Your Dog's Life: Raising, Training, and Caring for Your Pet from Puppyhood to Old Age - Hardcover

Gray, Deborah L.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060173912 ISBN 13: 9780060173913

Publisher: Harper, 1997

Synopsis

From the smiles and trials of puppyhood to the special pleasures and concerns of having an older dog, every stage of a dog's life is covered in the age-specific chapters of this helpful guide. Featuring interviews with professionals, the chapters walk readers through the joys and difficulties associated with each stage, from the puppy's introduction to its new home to surviving the whelp's adolescence, from keeping the adult dog's play interesting to getting the most out of its final years to coping with the loss of a beloved companion. Your Dog's Life also includes charming stories of dogs and their owners, and important general advice for all dog lovers, e.g., nutrition and exercise, preventing common problems, traveling with the pet and how to select a veterinarian.

Dogs are truly our best friends, and their devotion and loyalty know no bounds. For owners who want to ensure that their canine friends get the best possible care through the years, Your Dog's Life is a must.

About this title

About the Author

Australia's Good Witch was born into a long heritage of Celtic magick and mysticism. Initiated as a teenager into an Ancient Druid Circle, she has studied white witchcraft and alchemy for over twenty years, inheriting her knowledge of parapsychology and spellcasting from one of the world's few remaining Druid Masters.

As the author and co-author of the international bestsellers Nice Girl's Book of Naughty Spells and How to Turn Your Ex-Boyfriend into a Toad, Deborah L. Gray is one of Australia's best known and respected writers. Her inspirational words of magick have been translated into four languages, exciting the imaginations of many thousands of people around the world.

In addition to her busy schedule as a metaphysical lecturer and writing for some of the world's leading publications, Deborah is passionately recreating the original perfumes and enchanted potions of ancient times, and has recently released her own Goddess of Love Potion.

Reviews

YA?Basic information on the psyche of man's best friend as well as on the special traits of individual canines. Easy-to-follow instructions include the steps to meet the challenges of animal care at different ages and stages?equipment, food, medical care, safety measures, and training. The list of equipment needed before the pet arrives is a handy bonus. YAs who are looking forward to becoming a responsible dog owner will find this a practical manual.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Like the authors of the many dog-training books of the late 1980s and the early 1990s, Gray, who has approximately ten years' experience raising German Shepherds for police and guide dog work, starts with a lengthy discussion of the similarities between wolves and dogs. While this information is interesting, 14,000 years of domestication have reduced those ancestral influences considerably. An explanation of breed-specific behavioral differences would have been of greater value for training purposes. In the first chapter, "Connecting with Your Canine Best Friend," Gray points out the many ways that human communication and dog communication differ?differences that often lead to behavior problems. Succeeding chapters briefly discuss age-specific phases in a dog's development, acquiring a puppy, health concerns, and the owner's rights and responsibilities. While most of the information is sound and well presented, the text as a whole only skims the surface of many issues. For example, when discussing joint activities for owners and adult dogs, Gray gives the address for only one of at least four major agility organizations. Purchase only where interest in dog-related books runs high.?Edell Marie Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., Wis.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harper
• Publication date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060173912
• ISBN 13: 9780060173913
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256