Dr. Marty Becker - Your Dog: The Owners Manual: Hundreds of Secrets, Surprises, and Solutions for Raising a Happy, Healthy Dog

In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

The information and medical advice in this book is not intended to replace the services of a veterinarian. You are advised to consult with your veterinarian regarding matters relating to your dogs health and behavior, and in particular regarding matters which may require diagnosis or medical attention.

Copyright 2011 by Marty Becker

Photograph on copyright 2011 by Susan Farley.

Photograph on copyright 2011 by Gina Spadafori.

All other photographs copyright 2011 by Quicksilver Studios, Coeur dAlene, Idaho

All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the authors intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at permissions@hbgusa.com. Thank you for your support of the authors rights.

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Second e-book edition: May 2012

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ISBN 978-1-609-41932-5

Dr. Marty Becker packs thirty-plus years of veterinary experience and a lifelong love of dogs into an easy-to-read guide to the joys and responsibilities of being the owner your pet deserves.

Robin Ganzert, PhD, president and CEO, American Humane Association

This book has every type of pet parent tip a dog owner needs. The only thing Marty forgot was to remind people to always be nice to your doggies because they have seen you naked.

Joy Behar, host of The Joy Behar Show and co-host of The View

I love dogs, yet being on the road 250 days a year makes it tough to have one. But when I finally get my dog Ill have the answers right at my fingertips. Well done, Dr. Becker!

Ty Pennington, host of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

Loaded with practical, useful informationincluding how to choose a canine companion from a shelter, rescue group, or reputable breeder, while avoiding puppy millsDr. Marty Beckers new book is a must read.

Dr. Steven Hansen, chief operating officer, ASPCA

What a great reference to have on hand! YOUR DOG is such a blessing to all of us dog lovers everywhere. Good advice from someone we can trust.

Betty White, actress

Not only do we learn a lot about the marvelous dogs Dr. Becker has known and loved, we feel like were sitting with him as he tells us stories of his life and family His writing is filled with humor, intelligence, and, most importantly, the wisdom that comes from a life well led.

Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys and October Sky

An easy and fun read We all want a happy dog that is easy to live with. Dr. Marty Becker does a great job shedding light on the foundation necessary to enjoy life with a dog as a part of the family.

Tamar Geller, author of The Loved Dog, founder of Operation Heroes & Hounds

A must-have book for any dog-lover. It provides current facts with helpful recommendations for loving and living with our dogs through their lifespan.

Rebecca Johnson, PhD, RN, FAAN, director, Research Center for Human Animal Interaction, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Missouri

An insightful and positive guide to making the most of life shared with a canine friend encouraging and thorough: Fewer dogs would end up in a shelter if their owners read this book!

Wilma Melville, founder, National Disaster Search Dog Foundation

At last! One commonsense book leading the new pet parent through the sometimes-daunting maze of raising the perfect dog.

Susan Sims, publisher, FIDO Friendly magazine

This is a must-have, one-stop-shop for anyone who has a dog or wants a dog. Rooted in science and written with love, this book will help us all become better people to our dogs.

W. Bruce Cameron, New York Times bestselling author of A Dogs Purpose

Dogs make us human, and with this much at stake you want your dog at your side and this book backing you up.

Michael Capuzzo, bestselling author of The Murder Room and coauthor of Mutts: Americas Dogs

Excellent educational value and practical guidance.

Karen Pryor, author, biologist, CEO KPCT/clickertraining.com

For Reagan Avelle

T imes change, needs change, but what seems to never change is our desire to share our lives with dogs.

That sharing was once based on partnerships. Dogs worked with us to protect our families and property, to help us hunt for and herd our food animals, and to help get us and our goods from one place to another by pulling wagons or sleighs. The dogs bred selectively for these jobs were used to hard physical work, as were our own ancestors. Dog-tired had a real meaning then, for both a working dog and the person who owned the animal.

The change in our relationship with the dog has been astonishingly fast. In less than a single persons lifetimeas my friend Dr. Marty Becker likes to point out, because the lifetime is his own, and my own, toodogs have gone from the farmyard to the backyard to our kitchen to eat and the bedroom to sleep. Ever resourceful and adaptive, dogs have adjusted to the change, in many ways better than we have.

Our own new and mostly sedentary lifestyles, though, have been a challenge to us and to our dogs.

Many of us now think of our dogs as fur children, while even the fluffiest little purse dog has a truer sense that he is, in fact, still a dog. He needs exerciseboth physical and mental. He needs work to do and he needs structure to be happy with his place in the world. When he doesnt get those things, his owner will likely need some help to cope with illnesses and unwanted behaviors.

Thats where veterinarians like me step in, to sort out the problems and offer some solutions to save that relationship, and often, that dog. I do not lack for work, I assure you.

In this book, my friend Dr. Marty Becker offers just what this doctor ordered, with surprises and solutions on every page to address the challenges of keeping a dog with less time and less space than our forebears could ever have imagined. Backed by more than thirty years of hands-on experience along with unquenchable desire to know the latest and the best veterinary medicine has to offer, Dr. Becker puts it all down on paper in his own lively and entertaining style.

The result is truly as advertised: an owners manual that covers it all, from nose to tail and inside and out. A modern guide to the modern dog-lovers life, stressing an educated, science-based, and cooperative approach to keeping everything going smoothly in your life with your dog.