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Author’s Note - Why another dog book?

Simply because there is a need for up-to-date information on the care and training of our fast-growing dog population.

When I became Manager of the Bide-A-Wee Home for Animals in 1951, there were 20 million dogs in the United States. In 1956, when I joined the staff of the Gaines Dog Research Center, the dog population jumped to over 23 mil­lion. Now we have more than 25 million dogs. And the dog population shows signs of increasing.

01. Instincts - The dog is a remarkable animal. Consider this unusual trait: he is the only animal that gives his friendship and loyalty for nothing more than a word of praise or a scratch behind the ears. He is unique among all other animals in this respect.

Man and dog have been friends for more than 10,000 years. It has been a lasting friendship, starting out as a col­laboration for mutual benefit. The dog volunteered his serv­ices as a hunting companion, and was tossed a bone or chunk of meat for his help.

02. Selecting Your Dog - The right dog can be a source of fun and companionship for many years. But the wrong dog may well turn out to be a nuisance and cause of family dissension. So, give some serious thought to the matter of picking your dog. Avoid a spur-of-the-moment choice. And don't dash out to buy a certain breed just because it's in fashion or you've been impressed by a dog in a television show. Remember, with reasonable care your dog will be a part of your life for ten to twelve years. That's a long time to live with a mistake.

03. New Puppy - Raising a puppy is a comparatively simple project, providing you make liberal use of patience and common sense. The young puppy cannot be expected to act like a grown dog; he needs direction and supervision. But the pup will quickly grow up and the period of close daily supervision becomes correspondingly shorter as the puppy matures. Naturally, raising a young puppy will cause some changes in your life and home. Whether these changes are pleasant or unpleasant depends largely on you and the regime you set for the puppy.

04. Dog Nutrition - Query a dozen dog breeders as to what they feed their dogs and you'll more than likely get a dozen different answers. You'll find the subject of dog feeding very similar to politics; it will start an argument most any time. How and what you feed your dog are for you to decide. But while the dog ex­perts don't agree on the how and what of dog feeding, they do agree on the basic nutritive requirements of the dog.

05. Grooming - A regular grooming will keep your dog clean, free from para­sites and improve his general appearance. The grooming period will also enable you to keep a check on the condition of the dog's skin, coat, ears, eyes and teeth.

It's best to set a definite time for the grooming period. It doesn't have to be every day, but can be two or three times a week; certainly not less than once a week. Young puppies will need to be cleaned more often than older dogs, but as the pup matures, he can go on a semiweekly grooming routine.

06. Basic Training - Up until now, your puppy's training has consisted of a series of corrections when he erred. You've been pointing out his mistakes after he's committed them. When he jumps on the furniture, you push him off and tell him "No!" If he misses his newspapers and stains your rug, you reprimand him with a stern "No!" and rush him, belatedly, over to the news­papers. He's lived and grown in a world of "do's" and "don'ts" and it's all been very bewildering for the young pup. But the time has come when the pup needs to be taught simple commands that will permit you to guide his actions. These simple commands are what we will call the pup's formal training.

07. City Dog - In Chapter 1, we mentioned that his willingness to serve man has put the dog in a position of dependency. The degree of dependency varies according to where the dog lives. And this leads us to the often-asked question: "Should dogs be kept in the city?"

The subject of keeping a dog in the city has many sup­porters and objectors. The supporters say dogs don't mind where they live, just so long as they can be with their mas­ters.

08. Country Dog - Suburbia (called "disturbia" by its critics) is a land of gracious living. Thousands of ranch and split-level houses are set on quarter- and half-acre plots. Communities have materialized in an astonishingly short time on former pasture land or farm wasteland. People who once lived in cramped city apart­ments now live in style. They own a car, a patio and maybe a plastic swimming pool. And they keep dogs.

09. Problem Dogs - Since our domestic animals are usually confined or restrained, they are susceptible to abnormal behavior. And the dog is no exception. We've taken the dog and forced him to live under all kinds of unnatural conditions. Many of these conditions lead to abnormal behavior or neuroses. You have learned in the early chapters the importance of environment in the early development of the puppy. Environment is also a vital factor in the mature dog's behavior.

10. Dog Law - Your dog doesn't recognize any man-made laws. As far as he is concerned, he is subject only to those natural laws dealing with food, mating and self-preservation. Therefore, you are responsible for his actions. As a dog owner, you are liable for any damage done by your dog to a person, property or the welfare of the community.

