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Words, Woofs & Meows
Knowledge to Enrich the Life of You and Your Dog The Best Dog Books of 2021
It's the holiday season and a ti me when we oft en think about giving gift s to others. The greatest gift my parents gave me was a love of reading and a thirst for knowledge. It was a gift given out of love, knowing that it had the potenti al to benefi t not only me but those around me. I believe it was the greatest gift I have ever received. It has nurtured my lifelong love of learning, a character trait essenti al for any professional. What we have learned about dogs and cats in the last 30 years is amazing, and if you haven't been keeping up, you are out of date as much of what we thought we knew has been proven incomplete or wrong. As you may know, I oft en write about my favorite dog book of the year in December. This year I am highlighti ng two books whose content can help enrich the lives of you and your dog.
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Puppy Socializati on: What It Is and How to Do
It by Marge Rogers and Eileen Anderson contains knowledge essenti al to anyone who works with puppies, has a puppy, or is Publisher: Bright Friends contemplati ng Producti ons 6/2/21) getti ng a puppy. It is available as a paperback or in multi ple e-book formats. The concept of puppy socializati on was extensively researched at Maine's own Jackson Laboratory for 20 years,
WORDS, WOOFS & MEOWS
by Don Hanson
ACCBC, BFRAP, CDBC, CPDT-KA
culminati ng in the publicati on of Geneti cs and the Social Behavior of the Dog by Scott and Fuller in 1965. Yet, 56 years later, too many in the dog world sti ll do not understand the essenti al basics of puppy socializati on. For example, it has a specifi c endpoint (12 to 16 weeks of age), it is as important as vaccinati ons, it doesn't happen by accident but requires careful planning; it involves meeti ng more than the neighbors and their dog. It means creati ng a positi ve associati on with new things; it requires you to advocate for what is best for your puppy and is essenti al for normal social development. As a canine behavior consultant, I assist people with dogs with deep-seated anxiety and oft en anti -social behavior that is likely the result of inappropriate or inadequate socializati on during the criti cal period. This debilitati ng mental illness might have been prevented had the person caring for the dog understood puppy socializati on. Reading and following the precepts in Puppy Socializati on: What It Is and How to Do It might prevent you from ever needing the services of a canine behavior consultant or veterinary behaviorist. Rogers and Anderson's book will teach those who read it what they need to know to socialize their puppy, thus helping them have a great life together. In additi on to the easy-to-read text and beauti ful photographs, the book includes links to over 50 online videos. Note, it is easiest to access those videos and other online resources from one of the e-book editi ons. I am so impressed by Puppy Socializati on: What It Is and How to Do It that I am: 1) making it required reading for all Green Acres Kennel Shop staff , 2) incorporati ng it into the curriculum for my ForceFreePets.com online Puppy Headstart class, 3) will be including copies for all students in that class starti ng January 1st, and 4) will be gift ing the book to several veterinary colleagues so that they may share it with their staff aft er reading it themselves.
Feeding Dogs. Dry or Raw? The
Science Behind The Debate by Conor Brady, PhD. will hopefully end the debate over how to feed our dogs for opti mum health. Dr. Brady spent 10 years examining what the scienti fi c literature tells us about canine nutriti on answering such questi ons as: is the dog a carnivore or omnivore, what are the problems with feeding kibble, why are so many people pro-kibble and anti -fresh food despite evidence to the contrary, and how to feed a dog a species-appropriate diet for opti mal health. In additi on, you will fi nd a comprehensive reference list to the peer-reviewed scienti fi c research supporti ng the author's conclusions at the end of each secti on. Available as a hardcover book or four e-books, Brady's Feeding Dogs is worth every penny for those who understand that proper nutriti on is the foundati on of physical, mental, and emoti onal health. In my opinion, Feeding Dogs should be required reading for every student of veterinary medicine and recommended to every pet parent interested in opti mal nutriti on. If you want to learn more about Feeding Dogs and Dr. Brady before reading the book, I encourage you to listen to this 40-minute interview at htt ps://bit. ly/IntvwDrConorBradyFeedingDogs No matt er which winter holidays you celebrate, I wish you and your pet happy holidays and a great 2022.
Publisher: Dogs First Ltd. 12/22/2020
Don Hanson is the co-owner of the Green Acres Kennel Shop (greenacreskennel.com) in Bangor where he has been helping people with their pets since 1995. He also produces and co- hosts The Woof Meow Show heard on AM620 -WZON every Saturday at 9 AM. Podcasts of the show are available at www.woofmeowshow.com. Don also writes about pets at his blog: www.words-woofs-meows.com. He is committ ed to pet care and pet training that is free of pain, force, and fear. The opinions in this column are those of Don Hanson.
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