Dogs For Dummies^?, 2nd Edition

by Gina Spadafori; Foreword by: Marty Becker

• ISBN13: 9780764513459
• ISBN10: 0764513451
• Format: eBook
• Copyright: 2001-05-01
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

These days, people's dogs have become bona fide members of the family. Moving from the kennel to the couch, they share our beds, family rooms, and holidays; and they are recipients of our kindest and utmost concern. A pet partnership is a lifetime commitment. Do it right, and your dog will become an important and valuable part of the family for many years. Do it wrong, and you've broken a sacred covenant between humankind and another living being.Dogs For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is for you if you are looking to adopt a dog, trying to improve the relationship with the one you have, or attempting to come up with fun things to do with your canine companion. This book is also for people who want to Choose the right veterinarian Explore the dog-breeding business Find breed-rescue groups Identify canine health problems Look for a purebredIt's a "doggy-dog" world, and this easy-to-use guide will help you navigate it. Improve your chances at pet success by knowing how to raise and live with your dog properly. Discover which breed best suits your lifestyle, and if a puppy or adult dog is best for you. Dogs For Dummies, 2nd Edition, also covers the following topics and more: Caring for an aging dog Choosing collars, harnesses, halters, and leashes Considering euthanasia Feeding Fido the right way House training puppies and adult dogs Keeping up appearances with good grooming Participating in canine competitions Preparing your dog for a disaster Traveling with your dogAward-winning author Gina Spadafori says the lack of accurate information - not the lack of effort or concern - is often the reason for doomed people-pet pairings. With her help, you can avoid the agony. Dogs For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is full of useful tips, how-to advice, illustrations, and photographs (both color and black-and-white). You deserve a healthy, happy, and well-mannered canine companion; and you'll be the owner every pet wants and deserves -informed, responsible, and loving.

