pet connection

This week and next in Pet Connection, a preview of Gina and our Dr. Becker’s new books, “The Ultimate Dog Lover” and “The Ultimate Cat Lover,” both in stores now. Next week will be cats; this week, dogs:

The Pet Connection’s Dr. Marty Becker is starting his 11th year as the veterinary correspondent on “Good Morning America” with an appearance Oct. 8 to debut the latest books he and Gina Spadafori have co-authored.

“The Ultimate Cat Lover” and “The Ultimate Dog Lover ($15 each from HCI) are the sixth and seventh books the two have written together. Their eighth, “The Ultimate Horse Lover,” will be out next month.

The “Ultimate” books are the first in a new series from HCI, publisher of the best-selling “Chicken Soup” series. The “Ultimate” pet books combine original stories from top writers, must-know information from experts in every specialty and lush, full-color photography.

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Each “must know” piece in the book has been developed with the help of one of the top experts in each area of expertise, and these experts are noted at the end of each tip.

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Socializing: Once you have picked up your puppy at 8 weeks, you still have five weeks left of the critical socialization period. Your puppy needs to meet another 100 people in this period. If the puppy sees only family for the first months of life, he or she often will develop a fear of strangers. — Dr. Ian Dunbar, veterinarian and behaviorist, founder of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers.

Dog parks: Not all dogs learn to play nice, and some perfectly good dogs just aren’t well-suited for the communal experience. Some will unintentionally provoke fights or fearfulness from other dogs with overly aggressive or unrelenting play. These are likely dogs who never learned to read the language of another dog’s “leave me alone” cues and will keep pushing until there’s a fight. Hormones can also play a role, and that’s why it’s usually best for dog-park play to be among spayed and neutered animals. — Dr. Melissa Bain, veterinarian and behaviorist, head of Clinical Animal Behavior Service at the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine.

There’s more in the feature this week, including tips on canine cancer from leading veterinary oncologist Dr. Greg Ogilvie; trick training by Liz Palika; low-shed pets from veterinary dermatology specialist Dr. Craig Griffin. And even that’s just a small selection of everything you’ll find in the books themselves.

Also this week: How to deal with a dog who pulls — is a head halter the answer? Just how clean do dog bowls need to be? A possible link between spay/neuter and lameness in pets; elephant memories; the origin of the phrase “a hair of the dog that bit you;” good pet reptiles for kids; feeding wild birds; and helpful hints from Susan and Dr. Rolan Tripp on how to help your pet lose his fear of going to the vet:

Why wouldn’t a pet be afraid of her veterinarian? After all, many pets see the veterinarian mostly for scary and painful events, and often when they’re not feeling well already.

Think about your pet, in this respect, like a child. Many doctors and dentists give goodies to children when they come in, helping to turn a bad experience into a good one. You can do that for your pet, too.

Make sure your pet is hungry when it’s time to go to the vet, and bring along his favorite treats. Give your pet treats in the car, in the parking lot, in the lobby and in the exam room.

Over time, your pet will come to associate the sights, sounds and smells of a veterinary practice with good things, not bad.

It’s all here!