A Dog Walks Into a Nursing Home: Lessons in the Good Life from an Unlikely Teacher


Sue Halpern - 2013
    Smart, spirited, and instinctively compassionate, Pransky turned out to be not only a terrific therapist but an unerring moral compass. In the unlikely sounding arena of a public nursing home, she led her teammate into a series of encounters with the residents that revealed depths of warmth, humor, and insight Halpern hadn’t expected. And little by little, their adventures expanded and illuminated Halpern’s sense of what virtue is and does—how acts of kindness transform the giver as well as the given-to.Funny, moving, and profound, A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home is the story of how one faithful, charitable, loving, and sometimes prudent mutt—showing great hope, fortitude, and restraint along the way (the occasional begged or stolen treat notwithstanding)—taught a well-meaning woman the true nature and pleasures of the good life.

Maggie: The dog Who Changed My Life


Dawn Kairns - 2008
    Through their relationship Dawn learned that dogs are intelligent and emotional beings that can sense human thoughts. From housebreaking to adolescent escapades and on through old age, Maggie's radiant spirit became interwoven with the fabric of Dawn's life. The depth of their bond opens a surprising door to intuition and dream communication about Maggie's fate. Through their journey, Dawn experiences the joys of sharing life with a dog that so touched people as well as the profound grief that comes with the loss of her beloved Maggie.

Walking with Peety: The Dog Who Saved My Life


Eric O'Grey - 2017
    Eric was 150 pounds overweight, depressed, and sick. After a lifetime of failed diet attempts, and the onset of type 2 diabetes due to his weight, Eric went to a new doctor, who surprisingly prescribed a shelter dog. And that's when Eric met Peety: an overweight, middle-aged, and forgotten dog who, like Eric, had seen better days. The two adopted each other and began an incredible journey together, forming a bond of unconditional love that forever changed their lives. Over the next year, just by going on walks, playing together, and eating plant-based foods, Eric lost 150 pounds, and Peety lost 25. As a result, Eric reversed his diabetes, got off all medication, and became happy and healthy for the first time in his life-eventually reconnecting with and marrying his high school sweetheart. Walking With Peety is for anyone who is ready to make a change in his or her life, and for everyone who knows the joy, love, and hope that dogs can bring. This is more than a tale of mutual rescue. This is an epic story of friendship and strength.

Skidboot 'The Smartest Dog in the World'


Cathy Luchetti - 2013
    And although we want it to last forever, we know that nothing ever does. In the early 1990's David Hartwig, a Texas cowboy with dreams of rodeo stardom, struggled to support his family and, in doing so, discovered a dog with talents he himself could never realize.Together with David, Skidboot shot to international fame, despite tumultuous events that nearly sent this rural family to the brink. Skidboot is a true story of loyalty, sacrifice, discipline, love, and companionship. Skidboot--there will never be another.

Bad Dogs Have More Fun: Selected Writings on Family, Animals, and Life from The Philadelphia Inquirer


John Grogan - 2007
    Combining humor, wit, poignancy, and affection, these columns provide insight into the intriguing and wonderful world we live in. Whether it be writing about animals (from dogs to elephants to geese!), powerful and moving comments about his own and other families, trenchant comments on life s foibles and farces, or his interviews and interactions with people who are memorable and unusual in their own right, John Grogan makes us laugh-he makes us cry-he makes us think.Visit www.baddogshavemorefun.comA percentage of the profits from the sale of this book will go to THE GOOD DOG FOUNDATION, where dogs help humans heal.To learn more, visit www.thegooddogfoundation.org"

Getting in TTouch With Your Dog: A Gentle Approach to Influencing Behavior, Health, and Performance


Linda Tellington-Jones - 2001
    Although the internationally acclaimed animal expert is widely known for her work with horses, her Tellington TTouch Method has proven enormously effective with all kinds of animals, from elephants and cockatoos to dogs and cats. Now she shows dog lovers how to use her Tellington TTouches, leading exercises, and obstacle courses to improve their dog s behavior, trainability, and overall health. The Tellington TTouch Method can help remedy, for example, excessive barking, chewing, leash-pulling, fear-biting, and shyness; it s also therapeutic for dogs with hip dysplasia, arthritis, and other physical problems. In Getting in TTouch with Your Dog, the author has presented a wealth of information in a clear, accessible format, including problem lists with their corresponding TTouches and exercises, abundant color photos, and helpful case studies featuring a variety of breeds. Linda Tellington-Jones books include Getting in TTouch, The Tellington TTouch, Improve Your Horse s Well-Being, and Let s Ride with Linda Tellington-Jones.

Lessons from Tara: Life Advice from the World’s Most Brilliant Dog


David Rosenfelt - 2015
    Many also got to know Tara from Dogtripping, David's nonfiction book about becoming a slightly nutty dog rescuer and the dog that started it all. Here, finally, is a book all about the inspirational canine who taught David everything he knows. Well, he did know how to tie his shoes before he met and came to love Tara, but that's about it.Through Tara, David learned about dating, about being able to share his emotions, and also about everyday stuff like who gets to use the pillow if several dogs are sleeping in your bed (clue: It's not the human) and why random barking will never be something that can be eliminated. Lessons From Tara is infused with David's trademark wry and self-deprecating sense of humor, and will move readers to tears and laughter.

Twenty-Seven Years in Alaska: True Stories of Adventure in the Alaskan Wilderness


Jennifer Hellings - 2015
    From canoe camping next to unnamed lakes, to kayaking in Alaska’s pristine waters, she describes her many encounters with the bears, moose and other animals that make this wilderness their home. With her partner David she helped to build a cabin on a remote piece of property, off the grid and accessible only by boat. Illustrated with the photos she took along the way, her story is sometimes comic, and sometimes tragic, but throughout its pages she speaks with the voice of one who loves nature and the wilderness.

