Pukka's Promise : The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs

__From the best-selling author who offers “the most utterly compelling translation of dog to human I have ever seen” (Jeffrey Masson), a joyful chronicle of a dog that is also a groundbreaking answer to the question: How can we give our dogs the happiest, healthiest lives?__When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle — who died too soon, as all our dogs do — he knew that he would want to give his puppy Pukka the longest life possible. But how to do that? So much has changed in the way we feed, vaccinate, train, and live with our dogs from even a decade ago.In an adventure that echoes __The Omnivore’s Dilemma__ with a canine spin, Kerasote tackles all those subjects, questioning our conventional wisdom and emerging with vital new information that will surprise even the most knowledgeable dog lovers. Can a purebred be as healthy as a mixed-breed? How many vaccines are too many? Should we rethink spaying and neutering? Is raw food really healthier than kibble, and should your dog be chewing more bones? Traveling the world and interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, Kerasote pulls together the latest research to help us rethink the everyday choices we make for our companions. And as he did in __Merle's Door__, Kerasote interweaves fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his dog friends in their small Wyoming village. Funny, revelatory, and full of the delights of falling in love with a dog, __Pukka’s Promise__ will help redefine the potential of our animal partners. This guide by the author of Merle’s Door is “beneficial for anyone who wants to ensure that their dogs will be healthy and well ” ( Seattle Post-Intelligencer ). From the bestselling author who offers “the most utterly compelling translation of dog to human I have ever seen” (Jeffrey Masson), this is a joyful chronicle of a dog and a groundbreaking answer to the question: How can we give our dogs the happiest, healthiest lives? When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle—who died too soon, as all our dogs do—he knew he wanted to give his puppy Pukka the longest life possible. But how to do that? So much has changed in the way we feed, vaccinate, train, and live with our dogs from even a decade ago. In an adventure that echoes The Omnivore’s Dilemma with a canine spin, Kerasote tackles these subjects, questioning our conventional wisdom and emerging with vital new information that will surprise even the most knowledgeable dog lovers. Can a purebred be as healthy as a mixed breed? How many vaccines are too many? Should we rethink spaying and neutering? Is raw food really healthier than kibble, and should your dog be chewing more bones? Traveling the world and interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, Kerasote pulls together the latest research to help us rethink the everyday choices we make for our companions. And as he did in Merle’s Door , Kerasote interweaves fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his dog friends in their small Wyoming village. Funny, revelatory, and full of the delights of falling in love with a dog, Pukka’s Promise will help redefine the potential of our animal partners.

From the best-selling author who offers “the most utterly compelling translation of dog to human I have ever seen” (Jeffrey Masson), a joyful chronicle of a dog that is also a groundbreaking answer to the question: How can we give our dogs the happiest, healthiest lives?

When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle — who died too soon, as all our dogs do — he knew that he would want to give his puppy Pukka the longest life possible. But how to do that? So much has changed in the way we feed, vaccinate, train, and live with our dogs from even a decade ago.

In an adventure that echoes The Omnivore’s Dilemma with a canine spin, Kerasote tackles all those subjects, questioning our conventional wisdom and emerging with vital new information that will surprise even the most knowledgeable dog lovers. Can a purebred be as healthy as a mixed-breed? How many vaccines are too many? Should we rethink spaying and neutering? Is raw food really healthier than kibble, and should your dog be chewing more bones? Traveling the world and interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, Kerasote pulls together the latest research to help us rethink the everyday choices we make for our companions. And as he did in Merle's Door, Kerasote interweaves fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his dog friends in their small Wyoming village.

Funny, revelatory, and full of the delights of falling in love with a dog, Pukka’s Promise will help redefine the potential of our animal partners.

When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle--who died, as all our dogs do, too soon--he knew that he would want to give his puppy the longest life possible. But how? Combining cutting-edge research with an adventurous narrative, Kerasote offers answers that will surprise you. He provides vital new information on whether a purebred can be as healthy as a mixed-breed, whether you should say no to yearly vaccines and spaying or neutering, and how to pick the best food from the crowded shelves. Traveling the dog world in Europe and North America and interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, Kerasote helps us rethink the everyday choices we make for our companions, interweaving fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his many dog friends in their small Wyoming village.--From publisher description When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle -- who died too soon, as all our dogs do -- he wanted to give his puppy Pukka the longest life possible. But how to do that? So much has changed in the way we feed, vaccinate, train, and live with our dogs from even a decade ago. In an adventure that echoes The Omnivore's Dilemma with a canine spin, Kerasote tackles those subjects, questioning conventional wisdom and emerging with vital new information that will surprise even the most knowledgeable dog lovers. A guide to canine care covers such topics as the comparative health of purebred and mixed-breed dogs, the benefits and consequences of common health care practices, and how to identify best pet foods