She also provides information on managing specific behavior problems related to high-energy dogs, including separation anxiety, jumping up, and refusing to come when called. A step-by-step plan is included to maximize a high-energy dog’s natural instincts and to establish a strong and trusting bond between owner and dog. The easy-to-follow basic and advanced training techniques are specifically suited to the needs of high-octane dogs and stress the importance of using play and other types of positive motivation when training.

By using the advice offered in High-Energy Dogs, dog owners can become better pet parents who make the most of having an energetic dog while averting potential problem behaviors and helping to ensure a happy and obedient pet.

About the Author

TRACY LIBBY is an award-winning freelance writer and author of several breed-specific books. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the AKC Gazette, Puppies USA, You and Your Dog, and Dog Fancy’s Popular Dogs series. She is a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and a recipient of the Ellsworth S. Howell award for distinguished dog writing. Tracy lives in Oregon, and she has been involved in the sport of dogs for 20 years, exhibiting in conformation and obedience.

From Publishers Weekly

As a journalist and columnist on the topic of dogs, and as a lifetime dog owner, Katz manages to breathe new life into the pet-care genre. Though occasionally preachy and redundant, the manual has an empathetic tone; Katz makes clear that he hasn’t always been an expert: it was after living with many dogs and only after adopting “a demented border collie” that he was forced to “either learn how to train this hooligan or get rid of him.” What Katz stresses above all is that every dog is different-due to breeding, environment and temperament, to name just a few factors-and therefore, every human-dog relationship varies. As a result, Katz’s book says there can never be one universal, inflexible methodology for training-unlike most training manuals, which usually argue one practice is superior to others. Says Katz, “training methods fail… if they don’t take into account the owner’s psyche as well as the dog’s.” Despite these beliefs, Katz leans on positive reinforcement and offers numerous practical solutions to common behavioral problems. He reiterates that dogs are “comparatively simple animals” that we all too often personify-much to the detriment of the human-dog bond. Photos. Agent, Richard Abate.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.


From Booklist

Katz began as a reporter, columnist, and author of suburban detective mysteries, and had pretty much always had a dog. But when he began working out of his home, he got serious about dogs and dog training. The result was a series of superb dog books (A Dog Year, 2002, The New Work of Dogs, 2003, and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm, 2004) that explored the relationship between the author and his dogs as well as the place of dogs in human society. In his new book, Katz takes what he has learned from his dogs, other people’s dogs, and various dog trainers, and synthesizes a commonsense approach to dog training. In 13 chapters he covers the basics–choosing a dog, why training matters, and basic training–as well as the more esoteric aspects of the dog-human relationship, including multiple-dog households, setting boundaries, and loving and losing dogs. Katz writes in a calm, measured tone (seeming to follow his own advice about calming a dog before training it) and fills the text with examples, both positive and negative. Nancy Bent
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
–This text refers to the

Hardcover
edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Description

No nonsense, hands on, practical guide to choosing, eating, drinking, sleeping, exercising, socialising, chilling and generally enjoying living with your dog! Ever wondered what your dog is thinking? Want to know how to get him to stop chewing the contents of your bag? Do you know what happens when you yawn at your dog? Winkie tackles the most common sources of dog owners’ confusion, frustration and bewilderment and presents a delightful and realistic approach to really enjoying living with your dog. Creating a mutual understanding between your dog and you is the key to Winkie’s approach, and is why it works so well! As a professional dog trainer and Canine Bowen Therapist with many years experience Winkie really knows her stuff. She writes (and teaches) with a knowing sense of humour that reassures and encourages you to put in the effort and reap the rewards of getting to know your dog.