Howl: A Collection of the Best Contemporary Dog Wit


The Bark - 2007
    An open bedroom door. An ill-timed squat. Dogs seem to have impeccable timing. Yet how quickly calamity turns to comedy in the company of a dog, and the wrong moment turns out to be just the right one. In this delightful follow-up to Dog Is My Co-Pilot, which won the Best Book of the Year award from the Dog Writers Association of America, the editors of The Bark bring together more stories, essays, and artwork that highlight the hilarity of dog behavior and the comical interactions between dog people and their four-legged friends. From playful puppies who wreak havoc in the home to dogs with a whole array of comic shticks and tricks, Howl celebrates the verve and the laughs pets offer their people. It includes laugh-out-loud reflections (and confessions), rib-tickling tales, and whimsical vignettes from well-known writers such as:• Dave Barry• Margaret Cho• Al Franken• Kinky Friedman• Pam Houston• Haven Kimmel• Neal Pollack• And many more!From the Hardcover edition.

Endal: How one extraordinary dog brought a family back from the brink


Allen Parton - 2009
    He lost the use of both of his legs, plus all memories of his children and much of his marriage. He was left unable to walk, talk or write - isolated in his own world. After five years of intensive therapy and rehab, he was still angry, bitter and unable to talk. Until a chance encounter with a Labrador puppy - Endal - who had failed his training as an assistance dog on health grounds. They 'adopted' each other, and Endal became Allen's reason to communicate with the outside world, to come to terms with his injuries, and to want to live again. Not content with learning over 200 commands to help Allen complete everyday tasks like getting dressed and going out to the shops in his wheelchair, Endal gave Allen the ability to start living again, and to become a husband and father again in his own special way. This is the incredible story of Allen, his wife Sandra, and his family. And, of course, Endal.

Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey


John Zeaman - 2010
    Now imagine Tinker Creek was a New Jersey suburb, and you have an idea of the surprises that await in John Zeaman’s book. Humorous, thought-provoking, and playful, Dog Walks Man might also be called Zen and the Art of Dog Walking. Zeaman takes us on a journey from a 'round-the-block fraternity of “dog-walking dupes”—suburban fathers who indulged their children’s wish for a dog—to a strange and forbidden wonderland at the edge of town, the New Jersey Meadowlands. Along the way, he rediscovers childhood’s forgotten “fringe places,” investigates the mysteries of the natural world, and experiences moments of inexplicable joy. Each chapter of Dog Walks Man is a bite-size meditation on the wisdom derived from dogs and dog walking. Woven into the narrative are musings on such familiar dog-walking issues as the war of nerves that precedes each walk (or “w-a-l-k” if your dog is in earshot), the problem of dog-walking monotony, and why dog walkers are always the ones to discover dead bodies. This is also the story of Pete, the prescient standard poodle who begins as the “family glue” and evolves into Zeaman’s partner on a journey through an abandoned landscape as alive as any jungle. Above all, Dog Walks Man is about a search for wholeness in an increasingly artificial world. It is about discovering what Thoreau meant when he wrote, in his seminal essay “Walking,” “Life consists with wildness.” Because the truth is, something as simple as walking the dog can open up unexpected worlds.

The Rites of Autumn


Dan O'Brien - 1988
    When one of his release sites was raided by a golden eagle, he managed to save a peregrine chick, and decided to make an improbable two-thousand-mile trip with the surviving young falcon, Dolly. From the Canadian border to the Gulf of Mexico, following the autumnal migration of waterfowl, O'Brien taught her to hunt as a wild falcon would, in the hopes of releasing her into the natural world. The Rites of Autumn is the riveting account of their incredible journey. (51/2 X 81/4, 208 pages, map)

Who's That Dog? 35 Fabulous Rescues That Found Their Forever Homes


Mark J. Asher - 2012
    For each dog in the book there are two photographs. In the first image, we see the mystery dog from behind, and learn their story in their own voice. In the following photograph, we see the front of the dog, where they reveal their identity and introduce themselves. The amazing collection of rescues ranges in breeds from a Schipperke to a German Shepherd, and everything in-between. Once you meet them all, you’ll agree that Who’s That Dog is a strong testament to the canine spirit, and a compelling case for making your next dog a rescue.

The Dog Who Came to Stay: A Memoir


Hal Borland - 1961
    Pat, as the dog came to be known, and his raffish travelling companion, a young pup, "were even more unwelcome than the weather," but after a few preliminaries both settled in as members of the Borland household. The pup eventually found his permanent home elsewhere, but Pat became Hal Borland's true companion - and a local legend, the terror of woodchucks for miles around. With his keen sensitivity to the natural world, Borland here recounts, with deep affection and wonder, how a man and his dog can form a magical and unforgettable partnership. First published in 1961, THE DOG WHO CAME TO STAY "will appeal to many sportsmen and to all people who have ever been closely attached to a dog." (The New York Times Book Review)

My Yorkshire Great and Small: Journey through Britain's finest county with The Yorkshire Vet


Peter Wright - 2019
    Packed with engaging tales of the animals, people and places around him, Peter Wright looks back on the bygone ways of his childhood, while also exploring the fusion of tradition and modernity that characterises the Yorkshire countryside today. Peter's passion for nature shines through on every page, as he explains why our environment is so important - and what we can do to protect it for future generations.