How unwanted dogs are rescued and then trained as service dogs to help people with disabilities. WINNER--2016 Midwest Book Award. All proceeds will go to the 501(c)(3) charity, Pawsitivity Service Dogs. "Simply astonishing in its volume, information, approach-ability, readability, transparency, experienced voice, helpfulness/usefulness and honesty. It's inspirational, as well as competent, realistic, transparent, practical'. Its tone is forthright but kind."--Dr. Beth Rausch, DVM, University of Wisconsin, River Falls "Our service dog is better than any medication. She has not just helped my daughter but the whole family. Millie is the best, most loving and loyal companion for my daughter. Tom and Julie of Pawsitivity are the kind of people that really care and just keep giving. I can not say thank you enough."--James Artisensi, father of a child with a Pawsitivity service dog

A decade ago, former military counterintelligence officer Terry Henry joined his precocious young daughter, Kyria, on a trip to a nursing home in order to allow its residents to play with their family dog, a golden retriever named riley. Terry was astounded by the transformations that unfolded before his eyes. Soon after, Terry and Kyria started their service dog organization, paws4people, with the goal of pairing dogs with human beings in need of healing, including traumatized and wounded war veterans and children living with physical, emotional, and intellectual disabilities. In A Dog's Gift, award-winning journalist and author Bob Drury movingly captures the story of a year in the life of paws4people and the broken bodies and souls the organization mends. The book follows the journey of pups bred by the organization from their loving, if rigorous, early training to an emotional event that terry and Kyria have christened "the bump," where each individual service dog chooses its new owner through an almost mystical connection that ignites the healing process. incorporating vivid storytelling, insights into canine wisdom, history, science, and moving tales of personal transformation, A Dog's Gift is a story of miracles bound to be embraced by not only the 60 million Americans who own dogs, but by anyone with a full heart and a loving soul.

Service dogs play an important role in society, assisting their handlers in leading independent, fulfilling lives. These amazing dogs are trained to work with a wide range of disabilities, from visual impairments to PTSD, and come from a variety of breeds and backgrounds. Some service dogs are custom bred and trained by large charities, while others are rescue dogs of indeterminate breed, trained entirely by their owners. Disability knows no bounds and can strike anyone, at any time, leaving us alone, scared and confused, with many of us wondering how feasible it would be to integrate a service dog into our lives. This is a practical guide, written from the perspective of an ordinary dog owner turned service dog trainer, following her own need for a service dog. It covers everything from service dog breeding and selection, how to acquire a service dog, basic training, and public access work, to your dog's eventual retirement. Chapters also detail the day-to-day realities of living with and loving a service dog.

Behavior Problems of the Dog & Cat, 4th Edition retains the highly practical approach that has proved so successful in previous editions, offering diagnostic guidelines, preventive advice, treatment guidelines and charts, case examples, client forms and handouts, and product and resource suggestions, along with details on the use of drugs and natural supplements to help optimize the behavior services offered in practice. - Step-by-step guidelines describe how to collect a patient history, perform a thorough physical examination, conduct diagnostic testing, formulate differential diagnoses, select treatment, and monitor the patients' responses. - Background information describes how dog and cat behavior problems arise and how they can be prevented. - Coverage of behavior modification techniques provides you with a clear understanding of suggested treatment as well as the use of drugs, products, pheromones, surgery, diet, and alternative therapies. - Content on behavioral genetics explores this rapidly growing and advancing field and includes new therapeutic approaches for cognitive decline. - Case studies illustrate real-life clinical situations. - Easy-access treatment tables provide at-a-glance solutions to common behavior problems. - Useful appendices include treatment protocols as well as the drug information and dosages that make effective prescribing easy. - NEW! Many hot new topics are covered, including fear, anxiety, and stress and their effects on health and behavior, as well as pain and behavior, the psychobiological approach to veterinary behavior assessment, and pets and the family dynamic. - NEW! Updated chapter content is extensively augmented or completely rewritten by new authors, making this more than just a new edition – it's a new book! - NEW! eBook version is included with print purchase which allows access to all of the text, figures, and references, with the ability to search, customize content, make notes and highlights, and have content read aloud. Online access also includes handouts and forms, drug dosing, and a comprehensive directory of resources.