Superdog: Raising the Perfect Canine Companion

Veterinarian Fox ( Understanding Your Dog ) proposes that we cease regarding our dogs as inferiors and instead refine our ability to communicate with them. The care of one's pet, he argues, is akin to a sacred trust; given that centuries of domestication have served to reduce canine intelligence and resilience, it is morally incumbent on the ``human companion'' (he balks at the word ``owner'' because ``dogs are more than mere possessions'') to provide the four Rs of dog rights--``right understanding, right environment, right breeding and right feeding.'' Accordingly, Fox clues in the reader to signs that a dog is reasoning or expressing itself, and provides numerous practical suggestions on ways to enhance skills (allowing Pooch to win at tug-of-war, for example, will boost his self-confidence, and subjecting him to mild stress in early puppyhood will make him physiologically more resistant to stress later). Spare in its coverage of rudimentary care (there is no information on housebreaking, little on nutrition), the book will gratify dedicated dog owners with its unwavering respect for animals and their powers. Illustrations not seen by PW . (July)