A Member of the Family: Cesar Millan's Guide to a Lifetime of Fulfillment with your Dog

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 By Tanya Turgeon

A Member of the Family: Cesar Millan's Guide to a Lifetime of Fulfillment with your Dog
 
by Cesar Millan

Harmony Books, 320 pages, $25.95

The word "family" generally refers to humans and "pack" to dogs, but according to Webster's New World Compact Office Dictionary, the two share a definition along the lines of "a group or number of similar or related things." Centuries of canine-human codependency are further evidence of this blending. The crucial difference lies in the protocol demanded of each group, which can become confused in a modern world where often a dog's most important job is that of friend.
   
Cesar Millan, star of National Geographic Channel's "The Dog Whisperer," has been stressing this correlation for years. In his newest book, he emphasizes the key differences, paying special attention to the need for a pack leader in every dog's life. Taking us step-by-step from birth to death through the evolution of both the human family and the dog pack, Millan explains how to successfully achieve a healthy coexistence at every life stage.
   
Brief accounts of specific cases dealt with on his show prove once again that Cesar Millan is indeed the Dr. Phil of canineville. He gracefully attacks the subject of dogs affected by divorce and the equally challenging scenario of new relationships and marriage, which can bring together dogs not so eager to share their respective owners. Each section wraps up with a neat and tidy summary in the form of a "Tip List" for quick reference.
 
In keeping with the title, Millan opens the forum to his own family members. His wife Ilusion utilizes her chapter to discuss being a pack leader from a woman's perspective, and candidly exposes marital challenges the couple faced early on. Additional personal tales come from his young sons, Andre and Calvin, who provide youthful insight for children dealing with dogs.
   
While humans tend to personify dogs as family members, Millan  reminds us that dogs are animals whose instincts are driven by breed and pack rules. Whatever you choose to call it, you're in it for the long run with the pooches you live with and love. This book will help resolve any conflicts to guarantee you and your dog's time together is the best in both your lives.
 
 
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Walking Ollie: Or, Winning the Love of a Difficult Dog

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 By Tanya Turgeon

Walking Ollie: Or, Winning the Love of a Difficult Dog
 
by Stephen Foster

Penguin Group, 177 pages, $12

Strip away the sweet sentiment and polite political correctness of the typical dog story and what's left is this book, a hilarious account of English author Stephen Foster's first years with his adopted dog. Through frustrating adventures and tense moments we witness Foster's varied, and at times desperate, attempts to earn the trust and affection of an abandoned mutt.
   
Considering his limited experience with dogs (occasional visits from his girlfriend's Dalmatian who is shared by her ex), Foster unknowingly sets himself up for a challenge by adopting a rescued lurcher puppy. His book's first task is to shed light on this rare and unclassified breed which Foster defines as half Greyhound, half something else (in Ollie's case it's Saluki, another little-known breed) ...the typical companions of street dwellers...the poacher's dog of choice." Foster ascertains "The Saluki-greyhound, as it turns out, is a particularly specialized and perverse version of a lurcher."

Ollie's perversions present themselves as paranoias, phobias, and personality disorders that could give Marley a run for his money. Free, uninhibited, and extremely playful with other dogs while outside and off leash, Ollie's indoor personality is preoccupied with fear of flies, aprons, squeaky toys, his own barking, and, for a long time, Foster. Utterly absorbed and affected by his dog's strange behavior, Foster barely notices the similarities with his own temperament. In addition to irrationally strong negative emotions towards musical (though Ollie was named after "Oliver!"), farces, fishermen, pantomime, and yoga, Foster admits to suffering from panic attacks that seem not too far off from Ollie's.
 
With uncensored accuracy Foster delves into the oft-avoided dirty side of owning a dog. His British vocabulary and slang readily lend themselves to comical descriptions of picking up poop, canine flatulence, and a dog's palate for manure. Yet the occasional photograph straight from the family photo album pops up as much to save the reader's imagination from attempting to conjure a Saluki-greyhound-lurcher as to hint at an inescapable tenderness. Originally published in 2006 in England, this book became available in the U.S. in 2008 and is a welcome addition to America's dog book library.

 
 
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Born Without a Tail

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 By Tanya Turgeon

Born Without a Tail
 
by Cayr Ariel Wulff

BookSurge LLC, 176 pages, $12.95
 
Cayr Ariel Wulff's debut book opens with her four-year-old self's disheartening epiphany that she is lacking a tail. An animal lover since birth, Wulff doesn't allow this shortcoming to stop her from becoming enamored with pets of all shapes and sizes. Dogs, cats, a horse, and even a skunk make their way into Wulff's life over the next twenty-odd years, and she takes us on a tour of what eventually amounts to a menagerie of rescues.

Each of the twenty chapters pays homage to the story of a single creature. Some find the author: Pluto, a big black sweetheart of a mutt, comes via a rescue organization, while Troll, a scruffy terrier mix, is discovered eating cat food outside Wulff's house. Others she finds: Bumper the one-eyed, tilted-head dog happens to be out wandering the streets as Wulff drives by. Once taken in, the dogs' personalities emerge. Dillon, an unwanted poodle/beagle, plays pack leader for sixteen years despite his small stature; Taco Belle, a chihuahua mix, snuggles with everyone.
   
