One of the things that Carmen and I love to do is read books about dogs--dog behavior, dog memoirs, dog sports, dog breeds, etc. So I thought that I would share a couple of my favorites every now and then and hope that you will do so as well.
To start off I would highly recommend two books about dog training:
1. Patricia McConnell's The Other End of the Leash: Why We do What We Do Around Dogs
This book not only talks about the importance of positive dog training, but also how we as "primates" think differently about, and therefore interact differently with, the world from our canine companions. It really gives some good insight into how dogs think about the world.
2. Suzanne Clothier's If a Dog's Prayer Were Answered...Bones Would Rain from the Sky. This is absolutely my favorite book. Not only does it talk about training, but it suggests that working with our dogs reveals things--the good and the bad--about our character. She espouses a kind of "zen" dog training. This is as much a philosophy of life book as a training manual.
More to come later...Again I would love to hear about some of your favorite dog books.
Scott
Okay, no one has posted any books that they like so I'm going to make a couple more suggestions:
ReplyDelete1. A Great memoir is a book by Ted Kerasote (you might have read some of his other stuff--he is an outdoors writer--hunting, fishing, backpacking, etc.) called Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog. This is a very enjoyable read--a bit of a "tearjerker" in places, though. It is about Kerasote's relationship with a dog he found as a stray on one of his river trips along the San Juan River. In addition to this endearing tale about a man and his dog, I think Kerasote also has some interesting insights into dog behavior and the dog-human bond that are overlooked in some of the more traditional books by trainers.
2. Another book I really enjoyed is Dog Man: an Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill. This is the story of Morie Sawataishi, a Japanese who spent his life during and after WWII trying to preserve and re-establish the Akita--perhaps the most well-known Japanese breed today. During the War, Akitas were killed for their pelts to make warm coats for soldiers. By the time the War ended there were only 16 Akitas left in the country. Sawataishi almost singlehandedly saved the breed from extinction. If you like dog history, this is an interesting one.
Scott
I don't read too many dog books - they all seem to be such tear jerkers and I tend to "humanize" my dogs enough as it is!I do enjoy Patricia McConnell's radio show though - and all of her books.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this blog!!
Greg
I've been reading The Emotional Lives of Animals by Marc Bekoff which has been very interesting so far. The two Dr. Nick Trout books are good as well. I also picked up Animals Make Us Human by Temple Grandin and Catherine Johnson but haven't started it yet.
ReplyDeleteI have two to suggest....
ReplyDeleteThe first is The Big Little Life by Dean Koontz. Most of you probably know this author for his mystery and suspense novels. This is the true story of his life with Trixie, a Golden Retriever, that Dean and his wife adopted from CCI after her service work was cut short due to an injury. It is a very heartwarming story.
The second is Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac: The True Story of a Man and the Dog Who Saved His Life. This memoir is serious, yet funny. It speaks to the true healing power of a dog. The writer has long battled depression and other mental struggles. It is only after he purchases a Black Lab puppy that he starts to live again.
Remembering to Breathe:Inside Dog Obedience Competition and OTCH Dreams: The Agony and Ecstasy of Life with Competition Obedience Dogs both by Willard Bailey were so good that I could not get them read fast enough and I can hardly wait to read them again. Anyone that shows dogs in obedience will enjoy these books. They are not meant to be training books but I have to say I even picked up a few pointers. The first book is about Willard and his golden Honeybear stumbling into the world of AKC competetion obedience and their pursuit of the "Holy Grail" of dog sports, the OTCH. The second book (is actually two books in one) the first part is about Honeybears final days and the second part is about Willard's adventures with his new obedience dog, a border collie named Bebop. Entertaining and fun books to read.
ReplyDeleteSiri
I really enjoyed The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. It's a novel and not primarily a "dog book" although the narrator is Enzo, a lab mix.
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