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Peggy Frezon likes M&Ms. (So do I.)

Her dog, Kelly, likes doggie cookies. The more the better. (Ditto my dogs.)

And thus was born Dieting With My Dog, Frezon's memoir about how she lost 40 pounds (and, yeah, the dog lost weight, too) .

It was a checkup at her veterinarian's office that proved the inspiration for owner and dog
to embark on a new weigh loss program.

In the crowded field of weight loss books, this one looks to do well as it combines our love of dogs with how to make positive, practical changes in their lives -- and ours.

Now why didn't I think of that?

Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Humane Society of the United States, has written a new

book (being released today) that looks at the compassionate bond people have with animals and, on the other hand, the institutionalized or systematic cruelty -- seen in trends such as proliferation of puppy mills -- that seem to be tolerated in our society.

From the publisher:

The Bond: Our Kinship with Animals, Our Call to Defend Them (William Morrow; On Sale April 5, 2011; $26.99) is Wayne Pacelle's first book. It is a compassionate, insightful, and comprehensive examination of our special connection to all creatures, written by one of America's most important champions of animal welfare.

In the book, Pacelle unveils the deep links of the human-animal bond, as well as the conflicting impulses that have led us to betray this bond through widespread and systematic cruelty to animals. During a quarter-century of leadership, most of it at the HSUS, Pacelle has become America's foremost voice for those who cannot speak in their own defense, and has helped to bring animal protection from the margins to the mainstream.

***Pacelle is embarking on a nationwide tour to promote the book and he'll be at the Borders Book Store, 3700 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, at 7 p.m.  April 12 (Tuesday).

Here's a clip of a televised interview with the author:

New Book By Humane Society President Looks At Human - Animal Bond: MyFoxDC.com

So many books, so little time.

I now have a stack of books on my desk that I've been meaning to blog about. I've read 2 out of the 8 -- and parts of a few more. If you've ever spent some time in the pet section of a bookstore -- and I'm guessing all our readers have -- you know that pet books are popular, both fiction and nonfiction.

I've posted before about Dewey, the cat from the Spencer, Iowa, library (my mom's hometown) that was (and still is) popular on bookstore shelves.

I've not yet made it through the new stack -- many received in the mail, a couple I've bought. I'd hoped to read them all before posting,

But I decided to start posting about them separately in the coming days/weeks. The list:

• "First Person Cat" by Jacque Heebner
• "Katie: Up and Down the Hall" by Glenn Plaskin
• "97 Ways to Make a Dog Smile" by Jenny Langbehn
• "Careers for Your Cat" by Ann Dziemianowicz
• "Releasing Your Pet's Hidden Health Potential" by Dr. Richard Palmquist
• "Off-Leash Dog Play: A complete Guide to Safety & Fun" by Robin Bennett and Susan Briggs
• "What My Golden Retriever Taught Me About God" by Rhonda McRae
• "Lesson From a Sheepdog" by Phillip Keller (this one's an older favorite of mine)

Any favorite pet-themed books that you've run across lately?

 

 

  

Here's a new book -- Dogology by Vicki Croke and Sarah Wilson -- that explores how we relate to our dogs and what that all says about our personality types.

"What we've done in Dogology is to organize and clarify all those gut feelings most of us have when observing the interaction of different personality types with their dogs," the authors said.

They've come up with nine types: Soul Mate, Expert, Dynamo, Angel, Idealist, Master, Free Spirit, Observer and Buddy.

Are you a Free Spirit? You may be if you cannot get your dog to come when called -- and when that happens, you shrug and say, "I guess we're staying."

Dogology: What Your Relationship with Your Dog Reveals About You (224 pages) is published by Rodale and priced at 17.95 but it's also available through Amazon.

From the Amazon product description:

While most of us recognize that a rescuing Angel (type) needs to save the neediest dog at the local shelter, what makes a Soul Mate a soft touch for round-headed, big-eyed toy breeds such as Shih Tzus, Pugs, and Pekingese. Authors Vicki Croke and Sarah Wilson, experts on the complex bond between dogs and their owners, use quizzes, psychological insights, and humor to analyze why dog owners gravitate toward certain breeds as pets-and to explain what owner's choices reveal about their character and emotional makeup. With Dogology in hand, anyone visiting a dog park can instantly spot the various types and subtypes, from the Image Maker fashionista with her accessory Yorkie peeking out of her Prada bag, to the Free Spirit, whose dog often bears a botanical name and rarely comes when called. Similarly, readers will themselves learn that paying attention to the words they choose to praise their dog reveals the specific approval that they crave themselves. With quick checklists to identify what type of dog owners readers are, tips for training, and exercises for bonding with one's dog, Dogology will make a welcome addition to any of the 43.5 million American households that now own at least one dog. 

So what type do you think you'd be?