I purchased this book as I wanted to learn about tracking and also teach my year-old basset/coonhound mix about tracking.

While the title says it's for "puppies," the cover also has a blurb saying it works with adult dogs, too--which is what caused me to pick it.

Well, this is a fantastic book. The author lays out very clear and easy steps for the beginner to follow and also offers suggestions on how training a puppy would be different from training an adult. The author also precisely lays out what is needed, in terms of gear, for both the dog and the human, for summer tracking vs. winter tracking, suggestions on how to be allowed to use a neighbor's unused farmland for tracking, and so forth.

The author also points out how tracking, as both a sport and a casual exercise, builds the relationship between you and your dog. My basset mix and I have always been close; he bonded with me on the drive home from the "breeder's" (long story). We've been inseparable since. Learning and practicing tracking, however, has brought our relationship to another level. We respect each other and he *really* listens to me now, thanks to the tracking exercises we're doing. I can even call him off a prey scent--which I could never do before!

So I highly recommend this book for all beginner trackers and also for anyone wanting to do a sport other than agility--or even for anyone wanting to improve their relationship with their dog(s).

An authoritative, up-to-the-minute guide for dog owners, breeders and trainers that includes everything they need to know about the health and well-being of their dogs -- written by the faculty of a distinguished school of veterinary medicine and edited by Mordecai Siegal, who also edited The Cornell Book of Cats.

Want to win in your chosen performance event? Looking forward to raising a new puppy that you hope can do just that? Read this book before your puppy comes home.

* Motivate your puppy to enjoy training

* Build drive through goal oriented games

* Tailor your interaction with your puppy to his future performance event.

The Howell Book of Dogs is a hardcover, four-color book that will serve as a timeless and authoritative reference for dog owners and those who are considering getting a dog. Approximately 300 breeds and varieties are covered, encompassing AKC breeds, UKC breeds, and many rare breeds, such as the Eurasier, Jagd Terrier, Mi Ki, and Thai Ridgeback. One or more color photos of each breed will supplement text that describes the breed’s origins, physical characteristics, and personality traits. In addition, the book includes an informative section about dog care and training, making it the only reference book dog owners will ever need.

Help your new bundle of joy get off on the right paw with a book that you can afford and have time to read. With all the basics from potty training to socializatin, this little book can prevent many serious behavioral problems and make your first year together even more fun that you ever imagined.

Inquisitive, laid-back, and friendly, the Maine Coon is the cat people often call "dog-like," enjoying a good romp in the morning and evening, then taking it easy the rest of the day. Everything you need to know about Maine Coons is captured in this Popular Cats® issue. From the history of Maine Coons, to nutrition, health and activities - this Magabook® (magazine-book) provides the essential information for every Maine Coon owner. From the Editors of Cat Fancy® magazine.

The new gold standard in raising puppies for the enlightened dog owner: a unique whole-dog approach combining health, training, and behavior

If you feel bombarded with conflicting advice about what to feed your new puppy or uncomfortable rapping her under the chin, if the idea of a choke collar makes you wince even though you've heard it's the right way to go, here at last is advice you can trust -- and embrace. The faculty of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, one of the most prestigious and pioneering veterinary schools in the world, now shares its accumulated knowledge and experience in this groundbreaking whole-dog approach to raising the healthiest, happiest, most well-behaved puppy possible.

The authors of Puppy's First Steps are singularly qualified to look at a puppy from all angles, physical, emotional, and behavioral. In contrast to a single breeder's or trainer's theory about what is effective most of the time, the recommendations in this book are scientifically proven to work. This integrative body-and-mind approach stands out from the one-size-fits-all mentality that pervades the dog-training world. And the advice here delivers not just during the puppy's first year -- the most essential twelve months of a dog's development -- but throughout the dog's life, ensuring a strong, happy bond between you and your new best friend for years and years to come.

Puppy's First Steps features:

* How to test a puppy's temperament before you decide which one to take home

* The most nutritious, safest food for your puppy

* To crate or not to crate?

* Socializing your puppy with other people and dogs

* Easy-to-implement training methods based on reward, not punishment

* Housetraining in less than a week

* Overcoming puppy's fears and phobias

* Keeping your puppy happy while you're at work

* What to do in a medical emergency

You'll want to get your puppy off on the right foot, and now the best advice is in your hands. Comprehensive yet accessible, sensitive, and, above all, practical, Puppy's First Steps is the only book a puppy owner will need.