There are also a lot of great reads about dogs. A few of the books I read the past 2 years include:"Dogs Make Great Pets" by Margaret H. Bonham, "How to Speak Dog" by Stanley Coren and "The Other End of the Leash" by Particia B. Mcconnell, PH.D.
My most recent read, "The Other End of the Leash", was very touching and written by an animal behaviorist, Dr Mcconnell, who also runs a sheep farm and uses dog to help her heard her sheep.
She had a chapter dedicated to the topic of puppy mills and how important it is to vet out breeders if you feel the need to purchase a pure bred species. I was saddened to learn about puppy mills across the US. It made me want to ban the sale of puppies in those big box stores like PetSmart. I highly doubt that they are visiting the breeders and ensuring the conditions are not only loving but at the minimum sanitary.
I was also touched by her stories of companionship with her dogs and by the strength of personality she conveyed for each of her dog companions. I was especially touched at the end of the book about grieving for the loss of a loved pet. She really emphasized that the emotional bonds between humans and dogs are very strong and that our society could be gentler to humans who have lost their canine companion. When the author grieved over the death of one of her dogs, it wasn't even in consideration that she could take some time off of work to grieve and be alone. That section had me teary eyed.
Overall, it was a wonderful read -- personal, entertaining, informative and, of course, all about dogs. Honestly, it was my favorite read. What more could you want?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Great dog book: The Other End of the Leash
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
.jpg)
1 comment:
I got my first chihuahua from a pet store. I knew I shouldn't have supported them and yet I did it anyways because I really wanted the dog. My next chihuahua I got from a family who told me they got him from a puppy mill. My poor baby was kept in a crate and only let out to do his business and to make babies. He got little to no human affection. I make sure he gets more than enough now.
I remember when my very first dog died. It was one of the worst days of my life. Everything kept going wrong. When people would ask me why I was upset and I'd tell them about my dog, no one seemed to really get it. Which just upset me even more!
That book sounds interesting!
Post a Comment