It's a Dog's World: The Savvy Guide to Four-Legged Living

Book DescriptionLet's face it, fellow dog lover: Your pets are like your grandchildren (with fur). Pets bring endless joy to our lives: When we're down, they lift our spirits. When they're sick, we're sick at heart. We let them have the run of the house --but the unconditional love and loyalty they give back is so wonderful that we want them to have the best of everything. Now Wendy Diamond, pet-lifestyle expert and avid animal rescue advocate, has written a sassy yet practical guide to help you and your four-legged family member live a happy, healthy, and fulfilling life together. Written with her beloved Maltese, Lucky, It's a Dog's World shows dog moms and dog dads how to get their precious pooches from shaggy to chic and offers savvy breed-specific advice on a variety of topics you may never have considered for your pet, including: * puppercise--keep Fido fit with fun puppy exercises, from the traditional to the more modern ("doga," anyone?), that are tailored for each breed's unique needs * doggie diet tips--the lowdown on the dog chow that packs the biggest nutritional punch, the trick on organic treats, foods to avoid, and such yummy (in your dog's opinion) recipes as doggie meatloaf* home, sweet dog home--smart choices for flooring and furniture, avoiding hidden household hazards, litter training, and a few tools that keep everyday pet messes to a minimum* travel tips--including the ideal dog carriers, paw-blic transportation, the most accommodating airlines, hotel petiquette, and the best destinations* paw-ty with your pooch--having fun with other furry friends at Mutt Makeovers® and bark mitzvahs, plus hosting your own Yappy Hour® with signature puptails (to benefit your local Humane Society) * choosing Mr. (or Ms.) Ruff--finding a dog well suited to you and your family, from spunky sporting dogs to hypoallergenic hounds* here comes the groom--bathing secrets, pawdicures, and dental health* fashion sense--keep it classy and comfortable, from fetching couture trends and snazzy doggie bags to casual dog-park wear for you and your pooch* and of course the pet lifestyle is about much more than just designer doggie duds--learn what you need to know about helping other dogs in need through fostering, donating, or adopting Complete with "Dear Lucky" letters from other dogs and tips for humans from the doggie perspective, this fun and entertaining guide is for anyone whose life has blissfully gone to the dogs. A Look Inside It's a Dog's World I recommend this book Gunner May, 2010

Whether it's your first time or your seventh time raising a dog, your bound to have a lot of questions. Dogs have a lot in common with humans and so raising them involves a lot of common sense. However, there is a good deal to the proper rearing of the average canine that requires research and insight. "It's a Dog's World" offers the Tips and Tricks that will hopefully fill any gaps in knowledge you may have when it comes to tending to your new or old best (4 legged) friend. The advice and experiences related by Wendy Diamond are both useful and moderately entertaining. Having owned 5 dogs so far, I was surprised by how much I learned from this book. The first chapter regarding exercise, made some excellent points and would be helpful for anyone to read before they select a breed. Yet, attempting to cover so much ground in one book neccessitates skimming over some topics. This is not a go-to-reference for everything dog related. Also those living in manhattan or similarly packed city may find this book more tailored to them than for readers in a rural locale. Important, information-dense blocks of text are set apart with grey backgrounds, making it easy to return for future reference. There's a handy table showing what foods may be poisonous to your dog. These bordered intrusions added a lot to the book and I'm sure I'll go back and read many of them over again. However organization is an obstacle. The blocks of text, while easy to find, are obtrusive, and would have been better left to an appendix or the end of each chapter. I'd recommend "It's a Dog's World" to anyone with a dog, but espeically to those in more urban environments. The average prospective dog owner would do best with investing in a guide of dog breeds before they make their big decisions; and, a couple books specifically about training and rearing should take priority. While Wendy Diamond has put together a good amount of well-researched information to help dog owners, the meat of this book is based upon her personal doggy experiences.

I wish I would have had this book when I adopted my German shepherd four years ago. As a complete dog newbie, I sought out every book on the subject of how to raise a happy, healthy puppy, how to train, what to feed her, how to keep her safe. I went through a lot of books, and a lot of them were either informative or entertaining, but rarely both. Wendy Diamond has written a book that is both informative and entertaining, with a lot of wisdom and knowledge to give to a new dog parent, without being overwhelming. She covers everything from choosing the right dog for your life, to exercising with your dog, to discipline (so important!), to keeping your dog out of trouble in the kitchen, and really living with and making your dog a part of your family and your life, as opposed to being a fur-covered entity who's tied outside to bark at the neighbors. For one, I very much appreciated that tone of loving a dog wholeheartedly and letting that dog share every aspect of your life, that it's okay to let the dog on the furniture and to get hair and noseprints on everything. And there are sections and "letters" from Wendy Diamond's dog Lucky that are both cute and funny. That's how the tone of this book stays, even with the section on saying goodbye. (Not that Diamond laughs it up over losing a pet, but she limits the "goodbye" section to a few paragraphs, and leaves you with the fact that Pope John Paul II declared that dogs do have souls and do, in fact, go to heaven- tremendously comforting to someone who's lost a pet.) I can't say enough good about this "Savvy Guide to Four-Legged Living," especially if you're just embarking on your pup-parent adventure. Think of it as a friend you can call on when your bundle of fuzzy joy takes a whiz on the living room carpet, or when you're not sure of how or where to travel with your dog. I didn't have this book when I first got my dog, but I'll reference it a lot, now that I do have it.

I think the only thing missing in this book was advice on draining a dog's anal sack. Fortunately our local vet may be able to answer that question for this new small dog owner as our beautiful pooch does not have a pet coat that requires a professional groomer. I would agree it is fun to dress up your pet on occasion and some items are needed in the care of certain dog breeds while others are not. The author does a very good job of saying when too much of a good thing does nothing to please your pet. Animals generally do not desire to be a fashion accessory but they do sometimes get treated like one. I am glad to see the author does not advocate that practice. I will likely not be throwing my dog a party such as a bark mitzvah but I was impressed by the use of dog related social gatherings as fundraisers for local shelters and I may even give the doggie treat recipe a try. The mutt makeover section was a must read. Excellent insights offered on the types of dog behaviour that is common among the different breeds and great tips on getting an overweight pooch in shape. The travel tips will also come in handy in the future. Overall, the book offers a little something for everyone and makes a nice addition to any one's pet care library.

Why not 5 stars, you ask? Well, I'm not the average critter parent, and, by its comprehensive nature, "World" contains info on the importance of nutrition and exercise that I found tedious. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the wordplay and puns on every page!! For example, on p. 84 of my copy, "Lucky has been after me lately to get her a brother or sister who's a Shih Tzu crossed with a bulldog--I figure the result has to be a Bull Shih." ROFL *snork* It sounds like something I'd say!! In addition, I found the travel information most interesting; while I never go anywhere, I have a severely disabled cat that loves to travel, and I dream of taking her on real trips sometime. Now I'll have lots of real information to dream with. LOL!