Complete Care Made Easy books address all the major concerns about owning and training a small pet. Each care book offers practical advice, emergency first aid tips, fun activities, and more! Look to the training titles for in-depth training techniques and helpful tips.
The revised and expanded second edition of the best-selling The Original Dog Bible remains the most comprehensive dog lover’s resource on the market: 830 pages and over 500 color photographs cover every topic under the canine sun! The book is divided into eight parts, each fully illustrated and designed for easy reference, plus helpful, entertaining sidebars covering hundreds of related topics.Section I: “The Dog in Our World” starts with the domestication of dog and the development of breeds, explores the dog’s place in world religion, folklore, and popular culture, and analyzes how the dog fits into our society in terms of rescue, animal welfare, legal matters, and ethical and social issues.Section II: “A New Dog” is a new owner’s primer to deciding upon the right dog, whether purebred or mixed breed, the requirements of keeping and caring for a dog, and various considerations before choosing a dog (children, size, energy, etc.). Individual chapters on finding a dog (from breeders, shelters, and rescue programs), preparing for the homecoming (puppy-proofing, supplies, safety), and bringing the dog home.Section III: “Life with a Dog” discusses pet-care partners (from doggy day care to boarding kennels to pet sitters), emergencies, lost-dog protocol, traveling with a dog, senior years, and activities with a dog. The expansive activities chapter covers agility, flyball, sledding, weigh pulling, canine freestyle, lure coursing, herding, field trials, dock diving, Schutzhund, tracking, showing, therapy, obedience trials, and more.Section IV: “Breeds” is the largest section in the book, providing an alphabetical catalog of over 250 purebred dogs, from Affenpinscher to Yorkshire Terrier, including all of the most popular breeds in the world as well as many little known breed. Each breed is represented by a full-color photograph and an article detailing alternative names, country of origin, kennel club group, history of breed’s development, physical description, height/weight, temperament, activity level, health concerns—all information necessary for owners to determine which breed would make the best companion for their life style and family.Section V: “Health” extends over 100 pages and covers establishing a veterinary regimen for a dog; infectious diseases and vaccinations; canine anatomy and bodily systems; reproduction and breeding; chronic disease and conditions; and diagnostic tests and techniques.Section VI: “Daily Care” provides owners with fundamental information about grooming dogs, including breed-specific needs, history of grooming, and home grooming requirements. A chapter titled “The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Dog” addresses essential canine nutrition, including selection of the right food, safety, special needs, supplemental, obesity, and owner precautions.Section VII: “Training and Behavior” could be a complete book unto itself, discussing canine communication, the importance of socialization, puppy training, house-training, specific kinds of training methods, equipment, adult-dog methods, and trick training. A chapter on solving behavioral problems covers difficulties owners might encounter with their pets, from barking and separation anxiety to aggression, eating, housetraining, and health-related problems.Section VIII: “Dogs and Work” includes a chapter about dogs who work and a chapter about people who work with dogs. The text discusses the many jobs dogs do in our society, from ancient roles like herding, guarding, and military work to more contemporary jobs like search and rescue, film acting, and detection work. The careers chapter catalogs jobs caring for dogs (veterinary-related, groomers, day-care), protection and advocacy jobs (humane societies, animal control), and training and handling jobs (obedience, behaviorist, working dog handlers).The book concludes with an extensive glossary, a 50-page resource section of books, websites, and magazines, and a complete index.
The ultimate survivors that have flourished in the most difficult of circumstances, rats have a long history of being the smartest rodent in the room! Rats are growing more and more popular as pets for adults and children alike. Having raised and trained rats for over forty years, Miriam Fields-Babineau, in her book Rat Training, teaches rat owners to harness that intelligence through a reward and clicker system of training. An avid proponent of reward-based positive-training techniques, the author explains how to create a successful learning environment for your rat as you teach him how to come on command, jump through a hoop, walk on a leash, stand on his hind legs, and much more. Illustrated with color photographs by Evan Cohen and Virginia Broitman, Rat Training includes tips on what to look for when buying a rat, how to care for your new pet, and how to acclimate your rat to other household pets. In the chapter called “Rat Manner,” the author describes how rats think and their social organizations and behavior. Fields-Babineau has trained rats for various purposes, including working in movies, and her chapter called “The Great Rat Race” describes the demands of rat shows and acting careers for rats. The chapter called “Scurry and Hurry” is devoted to agility training and trick training (such as shoulder riding). Resources and glossary included.
