Lee Charles Kelley is an American novelist and dog trainer living in Manhattan.
Kelley is the author of six detective novels featuring Jack Field, an NYPD homicide cop who loves dogs and hates people, so he takes early retirement, moves to Maine, and buys a boarding and training kennel, hoping to get away from crimesolving. However, he falls in love with a part-time medical examiner, Dr. Jamie Cutter, and gets drawn back into detective work. Together the couple, along with their loyal canine companions, track down and catch the bad guys.
Kelley's novels are best described as a combination of murder mystery, romantic comedy, and dog training manuals, as they include comic, sometimes even farcical scenes, along with dog training tips, all woven into the mystery and suspense.
His critiques of the alpha theory and operant conditioning have made him a somewhat controversial figure in the dog world, which eventually led to an invitation from the editors of Psychology Today to write a blog on canine training and behavior for their website. The blog was titled "My Puppy, My Self" and ran from April, 2009 to February 2013, garnering nearly half-a-million views.
The training philosophy and techniques Kelley uses are based on a methodology created by Kevin Behan , author of Natural Dog Training and Your Dog Is Your Mirror. (Behan's father was John M. Behan , a legendary K-9 Corps trainer during World War II, and the author of Dogs of War .)
Kelley's first dog, Charley, was featured on NBC's Late Night with David Letterman in a recurring segment titled "Charlie [sic] the Bubble-Eating Dog (who never ate bubbles)," which ran between 1989 and 1990. Charley's first appearance in the skit coincided with Julia Roberts' first appearance on Late Night.
The Akita is a large breed of dog originating from the mountainous regions of northern Japan. There are two separate varieties of Akita: a Japanese strain, commonly called Akita Inu or Japanese Akita, and an American strain, known as the Akita or American Akita. The Japanese strain comes in a narrow palette of colors, with all other colors considered atypical of the breed, while the American strain comes in all dog colors. The Akita has a short double-coat similar to that of many other northern spitz breeds such as the German Shepherd or Siberian Husky, but long-coated dogs can also be found in many litters due to a recessive gene.
The German Shepherd is a breed of medium to large-sized working dog that originated in Germany. In the English language, the breed's officially recognized name is German Shepherd Dog. The breed was officially known as the Alsatian in the UK from after the First World War until 1977 when its name was changed back to German Shepherd. Despite its primitive, wolf-like appearance the German Shepherd is a relatively modern breed of dog, with their origin dating to 1899.
The Chesapeake Bay Retriever is a large-sized breed of dog belonging to the Retriever, Gundog, and Sporting breed groups. Members of the breed may also be referred to as a Chessie, CBR, or Chesapeake. The breed was developed in the United States Chesapeake Bay area during the 19th century. Historically used by area market hunters to retrieve waterfowl, pull fishing nets, and rescue fishermen, it is primarily a family pet and hunting companion. They are often known for their love of water and their ability to hunt. It is a medium to large sized dog similar in appearance to the Labrador Retriever. The Chesapeake has a wavy coat, rather than the Labrador's smooth coat. They are described as having a bright and happy disposition, courage, willingness to work, alertness, intelligence, and love of water as some of their characteristics.
The Bernese Mountain Dog is a large-sized breed of dog, one of the four breeds of Sennenhund-type dogs from the Swiss Alps. Bred from crosses of Mastiffs and guard-type breeds, Bernese Mountain Dogs were brought to Switzerland by the Romans 2,000 years ago. The name Sennenhund is derived from the German Senne and Hund (hound/dog), as they accompanied the alpine herders and dairymen called Senn. Berner refers to the area of the breed's origin, in the canton of Bern. This breed was originally kept as a general farm dog. Large Sennenhund in the past were also used as draft animals, pulling carts. The breed was officially established in 1907. In 1937, the American Kennel Club recognized it; today, the club classifies it as a member of the Working Group.
Cocker Spaniels are dogs belonging to two breeds of the spaniel dog type: the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel, both of which are commonly called simply Cocker Spaniel in their countries of origin. In the early 20th century, Cocker Spaniels also included small hunting spaniels.
