The Perfect Puppy: Breed Selection and Care by Veterinary Science for Behavior and Neutering Age provides the most updated and expert knowledge on dog breeds to guide the selection of a puppy or mature dog. It offers the latest information on breed-specific behavior profiles and guidelines for spaying or neutering, health conditions, and life expectancy.
Researched and written by experts in veterinary science and animal behavior, this book is an unbiased and data-driven analysis of 80 of the most common dog breeds, based on interviews with 168 practicing veterinarians. It covers behavioral expectations per breed, while addressing traits or issues that can arise from environmental factors like home size, presence of other dogs, and human family dynamics. This book is written and formatted to be used by veterinarians for optimal guidance on canine adoptions, while also appealing to breeders and potential adopters as well.
- Offers detailed behavioral profiles on 80 dog breeds and differences between sexes
- Structured consistently throughout the book to provide easy access for veterinarians, breeders, and potential adopters
- Features data-based guidelines to determine appropriate ages for spaying or neutering to avoid joint disorders and cancers
About the authors |
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xi | |
Preface |
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xiii | |
Introduction |
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xvii | |
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1 Adopting and raising puppies |
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Age and source for adoption |
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1 | (1) |
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2 | (4) |
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6 | (2) |
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8 | (1) |
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9 | (1) |
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Obnoxious begging, barking, and scratching behavior |
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10 | (1) |
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Sibling rivalry, canine style |
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11 | (1) |
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Aggressiveness toward human family members |
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11 | (2) |
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Aggression toward other dogs |
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13 | (1) |
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13 | (2) |
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2 Breed rankings on 10 Key characteristics |
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How to find the behavioral information you want |
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15 | (1) |
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How to evaluate the rankings in the graphs |
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16 | (1) |
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How to use the graphs on characteristics |
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17 | (1) |
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18 | (1) |
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18 | (4) |
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22 | (4) |
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26 | (4) |
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30 | (4) |
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34 | (4) |
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38 | (4) |
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42 | (4) |
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46 | (4) |
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50 | (4) |
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54 | (5) |
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3 Behavioral profiles of 80 Breeds and guidelines for ages to spay or neuter |
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How to use the behavioral profiles |
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59 | (3) |
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62 | (1) |
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62 | (3) |
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65 | (3) |
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68 | (3) |
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American Staffordshire Terrier |
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71 | (3) |
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74 | (2) |
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76 | (3) |
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79 | (2) |
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102 | (3) |
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108 | (2) |
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110 | (3) |
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113 | (2) |
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115 | (3) |
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118 | (2) |
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Cavalier King Charles Spaniel |
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120 | (3) |
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123 | (3) |
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126 | (3) |
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129 | (3) |
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156 | (3) |
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159 | (3) |
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German Shorthaired Pointer |
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162 | (3) |
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German Wirehaired Pointer |
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165 | (3) |
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168 | (3) |
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171 | (3) |
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174 | (2) |
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176 | (3) |
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179 | (3) |
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182 | (2) |
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184 | (3) |
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256 | (3) |
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259 | (3) |
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262 | (2) |
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264 | (3) |
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267 | (3) |
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Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier |
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270 | (3) |
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273 | (3) |
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276 | (3) |
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279 | (3) |
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West Highland White Terrier |
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282 | (3) |
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285 | (3) |
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288 | (3) |
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291 | (4) |
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4 Behavioral differences between sexes--including breed profiles and appropriate ages for spaying and neutering to avoid increasing joint disorders or cancers The most appropriate sex |
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295 | (8) |
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The effects of neutering males and spaying females |
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297 | (1) |
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Deciding on the age to neuter to avoid increasing joint disorders or cancers |
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297 | (3) |
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Therapeutic use of neutering for problem behavior |
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300 | (1) |
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300 | (3) |
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5 Why dogs do that? Eating grass, eating dog stools, howling, and yawning Eating grass |
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303 | (7) |
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Eating stools of their own or other dogs: canine conspecific coprophagia |
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304 | (2) |
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306 | (1) |
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307 | (1) |
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308 | (2) |
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6 The aging dog: making life easier for them and you, when and how to say goodbye, creating a memorial Making life easier for them and you for dogs who have common problems |
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310 | (3) |
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312 | (1) |
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313 | (1) |
References |
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313 | (2) |
Appendix |
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315 | (14) |
Index |
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Dr. Benjamin L. Hart is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Veterinary Medicine in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, California, USA. Previously, he served as a Distinguished Professor of Physiology and Behavior and as Service Chief of the Behavior Service at the UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. His primary teaching expertise is in canine and feline behavior and behavior therapy. Dr. Lynette A. Hart is a Professor of Anthrozoology and Animal Behavior in the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, California, USA. Her primary teaching expertise is in humananimal interactions and animal welfare and her primary research expertise is in the psychosocial aspects of human relationships with animals, especially with assistance animals and when dealing with animal death.