Cover Image: How to Raise a Happy Dog

How to Raise a Happy Dog

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Member Reviews

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this delightful and captivating eARC.

How to raise a happy dog is the BEST book regarding living with our beloved canines as family members

Not only is this a training guide, it is a guide to the social behavior of canines and a love letter of a manual about living with our dogs in the best way possible, from our first hello.

Awesome enjoyable (for both pets and owners) training tips, dogs love a chance to be praised for showing off, at least my super smart miniature poodle Princess does!

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I am obsessed with my dogs and am always looking for ways to make their lives better, so a book like Sophie Collins How to Raise a Happy Dog is right up my alley. This easy to read guide, complete with cute doggie illustrations, is chock full of information and tips to making your pooch as happy as can be!

Included is info on dog body language so that you can read your dog’s personality and mood; ideas for games, tricks, and enrichment (I taught my own dogs how to roll after reading the tips in this book); info on eating & exercise, as well as tips on how you can make your home a comfortable place for your dog to rest; and info on the life stages of dogs.

In all, this book is packed with a lot of helpful, pertinent info that even a dog lover like myself will find useful and eye opening. I can truly say that my dogs’ lives are better after implementing the tips & tricks I found in this book!

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I genuinely enjoyed this informative and well written guidebook and love all of the tips and tricks.

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Sadly this book wouldn’t download to my kindle and wasn’t added to my netgalley app so I was unable to read :(

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A must read for pet owners, especially first-time pet owners.

How to Raise a Happy Dog, is an interesting book that will give you information and tips about your dog and your relationship with your dog. The book combines facts with fun. It gives the reader all the important information and also some exercises. The book also has adorable illustrations that are very pleasant to look at when reading.

I would recommend this book for dog lovers, dog owners and people who are generally interested in non-fiction dog books.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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This was a book that I was seriously into when I requested it but when I actually got a chance to sit down to read it I found it just didn't hold my interest.

Part of this to me just didn't sound right like allowing dogs to play with packing peanuts, which sounds like a digestive nightmare, especially for mouthy breeds or to still allow them to participate in things that humans have always been against such as providing them with shoes or books to chew when those are at the same time things we shouldn't want to encourage them to damage. And the rest of my unease with the book was just the fact that it was dully written thus it felt like I was slogging through a small font book hundreds of pages long instead of as short of a read as it promised to be.

Instead of starting off with the life stages of a dog as most other dog books seem to <i>How To Raise A Happy Dog</i> starts off with a closer look. I cannot fault the book for this introduction but then again instead of following up with a consultation of life stages it chose to confront the different aspects of being a dog owner - playing & enrichment, exercise, eating and rest & relaxation first. And finally at the end of the book it finally gets to the point of tipping off a hat to the life stages of a dog but it isn't an informative nod but rather one that consults the various "problems" that you may have to go through each stage with your pup.

Otherwise it was rather informative, provided the reader with different tips for dog training, games and socializing along with recipes if the reader would be tempted to try them. There are also various small spots in which the reader is given more information in the sides with small bubble inserts that provides the reader with either more information relevant to the subject at hand or with more information that can help you to better improve your pup's responses. This is also then followed up with the constantly repetitive <i>What's the Payoff?</i>.

There will most definitely be some dog owners who may find this book a great read and resource for doggy matters but unfortunately it doesn't seem like I will be one of them.

**I received a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

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I did enjoy the premise of this book but it seemed more well-suited for a beginner pet parent. So much of it was basic information that those of us who have had pets for years would already know. I would definitely consider giving this to a friend who recently adopted a dog but I didn't; feel like I learned much for myself.

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Sophie Collins does a fine job at giving us the gist of dog parenthood, but I feel many of the aspects she writes about are situationally and personality biased. That is, much of this book is a general overlapping idea of how to make a happy dog, but the reader must be cautious to understand not every dog will be happy always.

As a pet parent myself, I feel as if much of this book is basic knowledge.

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This is the perfect book for a new or experienced dog/puppy owner. There are plenty of helpful tips to raise a well behaved pup! If you have any questions about pups, this book will certainly guide you in the right direction!
The illustrations are also great!

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Wish I had come across this sooner. Full of helpful practical advice and tips.
The section on reading the cues and body language was especially useful and informative. Definitely recommend.

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This is a short, simple and nicely laid out guide for dog owners focussing on - as the title suggests - your pet's happiness. Not how to make them behave in a way that suits humans, but how to respect them as an individual deserving of an enjoyable life. Although generally a happy, trusting dog is also less likely to exhibit difficult behaviours, so it benefits everyone.

