Grab Life by the Leash : A Guide to Bringing up and Bonding with Your Four-Legged Friend

Written with humor, sensitivity, and sage advice, this is the only dog care and training book readers will need. Perfect for any adult welcoming a dog home, this book is particularly applicable to Baby Boomers, who often become parents to four-legged friends after their children have left the nest. Many dog care and training books focus solely on either veterinarian-weighted health advice or training methods. In contrast, this book will discuss not only selecting a dog, veterinary visits, diet, grooming, and training, all of which are covered to a greater or lesser extent in the books that do exist, but also exercise, dog psychology and physiology, the physical and mental health benefits of dog parenthood, and human/canine interaction-subjects that other books give short shrift. With information particularly relevant to Baby Boomers, this book will acknowledge the life changes that may leave mid-lifers with just their dogs for support after death or divorce, when confronting an empty nest, or with older family members moving in and making demands on their free time. This book will be a valuable addition to any dog lover's library, but especially to those in their 40s to 60s, making life better for dogs and their owners simultaneously.

Cheryl S. Smith is a trainer, a successful dog sports competitor, a global lecturer, and a well-respected pet writer. Her previous book from Howell Book House, The Rosetta Bone, garnered the prestigious Best Training Publication and Best Book of the Year awards from the Dog Writers Association of America. She is the host of her own radio show and has appeared with her dogs on HGTV's Gardening by the Yard.