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The PetsitUSA.com News

January - February, 2007     Page 1     Page 2

Book Review (continued)

  

As you can see, this gives little in the way of instruction that can be applied by the average dog owner in a real life situation. As a result, this book is of little help in actually living with and training your dog. As long as you're not expecting a book that will provide step-by-step help with your dog, you may at least find it an interesting read.

I will also caution, however, that the book is riddled with misinformation about wolf and dog behavior (including inaccuracies about how wolves behave and assumptions that dogs behave exactly as wolves do). Such misinformation has no business being published today with all of the excellent, accurate information that we currently have about dog and wolf behavior This is why I gave the Content and Editing such low marks - while the book is well-written and nicely edited, there is simply no excuse for the inaccuracies and utter myth found in the content.

Dog owners have two choices here: buy the book and attempt to sort out what is accurate and what is not (you'll need to read about dog and wolf behavior and about techniques that attempt to mimic wolf behaviors) or spend your money on a book that has none of the misinformation and a lot more excellent information and advice for dog owners. The Other End of the Leash by Dr. Patricia McConnell is a fabulous choice. You might also choose the book by one of the original Dog Whisperers, Paul Owens: The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate, Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training If you absolutely must read Cesar's Way, I'd recommend grabbing it the next time you're at the library instead of the bookstore.

What do you think of Cesar or of this book in particular?
Let us know on - weigh in on our blog.

Cara Vacchiano is the owner of Buddy's Chance, a professional petsitting and dog training business in Austin, Texas.

  


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Leave a clean house

To be honest, your pet sitter doesn't really enjoy having to care for pets in a messy, dirty house. Leaving your home clean and tidy will make it easier for the person caring for your pets to find necessary supplies, notice if a pet has had an accident, chewed something they shouldn' have, and to find a pet that's hiding. And heck,who wants to come home to a dirty, messy house anyway?

Enhancing Your Pet's Life (continued)

Information
Being informed is the best way to keep track of our pet's health and wellbeing. If possible, keep a medical log of your pet's vet visits, medications, special needs, etc. Knowing what is normal and not normal for your pet will help your vet figure out what is wrong in the case of illness. The Internet is a wealth of information, but caution is advised when seeking out a diagnosis or medical assistance via the web. Just as in real life, there is good information and bad information out there. The only way to get an answer or diagnosis is through a thorough physical examination, review of medical history, and possible lab work performed by your veterinarian.

Love & Attention
This is probably obvious, but too many pets are left outside in all kinds of weather with very little human contact. Same goes for inside pets that are largely ignored for lack of time and busy human schedules. Take the time to focus on your pets and create/nourish that human-animal bond!

Volunteer
There are thousands upon thousands of animals in need of help each day. This concept can be overwhelming for many people, but every little bit helps! Financial donations, donations of supplies or your time at a local shelter or rescue group is always appreciated, and real live animals are being helped by your generosity.

Maintenance
This refers to the more "unpleasant" aspects of pet care -- the litter box scooping, yard clean up, cage cleaning and fish tank maintenance. A clean environment for our pets is a healthy one. Poor sanitation can lead to behavior problems (i.e. litter box snacking) and health problems such as skin infections and the spread of communicable diseases.

JoAnn Carlson is the owner of #1 Pet Mom, a professional pet sitting and dog walking business in Rancho Santa Margarita, California.

Do you have a great pet story?
If you've got a great story about your pet that you'd like to share, we'd like to hear from you! We're looking for stories about funny pets, lovable pets, pet heroes, and more. Contact us with your story and we may put it in our next newsletter.
 

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