Books: what dogs and cats are surely reading.
Here is a glimpse on pet literature today. One writer says that with all the attention from publishers, you’d think pets could read.
Dogs and cats have taken up residence in American homes in record numbers, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. Its 2007–2008 National Pet Owners Survey found that 63% of U.S. households—71.1 million homes—own a pet. Households with dogs number 44.8 million, while felines can be found in 38.4 million homes. The cat populace, 88.3 million, outnumbers the 74.8 million dogs, that’s because pet parents with cats are more likely to have more than one. However, that in spite of the larger cat population, dog-related books still outsell any other category, the dog-related books outnumbered cat tales by about six to one. What are the books about? Here are 44 titles to think about:
Health and wellness
According to a 2004 American Animal Hospital Association survey, 94% of pet owners take their pet for regular veterinary checkups to ensure their pet’s quality of life. And animal medicine, like its human counterpart, the information and options available in terms of treatment and diagnoses have become vastly more complicated over the last decade. People are, therefore, looking for resources that will help them make sense of it all. Now it is becoming commonplace procedures for dogs as organ transplants, joint replacements and cancer treatments. There are also books, from home remedies to cutting-edge alternative homeopathic therapies.
There’s an author that offers practical strategies for keeping mature dogs young and healthy in mind and body. Among her findings is that only 20%–25% of a dog’s longevity is determined by its genes; the owner can influence the remaining percentage by how he or she cares for the animal.
* Tell Me Where It Hurts by Nick Trout
* What’s Wrong with My Dog? A Pet Owner’s Guide to 150 Symptoms and What to Do About Them by Jake Tedaldi
* Natural Remedies Dogs and Cats Wish You Knew: A Holistic Care Guide by Viv Harris
* The Merck/Merial Manual for Pet Health: The Complete Health Resource for Your Dog, Cat, Horse or Other Pets
* The Living Well Guide for Senior Dogs: Everything You Need to Know for a Happy and Healthy Companion
* In Eternal Puppy: Keeping Your Dog Forever Young by Janice Willard
Training
Training books are becoming more friendly, and positive methods are proven successes. Books in this category are approaching the owner/dog relationship not just from the aspect of training but from a more holistic outlook. Most notable is the fact that this idea of a dog’s emotional life—in other words his ‘happiness’ and not just his health and behavior—is now part of the conversation.
Obedience training does not have to resemble boot camp, nor does it have to be work. It can be playful fun for both the dog and its human, with a few rules thrown in to shape the game into an obedience exercise.am covers: house manners (no whining or barking); preventing dog bites; dealing with shy or fearful dogs.
Another topic is the all-important selection of a dog, with focus on acquiring a breed that best fits individual personality types and family routines.
* The Loved Dog: The Playful, Nonaggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior by Tamar Geller’s
* Puppy’s First Steps: The Whole Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy by Nicholas Dodman with Lawrence Lindner.
* The Puppy Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Guide to Early Training and Care by Paul Owens and Terry Cranendonk
* Treats, Play, Love: Make Dog Training Fun for You and Your Best Friend by Patricia Burnham
* The Good Behavior Book for Dogs: The Most Annoying Dog Behaviors… Solved! by Colleen Paige
* Getting in Touch with Your Puppy: A Gentle Approach to Training and Influencing Behavior by Linda Tellington-Jones
* The Whole Dog Journal Handbook of Dog and Puppy Care and Training by Nancy Kerns
* Good Dog 101: Easy Lessons to Train Your Dog the Happy, Healthy Way by Christine Dahl
The tickle bone
You don’t need to be a dog parent to know how comical—often unintentionally—animals can be. The books usually take the form of photos, but stories and poems are big. And don’t forget cartoons.
From the folks who created the bestselling Dog Is My Co-Pilot comes Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit from the editors of the Bark (Crown, Oct.), a collection of essays, stories, drawings and cartoons by such writers as Roy Blount Jr., Merrill Markoe, Al Franken, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho and Dave Barry.
What Pets Do While You’re at Work by Scribner
Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit
Dog Trick or Cat Treat: Pets Dress Up for Halloween by Archie Klondike
The kitties
In all fairness to felines, it should be noted that many publishers offer pet books in pairs: matching titles for dog and cat.
* Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul: Stories of Canine Companionship, Comedy and Courage
* Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul: Stories of Feline Affection, Mystery and Charm
* Curiously Compelling Facts, True Tales and Trivia Even Your Dog Won’t Know and meowWOW by Marty Becker
* The Cat Behavior Answer Book, and The Dog Behavior Answer Book by Arden Moore,
* 50 Games to Play with Your Dog and 50 Games to Play with Your Cat
* 100 Dogs Who Changed Civilization: History’s Most Influential Canines by Sam Stall
Man’s best friend
The inspirational and personality-driven books get more attention and garner more sales in the short term. There’s a book that explains the similarities and dissimilarities in dog and human brains and provides practical advice about understanding and responding to emotions in both people and dogs. There’s a book that serves up more than 150 photographs that capture variations in facial expressions and stances in a wide variety of breeds, while the accompanying text provides insights into learning what our dogs are telling us. Portraits are key, too.
* The Leash That Binds: My Life with the World’s Toughest Dogs by Harrison Forbes.
* Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog by Ted Kerasote
* The Hidden Life of Dogs by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
* For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend by Patricia McConnell
* Your Dog Interpreter: How to Understand Man’s Best Friend by David Alderton
* The Nature of Dogs by Mary Ludington’s
How to Live with a Unicorn: The Fantastic Guide to Keeping Mythical Pets.
Feeding frenzy
It began on March 19, when Menu Foods recalled some 60 million cans of pet food, packaged under a variety of brands, because several commercial pet food products were found to contain tainted ingredients. About 10 days later, Del Monte foods became the fourth pet food manufacturer to recall certain products. The ensuing uproar reached epidemic portions; with claims that at least 3,000 pets had died, consumers shunned the commercial food products on supermarket shelves, often turning instead to pet recipe books.
As you would expect, quite a list of cookbooks are now becoming available. That would include home cooked, raw, natural, and organic. Pet owners have more options than ever to make healthy choices for their pets.
* The Good Food Cookbook for Dogs: 50 Home-Cooked Recipes for the Health and Happiness of Your Canine Companion
* Real Food for Dogs: 50 Vet-Approved Recipes to Please the Canine Gastronome by Arden Moore
* Pet Food Nation: The Smart, Easy, and Healthy Way to Feed Your Pet Now by Joan Weiskopf
* The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook and The Ultimate Cat Treat Cookbook by Liz Palika
* The Natural Pet Food Cookbook: Healthful Recipes for Dogs and Cats by Wendy Nan Rees
* The Good Treats Cookbook for Dogs: 50 Homemade Treats for Special Occasions plus Everything You Need to Know to Throw a Dog Party! by Barbara Burg
* PupSnacks: 35 Delicious and Healthy Recipes to Bark Home About by Stephanie Mehanna
Bow WOW
There have always been smart-than-me animals. Snoopy for example. Animals are really philosopher’s, teachers, and therapists.
* Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog by John Grogan
* Lab, Beau, Good Dog. Stay by Anna Quindlen
* Dog Days: Dispatches from Bedlam Farm by Jon Katz
* The Dangerous Book for Dogs by Rex and Sparky
* Cesar’s Way: The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by Cesar Millan
Kitty litterature
Forget Democrats and Republicans: the world’s deepest divide lies between dog people and cat people. Yet it’s harder to say where the animals themselves stand. Dogs shower humans with affection, but cats remain remote, all jewel eyes and gentle condescension. They tolerate their people, but are they pleased with us? “Cats feel neglected. They’d never tell you so; they’ll just shred the furniture.†There are many opinions: more than 400 lists of cat phenomena: how to say meow in 46 languages, signs you’re becoming a cat lady, celebrity cat lovers, recipes and IQ tests for the well-considered cat. There’s a lot of great history of cats in culture and religion, from Egypt onward, also profiles of famous and unusual cats.
* The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know by Tracie Hotchner
* Good Catkeeping: A Comprehensive Guide to All Things Feline by Diane Morgan
* The Complete Guide to Understanding & Caring for Your Cat by Carole C. Wilbourn
* Guides 300 Questions About Cats by Gerd Ludwig
* Cat Yoga: Fitness and Flexibility for the Modern Feline by Rick Tillotson
* Planet Cat: A Cat-alog by Sandra Choron, Harry Choron and Arden Moore
Rescue Dogs
One of the major trends in today’s books is that pets are no longer seen as just ‘animals,’ but as beings with the rights of all beings to have a home, provisions and the opportunity to trust and love. Not all pets, of course, are this fortunate—many wind up homeless, in shelters and worse.
Hopeful Tails: Stories of Rescued Pets and Their Forever Families collects photos and stories from adoptive pet parents.
We are all looking for more books with happy endings!
Source: Publishers Weekly. For a list of upcoming titles with brief descriptions click here or go to amazon.com
Maureen Adams
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