Pukkas promise by ted kerasote biography

From the bestselling author who offers "the most utterly compelling translation of dog to human I have ever seen" (Jeffrey Masson), a joyful chronicle of a dog that is also a groundbreaking answer to the question: How can we give our dogs the happiest, healthiest lives?

When Ted Kerasote was ready for a new dog after losing his beloved Merle — who died too soon, as all our dogs do — he knew that he would want to give his puppy Pukka the longest life possible. But how to do that? So much has changed in the way we feed, vaccinate, train, and live with our dogs from even a decade ago.

In an adventure that echoes The Omnivore's Dilemma with a canine spin, Kerasote tackles all those subjects, questioning our conventional wisdom and emerging with vital new information that will surprise even the most knowledgeable dog lovers. Can a purebred be as healthy as a mixed-breed? How many vaccines are too many? Should we rethink spaying and neutering? Is raw food really healthier than kibble, and should your dog be chewing more bones? Traveling the world and interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, Kerasote pulls together the latest research to help us rethink the everyday choices we make for our companions. And as he did in Merle's Door, Kerasote interweaves fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his many dog friends in their small Wyoming village.

Funny, revelatory, and full of the delights of falling in love with a dog, Pukka's Promise will help redefine the potential of our animal partners.

Reviews:

"This might be the most important book about dogs written in a decade. Pukka means 'first class' in Hindi, and first class is a perfect description of Pukka's Promise. It's a brilliant integration of speculation, cutting-edge science and story. Every dog lover needs to read this book."
—Patricia B. McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash

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From the Back Cover

“This might be the most important book about dogs written in a decade. Kerasote tells us early on that Pukka means ‘first-class’ in Hindi, and first-class is a perfect description of Pukka's Promise. It’s a brilliant integration of speculation, cutting-edge science, and story, and will keep you up at night wanting to read more. Every dog lover needs to read this book.” —Patricia B. McConnell, author of The Other End of the Leash

“Here’s a dog lover who actually teaches his dog using modern training entirely: communication, observation, and now and then a clicker—not just to build a bond and a working relationship but also to create a running conversation between man and animal. This book also investigates kibble (Is it really good for dogs?) and vaccinations (Why so many? Why so often?) and other commercial pressures on our best friends’ well-being. What a good read.” —Karen Pryor, author of Reaching the Animal Mind

“Pukka’s Promise is without question the most intelligent, most comprehensive book ever written about extending the lifetimes of dogs. Not only that, but it’s riveting. After years of flawless research plus a life of valuable experience, Kerasote has produced a masterpiece that everyone should read. From pet owners to professionals such as breeders, shelter workers, and veterinarians, those who think they already know about dogs are in for a real surprise.” — Elizabeth Marshall Thomas, author of The Hidden Lives of Dogs

“Ted Kerasote gently and intelligently questions our fixed notions about living with dogs. Anyone who reads Pukka’s Promise can't help but become a better dog person. I’d like it to be compulsory reading for all practicing vets and veterinary students.” —Bruce Fogle, DVM, author of The Dogȁ

One of the best things about being an author is being sent pre-publication copies of books. It’s great fun to see what’s going to be out on the bookshelves and eReaders in a couple of months. (Of course, one of the worst things about being an author is being sent pre-pub copies of books. They pile up. They sit on your desk looking at you, begging in some passive, rectangular way for endorsements.)

Most of the books are somewhat interesting, a few of them are downright, uh, horrible.  And every once in a while a truly great one comes along, that sucks you in and causes you to change your schedule and read, read, read until the last page is turned and the book closes and you are mad at yourself for staying up so damn late.

That describes Ted Kerasote’s new book, Pukka’s Promise: The Quest for Long-Lived Dogs. I fell in love with his writing in Merle’s Door, and Pukka’s Promise contains the same clear and luminous stories, but this time about his new pup, Pukka. But it is much more than a book about a dog. He begins by telling us about Merle’s last days, and describes greeting a couple’s new chocolate Lab pup: “His breath smelled like milk and vanilla and young teeth. I made a smooching noise with my lips; he squirmed in delight. ‘Oh, you are a beauty,’ I told him, kissing his head . . .  and as I watched them [the pup and the couple] go I thought ‘In fourteen years, perhaps sooner, certainly not much longer, he’ll break your heart. Your entire life from now until then will be colored by him: his woofs, his wags, his smells, how he swam, his yips while he dreamed, how he rode your first child on his back, and how he began to slow down just as you were hitting your stride.’ I looked back at Merle, grinning at me from the truck. Like everyone’s dog, he had been all that and more, and I thought: ‘Why do they have to die so youn

Air Date: Week of February 22, 2013

Pukka in the Grand Tetons of Wyoming. (Photo: Ted Kerasote)

Dogs have far shorter lives than many animals, including the humans that love them. From food to vaccines Ted Kerasote’s new book, Pukka’s Promise, examines how to help our dogs live longer. Ted Kerasote talks with host Steve Curwood.

Transcript

CURWOOD: Dogs have shared our lives and our homes for thousands of years. They are our best friends, and we give them our hearts knowing that we'll most likely outlive them. Some very small breeds can live up to 20 years, but most dogs only make it half that far. Bestselling author Ted Kerasote, mourning the death of his beloved dog Merle, decided to find out how to help dogs live longer. The result is his new book Pukka's Promise, named for his new dog Pukka, but the inspiration came while he was on the road promoting his previous book about Merle.

KERASOTE: It was in Monroe, Louisiana, there in the deep south...I was checking my e-mail before doing my evening presentation and once again was struck by this common refrain that I had been seeing in hundreds of emails. “Why did my dog die at two-years-old, three, four? Why did four out of five of my golden retrievers die of cancer?” I sat back and thought, “why do our dogs die so young? Merle himself, why did he die at 14 when some of my horses are still going strong today at 25?” So I started doing some research and discovered that dogs are a short-lived species relative to some other animals because they’re direct descendants of wolves - sharing 99.9% of their DNA. And wolves themselves are a short-lived species. So our dogs have inherited this fateful genetic legacy. But how we raise and breed them can further shorten their naturally brief lives.

CURWOOD: You found Merle wandering in the desert. He was a stray, but for your new puppy, Pukka,you went to a breeder. Why a breeder?

KERASOTE: After Merle died, I didn't want another dog r