Canine Sports & Games : Great Ways to Get Your Dog Fit and Have Fun Together!

Get your dog off the leash and in on the game. Organized games are a wonderful way to bond with your pet while giving him the mental stimulation and physical exercise he needs. Kristin Mehus-Roe has games for all types of dog personalities and abilities, complete with rules, equipment lists, safety reminders, and much more. Teach your energetic pooch how to play flyball and your water-loving retriever to enjoy an afternoon of dock jumping. You and your dog have never had so much fun! For every dog there is a sport that provides a perfect outlet for his intelligence and energy. A smart, focused Border Collie or Corgi might be an excellent agility athlete, while a scrappy little terrier satisfies his tunneling instincts in Earthdog trials. An eager-to-please, alert Poodle or Golden Retriever might shine in obedience, while a crowd-loving Whippet or Pit Bull mix thrives on the excitement of disc dog events. All-American mixed breeds can prove their mettle in almost any sport; find the right fit for your dog and watch him shine!

Canine Sports & Games presents the full range of possibilities and identifies canine abilities, instincts, and personalities that work well with each sport. Not sure about competitive sports? Swimming, hiking, and skiing are excellent opportunities for humans and their dogs to have fun together. And Canine Good Citizens, therapy dogs, and search-and-rescue dogs earn the respect and love of the people whose lives they touch. Enthusiastic owners will find suggestions for every kind of canine.

Basic training and obedience are necessary before beginning any organized sport. Fundamental commands, nutrition and fitness, and injuries and aging are all covered in an overview that prepares readers and their dogs for the challenges of competition. The heart of the book is a sport-by-sport examination of 19 games, obedience competitions, and tests of instinct. Each sport is described in full, with information on history, complete rules, required equipment, how to begin training, safety reminders, related organizations, achievable goals and titles, and amusing or inspiring anecdotes — everything dogs and their people need to get down to some serious playtime!

Praise:
"Kristin Mehus-Roe delightfully — and thoroughly — unleashes the true nature of dogs: born jocks and masters of movement." —Arden Moore, editor of Fido Friendly and author of The Dog Behavior Answer Book

"From flyball and disc-throwing to freestyle and herding, Canine Sports & Games makes it all look easy. Even better, Kristin Mehus-Roe recognizes the sometimes dormant athletic abilities that rest within all of us, from human couch potatoes to pit bulls and poodles." —Ken Foster, author of the best-selling memoir The Dogs Who Found Me and Dogs I Have Met

A wonderful thing is happening in home kitchens. People are rediscovering the joys of locally produced foods and reducing the amount of the grocery budget that's spent on packaged items, out-of-season produce, and heavily processed foods. But fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables don't stay fresh and delicious forever - they must be eaten now . . . or preserved for later.For all the vegetable gardeners facing baskets overflowing with bright tomatoes, and for all the dedicated farmers' market fans and CSA members, The Beginner's Guide to Preserving Food at Home has the simple solutions that turn overwhelming bounty into neatly canned tomatoes, jars of jams and jellies, and crispy-tart relishes and pickles.Organized in a friendly, food-by-food format, readers will find freezing, drying, canning, and storing instructions for each vegetable, fruit, and herb. In many cases, several ways to freeze or can a food are described, and there are often other preserving suggestions as well, such as making juice or fruit leather.Everything is written with busy people in mind: these are the quickest, most efficient methods for preserving summer's bounty. Up-to-date information and clear, step-by-step instructions show even absolute beginners the way to a fully stocked pantry. For every dog there is a sport that provides an outlet for his intelligence and energy. This book presents a sport-by-sport examination of 19 games, obedience competitions, and tests of instinct. It describes each sport in full, with information on history, complete rules, required equipment, how to begin training, and safety reminders.