How to Give Your Dog a Real Dog’s Life

And make him love you for doing it!

Reviewed by Stephen Brayton for Readers’ Favorite

Owen Jones writes a guide for the dog owner or the dog owner to-be. Simple and basic information to keep in mind before buying a dog, during the welcoming home process, and after the dog has settled in. For the person thinking about buying a dog, he asks a pretty important question – why? Why do you want a dog? From there, he moves into the choices of breeds, preparing your home before the dog arrives, preparing a place for the dog whether a bed indoors, or house outside. Daily routine is necessary to acclimatize the dog to the new surroundings and Jones helps the owner give the dog a dog’s life by discussing proper food, grooming, bathing, and nail clipping. Then he helps the owner understand the dog and what it might be communicating with barks and body language. He helps the owner with problems like snoring, what to do when you go on vacation, and common pests (ticks, fleas, worms, mosquitoes) that can plague the health of the dog. In later chapters, the topics of RFID chips and insurance are discussed.

As I mentioned, this is basic information and easy to understand. Jones keeps the discussions light and the chapters short. One area he did not touch upon was regular vet visits although he did encourage the owners to contact the vet should any problems arise. I thought the chapters on ID chips and training were especially helpful. Plus, he adds some personal references to his own dog and, throughout, keeps encouraging fun and happiness for both owner and pet. Other bits I found enjoyable were how the dog relates to other humans and dogs (hierarchy, running in packs) and how the owner can be the alpha. I think this book would be great for parents to share with their children to help them understand and care for the dog. This is a nice, fun little book that is a handy reference guide.