Zen And The Rescue Dog

Think you don’t have time to really get to know your shelter dog? Using the steps in Zen Buddhism as a starting off point, this book offers insights, practical tips, and exercises you can use to bond with your adopted dog and achieve a more relaxed and enjoyable life together. While feeding, walking, and occasionally petting your dog is a good start, no matter how busy you are, you will be able to better connect with your dog by trying the suggestions in this book. With entertaining stories about the author’s particularly idiosyncratic dog and the trials and tribulations that others have had with their rescue dogs, the author shows us that owners of an adopted dog can peacefully coexist with their pets. Observations and advice from animal experts at rescue organizations, vets, and experienced dog owners also provide insight about how to better succeed at understanding your adopted dog. Readers will also discover why adopted dogs are often best suited to rehabilitating humans in need. If you have a rescue dog or are thinking about adopting one, and are looking for ways to help the two of you have a more peaceful existence together, this book is for you.

World-renowned dog behaviourist and psychologist Mark Vette (of Driving Dogs and Flying Dogs fame) shows you how to transform your dog and create a harmonious life-long bond. This book looks at how the dog evolved from the wolf, and the ancient co-evolved bond that exists between humans and dogs, before explaining how to get your dog into a fundamental calm 'learning state' so you can encourage the behaviours you want from your pet. Mark then explains how to train your new puppy, and if you have an older dog that wasn't trained properly at that crucial early stage, how to correct each of the top ten behavioural problems that occur. Drawing from Mark's own life and experiences there are case studies throughout with beautiful photographs of these amazing animals. The top ten problems are: 1. Hyperactivity 2. Phobias 3. Excessive submission 4. Dog-to-dog aggression 5. Dog-to-human aggression 6. Barking 7. Separation distress 8. House training 9. Destructive behaviours 10.Recall This book is absolutely packed with information. It is a comprehensive practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques.

In a profound, funny and beautifully rendered portrait of a furry soul mate, first-time writer Rebecca Spyker recalls the adventures of her rescue dog, Bu, who not only changed her life but became the rescuer, leading her back to the Buddhist wisdom she forgets from time to time. Bu's life is captured in a series of all true tails (tales), where he illustrates the absurdities and wonders of human life as this remarkably determined creature bounces from misadventures, strange encounters, life-threatening illnesses and peculiar antics to share his endearing habits. Rebecca in turn offers the reader some reflections on Zen wisdom, thoughtful insights and very human lessons on life, death and all the delightfully messy bits in between. In getting to know Bu's poignant, joyful and love-filled journey, it's guaranteed that you will be begging for a box of tissues one minute and laughing out loud the next. Written with warmth, grace and good humour, The Book of Bu - Tails of a Zen Dog provides a gentle nudge to learn something about yourself and that laughing and crying are very close companions.

"Barbara's vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple's unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You'll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books." --Allen and Linda Anderson, authors of Dogs and the Women Who Love Them (named in O Magazine as one of the top books of 2010) When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara's cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves. Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided super powers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and an inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole "nine lives thing" is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says "If you are sick, injured or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!"

In a profound, funny and beautifully rendered portrait of a furry soul mate, first-time writer Rebecca Spyker recalls the adventures of her rescue dog, Bu, who not only changed her life but became the rescuer, leading her back to the Buddhist wisdom she forgets from time to time. Bu’s life is captured in a series of all true tails (tales), where he illustrates the absurdities and wonders of human life as this remarkably determined creature bounces from misadventures, strange encounters, life-threatening illnesses and peculiar antics to share his endearing habits. Rebecca in turn offers the reader some reflections on Zen wisdom, thoughtful insights and very human lessons on life, death and all the delightfully messy bits in between. In getting to know Bu’s poignant, joyful and love-filled journey, it’s guaranteed that you will be begging for a box of tissues one minute and laughing out loud the next. Written with warmth, grace and good humour, The Book of Bu – Tails of a Zen Dog provides a gentle nudge to learn something about yourself and that laughing and crying are very close companions.

A comprehensive guide to puppy training by Mark Vette, of Pound Pups to Dog Stars fame. Mark's first book Dog Zen had just 40 pages on puppies - this book goes into full detail about all ages and stages, and how to do the right thing at the right time. Following a quick look at the role of pups within the wolf pack, and how dogs evolved from wolves, this book gives a day-by-day, week-by-week guide to the fundamentals of training your puppy and building a happy lifelong bond between the two of you. Mark stresses the importance of the formative period (1-4 months) to instill good habits in your puppy, then shows you exactly how to do so and when to teach each skill. Includes chapters on choosing a puppy, forming a bond with your pup, training foundations (equipment and techniques), basic commands (like sit, heel and stay), what to train in which weeks of age, house training, socialisation, teaching them not to bite or indulge in continual barking, jumping up or other anti-social behaviours. It is a detailed and practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques. Illustrated with irresistible puppy photos (by renowned animal photographer Rachael McKenna), plus down-to-earth how-to shots of the training methods.

A cheeky baboon, a cockatoo sending a heading dog out to round up sheep, a family of pukekos crossing the road, a dog saying ‘bugger’, an octopus taking a photo. Think of an ad you love, or a New Zealand-made movie, and if it has an animal in it chances are Mark Vette was behind it. He’s trained almost every species you can think of. But the famous animal behaviourist and trainer who captured global attention with 'Dogs Who Drive Cars' and 'Dogs Who Fly Planes' is not just an animal maestro. He’s a long-time Buddhist, who brings to his relationships with animals a true emotional bond, enormous respect, and the sure knowledge that we humans are just one piece of this great, interconnected puzzle we call Life on Earth. This is his story, and the stories of the animals he has worked with over the decades. From a classic Kiwi childhood of outdoor activities and sport, with plenty of time on the farm, through a growing conviction that killing animals wasn't for him, to his embracing of Buddhism and his developing work with animals of all kinds, Mark's life and beliefs unfold in a thoroughly relatable way - with jaw-dropping and laugh-out-loud moments thrown in.

A comprehensive guide to puppy training by Mark Vette, of Pound Pups to Dog Stars fame. Following a quick look at the role of pups within the wolf pack, and how dogs evolved from wolves, this book gives a day-by-day, week-by-week guide to the fundamentals of training your puppy and building a happy lifelong bond between the two of you. Mark stresses the importance of the formative period (1-4 months) to instill good habits in your puppy, then shows you exactly how to do so and when to teach each skill. Includes chapters on choosing a puppy, forming a bond with your pup, training foundations (equipment and techniques), basic commands (like sit, heel and stay), what to train in which weeks of age, house training, socialisation, teaching them not to bite or indulge in continual barking, jumping up or other anti-social behaviours, plus a section on trouble-shooting if annoying behaviours start to creep in. It is a detailed and practical guide combining the latest cognitive science with modern, loving, training techniques. Illustrated with irresistible puppy photos, plus down-to-earth how-to shots of the training methods.