Connie’s Book Club – Spring 2011

Show Dogs: A Photographic Breed Guide

Kate Lacey

Dog lovers of all stripes, both show-dog aficionados and regular “dog people” alike, will
love Kate Lacey’s book of colourfully elegant portraits representing over 160 breeds.
Inspired by an assignment she received from Life magazine to photograph dogs at the
Westminster Kennel Club Dog show, Lacey decided to publish a photographic breed guide,
a project that took well over a year. She travelled to shows in numerous states to acquire
photos of all the dogs necessary to accomplish her goal, and the results are striking. Rather
than portray the dogs as achievers in the ring, she’s instead photographed them “off duty,”
capturing each breed’s unique characteristics and quirky dog-ness. Each photo is accompanied
by the dog’s nickname rather than his/her official championship name, further
contributing to the sense of candidness. You can also check out the iPad edition of the book
for a behind-the-scenes peek at the book’s creation and to hear Lacey’s own account of her
project.

Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey

John Zeaman

If you’ve ever felt that the simple pleasure of walking a dog elevates an outing in nature
to the sublime, you’ll have plenty to relate to in Zeaman’s funny and joyful memoir of his
years as the family dog-walker. An entertaining, thought-provoking narrative about the
search for wholeness in an increasingly artificial world, dog lovers will relate to Zeaman’s
observations on how this simple task can open up unexpected worlds.

You Had Me At Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness

Julie Klam

Thirty, single, and feeling like she’s still
waiting for her life to begin, author Julie
Klam is looking for…something. So when
she dreams of a dog, she takes it as a
sign. She promptly finds and adopts a
young googly-eyed Boston Terrier in need
of a home and her life is transformed.
The sincere and oftentimes hilarious story that unfolds as Klam
opens her heart and home to a dog speaks to the importance of
sacrifice and compromise in creating harmonious relationships—
interspecies ones and otherwise. With these important life lessons
learned, the stage is set, and both Mr. Right and a baby follow
in due course, while Klam continues to rescue, foster, and adopt
dogs, many of which have their own special needs. Dog lovers
will enjoy and relate to this delightful and poignant story about
the journey of self-discovery and the important lessons dogs teach
us.

Don’t Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog’s Separation Anxiety

Nicole Wilde

If your dog destroys things, barks,
howls, or behaves wildly when left
alone, this book may be your godsend.
In her interactive workbook, Don’t
Leave Me!, Nicole Wilde, a certified
professional dog trainer and regular
contributor to this magazine, explains what separation anxiety is,
its causes, and how to overcome it. Lower your and your dog’s
stress levels by employing her easy-to-follow steps, resources, and
alternative therapies to help your dog feel comfortable being left
alone. The inclusion of real-life stories outlining strategies used by
experts to help dogs with extreme separation issues offers further
encouragement to try out these techniques for yourself or share
them with others whose dogs suffer from this traumatic and
oftentimes destructive behaviour.

Born To Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog

Stanley Coren

With Born to Bark, Stanley Coren,
accomplished author, internationally recognized
expert on dogs, and regular contributor
to this magazine, adds another
published title to his already extensive
list of accomplishments. But Born to Bark
differs from all his other books in that it is a memoir and therefore a very personal—and personable—look
at his life with dogs. At the center of this story is Flint, one very
special, willful, and irrepressible Cairn Terrier, who profoundly
affects Coren’s life, causing him to look at canine behaviour and
our relationships with dogs in a new and enlightened way. Dog
lovers will doubtless enjoy this funny, poignant, and entertaining
book and come away with a better understanding of how dogs
think and, therefore, how to better connect with them.

30 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog: The Loved Dog Method

with Jonathan Grotenstein

By Tamar Geller
Sadly, many people have been led to
believe that training dogs is one and
the same as dominating them by use
of “alpha” techniques, such as physical
corrections and harsh words, and that
the only measure of successful training
is whether you are able to get your dog to do what you want.
Unfortunately, issues of fear and insecurity are often by-products
of such methods. If, however, you’d prefer to become your dog’s
leader, compassionately coaching good manners while building a
relationship of trust and love, then this book is for you. Outlining
a day-by-day guide, Geller will show you how any dog, young or
old, can become housebroken, happy, and well-mannered in just
one month. A New York Times best-selling author and dog-coach
to stars (Oprah Winfrey, Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson), as well as
advisor to the Humane Society of the US and founder of the nonprofit
program Operation Heroes & Hounds, Geller speaks to us
from a position of both knowledge and experience, with a commitment
to better our relationships with our canine friends.

Dog, Inc.: The Uncanny Inside Story of Cloning Man’s Best Friend

John Woestendiek

Pulitzer-Prize-winning investigative
reporter Woestendiek brings us a
fascinating, thoroughly-researched
book that provides a close look at the
controversial subject of cloning dogs,
beginning with the first “misfires”
through to later success stories, including a litter of five cloned,
at the behest of the dog’s guardian, from a rescued Pit Bull who
saved his owner’s life. Most of us can tell of a life being touched
by a special dog, one so unique we know it unlikely we will ever
encounter such a dog again. But is science preying upon our
vulnerability in offering us a chance to recreate him? And would
that dog, especially when deprived of the same experiences as
the original, still be virtually the same? The author covers such
speculation and provokes further thought. As Woestendiek questions:
“Are we crossing the boundary of controlling science in the
name of science, in the name of love, in the name of merchandising—
or a blend of all three?”