Synopses & Reviews
FROM AMERICA'S MOST CELEBRATED DOG-EXPERTTEAM COMES THIS COMPREHENSIVE, MONTH-BY-MONTH GUIDE
TO RAISING A HAPPY, HEALTHY PUPPY.
The warm belly, the swinging tail, the wet nose, the big brown eyes -- these are just some of the things that make living with a puppy pure bliss. But sometimes it's too easy to forget that a puppy is more than just an adorable plaything: He is like a four-legged child, in need of love, guidance and the best care there is. The first year of a dog's life is roughly equivalent to the first eighteen years of a child's life. It's a crucial time in the development of his behavior, personality and lifetime habits, so it's important to get it right!
Enter The Good Life. In their trademark good-humored, engaging style, Mordecai Siegal and Matthew Margolis take new dog owners by the hand and explain what they should be doing to raise their dogs throughout the first year and beyond. To help along new "parents," the book breaks down the first year into clear time frames with essential information for each developmental stage of a young dog's life. From feeding to housebreaking to behavior problem solving, The Good Life is filled with invaluable tips on every aspect of caring for a puppy. Areas covered include:
Crate-trainingAcclimating your puppy to your
household and to strangers
Fun and instructive play activities for each time frame
Typical behavioral problems of
each stage, and ways to remedy them
Plus: A fully illustrated obedience-training course and a complete housebreaking program that really work!
Comprehensive and easy to follow, The Good Life is the Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care for dogs -- filled with everything owners need to help their puppy become a happy, healthy member of the family.
About the Author
Mordecai Siegal is president emeritus of the Dog Writers Association of America and has written thirty-one books about dogs, cats and horses. He is frequently called upon as a keynote or after-dinner speaker as well as a master of ceremonies at benefits and pet-related events. He has appeared on numerous TV talk shows and has had his own radio talk show in New York. He has written monthly pet columns for
House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping and
Woman's World. The recipient of numerous awards for his writing, he lives in New York City. Please visit the author at www.mordecai.com.
Table of Contents
ContentsIntroduction
- From Birth to Three Months
Before Your Dog Became Your Dog
- The Day Before
The Mamas and the Papas
- The First Twenty-Four Hours
Good-bye, Hello
- Housebreaking Your Dog
Scents and Sensibility
- The First Week
Puppymoon, Keep a-Shinin' on Me
- From Three to Five Months
Days of Wine and Noses
- From Five to Eight Months
Gawky Dog
- From Nine to Twelve Months
Teen for Two
- The First Year and Beyond
Up, Up and Away
- Training Your Dog
Ten Lessons to a Well-Trained Dog
Suggested Reading
Useful Web Sites for Dog Owners
Index