Product Description

Now completed updated in this new edition, here is the definitive book on a cherished member of 38% of households in the United States. The Dog is a comprehensive guide to four areas of compelling interest:
? The bond between dogs and humans
? Canine behavior
? Canine health and disease
? Canine nutrition

Writing in a clear, understandable way, author Linda Case explains selective breeding, training principles, solutions to common behavior problems, preventive health care, and diet that will enhance the human–dog bond for owners. Distinctive figures and tables, complete lists of current references plus suggested readings, and a glossary aid comprehension.

More in–depth than most dog books available, The Dog fills a need for a text in undergraduate companion animal courses, veterinary technician courses, and dog care/training courses and is an indispensable resource for professional breeders, trainers, exhibitors, and veterinary clinicians

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #231635 in Books
• Published on: 2005-07-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 479 pages

From the Back Cover
Now completed updated in this new edition, here is the definitive book on a cherished member of 38% of households in the United States. The Dog is a comprehensive guide to four areas of compelling interest:
· The bond between dogs and humans
· Canine behavior
· Canine health and disease
· Canine nutrition

Writing in a clear, understandable way, author Linda Case explains selective breeding, training principles, solutions to common behavior problems, preventive health care, and diet that will enhance the human–dog bond for owners. Distinctive figures and tables, complete lists of current references plus suggested readings, and a glossary aid comprehension.

More in–depth than most dog books available, The Dog fills a need for a text in undergraduate companion animal courses, veterinary technician courses, and dog care/training courses and is an indispensable resource for professional breeders, trainers, exhibitors, and veterinary clinicians

About the Author
Linda P. Case earned her B.S. in Animal Science at Cornell University and her M.S. in Canine/Feline Nutrition at the University of Illinois. She teaches companion animal science and behavior in the Animal Sciences Department and at the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois. She owns AutumnGold Consulting, which provides support and technical writing services in companion animal care, behavior, and nutrition. She and her husband own and operate AutumnGold Dog Training Center, in Mahomet, IL. Linda is a member of Delta Society, the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT), the American Society of Animal Scientists (ASAS), and is a certified instructor with the National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). She and her husband share their lives with three dogs and three cats and enjoy distance running, hiking and traveling with their dogs.

Customer Reviews

Best in Show
At last companion animal professionals, dog owners, and adoption counselors have a superb comprehensive reference source for canine development and physiology, learning theory, behavior, health and disease, and nutrition, all in a single volume. Previously it was necessary to have on hand several books, each covering one or at most two of these topics. While the primary audience for The Dog is undergraduate students in animal sciences programs and other students in professional programs, the book readily serves a broader audience of breeders, trainers, kennel operators, humane society personnel, and veterinarians, and it is entirely accessible to the general dog-owning public. Separate sections on the benefits and responsibilities of dog ownership and factors to consider in selecting a dog make the volume particularly valuable for shelter personnel, adoption counselors, and anyone considering acquiring a dog.

Case combines academic credentials as a specialist in companion animal nutrition (her previous book is Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 1995) with training and long experience as a behaviorist, dog trainer, and college educator. Not surprisingly, the chapters on nutrition are thorough yet concise, offering important information otherwise unavailable to the non-specialist interested in the nutritional needs of dogs and in industry practices of dog food formulation and production. The sections on behavior provide cogent explanations of developmental stages, communication signals, social interaction, the principles of learning, and training techniques, as well as an excellent overview of behavior problems. Case's balanced and incisive discussion of the dominance model of social interaction (and its misuses) is particularly welcome.

At $34.95, the volume is priced between a college textbook (many of which now cost twice this price) and a trade book. In fact, we can be grateful to the Iowa State University Press for keeping the cost of this excellent volume within reach of the general public. Separate works on canine behavior, nutrition, and health would easily exceed the cost of this publication. The Dog is hardcover, beautifully illustrated with line drawings, and includes an extensive bibliography of recommended readings, a glossary, and an index. Volunteer adoption counselors at the Champaign County (IL) Humane Society are highly encouraged to read The Dog to expand their knowledge of topics frequently raised in the course of counseling adopters. A companion volume on cats is reportedly in the works, and we at CCHS eagerly await its publication. --Mary Stuart (Mary Stuart is a former member of the CCHS Board of Directors and has taught adoption counseling to shelter staff and volunteers for the past 10 years.)