Moody cats and belligerent dogs only seem to offer an irresistible challenge to Wulff and her unending supply of patience and hospitality. Despite occasional fights, bites, and scratches Wulff, assisted by her partner Dalene, makes the conglomeration of outcasts work and shows it's worth every band-aid. Her practice of never turning away an animal in need and always putting the dog or cat's best interest first make her every animal adoption center's dream come true. In fact she has become so close with Valley Save-A-Pet in Ohio that partial proceeds from the book are allotted to the organization.    
 
Writing can provide a beautiful dynamic between a cathartic release and recorded longevity. Wulff plays this combination to the max. In her emotional trip down memory lane she gives everlasting life to each animal through the permanence of written words. Whatever Wulff lacked in way of a tail, she has definitely made up with her illuminating plethora of tales.
 
 
 
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Marley: A Dog Like No Other

Posted on Nov 6, 2008 By Tanya Turgeon

Marley: A Dog Like No Other

by John Grogan

HarperEntertainment, 196 pages, $6.99

The yellow labrador retriever we've all come to know and love, whose name graced the New York Times best seller list in 2005, is making his way to the big screen this December. In preparation for the big move, the literary industry has released his story in a brand-new, condensed, family-friendly format with beautiful, glossy photo inserts. It's the perfect dose of memory refreshment on the escapades of crazy, loveable Marley.

John Grogan subtitled his original version "Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog," and page for page Marley does his best to continue carrying out that legacy. Marley's unrestrained reactions to the world around him take the credo of living in the moment to a whole new extreme. Thunderstorms instigate primal tantrums, resulting in gouged doors and tornado-quality destruction. Poodles awaken Marley's animal lusts, setting a metal cafe table in motion across a crowded sidewalk.  A gold necklace, toy soldier, bottle cap, and stereo cover are only a few of the things that rouse his indiscriminate appetite.
        
This time around, "Chapter 10: The Audition" reads like an omen of Marley's journey to the big screen this holiday season. The anecdote focuses on Marley's brief tenure as a movie dog wreaking havoc on the set of "The Last Home Run." In a display of drama, drool, and larger-than-live personality, he earns two minutes of screen time and a name credit on the straight-to-video production. Years later, this star of the Grogan family would infiltrate bookshelves across America, finding true fame in the hearts of all who read his story.

Marley groupies may feel nostalgic for the more colorful language and adult situations included in the original text, so keep those dog-eared 2005 copies nearby for reference. Aiming this movie tie-in paperback edition at middle-school-age readers widens the demographic to include younger dog enthusiasts and provides a quick-fix for those with time constraints. In the end, it seems clever editing finally helped John Grogan tame Marley into the all-around family dog he was always meant to be.

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Pet Food Politics: The Chihuahua in the Coal Mine

Posted on Sep 29, 2008 By Tanya Turgeon

by Marion Nestle
University of California Press, 219 pages, $18.95

The story unfolds like a "CSI" script, starring cost-cutting Chinese manufacturer Xuzhou Anying, who exports the toxic ingredients melamine and cyanuric acid to American pet food maker Menu Foods. Menu Foods, in turn, unwittingly distributes the product under such brand name labels as Iams and Eukanuba, which ultimately end up in dog and cat food bowls across America. Add the FDA, scientists at Cornell Laboratories, and hundreds of victims, and you've got yourself a plot. If only it was fiction.

By May 23, 2007, more than a hundred brands of pet food were pulled from store shelves after thousands of dogs and cats died from kidney or renal failure. This would be the beginning of a consumer nightmare involving politics, government safety agencies, and international trade relations.
 
As a self-proclaimed food activist and Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health, Marion Nestle could not be a better advocate for pet parents and the American consumer. In her newest book, "Pet Food Politics," Nestle courageously attempts to make sense out of this largest pet food recall in American history. Charts, graphs, tables, timelines, and pages of notes attempt to simplify her research and reiterate her results, but are more effective as a visual reminder of just how daunting a task it is - especially when each of the dozens of companies involved are spread over continents and quick to point the finger at someone else.

More than a few of Nestle's findings are shocking: The FDA, responsible for the standards of most American food, does not have the authority to order a recall; it can only suggest one. Despite the globalization of food in this 21st century, the United States still follows safety standards set in the 1950s. The loss of life is appalling: In addition to the cats and dogs who died from tainted food, more animals were sacrificed as test subjects to figure out the problem; and in China on July 10, 2007 a Chinese food official linked to the case was actually put to death.

Thanks to media attention and Internet bloggers, news of the recall spread to all corners of the 50 states. Yet a year after the incident, this book continues to expose ongoing litigation and lesser-known ramifications, such as the potentially contaminated human food supply (apparently the discarded pet food was fed to livestock, a not-uncommon practice). Nestle concludes as only an optimist could, noting that the incident must serve as a catalyst for needed regulation reform not only in China, but here at home. But no matter how deep into the political she delves, Nestle never loses sight of the true victims: the dogs and cats who lost their lives, and the people who love them.

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