Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

The book arrived on time and in new condition. It has everything from training techniques to health issues. This book covers all the basics you need to know when owning a dog... and a little more w/o being too much info.

like the title says this book is great. its written by vets and other experts and has illustrations and quick reference charts. detailed pages on what seems to be a-z problems and is filled with fun and lesser known facts. as well as advice. its covers from the very beginning of getting a dog to when they get old. it also has first aid and basically everything you need to know as a dog owner.

This book has been a life saver and a nerve tonic to all of my puppy and dog questions. Being a first time dog owner can be an anxious experience and this book is full of knowledge, facts, and common sense solutions to all that can ail a dog.

This book is GREAT! It tells you almost everything you need to know about dogs, if not all of it. If you are looking for info on dogs this is the book for you

I'd give this book 4 stars for its content, but the way it's written drops it down to 3. It's pretty comprehensive, covering nearly every important topic, but doesn't delve very deeply into any. The big problem though, is that it is very annoying to read because every few sentences are a quote from some 'expert' so half the text ends up being stateing who said it. Such as "...blah blah blah... says so and so of the blank department of behavioral sciences for blank, etc etc." Ends up reading more like a high school essay than a book. I expect the authors of a book to take the time to actually reorganize and rewrite all these random thoughts and not just string together a bunch of quotes.