The Australian Cattle Dog (ACD), or simply Cattle Dog, is a breed of herding dog originally developed in Australia for droving cattle over long distances across rough terrain. This breed is a medium-sized, short-coated dog that occurs in two main colour forms. It has either brown or black hair distributed fairly evenly through a white coat, which gives the appearance of a "red" or "blue" dog.
Dog breeding is the practice of mating selected dogs with the intention of maintaining or producing specific qualities and characteristics. When dogs reproduce without such human intervention, their offspring's characteristics are determined by natural selection, while "dog breeding" refers specifically to the artificial selection of dogs, in which dogs are intentionally bred by their owners. Breeding relies on the science of genetics, so the breeder with a knowledge of canine genetics, health, and the intended use for the dogs attempts to breed suitable dogs.
The Bedlington Terrier is a breed of small dog named after the mining town of Bedlington, Northumberland in North East England. Originally bred to hunt vermin the Bedlington Terrier has since been used in dog racing, numerous dog sports, as well as in conformation shows and as a companion dog. It is closely related to the Dandie Dinmont Terrier, Whippet and Otterhound.
A show dog might refer to any dog entered into a dog show. More specifically, a show dog is a dog which has been specially bred, trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to have a chance of winning. Often used as a single word (showdog), the term is also used within the sport of conformation to refer to a dog that displays a particularly energetic or outgoing character.
The Tibetan Mastiff is a large Tibetan dog breed belonging to the mastiff family. Originating with the nomadic cultures of Tibet, China, Mongolia, India and Nepal, it is used by local tribes of Tibetans and Indians to protect sheep from wolves, leopards, bears, large mustelids, and tigers.
The Olde English Bulldogge is an American dog breed, recognized by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in January 2014. The breed is listed in the UKC Guardian Dog Group. Five years prior to UKC recognition, the breed was registered by the former Canine Developmental, Health and Performance Registry (CDHPR), a privately held business located in Kalamazoo, Missouri. In the early 2000s, CDHPR had been working with the UKC under a unique agreement to develop breeding plans and strategies in an effort to produce improved breeds of dogs that would be accepted as purebred and, therefore, eligible for UKC registration.
The Canaan Dog, also known as the Bedouin Sheepdog and Palestinian Pariah Dog, is a breed of pariah dog, which has been in existence in the Middle East for thousands of years. There are 2,000 to 3,000 Canaan dogs across the world, mostly in Europe and North America.
The Littlest Hobo is a Canadian television series based upon a 1958 American film of the same name directed by Charles R. Rondeau. The series first aired from 1963 to 1965 in syndication, and was revived for a popular second run on CTV, spanning six seasons, from October 11, 1979 to March 7, 1985. The concept of the show was that of "an ownerless dog".
Canine influenza is influenza occurring in canine animals. Canine influenza is caused by varieties of influenzavirus A, such as equine influenza virus H3N8, which was discovered to cause disease in canines in 2004. Because of the lack of previous exposure to this virus, dogs have no natural immunity to it. Therefore, the disease is rapidly transmitted between individual dogs. Canine influenza may be endemic in some regional dog populations of the United States. It is a disease with a high morbidity but a low incidence of death.
Dogs in warfare have a very long history starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.
Avon Publications is one of the leading publishers of romance fiction. At Avon's initial stages, it was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. The shift in content occurred in the early 1970s with multiple Avon romance titles reaching and maintaining spots in bestseller lists, demonstrating the market and potential profits in romance publication. As of 2010, Avon is an imprint of HarperCollins.
Canine Companions for Independence is a US-based 501(c)(3) (non-profit) organization that trains and provides assistance dogs. As of 2018, it has placed over 6,000 assistance dogs with recipients at no charge.
Dog types are broad categories of domestic dogs based on form, function or style of work, lineage, or appearance. Some may be locally adapted dog types that may have the visual characteristics of a modern purebred dog. In contrast, modern dog breeds strictly adhere to long established breed standards, that began with documented foundation breeding stock sharing a common set of inheritable characteristics, developed by long established, reputable kennel clubs that recognize the dog as a purebred.
The Grand Anglo-Français Blanc et Noir translated into English as the Great Anglo-French White and Black Hound, is a breed of dog used in hunting as a scenthound, usually in packs. It is one of the Anglo-French hound breeds which were created by crossing French scenthounds with English (Anglo) Foxhounds.