Author Biography

Gina Spadafori is an award-winning pet care columnist for the Universal Press Syndicate whose articles have appeared in newspapers across the country. She is coauthor of Cats For Dummies and has written for several national magazines, including the AKC Gazette, the official magazine of the American Kennel Club. Gina currently has her own section in the Pet Care Forum of America Online called "Gina Spadafori's Pet Connection." Her love for animals keeps her active on the board of directors for the Dog Writers Association of America. The DWAA twice awarded her with Best Newspaper Column honors and named Dogs For Dummies as the best general reference of 1996.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. xxiv
Introduction	p. 1
We Love Dogs!	p. 1
We Love Dogs ... to Death, Sometimes	p. 2
How Do Dog Disasters Happen?	p. 2
The awwwwwww factor	p. 3
Puppy love is fleeting	p. 4
A Preventive Approach	p. 4
Improving the Dog You Have	p. 4
Why You Need This Book	p. 5
Becoming an Informed Consumer	p. 5
How This Book Is Organized	p. 6
Icons Used in This Book	p. 7
Some Additional Notes	p. 8
Starting to Think Dog	p. 9
Considering Canine Possibilities	p. 11
Considering Canine Packaging	p. 12
Letting Go of "Love at First Sight"	p. 14
Starting from Scratch	p. 15
Sizing up a breed type	p. 15
Keeping up with your pup	p. 17
Facing up to fur	p. 19
Factoring in intelligence	p. 20
Surfing Canine Cyberspace	p. 21
Narrowing the Field	p. 25
Playing Favorites	p. 26
Mixed Breeds	p. 27
Evaluating Breeds	p. 29
Remember -- no dog is perfect	p. 30
The sporting group	p. 30
The hound group	p. 33
The working group	p. 35
The terrier group	p. 38
The toy group	p. 40
The non-sporting group	p. 42
The herding group	p. 45
A world of other breeds	p. 47
Decisions, Decisions	p. 48
Puppy or grown dog?	p. 49
Male or female?	p. 50
Cost considerations	p. 51
Finding Out about Breeders, Shelters, and Other Sources	p. 53
Welcome to the '90s	p. 53
A different world	p. 54
Different dogs	p. 56
Purebred Puppies: Going to the Source	p. 57
Breeders: The good, the ignorant, the unscrupulous	p. 58
Pet stores: Proceed with caution	p. 66
The Poop on Papers	p. 67
Expanding the Possibilities	p. 69
Shelters: A good choice and a good deed	p. 70
Breed-rescue groups: A first-rate source for purebreds	p. 74
Other Possibilities	p. 75
"Career change" dogs	p. 75
Private parties	p. 76
All the Right Stuff	p. 77
Canine Cuisine	p. 78
The daily diet	p. 79
Treat 'em good	p. 83
Give 'Em Shelter	p. 86
Barriers	p. 87
Dog houses	p. 89
Crates and beds	p. 89
Bowls and Waterers	p. 92
Collars and Leashes	p. 94
The everyday collar	p. 95
Training collars	p. 96
Leashes	p. 99
Lookin' Good	p. 100
Combs and brushes	p. 101
Nail trimmers	p. 102
Shampoos and conditioners	p. 103
Toys	p. 103
Chewies	p. 104
Squeakies	p. 104
Fetchies	p. 105
More Great Gear	p. 106
Pooper scoopers	p. 106
Smell and stain removers	p. 106
Silly stuff	p. 107
Bringing a Puppy or an Adult Dog into Your Life	p. 109
Choosing and Bringing Home Your Puppy	p. 111
Puppy Preparations	p. 112
Puppy-proofing	p. 112
Puppy gear	p. 112
Puppy Picking	p. 113
Working with a breeder	p. 115
Puppy testing	p. 116
Puppy Comes Home	p. 120
The name game	p. 122
Puppy's first night	p. 123
Early Puppy Training	p. 125
Shaping Good Behavior	p. 126
Bonding	p. 126
Socializing	p. 127
Consistency	p. 129
Praise -- and correction	p. 131
Teaching What Every Puppy Should Know	p. 134
Getting used to a collar and leash	p. 134
Grooming	p. 135
Sit for what you want	p. 136
Fixing the Things That Drive Puppy Owners Crazy	p. 138
Chewing	p. 138
Improper greetings: sniffing and jumping	p. 139
Barking	p. 139
Nipping and biting	p. 140
Working through the Rough Spots	p. 141
Puppy Veterinary Care	p. 143
Developing a Healthy Relationship	p. 143
Puppy's First Veterinary Exam	p. 144
Well-Puppy Care	p. 145
Puppy shots?	p. 145
Rabies prevention	p. 146
Parasite control	p. 147
Elective Procedures	p. 147
Tail docks and dewclaw removals	p. 148
Ear crops	p. 148
The Birds, the Bees, and Your Puppy	p. 149
House-Training Puppies (And Dogs)	p. 151
A Positive Approach	p. 152
A Puppy Potty Strategy	p. 154
House-Training the Adult Dog	p. 157
Adopting an Adult Dog	p. 161
The Adult Dog Defined	p. 162
The canine adolescent	p. 163
Young adults	p. 164
"Senior" dogs	p. 164
New Dog Comes Home	p. 165
Introductions	p. 167
Establish a routine	p. 168
Living with Your Dog	p. 173
Maintaining a Happy, Healthy Dog	p. 175
Keeping Up Appearances	p. 176
Brushing and combing	p. 176
Giving a bath	p. 178
Trimming toenails	p. 181
Controlling fleas	p. 182
Controlling ticks	p. 185
Working with Your Veterinarian	p. 186
Choosing a veterinarian	p. 188
Preventing illness	p. 189
Recognizing signs of illness	p. 190
Giving medication	p. 191
Basic Training	p. 195
A Few Words about Aggression	p. 196
Developing the Right Attitude toward Training	p. 197
Keys to Success	p. 199
Be on the same team	p. 200
Be positive	p. 200
Be fair with corrections	p. 200
Be consistent	p. 201
Build on your successes	p. 202
Tools for Teaching	p. 203
Getting your dog's attention	p. 204
Giving praise	p. 205
Maintaining control and giving correction	p. 206
Using a release word	p. 206
Basic Things Every Dog Should Know	p. 208
Sit	p. 208
Down	p. 208
Stay	p. 209
Heel	p. 210
Come	p. 212
Great Things They Don't Teach in Obedience Class	p. 213
Wait	p. 213
