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Title: Puppy's First Steps: The Whole-Dog Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, Well-Behaved Puppy
ISBN: 1400154650
Author:
Publicate Date: 2007-06-01
Publish: 2007-06-01
List Price: $24.99
Average Customer Rating: 4.0
Format: MP3 CD
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $15.04
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $16.24
Amazon Merchant Price: $24.99
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Excellent book
If you, like me, have no idea on what to do with a new puppy, this is the perfect book for you too.
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2: Excellent Resource Based on Scientific Data (not "opinion")
On the subject of raising dogs there are as many opinions as there are, well, dogs. Internet's full of 'em. Several of the negative reviews of this book have one thing in common: The reviewers differ *in opinion* with the scientifically based positions taken by the authors. Example: One reviewer scoffed that the book does not support alternative dog/puppy food alternatives, e.g. raw, or "home cooked". First of all, the book clearly supports their position on that with numerous, significant, fact-based rationale. The critic offers no evidence to support her counter-claims. Advice on socialization requirements and methods are also supported. And so on throughout the book. Perhaps those who rate the book poorly because they have a different opinion should offer a link to some scientific evidence and/or alternative book to back up their claims?
Regarding the narrator of the book on tape, yes his voice and reading method are somewhat unusual, however I would not classify him as sounding like "sociopathic killer". That's a little unfair. I don't know if I could necessarily sit down with the intent of just listening to the book from beginning to end, but I have been listening to the book on CD on my commute to and from work and while driving around town and find it's quite pleasant in that venue. After all, this is a textbook, not a novel. The narrator is trying to convey information clearly. The concerns regarding being able to locate content on the CD's are valid. Many times I've wanted to re-hear a part, and had to listen to the entire track again, but my current CD player does not have a fast-forward or reverse option. My previous car did have that and it made short work of those issues.
My wife and I just got a bullmastiff puppy and have found this book to be extremely helpful. It starts out as many such books do, advising you on the commitment required in having a puppy: According to the book 1/2 of all puppies don't make it to their second birthday in the home they started out in. The authors lament this fact and clearly are trying to give you sound advice that will benefit both you and the dog. They move on to describing health care, food requirements (they very clearly spell out what to look for on the dog food packages), socialization, how your dog sees the world (how their senses differ from ours), etc., etc.
Sure, there are some parts on the CD's that you'd skip over if you were reading. Perhaps not. We found it all interesting. If that doesn't appeal to you, get the book not the CD. Better yet, check it out at the library first, and if you like it, then get it here.
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3: Audiobook version review
This book does not translate at all into audiobook form. If you are interested in the content, purchase the print book. As a very long and thorough reference manual covering many topics, it is near impossible to reference needed information on CD's. Some information is in list format which is tedious to listen to. For example, the book gives detailed information on every single dog breed. This is information you want to look up based on your dog's breed, but you do not want to listen to hundreds of other breed information. The CD's do not have track titles so it is even harder to navigate the information. The narrator also has a monotonous and actually sort of creepy voice. His voice reminded me of what a sociopathic kidnapper might sound like if he was trying to lure a child into his car.
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4: Not the best puppy book
As a longtime breeder of purebred dogs I wanted to like this book but it has too many flaws to recommend it to a new puppy owner. The book is written by a committee of veterinary specialists from Tufts and it clearly suffers from that multiple author approach. Several chapters are well worth reading such as socialization, pet insurance the first aid kit are some that I would recommend but others such as the discussion of puppy nutrition, the Tufts temperament test, young children are not complete or contain incorrect information. It would be nice to have a single book to recommend to puppy owners that would cover all aspects of puppy ownership including veterinary care, training, development, health problems, etc. This is NOT THAT BOOK.
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5: Informative, yet easy to read!
I heard the author speak on NPR and thought it was worth reading his book, since I am buying a new puppy. Being a first time owner, I really wanted to know what I was getting into. The book is quite comprehensive starting from the very first day and extending far beyond. I have been able to fly through it and it is not boring like you might think a manual might be. Chapters are well organized so you can skip over non applicable items and move forward... Really gives you a good idea of all the work, time, and effort that goes into good pet ownership.
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