corner , perhaps protect your furniture by putting in within the safe boundaries of an exercise pen . I know mine is still up blocking access to the family room . Again , all of these tricks of the trade are well-known by those who work in the industry , but for new pet parents , this book will be a life ( or couch ) saver .
One of the most important sections is how to Settle on a Mat , something I failed to do with Poppy . She understood “ crate ,” but I didn ’ t have a mat for her to settle on when visitors came over and that was a huge mistake on my part . It was just easier to crate her than train her , and I regret that lapse in judgement . Poppy is a pretty decent young lady now , but she still loses her brains when someone comes into the house . She responds quicker now to settle , and within a couple of minutes is ignoring everyone while she enjoys a chew / treat . But if I had this book two years ago it would have been a game changer .
Which brings us to the precious Part II of this book that delves into a puppy ’ s growth and development over its first 12 months . The section opens with areas where you can paste a photo of your puppy from 8-12 weeks , 12-16 weeks , 16 weeks to 6 months , 6 months to 1 year . You can list the weight , favorite toy , silly habit and what training skill or activity the dog loved . After that , each chapter within this section touches on what is important for that puppy ’ s development and training within those four growth periods . There is plenty of room to jot down the puppy ’ s routines , and the development of the puppy ’ s relationship and bonding with its owner .
At the close of this section , the authors have included a variety of pages for jotting notes and memories about that critical first year of training . This book would be a valuable gift trainers could give to their clients who are getting that first or 10th puppy … not only will the clients and their puppies benefit , but the trainers themselves if their clients can use the book to continue the training they are learning in your classes . — The editor
A Dog ’ s World :
Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World Without Humans
Written by Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff Published by Princeton University Press , 41 William Street , Princeton , New Jersey ; released Oct . 26 , 2021 ; 221 pages . Where to purchase : Amazon $ 16.79 hardcover , $ 33.45 paperback ; Kindle $ 9.41
As I watched my sister ’ s beautiful but dense Gordon Setter frantically attacking the appliques at the bottom of his baby pool , I thought to myself : This creature descended from the wild , majestic , problem-solving wolf . Apparently , I ’ m not the only one who has pondered how evolution has taken the rough edges off man ’ s best friend , and admittedly , probably not to the betterment of its species . One only must look at the malformed brachycephalic breeds that can ’ t even birth puppies without a Caesarean section . And I ’ m sure there are plenty of Chihuahua owners who have voiced frustration their tiny canine descended from wolves refuses to urinate on grass if it is wet …. or even grass .
A 2007 best seller “ The World Without Us ” by Alan Weisman posited the question on what the world would look like without humans to muck things up . Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff narrowed down that premise a bit further in their 2021 release “ A Dog ’ s World : Imagining the Lives of Dogs in a World Without Humans ,” a thoughtful discourse on what might happen to our best friends if we disappeared from the planet . Well , one thing for sure – there would be far fewer Golden Retrievers , ironically pictured on the cover of the book . There might be some ( mostly those wicked smart and cunning red field Goldens ) who could survive by hunting food on its own . But for those big breeds and the aforementioned bulldog types that can ’ t birth their own babies ? Or those doodles and their hybrids who have constantly growing hair / fur that will become matted without grooming ( unless they use that charm to hook up with monkeys for social bonding spa days )? They will more likely fall by the wayside as dogs begin to evolve back into the “ every dog street mutt ” – medium sized with medium length shedding fur and a nice fluffy nail to keep the nose warm at night . So Siberian Huskies , Alaskan Malamutes and the like will rule the canine world alongside the always wild wolves and coyotes . Although would a Husky still have those epic meltdowns and protest howls when getting its fur wet ? Or is that just for humans ? Hmmm ….
Anyway , back to the book . Both Jessica Pierce and Marc Bekoff are accomplished authors . This book is not their first , but their fourth collaboration since writing “ Wild Justice : The Moral Lives of Animals ” that was released in 2010 . She had previously written “ The Last Walk : Reflections on our Pets at the End of Their Lives ” in 2012 and “ Run , Spot Run : The Ethics of Keeping Pets ” in 2016 , and he penned “ Canine Confidential : Why Dogs Do What They Do ” in 2018 . Both are connected to the University of Colorado . Pierce is a faculty affiliate at the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical School . Prior to that , Pierce earned a doctorate degree in religious studies at the University of Virginia before refocusing her research on animals in the early 2000s . Bekoff is the professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado Boulder . He earned his doctorate degree in animal behavior from Washington University and is the author of dozens of books and research articles and papers .
The authors take a deep dive into all of the pros and cons on whether dogs are better off without humans , detailing their conclusions in a table that breaks it down into gains and losses within three categories : physical , social and psychological . One thing for sure ,
The APDT Chronicle of the Dog | Spring 2022 57