Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide: Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity [Paperback]

Matthew Hoffman (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 19, 2000

Return the Love and Devotion Your Dog Gives You!

Reap the knowledge and wisdom of more than 100 top veterinarians, trainers, groomers, and other pet experts! Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide offers powerful, practical advice on everything from obedience training and stopping misbehavior to providing the best health care, snacks, grooming, accessories, and more.

With over 800 full-color photographs and helpful, step-by-step illustrations, Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide captures the excitement and doggone good fun that goes into raising and caring for your canine companion.

Discover:
* Why changing your dog's food bowl might make him healthier (page 236)
* How to stop fleas for good (page 325)
* Premium foods-- are they worth the extra cost? (page 216)
* A complete guide to the top 50 breeds (page 17)
* A toy that's guaranteed to stop barking (page 144)
* Why dogs stick their heads out car windows (page 202)
* How to teach your dog to wave-- and other fun tricks (page 134)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Return the Love and Devotion Your Dog Gives You!

Reap the knowledge and wisdom of more than 100 top veterinarians, trainers, groomers, and other pet experts! Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide offers powerful, practical advice on everything from obedience training and stopping misbehavior to providing the best health care, snacks, grooming, accessories, and more.

With over 800 full-color photographs and helpful, step-by-step illustrations, Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide captures the excitement and doggone good fun that goes into raising and caring for your canine companion.

Discover:
* Why changing your dog's food bowl might make him healthier (page 236)
* How to stop fleas for good (page 325)
* Premium foods-- are they worth the extra cost? (page 216)
* A complete guide to the top 50 breeds (page 17)
* A toy that's guaranteed to stop barking (page 144)
* Why dogs stick their heads out car windows (page 202)
* How to teach your dog to wave-- and other fun tricks (page 134)

About the Author

Matthew Hoffman is the former Rodale pet book editor. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Product Details

• Paperback: 450 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books (May 19, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579542441
• ISBN-13: 978-1579542443
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #755,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A bible for dog owners, present and future, January 18, 2004

By 

Phome "phome" (NY, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide: Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity (Paperback)

As a first time puppy owner of an Old English Sheep Dog, I bought this book to help me through the mystifying world (to me) of dog care, and absolutely loved it.

The guide is by far the most comprehensive, yet easy to read, with easy to follow instructions of many books that I have seen out there, some of which I own. Each topic is covered in about 2 pages, yet they contain enough detail and handy advice for the new dog owner to feel confident about his or her new relationship. Building that confidence leads to a well-behaved, confident pet, and the tremendous pleasure of ownership of another being.

The guide is divided into several useful sections as follows:

1. Getting acquainted - what kind of dog should you get? Coverage on the top 50 breeds in the US (although unfortunately my lovely puppy wasn't in it). How to deal with new puppy, how to read your dog's body language.

2. Training - everything from house-training your puppy, through to basic and advanced training. It also has a very useful section on correcting unwanted behavior such as chasing cares, digging, anxiety and much more.

3. Essential care - what you need to do to keep your dog fit and healthy. What kinds of toys to buy, whether to leave your pet in or out, and traveling with your dog.

4. Food - Nutrition, water, eating problems, snacks and special diets.

5. Health watch - preventing sickness and common problems, choosing a vet, neutering, breeding/birthing and caring for older dogs.

6. Easing common complaints - what to do about bad breath, bloating, sunburn and ticks, and many other quirks like flatulence and drooling.

7. First aid - in case your dog (I hope it never happens to you) needs emergency care.

8. Looking good - grooming and washing your dog.

These useful and crucial topics are interspersed with dialog boxes (Paws for Thought) that address questions you've thought about but never expected to get an answer on, such as "do dogs fake being hurt?" (p.300), or "why do dogs stick their heads out of car windows?" (p.202),

The book, not surprisingly, boasts contributors ranging from veterinarians, trainers, groomers and other animal experts.

So far, everything I have needed to know, or any questions I had about my dog, has been in this book. It's the first place I look to for answers. In short, this amazing book has been like a bible for me to raise my new puppy (and how to deal with all that long shaggy hair!). I highly recommend it for any present, new or future dog owner.

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Reference for NewBees, March 12, 2009

By 

SMoto (Brea, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide: Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity (Paperback)

I've been a dog owner for my whole life. Every one of my dogs has gone through at least basic obedience. I found the information on behavior to be light, general and based on common sense. Probably a good starting place for a beginner. Bot if you've had a bunch of dogs, like people they are all very different. What floats one dog's boat does nothing for the next one. I was hoping for more insight on curbing bad dog behavior.

5.0 out of 5 stars Educational and fun, February 2, 2009

By 

Kairus (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dogs: The Ultimate Care Guide: Good Health, Loving Care, Maximum Longevity (Paperback)

This book is pretty conventional but it is well written and informative, and it has a definite place in all dog-lovers library. I also like that it has a lot of pictures which makes it easy and fun to read.
It would make a great gift for someone who is thinking about getting a dog and to all the new dog owners.

I would recommend this book TOGETHER with "The Whole Dog Journal's Guidebook to Dog and Puppy Care and Training". These 2 make a perfect package: whatever one is missing, the other has!