But what has been said about our "first families' families" - the colossal collection of animals, exotic and familiar, stubborn and playful, large and tiny, who have been welcome, and often celebrated, residents of the White House and its grounds since the days of George Washington? Over the years, the White House has been home to a unique assortment of pets. As a guest of John Quincy Adams, General Lafayette kept a live alligator in the East Room. Calvin Coolidge's Enoch, a huge white goose, gift from actress Marie Dressler, was said to be worth $100,000. Young Tad Lincoln surveyed his home grounds in a cart drawn by two pet goats. Warren Harding's Laddie Boy, a talented Airedale, was interviewed by reporters on national affairs. There were Franklin Roosevelt's famous Fala, Caroline Kennedy's Macaroni, Lyndon Johnson's beagles Him and Her. And Teddy Roosevelt's whole menagerie, which included a lion, snakes, roosters, a zebra, and five bears. The list of presidential pets is endless, and the stories about them and their owners are bizarre, hilarious, touching, and filled with incidents that point out many a first-family soft spot, peculiarity and, in every case, unabashed love of animals. Margaret Truman, a former White House resident herself, charts this special heritage with warmth and imagination.

    Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him: What is my dog thinking?   After his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, Berns decided that there was only one way to answer that question—use an MRI machine to scan the dog’s brain. His colleagues dismissed the idea. Everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. But if the military could train dogs to operate calmly in some of the most challenging environments, surely there must be a way to train dogs to sit in an MRI scanner.   With this radical conviction, Berns and his dog would embark on a remarkable journey and be the first to glimpse the inner workings of the canine brain. Painstakingly, the two worked together to overcome the many technical, legal, and behavioral hurdles. Berns’s research offers surprising results on how dogs empathize with human emotions, how they love us, and why dogs and humans share one of the most remarkable friendships in the animal kingdom.   How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.

    I hope it helps you too!

    Nick Trout comes another touching and heartfelt story from the front lines of veterinary medicine—the story of two dogs who forever changed the way he thought about life, death, fate and love.   Helen is an older cocker spaniel found neglected and abandoned in a restaurant parking lot one rainy night.  Despite her mangy condition and terrible smell, Ben and Eileen fall in love with the pitiful creature and decide to take her in.  But just as Helen is rescued from a sad life on the streets and enveloped in a loving home with all the creature comforts an old dog could ask for, a tumor is discovered and she's given a devastating prognosis.  All Ben and Eileen want is for Helen to beat the odds and survive for one more summer so that she can have one chance to swim in the ocean on the family's annual trip to Prince Edward Island.  In short, they want a miracle.   Meanwhile, fourteen-month-old miniature pinscher Cleo keeps breaking one leg after another which devastates her poor owner, Sandi.  While Cleo is visiting Sandi's daughter, Sonja, in Bermuda, she succumbs to yet another fracture.  Distraught that the injury happened on her watch, Sonja makes a plan to fly Cleo to Boston to get the specialist care she needs before Sandi even finds out.  Enter Dr. Trout who presides over what should be a fairly routine surgery.   What happens next forever links two families, their dogs and a beloved veterinarian and teaches them all a lesson about grace that resonates to this day.    Love is the Best Medicine immerses you in the true life drama of beloved pets whose lives hang in the balance.  Every page underscores the profound bond we have with the animals in our lives and the incredible responsibility Nick carries as their healer.  Certainly Dr. Trout has an impressive array of fancy equipment, training and skills at his disposable, but his most important tool (as he persuasively illustrates here) is a fundamental belief in the power of hope, humility, and grace.     Wry, charming, and intensely affecting, Love is the Best Medicine is a one of a kind story only the winsome Dr. Trout could deliver and is destined to become a favorite for animal lovers.

    The Forever Dog has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

    The Secret Lives of Dogs reveals what dogs think, how they feel, and how they see the world and what you can do to make them happier than ever.The Secret Lives of Dogs is part of the Dog Care Companions, a series of books for pet lovers on behavior, health care, training, communication, and more.

    Army, Luis Montalván never backed down from a challenge during his two tours of duty in Iraq. After returning home from combat, however, his physical wounds and crippling post-traumatic stress disorder began to take their toll. He wondered if he would ever recover.Then Luis met Tuesday, a sensitive golden retriever trained to assist the disabled. Tuesday had lived among prisoners and at a home for troubled boys, and he found it difficult to trust in or connect with a human being--until Luis.Until Tuesday is the story of how two wounded warriors, who had given so much and suffered the consequences, found salvation in each other. It is a story about war and peace, injury and recovery, psychological wounds and spiritual restoration. But more than that, it is a story about the love between a man and dog, and how, together, they healed each other's souls.

    The letter told Bob’s many human friends what they might not have known — the surprising story of how he was once a ferocious, untrusting dog named Red, and how through sheer determination he changed completely to become Tom’s best friend. Tom began receiving an outpouring of heartfelt responses to what he came to realize was actually a universal tale about the possibility of change and the transformational power of love. Friends and strangers urged him to bring the story to more people, and with a vision of how it might look, Tom designed this special book version of the letter. With a total of just more than one thousand words, this poignant story reads like a poem, underscored by flipbook illustrations of Tom's beloved Bob. Laid out with only one sentence per page, the book’s spare quality and unique design have a powerful impact and readers will return to its pages again and again.

