If you are looking for gifts for animal lovers this year, here are a few suggestions.

One of my favorite dog-related books is Bones Would Rain from the Sky by Suzanne Clothier. The book speaks of the special bonds we have with our dogs, sometimes that we are not even aware of.

Clothier is a nationally renowned dog trainer. Using both her own dogs and dogs she has trained for others, she illustrates how dogs think, the nature of their relationship with us, their behavior and other lessons.

I found it beautifully written; moving, sweet, funny at times, heartbreaking at others. I highly recommend this book to anyone who owns or wants to own a dog.

For lighter stories, there are always James Herriot's wonderful books, beginning with All Creatures Great and Small. His most well-known works are available in a gift set.

My all-time favorite cat book is The Silent Miaow by Paul Gallico. Subtitled "a Manual for Kittens, Strays, and Homeless Cats",it's written in the first person-cat. The aim of the book is to teach motherless cats how to properly live with humans. It is a twenty-year old book, but is still available in paperback.

The book's narrator explains: "there is no question but that we are quite the most graceful animals in existence, and this you must keep uppermost in your mind in all of your attitudes and poses..." . On doors he tell the reader: "..teach them [your humans] the necessity of dropping whatever they happen to be doing to open one of them to let you in or out."

A nice picture book for breed identification and description is the Eyewitness Handbooks series Dogs or Cats.

Originally written in England, the group discussed in the book may differ from the American Kennel Club or the Cat Fanciers Association. They are meant to be international in scope.

Descriptions are brief, and will not be enough information for choosing a breed to adopt, but it is a great book for simple identification, or as a starting place in the decision making process.

Food Pets Die For by Ann Martin is a no-holds-barred, well-researched book giving the consumer a unique look into the pet food industry. She exposes the often-unappetizing truth about the foods we feed our animals. A must read for anyone feeding grocery-store brand pet foods.

There are numerous books available to on in keeping your pets healthy and dealing with health concerns.

One of the first authors to address holistic healing for pets is Dr. Richard Pitcairn in his Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. It is now in its third edition, updated with the latest information and the doctor's own experiences, and is the first book I turn to when I have a question about an animal's health.

The only book I have found that specifically addresses natural care of cats is The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. The author goes into great detail on every aspect of caring for cats, from feeding to grooming to specific health problems.

When it comes to dog training, there are many approaches and many books and videos. Basically most books can be placed in one of two schools of thought as far as training method, either traditional negative punishment-based training, or the newer, positive reward-based training.

I believe that positive training is the way to go, even if it is harder for the human to learn. The best book I have seen on operant conditioning, as it is formally known, is Pat Miller's The Power of Positive Dog Training.

In her book, Miller explains both the theory positive dog training as well as the mechanics of making it work. She includes chapters on basics, such as "sit" and "stay", as well as covering some common behavioral issues.

Pat Miller is a dog trainer with over thirty years of experience, and has used many methods and tools in that time.

There are, of course, plenty of other books on the subject of pets, from 'how-tos' to photographic essays, both humorous and poignant. Hours can be spent in just one aisle of the bookstores, trying to decide on a title or two.

But what a great way to spend some time! Happy Holidays and happy reading!