RAISING YOUR DOG

A companion to Amberson's Raising Your Cat (1969), this combines amiable pointers on building better human-canine relationships with more solid information about health, nutrition, grooming, neutering. Ms. Amberson has an effusively chatty style and a few silly quirks like the use of ""lady dog"" for bitch, but the advice itself is well thought out. Amberson tells you what to look for when reading a dog food label, how to give a young puppy his first ""Sit"" lessons, how to make canine travel preparations. There are descriptions of the most popular breeds, lists of medical danger signals, suggestions about how to choose a vet (do it before you get the dog). Terri McGinnis' The Well Dog Book (1974) is more encyclopedic, but some will prefer Amberson's relaxed, informal approach.