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A First Guide to Dogs: Understanding Your Very Best Friend

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"Perceptive and engaging—essential reading for anyone seeking greater understanding of their four-legged best friends."— Kirkus , starred review.

Featuring fun illustrations and easy how-tos from animal expert Dr. John Bradshaw!

Uncovering the secret lives of pets, Dr. John Bradshaw invites young readers to learn more about their closest their dogs! Told from the point of view of Rusty the Terrier, this lively, illustrated book gives kids a front-seat view to the everyday lives of dogs, sharing lessons and growing children into the best pet owners they can be.

128 pages, Paperback

Published June 13, 2023

7 people are currently reading
20 people want to read

About the author

John Bradshaw

261 books371 followers
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

John Bradshaw has been called "America's leading personal growth expert." The author of five New York Times bestsellers, Bradshaw On: The Family, Healing the Shame That Binds You, Homecoming, Creating Love, and Family Secrets. He created and hosted four nationally broadcast PBS television series based on his best-selling books. John pioneered the concept of the "Inner Child" and brought the term "dysfunctional family" into the mainstream. He has touched and changed millions of lives through his books, television series, and his lectures and workshops around the country.

During the past twenty-five years he has worked as a counselor, theologian, management consultant, and public speaker, becoming one of the primary figures in the contemporary self-help movement.

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Ms. Yingling.
4,191 reviews619 followers
March 22, 2023
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

This was very fun, and would make a great gift for elementary age children who desperately wanted (and had a chance of someday adopting!) a dog of their own. It follows a cartoon dog named Rusty around during a day and explains the sorts of activities that make him happy. There is a lot of information about how dogs process smells. I once heard someone say that sniffing the world while out on walks was a dog's equivalent of reading the newspaper, so I have always taken my dogs on lots of walks and let them smell as much along the way as they would like.

The illustrations are very cute, but the book seems a bit young for my middle school readers. For them, Alexandra Horowitz's Our Dogs, Ourselves is a good choice.
Profile Image for Annet Schuurman.
157 reviews
April 22, 2025
A handy, informative book for every person that likes dogs or wants to know more about them :D
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews

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