by Sam Mazzotta

This month’s pet books provide interesting alternative outlooks on training and care for pets of all ages.

Many pet owners are interested in providing as healthy a lifestyle for their pets as they are for the rest of their family. I’ve answered many questions in the past about raw-food diets and herbal medicine. For cat owners, the latest addition to the slowly increasing number of books on the subject is “The Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care” by Celeste Yarnall, Ph.D, and Jean Hofve, DVM (Quarry Books).

This full-color handbook is filled with information and illustrations on cat care, and provides advice on healthy natural diets, herbal remedies, alternative treatments like acupuncture, and most helpfully, an index of resources to help owners find things like environmentally friendly cat litter and holistic practitioners. This is a very good overview of alternative methods of cat care, and an excellent starting place for owners searching for a better way to care for their pet.

Dog owners might be interested in a new offering from pet expert and cognitive psychologist Sean Senechal. “Dogs Can Sign, Too: A Breakthrough Method for Teaching Your Dog to Communicate to You” (Ten Speed Press/Celestial Arts) is a fascinating manual that takes training beyond obedience and into improved communication.

While the book seems a bit wordy up front, it soon delves into practical, step-by-step training methods for you and your dog. Senechal builds on natural cues that dogs tend to make to their owners, and provides training steps that enable dog and human to signal more effectively. But I’m not explaining this method well enough — pick up a copy of this book and prepare to look at training in a new way.

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