There’s a wide world of dog books to explore… here are a few very different ones… each make great gifts for animal lovers.
Fistful of Collars, 5th in the Spencer Quinn series, with Chet the dog narrator/sleuth… Chet and Bernie the dynamic duo of the Little Detective Agency encounter a cat, Hollywood and are off on another funny action adventure. Hollywood has gone to the dogs and Chet and Bernie’s new assignment is a self-proclaimed cat person, and his feline friend Brando has taken an instant dislike to Chet. And a fun tale ensues.
We drove deeper into the desert, Bernie at the wheel, Thad riding shotgun with Brando on his lap, me still in back. After not too long, Bernie turned off the blacktop and followed a dirt track up toward some big red rocks, a track that petered out before we got there. Bernie stopped the car.
“What’s going on?” Thad said.
“Want to see something interesting?” Bernie said.
“Like what?” Thad checked his watch.
“Let’s make it a surprise.”
“I hate surprises.”
Bernie smiled, one of those smiles of his that’s just for himself—and me, of course, goes without saying—and we all piled out of the car, me hitting the ground first. We walked up toward the red rocks, me in the lead, then Bernie, Thad, and Brando, actually moving under his own power. Once—this was back on our trip to San Diego—Bernie said that the fog came in on little cat feet, a remark that I’d never been able to forget no matter how hard I’d tried, and that was how Brando moved along, like he was made of cloud, weighing nothing, although in fact he looked pudgy to me.
– From A Fistful of Collars
http://www.chetthedog.com/tag/a-fistful-of-collars
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Royal Treatment, a Natural Approach to Wildly Healthy Pets by Dr. Barbara Royal is a handy encyclopedia of the world of pets including what wild animals teach us, ailments including cancer with suggested cures, alternative ones and how to deal effectively with pets. Handy charts, tips, facts and info about diet, dog foods, raw food recipes, cat litter, what to do if your pet is hit by a car, bleeding, vomiting, experienced a trauma and so much more. There are specific stories of particular pets to illustrate the topics.
Dr. Barbara Royal is a passionate, dedicated, and innovative veterinarian with a unique approach to medicine. Her patients have included countless different species from German shepherds at her private practice, to baby owls in the wild, to zebras in the zoo. Her clients are the humans who live for their pets, much like she does. Her ability to lend a voice to sick or injured animals and carry out the best treatment for them is unmatched.
An expert diagnostician with a background in zoo and wildlife medicine, Dr. Royal has learned that adhering to the teachings of Western medicine is often not the best way to fully cure her patients. With the clinical experience to know when to use surgery, medications, and alternative methods, plus an observant and empathetic understanding of the evolutionary needs of her patients, she individually tailors the Royal Treatment to ensure that each pet (and owner!) lives as happily and healthfully as possible.
The knowledge she has gained from wild animals gives her valuable insight into the cat in your kitchen and the dog in your living room. Our pets have all evolved from wild species and adapted to domestic life in many ways, but their natural characteristics are genetically fixed. In order for our pets to meet their full health potential, we must be mindful of these natural nutritional, emotional, and physical needs. Applying common sense in this way, along with the support of medicine, nutrition, elements of Eastern medicine, and physical rehabilitation, fosters an animal’s natural inclination toward optimal health and immunity. There is no placebo effect in animal medicine, and Dr. Royal has seen amazing results with her integrative approach, time and time again.
A must-have for all pet owners. Dr. Royal empowers animal lovers to lift their pets into a realm of natural health and happiness that will be palpable from shiny coat to bouncy step.
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The Divinity of Dogs by Jennifer Skiff, True Stories of Miracles Inspired by Man’s Best Friend…
FromThe Divinity of Dogs: “As much as we look up at the stars and know there is more than life on earth, the divinity of dogs is just as unexplainable and profound. They may be the purest example of divine love in an earthly soul many of us ever experience. If we take their lead, open our hearts and embrace their love, we may just find our own journey a lot more enlightening.” Jennifer Skiff
“Whether you believe dogs are divine or a gift from the Divine, The Divinity of Dogs gives you permission to accept what you know: dogs provide us with a clear example of all that is good. They are healers, educators, protectors, and tangible examples of divine love. For those of you who agree with this philosophy this book confirms all we know and puts an exclamation point on it!
‘My dogs have been the reason I have woken up every single day of my life with a smile on my face. They have protected me from mean people and have given me insight into potential partners. They have been my children and my parents. They have loved me the most. I am among the ranks of millions of people who appreciate the souls of dogs and know they are a gift of pure love and an example of all that is good. More than anything, they have taught me how to be a better person. I’m not alone. The world is filled with people who have reached the same conclusion and are happy to share why.
• Scott Thornsley thought his life was over. He lost his job of 19 years, and his wife left him. He felt no one loved or wanted him. He decided to kill himself. At the very moment he chose to act on his decision, his Rottweiller Emma ran into the room, grabbed his hand ferociously, and pulled him to the front door. What happened next, in the darkest moment of his life, saved him.
• Joy Peterkin lost her home and belongings in Hurricane Katrina – but she still had her Chihuahua, Little Bit. Just as Joy was finding some normalcy in her life, Little Bit began persistently nudging a spot on her breast. In this book, we find out what Little Bit knew that doctors didn’t.
http://www.jenniferskiff.com/
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Suzann Yue’s Snort’s Special Gift is a very special book, one that transcends the death of a family pet and shows young ones the possibilities of life after death. Based upon the author’s family and their dog, Snort, with whom they all had a good time, I must admit that I was touched reading the author’s daughter’s class essay on her best friend, Snort, after he had died. Apparently good writing skills run in the family! Lin Wang’s nicely flowing watercolors add real depth and meaning to the poignant words of both the author and her daughter. I think that they were the real reason that my tears flowed so copiously.
Winner of a Mom’s Choice Award, this is a book to be treasured. The last page even includes a place to which you can affix your own personal pet photograph, along with suggested inscriptions.
Snort’s Gift, the only thing is the story started at the ending… there was no beginning or middle, so readers don’t really get to know the dog or family. How/when did they get the dog? how old was the dog? happy memories ? funny quirks of the dog? Would have liked more info, specific details to fill in this important story.
http://www.suzannyue.com/
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The Lucky Dog Matchmaking Service by Beth Kendrick
A different take on a dating service. matchmaker matchmaker make me a match… a total sucker for mutts and down-on-their-luck rescue dogs, this book is Beth Kendrick’s love letter to canines everywhere. Bad dogs and the women who love them will adore this funny and heartwarming tale about true love with a four legged furry friend.
Lara Madigan has a gift. She can help you find your soulmate—your canine soulmate, that is. As a dog trainer with a soft spot for strays, she’s found perfect homes for sulky Shih Tzus, broken-down Border collies, and diabolical Dalmatians. But while she’ll always make room for one more rescue mutt, she’s not sure she’s ready to commit to another human being. Especially after her live-in boyfriend drops the bomb: He’s not a dog person.
Horrified and temporarily homeless, Lara and her furry pack move in with her mother, a wealthy fashionista who forbids even a single drop of drool. As word gets around the exclusive gated community, Lara is overwhelmed with demands for her services. A model wants personal training for her overweight “flabrador”; an aging socialite preps her pedigreed puppy for dog show domination… If Lara can survive the breakup, the outrageous requests of her high-maintenance clientele, and her dogs’ systematically destruction of her mother’s McMansion, she might finally find the rescue dog who rescues her in return– leading her straight to the guy who could be HER perfect match.
Read an excerpt here:
http://bethkendrick.com/portfolio/lucky-dog-matchmaking-service/
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