The Resources listed here are on my bookshelf or in my “favorites” list of websites, read and referred to often. Many of them provide further resource lists of their own. Enjoy the reading, but leave time to get out there and garden and play with your dog.
Dog Books (available from www.Dogwise.com, 1-800-776-2665)
Before You Get Your Puppy and After You Get Your Puppy, Ian Dunbar, DVM
How to plan for bringing a puppy home, and what to do once your puppy has arrived.
A Perfect Match: A Buyer’s Guide to Dog Breeds, Chris Walkowicz
Still one of the best books on choosing a purebred breed.
Your Purebred Puppy: A Buyer’s Guide, Michele Welton
Thumbnail sketches of the AKC breeds and more.
Dog Training: The Gentle Modern Method, David Weston
Easy-to-follow illustrated instructions for training the basics.
Culture Clash, Jean Donaldson
Debunking the myth of Lassie and Rin Tin Tin (or Eddie and Wishbone).
The Other End of the Leash, Patricia McConnell
How some of our human behavior is ill-suited to our interactions with dogs.
Fun and Games with Dogs and Fun Nosework for Dogs, Roy Hunter
Both books provide a variety of fun activities to exercise your dog’s mind and body.
Herbal Dog Care, Dr. Randy Kidd
Holistic veterinarian offers a look at how to use herbs for better canine health.
Emerging Therapies: Using Herbs and Nutraceuticals for Small Animals, Susan Wynn
Essential for those who want to understand the science behind herbal and nutritional therapies.
Dog Health & Nutrition for Dummies, M. Christine Zink, DVM
A good basic unbiased guide looking at both commercial and home-cooked diets.
Garden Books
Sunset Western Garden Book
I live in the west, so this reference is always on my shelf.
Plants for Play: A Plant Selection Guide for Children’s Outdoor Environments, Robin C. Moore
If recommendations can stand up to kids, odds are good they can handle dogs.
Rodale’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening: The Indispensable Resource for Every Gardener, Marshall Bradley
A terrific primer on using organic methods in gardening for both ornamentals and food crops.
Building a Healthy Lawn: A Safe and Natural Approach, Stuart Franklin
Great basic easy-to-read info on choosing, installing, and caring for lawns.
Reliable Rain: A Practical Guide to Landscape Irrigation, Howard Hendrix
How to choose and use irrigation systems.
New Complete Guide to Landscaping: Design, Plant, Build
A good basic primer on designing and creating a landscape that suits you.
American Horticultural Society Complete Guide to Water Gardening, Peter Robinson
A non-threatening how-to approach to blending water features into your landscape.
Fences, Walls & Gates, Jerri Ferris and Tim Himsel
More than 30 complete projects, from chain link to hedges.
Dog Websites
Association of Pet Dog Trainers www.adpt.com
A professional organization. You can look up a trainer in your area.
Dogwise, All Things Dog www.dogwise.com
A purveyor of dog books and dog toys. You can also join a list hosted by an expert.
The Kong Company www.kong.com
Originator of the Kong, a very useful toy to occupy a dog’s time.
Pet Diets www.petdiets.com
Information on basic canine nutrition, and nutrition related to canine diseases.
Dog.com www.dog.com and www.dog.com/vet
An information website on all matters dog.
The author’s website www.writedog.com
Learn about new books, lectures, and ask questions about your dog and/or your garden.
Animal Poison Hotline 888-232-8870 and ASPCA Poison Control Hotline 888-426-4435
Calls incur a fee, but the information is nearly instant, and may prove life-saving.
Garden Websites
American Horticultural Society www.ahs.org and National Garden Bureau www.ngb.org
General information on plants and gardens.
Better Lawn and Turf Institute www.lawninstitute.com
Tons of information on lawns and grasses, including choosing, installing, and caring for.
Environmental Factor www.environmentalfactor.com and Extremely Green www.extremelygreen.com and Gardens Alive www.gardensalive.com
All three offer extensive information on organic gardening.
Master Composter www.mastercomposter.com
In-depth information on composting.
Aquascape Designs www.aquascapedesigns.com
Information on garden pond design and maintenance.
Monterey Lawn and Garden Products www.montereylawnandgarden.com
Originators of Sluggo, they also offer a variety of other nontoxic products.
Sterling International www.rescue.com
Offer a selection of environmentally responsible pest control products.
Gardener’s Supply Co. www.gardeners.com
Gardening tools of all sorts and more.
Hound Dog www.hound-dog.com
A sturdy line of long-handled tools for edging, weed pulling, bulb planting, poop pickup.
Space Saver www.spacesavergardening.com
Information on building and planting in raised beds, as well as a nifty joint system.
Easy Gardener, Inc. www.easygardener.com
Products to make gardening less work, such as landscape fabrics, edgings, netting.
All America Selections www.all-americaselections.com
Recommendations on platn selections based on their receiving the “All America” rating.
Stepables www.stepables.com
A selection of groundcovers that can tolerate some foot terrific.
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds www.rareseeds.com
A selection of rare and often historic vegetable seeds.