11. Dog’s Body - A general knowledge of your dog's body and how it functions will prove helpful in his daily care. It will also be useful in giving the location of wounds or symptoms to the veteri­narian over the telephone.

First, let us consider the nature of the dog. He is a hunter and scavenger. He comes from a long line of carnivorous animals, tracing back more than 40 million years to the Eocene epoch.

12. Dog Diseases - Dogs, like human beings, are susceptible to various bacterial, viral and protozoan diseases. There are four major dog dis­eases that are capable of reaching epidemic proportions and resulting in a high mortality rate. They are distemper, rabies, leptospirosis and canine infectious hepatitis. These diseases are the "Big Four"—the scourges of dogdom. Of the four, dis­temper is the most widespread.

13. Ailments - While the Big Four diseases are the most important and dan­gerous, there are other diseases and ailments that require prompt attention. Some of the diseases and ailments in this chapter are chronic and affect older dogs; others may be acute or chronic and affect all dogs. In some cases you can help clear up the condition, while in others both you and the veterinarian will work as a team to cure the dog.

14. Internal Parasites - All animals harbor internal parasites. Some of these parasites, such as the intestinal flora, are beneficial. Others, such as the protozoa and worms, can cause severe damage and even death, if left unchecked. Dogs come in for a share of these internal parasites. Of the two major types of internal parasites infest­ing dogs—worms and protozoa—worms are by far the most common and troublesome.

15. Fleas + Lice - Some wag once remarked that the best way to keep a city dog from becoming bored in an apartment was to load him with fleas. That way the dog would be so busy scratching, he wouldn't have time to complain about being lonesome. The person who made the remark didn't know much about dogs or fleas. Nor did he know that fleas are not adverse to con­gregating on and taking bites out of human beings.

16. Skin Conditions - In addition to irritations caused by fleas, lice and ticks, dogs are often plagued by chronic or acute skin conditions and disease. There are various causes of skin diseases, among them mites, fungi, faulty metabolism, poor diet and allergy. Vet­erinarians probably treat more cases involving the skin than any other single disease.

17. First Aid - First aid is the immediate and temporary help you can give your dog in case of an accident. Do what you can to save the dog's life, then get him to a veterinarian. Don't try to do more than you know.

There are some minor wounds, injuries and accidents in which you may be able to do all. that is necessary. But if you are in doubt as to their severity—and we'll repeat a previous warning—let the veterinarian take over.

18. Sick Dog - Intelligent home nursing and professional veterinary advice will speed your dog's recovery from a serious illness or injury. When the veterinarian discharges the dog from the hospital and commits him to your care, it will be up to you to give medicine, administer to the dog's daily needs and nurse him through his convalescence. The veterinarian expects you to see to it that the dog gets his medicine and he will also expect you to keep him informed of the dog's progress. Fortified with the information in this chapter, you will be able to do a competent job of nursing your dog back to health.

19. Mating - Mating, while a perfectly natural action, is not always as simple as you would think. Inexperienced dogs, most often the male, have difficulty in consummating the sexual act. True, most males readily mount a female and go through the motions of the sexual act, but they fail to penetrate the female. On the other hand, nervous bitches may make it difficult for the male to copulate. They may refuse to stand for the male or they snap at him, thus not only making things difficult, but discouraging him. These are some of the com­plications of mating

20. Newborn Pups - Thousands of dogs give birth to litters of puppies every year with little or no difficulty. Occasionally, there are difficult deliveries, stillborn pups and Caesarian sections. With a little knowledge of the whelping process and possible difficulties, you will be in a better position to handle an emergency.

Puppies are usually born between the 61st and 65th day after conception, with the average time being 63 days. If your bitch goes beyond the 65th day without any signs of labor, consult your veterinarian.

21. Aging Dog - Aging in dogs, as in human beings, is composed of gradual and constant biological changes. The aging process begins when the dog is born and continues until his death. While the dog is always aging, the process becomes more noticeable after the dog reaches 6 or 7 years of age. Now, this doesn't necessarily mean that a 6- or 7-year-old dog is decrepit or senile; far from it, many dogs this age are very alert and active. But age is upon them. The 6- or 7-year-old dog may be compared to a 40-year-old person: both have telltale signs of age.

THE END