The Dog Bible: Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know (Paperback)

~ (Author) "In this chapter you'll find ways to discover the dog that is right for you..." (more)
Key Phrases: assertive dog, titer testing, wolf heritage, United States, Golden Retrievers, Gentle Leader (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

For everyone who has ever wished Dr. Spock had written about dogs instead—The Dog Bible is your essential guide to everything you will ever need to know. Whether you’re a first-time dog owner or an expert, your dog would want you to read this book. Encyclopedic in scope, it covers not only the basics, but every practical aspect of life with a dog, including many fascinating and helpful subjects never before collected in one volume:
The Dangers of Puppy Farms: What pet stores don’t want you to know
The Logic of the Wolf Pack: Rules from the wild to help you understand and communicate with your dog. What does "Alpha Dog" really mean?
House training for every dog in every possible living situation
The truth about dog food no one has told you: foods that help, foods that harm
Teaching manners: the pros and cons of different training equipment and methods, and how to keep your dog safely on your property
Vaccination Ethics and Safety: shocking facts about the potential dangers of vaccinations
Warning Signs of Vicious Dogs: How to know when a dog can—and can’t—be saved
Scooby Doo Hotchner’s 25 Rules for Kids—a special chapter written just for children to help them stay safe around dogs
Pregnancy, new babies, and your dog: how to prepare for a peaceful homecoming and life together
Dog 911: Some of the most—and least—common emergencies your dog may face and what to do, including instructions on how to administer CPR and the Heimlich maneuver
Life-saving advice about the special needs of toy breeds: everything you need to know to protect and enhance their wonderfully long lives
Dog Psychology: Eye-opening ideas from an emerging field of study, including a chapter on the weird things dogs do—and why!

Tracie Hotchner, lifelong dog owner and author of the million-copy bestseller, Pregnancy and Childbirth, has distilled years of research into one comprehensive, accessible guide. You’ll make hundreds of decisions about your dog’s care during his lifetime. THE DOG BIBLE is here to give you the latest and best information available to help you make those decisions. It’s everything your dog would want you to know.

From the Back Cover

Praise for Tracie Hotchner's THE DOG BIBLE

"Whether you're starting out with your very first dog, or you think you're experienced in the ways of dogs, The Dog Bible will tell you something you didn't know. And both you and your dog will be better for it."
-Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO, The Humane Society of the United States

"People and dogs have a simple, unwritten contract: The dog provides the devotion, love, companionship and work while we accept the responsibility of providing food, water, shelter, healthcare in life and death, and hopefully some love in return. Unfortunately, we as people often fall short. Dogs rarely do. Tracie Hotchner has written a book that will help us keep up our side of the bargain."
-Dr. Barry C. Browning, B.V.M. & S., M.R.C.V.S.

"I believe Ms. Hotchner was a dog in a previous life. Her perspective is that detailed and complete. Since I speak "dog" fluently and converse with my three canines, Lucy, Henry and the "diva" Frances, we have agreed that it is the finest book about dogs ever written."
-Jamie Lee Curtis

"My three dogs, Veronica, Lulu, and Max, are all barking, 'Finally! The book we've all been waiting for!' Everything you've ever wanted or needed to know about your dog is in here. Hooray!"
-Joan Rivers

"My animal companion, Belinda Barkowitz, loves this book. Belinda is psychic (like most Standard Poodles) and she predicts that dog lovers will buy many copies of The Dog Bible to give to all their friends."
-Erica Jong

"Damn, wish I was your puppy..."
-Sophie B. Hawkins and Skeeter, Huck (mini-Dachshunds) & Virginia Wolff (black Lab)

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Product Details

• Paperback: 704 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (November 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592401325
• ISBN-13: 978-1592401321
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,057 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Latest, Greatest, May 5, 2006

By	Cathi Bower (Whidbey Island, WA) - See all my reviews

Each time I go to use my Dog Bible as reference, I get lost in it, following threads of interest. Enjoying all the latest info, and the author's opinions on subjects from behavior and specific breeds to debate on vaccination. Even dog people who believe in their good understanding (or maybe especially those) of what makes a dog tick, will find a useful perspective in this book! Everyone with or without dogs should have access to the Dogs and Children chapter and Scooby's rules for kids.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 1st time dog owner saved by "The Dog Bible", December 9, 2005

By	A. Baker - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In preparation of adopting my first dog, I spent much time educating myself on the responsibilities of caring for and loving a dog. However, by the end of the first week I was truly overwhelmed. It was then a friend bought me a copy of Hotchner's "The Dog Bible" This insightful and reader friendly book coached me through the steps necessary to build a trusting relationship with my dog. As a dog owner I now feel more comfortable addressing the immediate and long term needs of my pet, and am eager to re-read sections pertaining to the continued development of my dog. Thank You Tracie !!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Who Benefits More?, January 8, 2006

By	Barbara P. McNiff (East Hampton, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Listen and Bebe, my two Beagle companions, seem to think I'm a better guardian since my reading The Dog Bible. And I agree happily but the benefit accrues to them.There is nothing I've ever wanted to know about living with a dog that I haven't found in this book. And to find this abundance of information in such a readable form is a delight.The prose is clear, friendly, informed. Whether you're beginning your life with a canine companion or experiencing the transition of loss and bereavement The Dog Bible can help. For anyone who lives with and loves a dog or knows someone who does, this is the perfect book.