For dog owners and garden lovers alike, Dogscaping presents a plan for the family dog to live in perfect harmony with a green, beautiful backyard. Whether the family dog is a demon digger like a terrier or a shade-seeking greyhound, Dogscaping offers solutions for all dog owners to create the perfect backyard and garden for all members of the human and canine family. Tom Barthel, a certified master gardener and devoted dog owner, approaches the topic of landscaping for dogs organically—figuratively and literally, whenever possible. Encouraging the reader to pursue organic methods, the author includes a terrific chapter on organic lawns and offers tips for maintaining an earth-friendly (and dog-friendly) green-as-can-be lawn. Between the chapters of this book are profiles called “Organic Gardener: Organic Dog,” in which he tells entertaining success stories of dog-owning organic gardeners and hobby farmers. In the chapter “Site Planning and Plant Selection,” Barthel advises on how to plan the backyard space taking the dog’s habits and proclivities in mind and then makes recommendations for various kinds of vines, groundcovers, shrubs, and urine-resistant plants. In its chapter about maintaining the garden and backyard, Dogscaping presents various organic pest and weed control options, which are safe for the dog and practical for the gardener. The author also offers a list of pest-discouraging plants and methods to deter unwanted weeds and visitors (gophers, deer, squirrels, etc.). In the greenest chapter in the book, “Recycling Home, Garden, and Yard Waste,” Barthel makes a compelling case for composting, cataloging both the advantages and savings and offering an easy five-step method of composting. Other additions to the dog-friendly backyard include planting fruits and vegetables, adding a water feature, and incorporating decks, gazebos, pathways, and lighting, all of which are covered in individual chapters in this beautifully photographed book. The final chapter of the book “Creating Doggy Nirvana” provides fun ideas for owners to include dog-specific features into their backyard designs, including a pooch pergola, doggy sandbox, and disappearing fountain. The appendix provides US and North American zone maps. Index included.
An excellent introduction to the remarkable rat, written by the world-famous Rat Lady, Debbie Ducummum, Rats offers expert advice to all keepers of these popular fancy pets. Held in high regard in Ancient Egypt, major Asian societies, and discriminating homes in America, rats are the most intelligent rodent on the planet and enjoy playing games with their keepers. As with all editions in the Complete Care Made Easy series, Rats offers readers information about selecting the right pets from good sources and acquiring all of the home essentials (for rats: cage, toys, bedding, and furnishings). The book discusses food options and the importance of feeding a rat a healthy, low-cal, low-fat diet based on fruits, veggies, and legumes plus recipes and menu tips. The author also covers the important considerations of rat proofing the home for keepers who opt to give their pets free run of their dwellings. The chapter “Beginning Your Friendship” discusses rat socialization, handling, grooming, cleaning, and interactions with children and other pets. The health of a pet rat is covered in the “Health Care” chapter that includes choosing a veterinarian, the first vet visit, spaying/neutering, the weekly health exam, plus handling common rat maladies and dealing parasites and emergencies. The real f-u-n begins in chapter seven, “Fun Activities,” in which the reader can learn how to train his or her rat to walk on a leash, enrich his rat’s life with entertaining games, and learn party tricks to impress visitors to the rat’s home. True rat lovers will enjoy taking their rats to shows—just like dog shows—to show off their rat’s conformation and natural beauty. The chapter “Show Time” offers advice on preparing for shows, classes at shows, and competing for ribbons. The final chapter on breeding offers rat enthusiasts advice about reproduction, the birthing process, and handling pups. Glossary, appendices, and index included.
A budgie, as the common parakeet is typically called, is the subject of this Complete Care Made Easy pet guide that presents new and experienced bird keepers with insight into every aspect of selecting, caring for, and maintaining well-behaved happy pet birds.Angela Davids has written an ideal introductory pet guide, with chapters on the characteristics of the irresistible budgie, the history of budgies in the wild, selection of a healthy, typical pet bird, housing and care, feeding, training, and health care.The selection chapter offers potential owners excellent advice about selection of the color and sex, suitability of the delicate budgie with families, children, and other pets. In the chapter on housing and care, the author discusses selection of the right cage, placement of the cage, and the purchase of toys, cups, perches, and more.A bird’s diet is critical to its ongoing health, and the chapter devoted to feeding the budgie gives the reader all the info he or she needs about choosing the best diet, different types of seeds, greens, fruits, veggies, grit, as well as human foods to avoid.The chapter “Training Time” addresses finger training, towel training, perch training, and offers an easy-to-follow primer on teaching a budgie to talk.The final two chapters of the book will be useful for bird fanciers interested in learning more about the breeding and the basic color variations and genetics of this perfect beginner’s bird. The book concludes with an appendix of bird societies, a glossary of terms, and a complete index.
