Dogs

            Dogs and humans have lived and worked together for thousands of years. Because of our interest in our canine friends, many books have been written about them. Here are a few new ones.

            Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell, is written by Alexandra Horowitz, a leading researcher in dog cognition who also has written Inside of a Dog, As we already know, dogs gather most of their information about the world through their noses; they have hundreds of millions of olfactory receptor cells in comparison to humans’ mere six million. Horowitz describes the many ways humans can train dogs to help us identify various substances, upcoming weather, upcoming earthquakes, and more. The book is both informative and fun to read.    

            Dog Gone: A Lost Pet’s Extraordinary Journey and the Family Who Brought Him Home, written by Pauls Toutonghi, is the story about Gonker, a six-year-old Golden Retriever mix who bounded away while hiking with his owner Fielding Marshall on the Appalachian Trail. Since Gonker has Addison’s disease it is imperative that he be found within twenty-three days or he will die. Fielding, his parents and his sister go into overdrive searching for him and publicizing his disappearance on the media. This is a heartwarming story with a positive ending.

            Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days, is written by Brandon McMillan, the well-known animal trainer who hosts the television shows Lucky Dog and Shark Week. Simple instructions and black-and-white photos provide the reader with a guide to teaching your dog the seven common commands: sit, stay, down, come, off, heel, and no. Problems with housetraining, door dashing, chewing, barking, digging, and mealtime also are covered.

            Every Dog: The Ultimate Guide to Over 450 Dog Breeds is written by Nancy Hajeski. The book is divided into chapters encompassing the various types of dogs - i.e. scent hounds, terriers, guarding dogs, and more. Each chapter devotes a page to each breed within that type. Included are color photos, description, history, and indicators as to ease of training, affection, playfulness, whether they are good with children and with other dogs, etc.