Dog Books
- some of my favourites
Before we even had a dog, I had a collection of dog books. I would read them in bed, falling asleep dreaming about having my own dog: what its name would be, where we'd go on walks, what I'd need to change in my life to become a responsible dog owner.
Here are some of my favourite books currently on the shelf.
Jan Fennell's first book, 'The Dog Listener', is one of those books. The date inside the front cover is before we had Georgie, our Golden Retriever, and with its inspiring and powerful text, it made me even more desperate for a dog of my own!
It details her famous method of training and how it evolved. She has a number of other books in print now so check them all out. She writes in a very accessible way. The text is inspiring and powerful and I feel it's quite a seminal book. For me, her writing really captures the joy of dog ownership.
Cesar's Way by Cesar Millan
Cesar Millan is another such writer: oozing passion for life as well as for dogs, his books teach the importance of exercising dogs and providing them with firm boundaries as well as love and affection.
Dogs and humans love Cesar because of his calm, assertive energy.
This book is partly autobiographical, tracking Cesar's journey from his grandfather's farm in Mexico to celebrity trainer and leading dog psychologist in America. It's a refreshingly honest and extremely interesting read with pearls of doggy wisdom from the master.
The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey
Gwen Bailey's book is a must if you have a puppy or are thinking of getting one. The photos are gorgeous and every page has essential information on everything you need to know. Chapter headings include Socialisation, Housetraining, Toys and games, Learning to be left alone, and Discipline. She advises but never preaches. This is a quality book.
Marley & Me by John Grogan
Marley & Me is a famous book now and probably needs no introduction. It makes you laugh and cry and often puts your own canine problems into perspective. I would have liked more photos throughout the text but that's just nit-picking. Enjoy it!
Golden Retriever by Nona Kilgore Bauer
Packed with information on this gorgeous breed, Bauer's book has fantastic colour photos and includes chapters on the history, everyday care and housebreaking your Golden Retriever. Our copy has a neatly chewed end which friends have found rather amusing! If you have or intend to have a Golden this should be on your list.
Multiple Dog Households by Miriam Fields-Babineau
If you're thinking of acquiring a second (third, fourth?!) dog this is a very useful reference book. There's information on how to introduce your dogs and reminders about feeding, housetraining and discipline. Again the photos are wonderful- many are amusing and illustrate what 'naughty' dogs get up to! I found this book a useful preparation for Jessie's arrival.
Ultimate Dog by David Taylor
Ultimate Dog is a beautiful book detailing hundreds of breeds both pedigree and non-pedigree. Large colour photos with a clear lay-out make it a very accessible and enjoyable reference book. There are also chapters on looking after your puppy, grooming, travelling with your dog and training. A quality book by Dorling Kindersley.
Ultimate Dog Care - A Complete Veterinary Guide
If you're worried about anything to do with your dog's health then this is a very useful reference book to have on the shelf. I've used it for advice on tummy troubles and finding out about parasites amongst other things. It's a very thoroughly researched book and has a section at the back on alternative approaches to treating your pets. This includes acupuncture, massage and hydrotherapy.
The AA Pet Friendly Places To Stay
My final recommendation is the AA Pet Friendly Places to Stay. It's very well organised with useful maps in the back so establishments can easily be located. Each hotel/B&B has a detailed description and tells you whether there are any resident pets on the premises. You might also want to take your horse, rabbit, caged bird or cat - in which case the key will tell you whether this is possible.
I hope you'll find something here whether you have a dog at the moment or not. For me, a book should capture the joy of dog ownership and the more pictures to coo over the better!
On this page, I've listed some of my favourites. If you're after a specific book, just type in the title or author, or simply 'dog books' or 'Golden Retriever books'. From here you can search Google for the book you're after.
All these books are available at Amazon.co.uk.
For our American visitors, or to have books shipped from the United States
please click here.
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