The book starts by giving some insights into what it's like being a dog, and this was perhaps the most interesting section for me. It's written in a clear way - not too detailed and boring, but giving enough information to be useful and insightful. It fleshed out things that I had known at a basic level and gave me a greater understanding and did make me think more about how my dog perceives the world.

There is then a section of practical things for how to keep a dog happy - including lots of ideas for games, how to manage walks, and small sections on food and sleeping. Most of the games I had already heard of or come up with myself but there were a few new things to try. I like how the book emphasises respect for the dog and treating them as an individual - one thing I hadn't really thought about was how I finish a game regardless of whether my dog wants to or not. The book gives good tips for managing that.

The final section is about life stages - there is plenty of information about puppies and teenage dogs (these aren't applicable to me at the moment) and about older 'veteran' dogs. There's nothing very surprising or new in this part but of course it depends what level you are at the point you start reading.

If you're an expert in dog behaviour and have owned dogs for years, it's probably a bit basic, although it might give you a couple of fresh insights. But for newer dog owners it would definitely be worthwhile and indeed would make a great gift for someone who has recently got their first dog.

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This is a brilliant book! Split into six sections covering everything from body language, to play, food to walks. While this would be perfect for any new dog owner, more experienced owners too may get some different ideas for enrichment for their canine friends. For the beautiful illustrations alone this book is worth a read!

Additional review from Floss, the border collie: Five out of five tail wags for this book! My human can now make me some new toys with items already in the house, bake me some tasty treats and take me on some new adventures!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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As a dog lover myself and our pet section being quite popular I was so excited to acquire this title, I, always looking to expand my knowledge on how to care for my pet. I thoughts this was an informative great read for animal lovers.

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Do you know someone with a dog or someone who is getting a dog? If yes, then get them this book. It is full of useful information. Whether you have had dogs your whole life or are new to being a doggy parent this book will help you. The title is great but I would say it not only helps you raise a happy dog but it makes you a happy dog owner too. If I had to choose my favorite part of this book it would not be easy but would choose the sections that show games to play with your dog. Yes some of them I have done for years but others I had never thought of and loved. I also found the index of great use (not all books like this have an index). Plus the extra reading section at the end of the book was lovely and helpful too. Finally, I loved the illustrations. They were fun and colorful almost like the children's books I grew up with. Thank you to Netgalley and Ivy Press for the ARC.

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This is a fun, interesting book about our doggo best friends! It has modern, cute illustrations & a great breakdown of info to help us understand dogs. This information helps us know what to do to improve their lives & make the most of our time together!
I really loved the book’s format, and the headings & font style make is very readable & easy to read small chunks at a time.

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This was really a great little book and would be a perfect gift for a first time dog owner. I looked the way the author provides scientific information about dog behavior, life stages, and health for context prior to her suggestions. I found her lists and ideas for enriching your dogs life to be thorough and creative. There were one or 2 suggestions that I personally would not try with my dog (fetch down stairs, giving your dog an old shoe). But overall, I think the tips and ideas are great. I am a very involved and loving dog mom and had to do a lot of research on my own prior to bringing home my pup. Would have loved a book like this that puts all the essential info into one place. Thank you to the author, Net Galley and Quarto Publishing Group for the opportunity to advance read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

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This was an informative book with cute illustrations and i got a few ideas for games to play with my dog. I would recommend this to first time dog owners, especially, since it had a lot of information I wouldn't have known until owning a dog. This would also make a great gift to a dog owner who really loves their dog!

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As a recent first-time dog owner, I had to snatch this up as soon as I saw it.

In fact, I read it in one sitting, immediately after downloading it, and even tested one of the games on my pooch! :D This one in particular is the one where you put a treat in a bottle (since he loves those so much). He will need a bit of practice though.

Anyways, I think anyone who has a playful pet will enjoy all the insight into learning a dog's behaviour, but most of all, I loved all the activity and games suggestions. And I hope my pup will love them all too.

I highly recommend this to any unexperienced, first-time pet owners like me!

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Quarto Publishing Group, adopt me.

Okay, that apart (😅) I love this series so much! I loved reading the one on cats. Totally loved it and found it so helpful as I am a proud crazy cat lady.
I am looking forward to have dogs as pets in the near future so I find this one quite helpful as well regarding the different dog breeds, their different needs, what should not be done for particular breeds and such helpful information.

I find the illustrations quite good.

Am impressed with the team!

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - Ivy Press, for the advance reading copy.

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If you are a dog owner then you need to read this. This is an easy read and it really helps to understanding your dog and how to make them happy and comfortable.
I just reviewed How to Raise a Happy Dog by Sophie Collins. #HowtoRaiseaHappyDog #NetGalley
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