Puppy's First Year as Told in Educational Story That All Dog Owners Can Appreciate

Dog lovers will find Alexandra Horowitz's delightful story The Year of the Puppy-How a Puppy Becomes Your Dog to be an engaging read with a wealth of advice for raising your puppy in the first year. Horowitz was privileged to meet and engage with a litter of puppies from the day they were born and into their first year. Both science and adventurous ideas are part of her book about raising a healthy puppy to be a healthy dog. Many people will find the idea of adopting a puppy to be one that they can readily handle. They soon find out that this may not be as easy as they thought. Horowitz's book is an eye-opening read and highly recommended for anyone who is thinking of adopting a puppy.

Puppies come with many types of personalities. She writes that "committing to taking on a lifetime of responsibility for another creature is no casual matter." This idea is crucial for anyone who is thinking of adopting or purchasing a dog. Animal shelters can attest to this concept in that many people will adopt a dog from the shelter and return it weeks or months after because they cannot handle the day-to-day life with the dog. Horowitz begins her book with the fact that she wanted to actually follow the development of the new puppy that she and her family adopted through all the life stages and provide both scientific and fun facts about how your puppy becomes your dog.

Horowitz traces her puppy Quid's development from the time she arrives in her home. She recounts many events that pet parents who have raised a puppy will certainly relate to. She admits to having the thought " we made a mistake" when she wonders if Quid's personality will be her personality forever in the beginning months.

Horowitz takes the reader through all phases of your puppy's first year. She includes an amusing list of what your puppy might chew. She also includes a comprehensive list of things that you should notice about your puppy.

She concludes her story with a piece of advice that all pet parents might relate to and that people who will adopt a puppy should file into their brain. "Requirements: 1. Expect that your puppy will not be who you think, nor act as you hope." This is the most important requirement for new pet parents.

The Year of the Puppy-How a Puppy Becomes Your Dog is recommended for ages 8-12, but pet parents who bring a puppy into their home will also find this to be an informative and engaging read. It was published by Viking, a division of Penguin/Random House. It has an ISBN of 978-0-593-35130-7.

Pet parents who are thinking of adopting a dog for a new family member will want to add this educational and fun read to their family's bookshelf. It is recommended for ages 8-12 and if you have older children, it makes a great read for them to learn to be a responsible pet owner.

*Take the time to research a breed that will be a good family member for your family's lifestyle. Many people who believe that they might want a large dog soon learn that large breeds are not appropriate for their family's lifestyle. Horowitz describes her visit to a do shelter and concludes that she actually wants them all, but she knows that this is not realistic. Many people who visit a shelter will experience this same feeling. Take the time to ensure that you choose the right dog.

*Ensure that you have all of the items needed to take care of your new puppy.

*Read the adventures of socializing your dog.

Alexandra Horowitz has made a living by observing dogs and publishing comprehensive research findings about our beloved pets. She has twenty years of experience in studying dogs. Her study continues today at the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College. She is also the author of Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know and three other books: On Looking: Being a Dog, and Our Dogs, Ourselves.