    As founder of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers, I've helped transform the lives of over 100,000 dogs and their families - and now I want to help you, too!Whether you're living with a brand-new puppy, an adult dog or rescue dog, my methods will give you everything you need to know. Using simple, proven, science-based and ethical techniques, I'll show you how to have the best relationship with your pup, as well as teaching you how to get: super-fast recalls, great loose lead walking, perfect manners and much, MUCH more... I promise, it really is easy peasy and every tip, trick and lesson will bring you and your puppy closer together. I'll see you on the other side, Enjoy! Steve Mann

    What she didn't know at the time was that this little dog would in turn save her. Monday morning, 27th April 2009. The sat nav told us we'd reached our destination. The rain was pelting down, the kind that feels as if buckets of water are being chucked at the windscreen.I'll never forget that day. The horror, fear and the uncertainty of what was to come are still etched on my memory. But I didn't know that in that moment, somewhere off the M1 in a place that seemed as unnerving as it was eerie, I would find something so precious that would change my life forever.That was the day I discovered my Buddy, abandoned in a crate, unable to move and so frail that he only had moments to live. He stopped me in my tracks, and without pausing to think I scooped him up and quickly ran from the scene. This was no place for people or animals.Slowly, as I learned to take care of this broken little dog, I began to realise with each new day that as I was saving him, he too was helping to free me from my past. This is the story of Buddy and me: a remarkable true story of survival, hope, and never giving up, no matter how hard life gets.

    But Glenn died in agony - his body racked with spasms, his mind plunged into delirium. And by the time he was found dead, Glen's wife was more than ready for his funeral.Julia Lynn Turner, a former sheriff's assistant and 911 operator, had a thing for men in uniform - and for their money. While detectives and forensic examiners ruled Glenn's death the result of a virulent flu, time would tell another story. Lynn was already secretly living with Randy Thompson, a firefighter, who would meet the same excruciating death.Driven by family who would not give up their quest for justice, a new investigation and an explosive trial eventually exposed the truth about a woman who had a way of making men die, and about a means of murder that was pure intoxicating evil.

    The search for little Pearl consumed the next several weeks, and the story became front page news all over the United States. Hundreds of residents from the nearby towns of Waldron and Booneville Arkansas helped in the search, and a mysterious mountain hermit seemed to hold the secret to Pearl's disappearance. The incredible events that followed contributed to a mountain legend that still exists today.

    What is a BodyMinder Workout & Exercise Journal? The BodyMinder is a compact and portable notebook/diary for keeping track of all your exercise experiences. The BodyMinder goes beyond the cards or sheets of paper typically used for workouts with its organized and convenient journal format. In addition to workout details and other exercise, it has room for daily dietary notes and other related items.2. Who can use the BodyMinder? Anyone just starting a fitness program as well as those who already work out can benefit by keeping written track of goals and progress. Personal trainers and teachers can better evaluate progress as their students strive to reach tangible goals. 3. What are the benefits of using a BodyMinder? You'll stay more focused on your goals...it's a proven fact. Writing things down is a subliminal way to strengthen commitment that really works! You'll see your strengths and weaknesses and discover where you need to improve. Have you been avoiding those ab crunches? No more fooling yourself...it's there in black and white! You'll be motivated to reach your workout goals. The weekly progress charts will inspire you to keep on keepin' on. Soon, good exercise habits will become automatic. You'll see your diet from a new prospective. Just a few days or weeks of jotting down the foods you eat can open your eyes to amazing revelations. You'll create a personal reference for the future and be amazed at how much you have improved since you started. If you get off track for a while, that's OK, your BodyMinder will contain the information you need to reset your goals and get you going again!4. What special features does the BodyMinder have? All-inclusive format works for every type of exercise; it's roomy and easy to use, too! Durable leatherette cover in black or burgundy (8" x 6") Spiral binding for writing ease 224 pages for 91 ...

    Asher is a master portraitist." — AKC Gazette From a Golden Retriever on a swing to a Standard Poodle tending bar, Greatest Clicks is a captivating collection of dog photographs that tickles the funny bone and touches the heart. The images—sweet, silly, and emotive—reveal the innocence and beauty of dogs and why we love them. Snapped by pet photographer and author Mark J. Asher (Old Friends), Greatest Clicks spans a ten year career, and includes a brief behind-the-lens story for each dog captured in the book.

    Sir Ernest Shackleton had carefully picked crew and a stout, well-outfitted ship, the Endurance. But he had no radio, the world was at war, and at the edge of the Antarctic continent, the ship froze in the sea ice. After months of immobility, it was crushed. Then began an impossible journey. With three tiny boats, the crew worked their way across frozen the Antarctic Sea. This vivid book recounts the story of Shackleton's heroic voyage from South Georgia Island to Antarctica then back to South Georgia. It is a tribute to Shackleton and his crew's ability to fight for survival and one of the most harrowing adventures in history.