Learn to love competing in obedienceMost books on competitive obedience focus on the training and ring skills you need to be a winner with your dog in the ring--and that's great. However if you find competing stressful or think you and your dog will not "succeed" against the "best" the key is defining success in a way that will make the sport enjoyable for you. Author Diana Kerew-Shaw takes on the subject of "how to find your fun" in It's a Dog Not a Toaster, showing you how you can learn to enjoy the sport, even if your Basset Hound never comes close to a qualifying score. You will learn about:How to set goals that are meaningful and will work for you and your dog. What it's like to enter the "Land of Obedience" and become a member of the "Cult" which inhabits it. Hint: it's fun!What every newcomer to the sport needs to know to get started including information about Fun Matches, Show n Go's, and obedience clubs. How changes in the obedience world are making the sport accessible to more competitors including the development of Rally Obedience and the opportunities which now exist for mixed breeds. What experts are saying about It's a Dog Not a Toaster This book is a must read for everyone involved in dog obedience competition. Diana's humorous writing style offers newcomers all the information they need, and those of us already competing are gently reminded why we love this sport. Connie Cleveland, Author of Dogs are Problem Solvers: Handlers Should BeThis book is a "Must Read" for all Novice A handlers and for anyone already training and showing dogs. Reading the book reminded me of all the mistakes I made as a Novice A trainer and handler, inspired me to work even harder at assisting Novice A handlers and once again reminded me of why we love the sport of obedience. Petra Ford is a top obedience competitor. Her Labrador Retriever, Tyler, has the distinction of being the 2008 and 2009 National Obedience ChampionDestined to become a permanent addition to every library, this book has it all. Those already involved in Obedience and Rally will recognize and appreciate the balanced overview of our sports. Those new to companion events will find this book to be an invaluable resource and give friends and family insight into why we become so wrapped in obedience. Deborah Neufeld, AKC and ASCA Obedience and Rally JudgeDiana provides an impressive insight into the world of competitive canine events. Her work reveals the impact dogs have on our lives and the influence trainers have on each other. Benevolent at times, forthright at others, this book exposes the vulnerabilities exhibitors face as they prepare to enter the ring and proceed through the advanced classes. Robert T. Self, Editor Front & Finish

Most books on competitive obedience focus on the training and ring skills you need to be a winner with your dog in the ring--and that's great. However, if you find competing stressful or think you and your dog will not "succeed" against the "best" the key is defining success in a way that will make the sport enjoyable for you. Author Diana Kerew-Shaw takes on the subject of "how to find your fun" in It's a Dog Not a Toaster, showing you how you can learn to enjoy the sport, even if your Basset Hound never comes close to a qualifying score.

The deliciously funny tale of a piece of bread who wants to be a dog-- perfect for fans of Arnie the Doughnut by Laurie Keller and Everyone Loves Bacon by Kelly DiPucchio. Toasty loves dogs--so much so that he'd like to be one. He knows there are some differences--most dogs have four legs, but Toasty has two arms and two legs. Some dogs sleep in dog houses, but Toasty sleeps in a toaster. All dogs have hair and fur, but Toasty has neither because he's made of bread. In spite of these differences, he decides to go to the park to play with the dogs-- but they don't want to play, they want to eat him! Lucky for Toasty, he is rescued by a little girl who has always wanted a dog but can't have one because she is allergic. It turns out Toasty is the perfect dog for her. Sarah Hwang's inspiration for Toasty came from her childhood experience as an immigrant and her discovery that you find your best friends when you're willing to just be yourself. Her playful art for Toasty came to mind when she saw a piece of toast that reminded her of the way she used to draw dogs as a child.

Based on true events, 'Finding Vera' is the fictionalized story of a beautiful, intelligent, and sensitive German shepherd. After a difficult beginning, Vera's life spins out of control as she struggles to cope with her new family-two adult humans and two well-socialized, mature dogs who view her as the uncivilized punk sister. This is a story filled with anguish, joy, pain, and humor as the complexity of Vera's character is slowly revealed. Like a phoenix, she emerges triumphant. This novel illustrates some of the potential challenges of adopting a shelter dog, and the intensely rich and rewarding experience of working through the issues. Layered with a deep understanding of dogs, the author brings the dogs' points of view to life. You will never view your canine companion in the same way again.

Meet Randolph. A dog like any other dog—but with a nose for murder . . . Harry is a man still mourning the loss of his beloved girlfriend, Imogen, who left him suddenly without a word. He’s also the owner of a plump, poetry-loving Lab, Randolph. Like most Manhattan dogs, Randolph spends his days sifting through a world of scents, his owner’s neuroses, and an overcrowded doggy run at the American Museum of Natural History. But now a bereft Harry has drifted into a circle of would-be occultists. Which might not be so bad if one of them wasn’t also a murderer. But which one? With 100,000 times the smelling power of a human being, Randolph can quickly detect the scents of guilt, anxiety, and avarice—and he has no lack of suspects, from a seductive con woman to an uncouth professor of the decorative arts. Now, to protect his hapless owner’s life, Randolph might have to do the unthinkable—and start training Harry to catch a killer. . . .