Go to your bed	p. 213
Paws up	p. 214
Off	p. 214
Don't touch or leave it	p. 214
Getting Help	p. 215
Problem-Solving	p. 217
Problems from the Inside Out	p. 219
Recipe for Fixing Behavior Problems	p. 220
Ensure good health, inside and out	p. 221
Minimize mischief opportunities	p. 224
Substitute other behaviors	p. 225
Let the situation teach the dog	p. 225
Problems That Often Put Dogs in the Shelter (and Their Solutions)	p. 226
Barking	p. 227
Digging	p. 229
Destructiveness when left alone	p. 229
"Disobedient"	p. 231
New baby worries	p. 231
To Breed or Not To Breed	p. 233
A Case Against Breeding	p. 234
Health and behavior	p. 234
Time and money	p. 235
A Dog-Breeding Primer	p. 237
Mating, gestation, and whelping	p. 238
Raising Good Puppies -- and Finding Good Homes	p. 241
Birth to 3 weeks	p. 242
3 to 5 weeks	p. 243
5 to 7 weeks	p. 244
Finding proper homes	p. 244
Caring for an Aging Dog	p. 247
Special Care for Seniors	p. 248
Nutrition	p. 249
Exercise	p. 249
Dentistry	p. 250
Some Common Problems	p. 252
Reasonable Accommodations	p. 254
Knowing When It's "Time"	p. 255
What if You Go First?	p. 257
Finding Cool Things to Do with Your Dog	p. 259
Traveling with Your Dog	p. 261
Should Your Dog Travel?	p. 262
Health concerns	p. 262
Travel manners	p. 263
What to Do if Your Dog Can't Go with You	p. 264
Prepare for emergencies	p. 265
Consider pet sitters	p. 265
Boarding kennels	p. 267
Travel Preparations	p. 268
The well-equipped travel dog	p. 269
The well-prepared dog lover	p. 270
Travel by Car	p. 271
Making car rides safer	p. 271
Uneasy riders	p. 272
Travel by Air	p. 273
Dog-Friendly Vacations	p. 275
Getting Past "No Dogs" -- It's Possible!	p. 277
Keeping the World Safe for Canine Travelers	p. 279
Canine Competitions	p. 281
The Benefits of Organized Activities	p. 282
Making Sense of It All	p. 283
Dog Shows	p. 284
Obedience Trials	p. 286
Working Events	p. 288
Field trials	p. 288
Sled dog events	p. 289
Protection dog events	p. 289
Herding dog events	p. 289
New Sports for the '90s -- and Beyond	p. 289
Agility	p. 290
Flyball	p. 290
Freestyle obedience	p. 291
Flying disk competitions	p. 291
Getting Started	p. 291
Choose a sport	p. 291
Take a class, join a club	p. 293
Making the connections	p. 293
Keeping Things in Perspective	p. 294
The Part of Tens	p. 295
Ten Dog Myths -- Debunked!	p. 297
One Dog Year Is Equal to Seven Human Years	p. 297
A Hot, Dry Nose Means a Fever	p. 299
A Dog Should Go through One Season before Being Spayed	p. 299
Spaying and Neutering Makes Dogs Fat	p. 299
If a Dog Scoots on His Rear, He Has Worms	p. 300
A Dog's Mouth Is Cleaner than a Human's	p. 300
Dogs Eat Grass When Their Stomachs Are Upset	p. 301
Adding Oil to a Dog's Diet Solves Skin Problems	p. 301
Brewer's Yeast and Garlic Control Fleas	p. 302
A Barking Dog Won't Bite	p. 302
Ten Ways to Have Both a Dog and a Nice Yard	p. 305
Give Your Dog Lots of Exercise	p. 305
Give Your Dog Mental Stimulation	p. 306
Keep Potty Areas Separate from Ornamental Gardens	p. 307
Don't Leave Dogs Unsupervised in the Yard	p. 307
Put Special Plants in Safer Places	p. 308
Discourage Digging	p. 308
Teach the Wait Command	p. 309
Give Your Dog Space of His Own	p. 310
Work with the Patterns in Your Yard	p. 311
Keep Things in Perspective	p. 311
Ten Things You Need to Know to Prepare Your Dog for a Disaster	p. 313
Have a Plan	p. 314
Know What Your Veterinarian's Plans Are	p. 314
Maintain Your Pet's Permanent and Temporary ID	p. 315
Keep Vaccinations -- and Records -- Current	p. 315
Have Restraints Ready	p. 315
Rotate a Supply of Food, Water, and Medications	p. 316
Keep First Aid Supplies on Hand -- with Directions	p. 316
Know the Locations of Other Veterinary Hospitals -- and Animal Shelters	p. 317
Keep a "Lost Dog" Kit Ready	p. 317
Be Prepared to Help Others	p. 317
Ten Silly Tricks to Teach Your Dog	p. 319
Shake Hands	p. 320
Roll Over	p. 320
Beg	p. 321
Jump Through (Or Over)	p. 321
Carry and Fetch	p. 322
Speak	p. 324
Find	p. 325
Spin	p. 326
Dance	p. 326
Say Your Prayers	p. 326
Ten Questions to Ask When Buying a Purebred Puppy	p. 327
How Long Have You Been in This Breed, and What Others Have You Bred?	p. 328
What Are the Congenital Defects in This Breed?	p. 328
What Steps Have You Taken to Decrease Congenital Defects in Your Dogs?	p. 328
Do You Have the Parents on Site? May I See Them?	p. 329
What Are the Good and Bad Points of the Parents, and What Titles Do They Have? Will You Explain Their Pedigrees?	p. 329
Where Were These Puppies Raised?	p. 330
How Have You Socialized These Puppies?	p. 330
How Have You Evaluated These Puppies?	p. 330
What Guarantees Do You Provide?	p. 331
When Can I Take My Puppy Home?	p. 331
Ten Must-See Dog Sites on the World Wide Web	p. 333
Blue Dog Can Count	p. 333
Dog Term Glossary	p. 334
Dave's and Other Dog Lists	p. 335
She Ate What?	p. 336
The Mother of All Canine Web Sites	p. 336
Cutting-Edge Net Vets	p. 337
For Purebreds Only ... Mostly	p. 338
And Now a Word from a Shelter	p. 339
Good Dog (-e-zine)!	p. 340
Bully!	p. 340
Oh, What an Exciting Web We Weave	p. 340
Additional Resources	p. 341
Breed Registries	p. 341
United States and Canada	p. 341
Other countries	p. 341
International Organizations	p. 341
General-Interest Canine Publications	p. 342
Annuals	p. 342
Magazines and newspapers	p. 342
Pet-Supply Sources	p. 342
Index	p. 345
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