Dancing With Dogs

Heelwork training is a rewarding experience that will help you bond with your best friend whilst creating an imaginative and fun show. This easy-to-follow book teaches you how to train your dog to perform simple but elaborate-looking dance routines. Teach him basic tricks, learn how to pick the music and choreograph the routine and try one of 15 dances. Step-by-step instructions are clearly illustrated to show you and your pooch how to enjoy this exciting new sport.

No one brings to life the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs like New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz. He has warmed our spirits with enchanting tales and keen observations of his animal menagerie—the dogs, sheep, chickens, and other residents of Bedlam Farm. Now, Katz is back with what he does best in his first collection of short stories, Dancing Dogs. With his signature insight and gift for storytelling, Katz shares sixteen stories about one of life’s most unique relationships: In the title story, a housekeeper loses her job, but discovers her four-legged “children” have some toe-tapping talents that just may get the whole family back on its feet. In “Puppy Commando,” a shy grade-school outcast forges an instant connection with a beagle puppy she meets at a shelter—and risks everything to keep him. “Gracie’s Last Walk” features a woman who must find a way to say goodbye to her beloved golden retriever—but ends up saying hello to someone unexpected. “The Dog Who Kept Men Away” shows that not all humans pass the “sniff” test when it comes to canines, who possess an excellent judge of character. And in “Guardian Angel,” a widower going through a painful transition finds the greatest comfort in the unlikeliest of sources—a funny-looking pug named Gus. Whether sitting, staying, and rolling over, in the barnyard, shelters, or home, sweet, home, the creatures in Dancing Dogs are genuinely inspiring and utterly memorable. Praise for Dancing Dogs “Funny, keenly observed short stories illuminating the bond between man and his best friend.”—People “Jon Katz writes with passion and humor about the connections between animals and humans. . . . Animal lovers are sure to want to add this book to their collection.”—Examiner.com “Katz’s stories, sometimes warm and sometimes funny, are smooth, light reads that are easy to pick up and enjoy and will appeal to dog lovers everywhere.”—Booklist “Insightful, moving . . . a tissue-box-worthy collection of animal tales.”—Kirkus Reviews “[A] heartwarming book.”—The Dallas Morning News

"This might be one of the month’s, if not the year’s, sweetest books — zaniest, too.” ―The Washington Post "A hilarious addition to the dogoir canon.” ―People "Perhaps the greatest love story ever told.” ―Refinery29 "The feel-good book the world needs." —PopSugar From one of the Internet's most original voices, a hilarious journey through the odd corners of obsessive dog ownership and the author's own infatuation with her perfect dog Peter. The author met Peter in the spring of 2017. He -- calm, puppy-eyed, with the heart of a poet and the soul of, also, a poet -- came to her first as a foster. He was unable to stay with his previously assigned foster for reasons that are none of your business, but which we will tell you were related to frequent urination. The rescue needed someone free of the sort of responsibilities that would force her to regularly leave the house for either work or socializing, and a writer was the natural choice. Thus began a love story for the ages. The Particulars of Peter is a funny exploration of the joy found in loving a dog so much it makes you feel like you're going to combust, and the author's potentially codependent relationship with her own sweet dog, Peter. Readers will follow Peter and his owner to Woofstock, "the largest outdoor festival for dogs in North America," and accompany them to lessons in Canine Freestyle, a sport where dogs perform a routine set to music, creating the illusion that they're dancing with their owners. From learning about Peter's DNA, to seeing if dogs can sense the presence of ghosts, The Particulars of Peter will give readers a smart, entertaining respite from the harsh world of humans into the funny little world of dogs. Readers will accompany this lovable duo through exciting trips, lessons, quiet moments of connection, and probably a failure or two. By fusing memoir and infotainment, The Particulars of Peter promises to refresh the perennially popular dog lit category in a scrumptiously bighearted barnstormer of a book.

It was as recently as the 1990s that the sport of dancing with dogs first burst onto the doggy scene. Trainer Mary Ray demonstrated a heelwork to music routine at Crufts and people were captivated by the display. Initially the performances focused on pure heelwork, but as the sport evolved so handlers began to try working with their dogs as a greater distance and in more flamboyant performances, often with costumes to match. Thus was Freestyle born. Since those early days dancing with dogs has gone from strength to strength and it is now one of the fastest-growing activities in the canine world. It's fun but it takes practice and skill to train a dog to perform seamlessly with its handler. What beginners need is an expert guide to show them the "tricks of the trade" - cue Mary Ann Nester! A competition-winning competitor, here she reveals in a lively question-and-answer format how everyone can make progress in this fun activity.

Love is unleashed in this inspiring and uplifting novel by New York Times bestselling author Susan Wilson Justine Meade lost her mother, her home, even her son. The bright spot in her life, the partner she could always count on, was her gray and black Shetland sheepdog, Mack--that is, until she is summoned back to her hometown after years away. On her journey, an agonizing error separates Justine from Mack. As the stretch of highway between them grows longer, her chances of ever finding him seem to diminish. Ed and Alice Parmalee are mourning a loss of their own. Seven years after their daughter was taken from them, they're living separate lives together, unable to address their unspeakable heartbreak. When they find a little sheltie by the side of the road, they take him in--and begin to bridge the bridge the chasm left between them. Fiercely loyal and perceptive, Mack has a way of bringing out the best in his humans. Now everyone needs him. But to whom does the dog who danced truly belong? "Multiple hankies, dog lovers...an emotional read."--Library Journal "A moving tale about canine healing power." --Booklist "Captivating...will keep you hooked until the last page." --Modern Dog magazine

The Dancing Dog can do lots of dances - but can he do all of them? Follow the Dancing Dog as he dances his way through a selection of dance styles, and shows that he doesn't always get the moves right. Beautifully illustrated by Pat Murray, this poem was written by ten-year-old Collins Big Cat Competition winner Jasmin Glynne. Yellow/Band 3 books offer varied sentence structure and natural language An information book A poem A summary of the dances the Dancing Dog can do - and those he can't - on pages 14 and 15 help readers to recap the text they have read. Curriculum Links: PE: Dance activities"

A photographic art book capturing dynamic dancer and dog duos.

Presents easy-to-follow instructions explaining how people can teach their dogs to dance using clicker training, verbal commands, hand signals, and targeting, with fifteen fully choreographed routines.