I'm not an animal healthcare professional, but I am very concerned about the health and welfare of my cats. Although this book is not aimed at the pet owner necessarily, it makes interesting reading which allows you to make an informed decision, based of scientific facts on how to best nourish your pet. I particularly liked the fact that it addresses the nutritional needs of animals through all stages of their lives and the best nutrition when facing different illnesses. It is written in a logical and accessible way and in a way that makes it understandable to people who are not professionals in this field. I really recommend this book to anyone who is serious about providing the best for their beloved pet.

At last companion animal professionals, dog owners, and adoption counselors have a superb comprehensive reference source for canine development and physiology, learning theory, behavior, health and disease, and nutrition, all in a single volume. Previously it was necessary to have on hand several books, each covering one or at most two of these topics. While the primary audience for The Dog is undergraduate students in animal sciences programs and other students in professional programs, the book readily serves a broader audience of breeders, trainers, kennel operators, humane society personnel, and veterinarians, and it is entirely accessible to the general dog-owning public. Separate sections on the benefits and responsibilities of dog ownership and factors to consider in selecting a dog make the volume particularly valuable for shelter personnel, adoption counselors, and anyone considering acquiring a dog.

Case combines academic credentials as a specialist in companion animal nutrition (her previous book is Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals, 1995) with training and long experience as a behaviorist, dog trainer, and college educator. Not surprisingly, the chapters on nutrition are thorough yet concise, offering important information otherwise unavailable to the non-specialist interested in the nutritional needs of dogs and in industry practices of dog food formulation and production. The sections on behavior provide cogent explanations of developmental stages, communication signals, social interaction, the principles of learning, and training techniques, as well as an excellent overview of behavior problems. Case's balanced and incisive discussion of the dominance model of social interaction (and its misuses) is particularly welcome.

At $34.95, the volume is priced between a college textbook (many of which now cost twice this price) and a trade book. In fact, we can be grateful to the Iowa State University Press for keeping the cost of this excellent volume within reach of the general public. Separate works on canine behavior, nutrition, and health would easily exceed the cost of this publication. The Dog is hardcover, beautifully illustrated with line drawings, and includes an extensive bibliography of recommended readings, a glossary, and an index. Volunteer adoption counselors at the Champaign County (IL) Humane Society are highly encouraged to read The Dog to expand their knowledge of topics frequently raised in the course of counseling adopters. A companion volume on cats is reportedly in the works, and we at CCHS eagerly await its publication. --Mary Stuart (Mary Stuart is a former member of the CCHS Board of Directors and has taught adoption counseling to shelter staff and volunteers for the past 10 years.)

This book is interesting and well written but doesn't provide enough of a guide to starting out raw feeding. Tom Lonsdale's Works Wonders book is better, this one explains the theory but I didn't find it practical enough to be worth the money and returned it.