14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lessons and Puppy Love, August 8, 2001
This review is from: Puppy Kisses are Good for the Soul (& Other Important Lessons You & Your Dog Can Teach Each Other) (Paperback)
As a member of the Dog Writers Association of America and a close personal friend of Howard Weinstein and having had the pleasure of knowing Mail Order Annie, I took great care in reading both parts of this book. Howie also took tremendous pains in revealing himself in book one, something that no writer can easily do. In book two, Howie also proves himself to have mastered, through the lessons Annie taught him, how to train other dogs, and not just Corgis.
At the risk of dating myself (I'm 47 as of this writing) I wonder how many of you besides myself remember a television commercial for a breath mint that went something like this: "Certs. Two, two, two mints in one." The reason I bring up what TV Land would refer to as a "retromercial" is that the book co-authored by Howard Weinstein and his first beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Mail Order Annie, is clearly labeled 2 books in 1. There is a reason for this and a good one. Book one deals with the life of Mail Order Annie and the lessons she taught Howard and what we can all learn from her. Most of the lessons are happy ones and bring a smile to those of us who read them. But there's one I'm going to quote directly from the book. To do otherwise would do it an injustice. First, you must understand that Howard labeled these tidbits ANNIE TAUGHT ME. But the one that Howard learned from Annie, and that I'm quoting directly, goes like this:
"ANNIE TAUGHT ME.... Part of loving (the last part, I suppose) is letting go of the one you love. Losing the loved one doesn't mean losing the love. But it sure does hurt. I hate this lesson."
Those of us who have known the joy of having a dog share our lives with us have also known the pain of losing that beloved companion when the time comes. For the simple fact is that we out live our dogs in most cases.
I've written about my first dog and how painful it was to put him to sleep. Now I have a dog who alerts me to my seizures and though he's only five years old I can't bear to think of him reaching the age when I might have to consider putting him down. Of course, his particular breed, being a miniature Dachshund, tends to live longer than the larger dogs so perhaps I'll be lucky. But there are always diseases lurking around the corner and I have to keep an eye out for them.
As to Howard's Book Two, it concentrates on training, as he has become something of a specialist in this area, Howard works as the proprietor of Day-One Dog Training and he also serves as a Canine Behavioral Consultant. He has become, through his lessons with Annie, and her successor dogs, Mickey and Callie, also both Pembroke Welsh Corgis, quite an expert in training people in how to handle their dogs, no matter what the breeds.
Perhaps the most important lesson Howard teaches the dog owner is that we must learn to guide our dogs to the behavior patterns that we want them to learn, but only by positive reinforcement.
I'll end this review by saying that I cannot recommend this book highly enough and that Howard and Mail Order Annie chose a very apt title, because every night, when my miniature Dachshund Alex climbs into bed with me, before lights out, I pick him up, he puts his front hands around my neck gives me endless puppy kisses.
And let me tell you, folks, Howard's right. They're good for the soul.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best book for dog owners hands down, August 22, 2003
This review is from: Puppy Kisses are Good for the Soul (& Other Important Lessons You & Your Dog Can Teach Each Other) (Paperback)
"Two books in one" may sound too good to be true, but that's what you get with Howard Weinstein and Mail Order Annie in "Puppy Kisses are Good for the Soul". The first part of "Puppy Kisses" shows you what a wonderful relationship you can -- and should -- have with your dog through Howard's own personal experience with his Corgi Annie, while the second part tells you how to achieve it with your own dog. The book is a pleasure to read, being both insightful and humorous, and it is filled with practical, must-have advice for surviving a new dog or improving your relationship with your current one. "Puppy Kisses are Good for the Soul" is the best book for dog owners that my wife and I have ever read. In fact, the first "book" describing Howard's life with Annie qualifies as one of the best we've read period. If there is one book that dog owners and lovers should own, "Puppy Kisses" is it.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Corgi Kisses, October 21, 2002
This review is from: Puppy Kisses are Good for the Soul (& Other Important Lessons You & Your Dog Can Teach Each Other) (Paperback)
I purchased this book partly for the Corgi story and partly for the training information. Who can resist a book showcasing a Pembroke Welsh Corgi on the cover?
Howard Weinstein lets the reader peek into his life with Annie and perfectly describes Corgi ownership--from tummy control to mommy watch. This enchanting story makes you feel as if you know Annie, Howard and their circle of family and friends. If you own a Corgi, you should read this book. If don't own a Corgi, you should get Corgi, then read this book. Even if you're just a dog lover, you should still read this book.
I highly recommend it.
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