Thought you couldn’t train your cat and resolve troublesome cat behavior challenges? Yes, you can! Clicker training, combined with other friendly, positive behavior modification techniques can effectively solve cat behavior problems and train your cat in a way that will be quick and easy for you—and fun for your cat. Clicker training can also improve your cat's activity rate, attitude and, more importantly, strengthen the bonds between you and your cat.In this easy-to-read beginner's guide, Marilyn Krieger, a leading clicker-training expert, tells you how to teach your cat to: sit and stay and not dart out of doors; not scratch the furniture; have stress-free introductions to new cats; stay off the table and counters; get along better with you, your guests and other cats; have a stress free association with both the cat carrier and the trip to the veterinarian; do tricks and much more!
In Pets Gone Green, New York Times best-selling author Eve Adamson explores how pet owners can have a positive effect on the environment and their pets’ place within it. This engaging and enlightening book outlines strategies that pet owners can pursue to reduce the family’s carbon foot- and pawprints, from using less toxic flea repellant to offering earth-friendly treats and toys to our much-loved pets. Adamson’s goal in writing Pets Gone Green stemmed from her desire to find ways to save her dogs from the increasingly toxic environment around us. “…we are obligated to speak up for our furry companions, who are unable to think or act green on their own.” Pets Gone Green remains a timely exploration of many of the hot-button topics in our world today, from eating local and animal rescue to activism and recycling! The book offers practical advice for owners of all pets, from dogs and cats to birds, small mammals, and more.As pet rescue has increasingly become “the thing to do,” the book begins with a chapter on “Recycled Companions: The Ultimate Earth-Friendly Act,” in which the author discusses the many advantages of rescuing a pet from a shelter or rescue society. Pet food, another hot topic in the pet world, is the subject of “Green Food,” which includes a brief history of commercial food and the pluses and minuses of using natural, homemade, raw, and vegetarian diets for pets. The chapter “Altered States” is devoted to the importance and health benefits of spaying and neutering pets. Buying and eating local, diminishing consumerism, organic materials, holistic pet care, and recycling are all discussed in terms of improving humans’ and pets’ lives and reducing waste on a community, national, and global level.Printed with soy ink on recycled paper, Pets Gone Green presents the original artwork of New England painter and woodblock printmaker Willy Reddick. The book includes over 50 woodblock images of her beautiful peaceful animals, lending a down-home organic feel that is truly unique for a pet book.The ultimate message of the book is summarized in the final chapter “Animal Wisdom,” in which Adamson focuses in on what our pets can teach us about the world around us through their natural instincts, simplicity, and view of the world. She concludes, “…animals are companions worthy of our respect, love, and care, and because they are so close to nature in ways we can only begin to comprehend, they are also the key to our salvation….Animals understand how to live lightly on the earth, and we can learn from them.” Resources of animal welfare websites and agencies, green organizations, holistic resources, green product manufacturers, and green websites and publications included. Fully indexed.
Almost everybody has an obsession or feels a compulsion to do something a certain way. Magic numbers, intrusive thoughts, unusual fears and superstitions happen to about four people out of five, but where do these obsessive-compulsive (OC) traits come from? This book explores what they are, why we have them and what we can do about them, through fascinating and highly original insights. Are you a perfectionist, or can you be fussy? Do you like to have control in certain situations? Or are you overly anxious in others? These are all OC traits, and this book looks at their recent increase in human behaviour, and how they are formed in the brain. Showing that these traits are more common in highly educated, intelligent and successful people, it highlights the positive sides of what have previously been seen as negative quirks. Weaving together sections that are anecdotal and humorous, with technical and up-to-date scientific information, this groundbreaking book gives a fascinating introduction into an under-discussed personality type.
The growing absence of meaningful ritual in contemporary Western societies has led to cohesive research on the history of ritualizing behaviour in different cultures. The relatively new field of ritology, which includes neuroscience, anthropology, cultural psychology, psychotherapy and even art and performance, raises questions about the significance and practice of ritual today. This book is the first of its kind to discuss the importance of secular rituals for cultural and personal growth. Using a transdisciplinary approach, a range of contributors provide an authoritative account of the science and history of rituals and their role in creating healthy societies in the modern age.