MELISSA ADAMS -- Check it out

As summer winds into the dog days of August, there’s hardly a better

time to pamper your pooch. Even canines need a scenery change, and you

can treat Fido to a getaway with help from the latest edition of Martin

Management Books’ “Great Vacations for You and Your Dog USA.” Find

descriptions of resorts, ranches, camps and hotels that welcome dogs in

this travel guide for pet owners. Along with big city digs, there’s data

about lodging in parks and forests, plus dog travel tips and camping

information.

When vacation fun ends, chances are Master will return to work while

Rover remains at home. If that triggers separation anxiety, aggression,

guilt or angst, a copy of Jodi Andersen’s “The Latchkey Dog” may provide

relief. In her look at pets and their people, Andersen offers tips for

quelling canine capers that leave owners wondering whether El Nino swept

through their living rooms. Case histories about dogs and masters she’s

come to know over 20 years add credibility to her advice.

If you’ve always suspected your pet has a sixth sense, find validation

in Rupert Sheldrake’s “Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home.”

The Cambridge biochemist explores the unexplained powers of animals and

what they can teach us about nature and consciousness in his treatise

about animal telepathy.

Sonya Fitzpatrick adds to the topic in “What the Animals Tell Me,” a

guide to communicating with pets. From this self-proclaimed Dr.

Doolittle, readers may figure out how to look at things from their

animals’ point of view and how to have a rewarding relationship with

furry, feathery or scaly friends.

Raymond and Lorna Coppinger take a more scientific approach in “Dogs.”

Basing their conclusions on 45 years of research, these internationally

recognized canine ethologists examine why different breeds behave

differently and how owners can improve interactions with pets.

Training can be critical in those interactions, and pet owners can

learn how some of Hollywood’s most pampered puppies have learned to mind

with “Shelby Marlo’s New Art of Dog Training.” Along with techniques

emphasizing positive reinforcement, Marlo advises how to choose a dog,

how to make a dog feel secure and how to housebreak any animal.

Endorsements come in fun-to-read anecdotes about the pets of such stars

as Kevin Costner, Barbra Streisand, Diane Keaton and Al Pacino.

Other tried and true training tips are in “Training Dogs the Woodhouse

Way,” a video series from master trainer Barbara Woodhouse. From walking

to heeling and coming when called, there’s just about everything you need

to know to have the best behaved dog on the block on five one-hour tapes.

If you’re still not convinced about the rewards of animal ownership,

read 36 true tales in Gary Burghoff’s “The Wonderful Thing About Pets.”

But be forewarned: After reading about the iguana who saved its owner’s

life and the hamster who out-picks pros at football pools, you may find

yourself heading for the nearest pet store.

* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Soon Jung. All titles may be reserved from home or office computers by

accessing the catalog at o7 www.newportbeachlibrary.org.

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