Whether you're looking to make a little money on the side, or develop a full-time career as a dog walker, this book is filled with helpful information to set you on the right path to success. And it is all taken from someone who is actually living it out, day to day, in his own dog walking business. The potential for developing a thriving dog walking business has never been greater. Suburban Dog Walking will help you if you're just getting started, or if you've been dog walking for a while and really want to see your business thrive. In the back of the book, you'll also find links to downloadable content that will help you manage your income and expenses, keep track of the daily walks, and prepare you to walk into a consultation with a new client looking like a professional. The downloads are worth more than the price of the book, and the book content is great, too!

A revolutionary way to raise and train your dog, with “a wealth of practical tips, tricks, and fun games that will enrich the lives of many dogs and their human companions” (Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and animal behaviorist). Zak George is a new type of dog trainer. A dynamic YouTube star and Animal Planet personality with a fresh approach, Zak helps you tailor dog training to your pet’s unique traits and energy level—leading to quicker results and a much happier pup. For the first time, Zak has distilled the information from his hundreds of videos and experience with thousands of dogs into this comprehensive dog and puppy training guide that includes: • Choosing the right pup for you • Housetraining and basic training • Handling biting, leash pulling, jumping up, barking, aggression, chewing, and other behavioral issues • Health care essentials like finding a vet and selecting the right food • Cool tricks, traveling tips, and activities to enjoy with your dog • Topics with corresponding videos on Zak’s YouTube channel so you can see his advice in action Packed with everything you need to know to raise and care for your dog, this book will help you communicate and bond with one another in a way that makes training easier, more rewarding, and—most of all—fun!

A humorous, thoughtful, absorbing narrative about the metaphysical joys of a simple daily task Imagine if Annie Dillard had taken a dog along with her to Tinker Creek. Now imagine Tinker Creek was a New Jersey suburb, and you have an idea of the surprises that await in John Zeaman’s book. Humorous, thought-provoking, and playful, Dog Walks Man might also be called Zen and the Art of Dog Walking. Zeaman takes us on a journey from a 'round-the-block fraternity of “dog-walking dupes”—suburban fathers who indulged their children’s wish for a dog—to a strange and forbidden wonderland at the edge of town: the New Jersey Meadowlands. Along the way he rediscovers childhood’s forgotten “fringe places,” investigates the mysteries of the natural world, and experiences moments of inexplicable joy. Each chapter of Dog Walks Man is a bite-size meditation on the wisdom derived from dogs and dog walking. Woven into the narrative are musings on such familiar dog-walking issues as the war of nerves that precedes each walk (or “w-a-l-k” if your dog is in earshot), the problem of dog-walking monotony, and why dog walkers are always the ones to discover dead bodies. This is also the story of Pete, the prescient standard poodle who begins as the “family glue” and evolves into Zeaman’s partner on a journey through an abandoned landscape as alive as any jungle. Above all, Dog Walks Man is about a search for wholeness in an increasingly artificial world. It is about discovering what Thoreau meant when he wrote, in his seminal essay “Walking,” “Life consists with wildness.” Because the truth is, something as simple as walking the dog can open up unexpected worlds. An excerpt In the beginning, I walked around the block. Or a couple of blocks. It didn’t seem to matter. That it didn’t matter was in itself novel. It had been a long time since I had gone out without any particular destination or direction, without knowing whether I was going to turn left or turn right at the end of the front walk. . . . The simple aimlessness of it made me feel like a kid again. . . . Pete, with his boundless enthusiasm for the outside world, was like the reincarnation of that juvenile self. We’d hit the sidewalk and, like two kids with nothing special to do, spend a half-hour meandering about. We were suburban vagabonds. In the mornings, with the whole world rushing to get somewhere, there was something almost subversive about roaming around with a companion who had no responsibilities. We walked the irregular streets of our hilly town. We each had our compulsions. I revived the childhood aversion to stepping on cracks. Pete made sure that every tree was marked with his scent. . . . At night, Pete and I would escape the sometimes-suffocating sweetness of family life—the pajamas and stories, the smell of toothpaste and sheets, the damp goodnight kisses and prolonged hugs. We’d slip out into the silky night like a pair of teenage boys with high hopes for a Saturday night. We’d walk beneath the streetlights from one pool of light to the next. The people in the houses would drift past the windows like aquarium fish. Pete, with his black coat, was practically invisible in the dark stretches and I would let him off the leash.

Puppy Socialization: What It Is and How to Do It defines and demystifies the most important thing you can do for your puppy: socialization. The authors don't just tell you what you need to know about socialization. They show you with dozens of photographs and exclusive linked videos (a live internet connection is needed to view the videos). You'll see other owners socialize their puppies under the guidance of a nationally certified dog trainer and behavior consultant. These real-life examples of socialization show you what to do when things go well and when they don't go so well. You’ll learn about: • The magical time. Did you know that there is a special time in a puppy's life when he is primed to accept new things? The authors tell you when that time is, when that socialization window starts closing, and how a little effort by an owner during that time can save heartache later. • Canine body language. Puppies and dogs are talking all the time—with their body language. Learn to tell when a puppy or dog is relaxed and happy, a bit nervous about something, or outright fearful. • Myth-busting. There's a lot of advice out there about socialization and not all of it is good. Some common myths can actually cause a puppy harm. The authors give you the most up-to-date information on puppy socialization and put some harmful myths to rest. • Socializing a puppy during COVID-19. Puppies have so much to get used to: people, environments, noises, and more. The authors provide strategies for keeping humans and puppies safe while socializing puppies, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. • What supplies are needed during socialization. The authors provide checklists of things owners need when socializing a puppy at home and away from home.