Sabrina's mixing spell goes awry when her friend Harvey and Macdougla, the dog, have their personalities switched.

Are you a “Not-See”? Do you not see? Most historians did not see the amazing discoveries explained in this book about the academic work of Professor Dr. Rex Curry. Most people do not see it because they have been deceived by socialist schools (government schools) and the old media. The symbol on the cover of this book represents the “Not-See” movement. Modern political debates often describe the only two opposing alternatives as “Communists” versus “Nazis.” The description is a dishonest trick: the words “Communist” and “Nazi” are used to divert attention from the larger shared problem of “Socialism.” The famed Linguist Dr. Rex Curry exposed modern historical amnesia concerning Hitler’s vocabulary. Almost everyone (including every so-called "scholar") refers ignorantly to Hitler as a "Nazi" or a "Fascist" and not as a "Socialist." Educational Outreach Programs (EOPs) energized by Dr. Rex Curry's scholarship are the only services that inform benighted scholars that "Hitler self-identified as Socialist. He did not self-identify as Nazi, nor as Fascist". No other linguist provides this vital public awareness. So, if you ever see a sentence like the following one, then you know it was from EOPs for Dr. Curry's work: "Hitler didn't call himself Nazi or Fascist, he called himself Socialist". The linguistic EOPs above led to many amazing historical discoveries, including revelations about Anne Frank’s Diary; Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf”; Sophie Scholl’s White Rose group; Joseph Goebbels’ “Der Nazi Sozi”; Martin Niemoller’s verse “First They Came For the Socialists”; the swastika symbol, the hexagram (Star of David), and how Hitler changed BOTH symbols together; the etymological history of “Roman Salute”; and much more! Except for the American Linguist Laureate Dr. Rex Curry, every other historian did not see how the USA’s Pledge of Allegiance led to Nazi salutes and Nazi behavior; and how the original pledge’s use of military salutes led to Nazi salutes. Also, historians did not see the similar symbolism of Adolf Hitler's NSV, SA, and SS logos, as compared with the logo of Hitler's party: the National Socialist German Workers Party. Even today, only exceptional scholars with extraordinary skills (e.g. Dr. Curry) are able to discern the “S”-letter shape of the NSV’s logo (The National Socialist People's Welfare; in German: Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt). The "S" symbolism is almost as difficult to perceive as in Hitler’s Hakenkreuz (hooked cross). It is as undetectable as in the symbols for the SS and SA (Schutzstaffel and Sturmabteilung). All historians (other than Dr. Curry) did not see how Hitler used his party's symbol to represent "S"-letter shapes for "SOCIALIST." Do you not see? Professor Curry transformed the culture of India along with Hinduism and Buddhism. Before Dr. Curry’s discoveries, Buddhists and Hindus published complaints that “Hitler stole their swastika symbol and ruined it and they want to restore respect for their ancient symbol.” Educational Outreach Programs (EOP) about Dr. Curry’s work taught India’s commentators that Hitler’s symbol was not a swastika, and that Hitler never called it a swastika. An upheaval occurred among Buddhists and Hindus in their objections. Now they proudly assert: “Hitler called his symbol a Hakenkreuz (hooked cross), not a swastika. It was not the same symbol. Dr. Curry told us!”

Judith Jarvis Thomson's Normativity is a study of normative thought. She brings out that normative thought is not restricted to moral thought. Normative judgments divide into two sub-kinds, the evaluative and the directive; but the sub-kinds are larger than is commonly appreciated. Evaluative judgments include the judgments that such and such is a good umbrella, that Alfred is a witty comedian, and that Bert answered Carol's question correctly, as well as the judgment that David is a good human being. Directive judgments include the judgment that a toaster should toast evenly, that Edward ought to get a haircut, and that Frances must move her rook, as well as the judgment that George ought to be kind to his little brother. Thomson describes how judgments of these two sub-kinds interconnect and what makes them true when they are true. Given the extensiveness of the two sub-kinds of normative judgment, our everyday thinking is rich in normativity, and moreover, there is no gap between normative and factual thought. The widespread suspicion of the normative is therefore in large measure due to nothing deeper than an excessively narrow conception of what counts as a normative judgment.

"Head First Java" engages readers on many levels, bringing the latest learning theories and research together to create not just a book to read, but a multi-sensory learning experience.