[.ca] Small Dogs, Big Hearts: A Guide to Caring for Your ... (ISBN 0471779636)

The Irrepresseble Toy Dog:
Being a to-be-new toy dog owner I found this book very informative and helpful in knowing the things to look for in toy dogs everything to basic weather care to major health care. It takes you from bringing the pup home for the first time to sending it to its dog heaven in a very comfortable and knowledgeable format. Very highly reccomended if you are thinking about having a small or toy dog in your household.

Not accurate for Havanese Health Info:
Unfortunately, the Havanese health info provided in this book is totally wrong. Our breed does not have PRA at all. Instead, we have heritable cataracts and that is the reason that reputable breeders and responsible Havanese owners CERF their dogs annually. In addition, the breed has occasional deafness, and even less frequently liver shunts, cardiac abnormalities, and sebaceous adenitis. Visit the AKC parent club website for the breed at www.havanese.org for ACCURATE information on the breed.

For ALL Dog People!:
Why would someone who raises Newfoundlands, a Giant Breed, read a book about Toy Breeds? When Darlene Arden spent a month on DogRead, I was impressed. This is someone who specializes in tiny dogs, but knows DOGS, period! I found the health, behavior, training, and most of the other information applicable for my dogs, who are bigger than many of the Toys by the time they're three weeks old. The author's writing style makes it an easy, fun read. Material is explained well enough for the novice owner, but is technical enough for the experienced dog fancier. The Irrepressible Toy Dog is an essential addition to the library of anyone who is even contemplating adding one of these breeds to his or her family, and is an excellent reference book for any dog lover. Darlene, how about writing a book about Giant Breeds, the other end of the spectrum?

Excellent Book for owners of ANY size dog!:
As writer of Large and Giant Breed Articles, Pamphlets, Books and book reviews, I tend to concentrate on the health, training and feeding needs of BIG dogs. So, as a dog owner as well, I am always looking for more info to help round out my own knowledge. I found Darlenes "Irrepressible Toy Dog" to be chock full of tips and tricks that any dog owner can use, save and reference at any time. One of her tips which I recently found helpful for myself, involves using Pedialyte to help dogs during hot weather and when dehydrated. Further, many of the health problems she discusses are also applicable to larger dogs, such as the anesthesia risks and geriatric problems. The knowledge and research Ms. Arden has applied to the writing of this book has immeasurable value to so many of us as dog lovers. Darlene talks about small dogs, as I like to see a writer do, she is humorous, serious and at times full of the impish character which she so lovingly ascribes to these small dogs. This book is a joy to read....no matter what your breed!...

Crucial information takes time to absorb:
I read _The Irrepressible Toy Dog_ several years ago. I was stunned by the amount of detailed information it contains, and at the research that Darlene Arden had done. I've owned both small and big dogs, and seen that the small dogs weren't always comfortable with big dogs, but I had no information to help me see how to handle small dogs around large dogs. However, I've never had a Toy Breed Dog. Now, years later, I fnd I am actively able to use the information from that book. What I find the very most useful is my new awareness of what the world looks like to a small dog, for instance, when meeting larger dogs, when picked up by people, when walking in crowds among "all those legs and feet." Most recently, I was able to confer with a neighbor who has two large puppies, and explain genetly to her that my dog was afraid when her puppies ran up to him and pawed playfully at him, not taking "no" from my dog as an answer. Sometimes it takes a lot of research and writing to get through to people like me who can be slow to comprehend that Size Matters. This book has changed my life, and that of my small dogs.