Featuring sixty black-and-white photographs of old dogs shot by Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer Michael S. Williamson and narrated by Washington Post staffer and columnist Gene Weingarten, this is a perfect collection for dog lovers that celebrates “man’s best friend.” Anyone who has ever loved an old dog will love Old Dogs. In this collection of profiles and photographs, Weingarten and Williamson document the unique appeal of man's best friend in his or her last, and best, years. This book is a tribute to every dog who has made it to that time of life when the hearing and eyesight begin to go, when the step becomes uncertain, but when other, richer traits ripen and coalesce. It is when a dog attains a special sort of dignity and a charm all his own. If you've known a favorite old dog, you'll find him or her on these pages. Your dog might go by a different name and have a different shape, but you'll recognize him or her by the look in an eye or the contours of a life story. There is the dog who thinks he is a house cat; the herder, the fetcher, the punk and the peacock, the escape artist, the demolition artist, the patrician, the lovable lout, the amiable dope, the laughable clown, the schemer, the singer, the daredevil, the diplomat, the politician, the gourmand, and the thief. Plus, as a special bonus, you will find the first Latvian elkhounds ever photographed. Old Dogs is a glorious gift book and a fitting tribute to that one dog you can't ever forget.

Dog walking is easy-right? Just snap on the old leash and head out the door, until. . . -Your dog pulls you off your feet -You meet an off-leash dog or stray -You're nearly hit by a speeding bicyclist -You encounter a coyote or a snake -A passing runner causes your dog to go ballistic City Dog Walking Safety & Etiquette covers all the scenarios you and your dog can expect in urban and suburban environments. You will learn simple commands to help you understand each other, find the best equipment, become aware of local hazards, and appreciate basic manners so you and your pup are welcome wherever you go. Sunny Weber will help you enjoy the outdoors with your furry friend-safely!

Nearly every client who contacts professional Brooklyn dog trainer Kate Naito (CPDT-KA) is desperately looking to stop his or her dog's undesirable behavior. In response, Kate developed BKLN Manners? as an empowering four-week group class for busy owners who want the fastest path to a polite dog. Now available in book format, this comprehensive system utilizes clever management techniques and positive training strategies to help owners transform their dogs from unruly to urbane. BKLN Manners offers no-nonsense, easy-to-implement solutions to: B: Barking; K: Knocking people over; L: Leash walking problems; N: Naughty when alone. This book addresses uniquely urban challenges like dodging chicken bones on the sidewalk, counterconditioning on crowded streets, neighbors? noise concerns, and more. Written in a problem-and-solution format with the needs of busy urban and suburban dwellers in mind, it can help your dog acquire polite BKLN Manners both indoors and out. Inside BKLN Manners Comprehensive training guide that addresses common behavior concerns of urban and suburban dog owners. Clever management techniques and positive training strategies that help owners transform their dogs from unruly to urbane. The author is a Certified Professional Dog Trainer at a Brooklyn dog training organization who developed BKLN Manners? as a four-week group class for busy owners who wanted the fastest path to a polite dog. BKLN Manners offers no-nonsense, easy-to-implement solutions to: B: Barking; K: Knocking people over; L: Leash walking problems; N: Naughty when alone. Includes a suggested weekly plan for practicing BKLN behaviors and a chart to track training progress.

Learn to communicate with your dog—using their language “Good reading for dog lovers and an immensely useful manual for dog owners.”—The Washington Post An Applied Animal Behaviorist and dog trainer with more than twenty years’ experience, Dr. Patricia McConnell reveals a revolutionary new perspective on our relationship with dogs—sharing insights on how “man’s best friend” might interpret our behavior, as well as essential advice on how to interact with our four-legged friends in ways that bring out the best in them. After all, humans and dogs are two entirely different species, each shaped by its individual evolutionary heritage. Quite simply, humans are primates and dogs are canids (as are wolves, coyotes, and foxes). Since we each speak a different native tongue, a lot gets lost in the translation. This marvelous guide demonstrates how even the slightest changes in our voices and in the ways we stand can help dogs understand what we want. Inside you will discover: • How you can get your dog to come when called by acting less like a primate and more like a dog • Why the advice to “get dominance” over your dog can cause problems • Why “rough and tumble primate play” can lead to trouble—and how to play with your dog in ways that are fun and keep him out of mischief • How dogs and humans share personality types—and why most dogs want to live with benevolent leaders rather than “alpha wanna-bes!” Fascinating, insightful, and compelling, The Other End of the Leash is a book that strives to help you connect with your dog in a completely new way—so as to enrich that most rewarding of relationships.

Just fifteen years ago, “pet sitter” meant the kid down the street who helped feed pets when the neighbors traveled. Today, this fledgling field is fast becoming an established profession. Combining the appeal of working with animals, a viable customer base, and truly low start-up costs, it is for many people the ideal home-based business. And yet its “fun” aspects are often overshadowed by the daunting tasks of registering the business, purchasing insurance, and knowing what first steps to take and how to continue from there. With a simple, step-by-step format, How to Start a Home-Based Pet Sitting Business guides aspiring pet sitters from the dreaming stage to the doing stage more clearly and comprehensively than any such book to date.