Bone Up Before You Buy: Read About Pet Care Before Bringing Home That Cute Dog or Cat

by Steve Dale

'Tis the season for adding a furry member to you family. But wait!

Before you bring home that dog or cat, do your homework and learn how to integrate the pet into your family.

Once you do adopt a pet, learning about care and training are imperative. Here are some great new books to help along the way:

The Magic of Raising Children with Animals: Parenting with Pets
by Christine Hamer and Margaret Hevel (Book Publishers Network, Bothell, WA, 2007; $16.95)

This is an absolute must read before you succumb to the "Please, Mommy, can I have a puppy or a kitten?" There's lots of data to demonstrate the potential benefits of growing up with pets. (At Purdue University Center for the Human-Animal Bond, Dr. Alan Beck found that nearly 70 percent of children confide in their pets.) However, the owner-pet relationship isn't instant magic. Picking the wrong pet can be a disaster (the authors offer tips), even leading to the death of an animal relinquished to a shelter. Hamer and Hevel also take parents through different age stages for kids. Expectations are vastly different among kindergartners and teenagers.

Chill Out Fido: How to Calm your Dog
by Nan Kene Arthur (Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee, WA, 2009; $15,95)

If your dog barks like a maniac when the doorbell rings, jumps up on people as they enter your house, or is in constant motion, this book is exactly what you need. Arthur begins by teaching readers how to train dogs to relax (yes, it's possible). Once your pup becomes more mellow, often times by dealing with underlying anxiety, you can train the pup how to respond to doorbells or people entering the house. Arthur offers easy-to follow directions.

People often write me and and stop me on the street, saying of a pet, 'I love her, but there's no dealing with her; she's hyper.' This book demonstrates that you can deal with an 'Ever Ready' dog. Once you calm down the pet, you'll both be happier. If you plan to get a dog you know may be very active (based on the breed, perhaps), buying this book is a great preemptive move.

Fabulous Felines: Health and Beauty Secrets for the Pampered Cat
by Sandy Robins (TFH, Neptune City, NJ, 2008; $18.95)

An argument can be made that all cats require pampering. It's clear Robins is from California. After all, she writes about safe ways to apply mascara and an entire chapter is devoted to aromatherapy and flower essences. Still, her cat care advice is up to date and informative. And the photos are fabulous! Robins' conversational style also makes this a purrfectly fun book to read.

The Dog Rules: 14 Secrets to Developing the Dog You Want
by Kyra Sundance (Fireside Books, New York, NY, 2009; $24.99)

With the plethora of training books available, how do you pick the right one? Just listen to me. Just released, this book is up to date. In truth, I don't the author, though the press materials talk about her background as a dog obedience instructor, trainer for the movies, and well-known trainer of Weimaraners. All thist may be true. However, what really impresses me are her methods, and the fact her explanations are easy to follow. In looking at training books these days, my first criteria is, can a reader do harm? The answer here is 'no.' Also, the book includes fun tricks your dog can learn, like fetching the newspaper. I'm all for doing whatever I can to help the newspaper business these days.

The Thinking Dog: Crossover to Clicker Training,
by Gail Tamases Fisher (Dogwise Publishing, Wenatchee, WA, 2009; $$24.95)

While this book is similar to "The Dog Rules," it's more comprehensive and a tad more technical, since it's also meant for dog trainers to read.

The focus is solely on clicker training and supporting what will ultimately be a partnership between you and your dog. That's as it should be, rather than intimidation or force.

This is a choice book for anyone who wants to clicker train a dog of any age.

Pets Need a Life Too: A Guide to Enriching The Life of Your Pet - Series One: Dogs
by Gillian Shippen (2009; $21 at www.amazon.com)

This little self-published gem from an Australian veterinary technician (they're called veterinary nurses Down Under) echoes talks I give at veterinary and animal welfare conferences about enrichment. Most dogs are un-employed; they thrive on work and pleasing us - but too few have that opportunity.

The book has lots of ideas for putting dogs to work. Also, Shippen suggests activities to engage the whole family on a rainy day - from games like Hide 'n Seek to blowing bubbles -- keeping the kids as busy as Fido. I'm a big proponent of feeding dogs from kibble-dispensing toys, and so is Shippen. I love her creative ideas to both interact with your dog and also keep the petbusy when you're not home.

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