The Dog Owner's Manual
The Dog Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Troubleshooting Tips, and Advice on Lifetime Maintenance
Author: David Brunner, Sam Stall, and Jude Buffum
Genre: Non-Fiction
Pages: 224
Final Thoughts: Good info, clever format, funny pictures.
Some might accuse me of never reading non-fiction on my own (i.e. not required by school work), and I'd just like to say that the next few weeks' worth of reviews will debunk that myth. You see, it's not that I don't read non-fiction. It's mostly that I seldom read *entire* non-fiction books - the true medical horror stories and other memoirs really just aren't my cup of tea, which means most of my non-fiction reading ends up being research, which means I find what I need and then I move on.
It will shortly become clear that I'm researching dogs and various elements of raising puppies. This is because we recently acquired such an animal, and responsibly caring for it is high on my list of priorities. So. You get dog care book reviews. Aren't you happy?
I have to say that I picked this one off the library shelf because it looked fun and modern, which is more than one can say for about 75% of the rest of my options. It is, in fact, quite new (only 3 years old) and is very fun. My husband started reading it mostly because he flipped through to look at the schematic-style illustrations, which consistently made him laugh.
It's got a really nice balance between concise, useful information (like emergency first aid and quick references for food and plants that are harmful to dogs) and a brief overview of all the basics, from differences in breeds to basic training techniques and more. And it's all worded like a car or electronics manual, which injects a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek humor to the whole thing. I already mentioned the clever illustrations.
We're seriously considering buying this one, both for its potential as a bathroom book and the practical value of having a good general reference in the house.
Book #59