Now in paperback- New York Times bestselling author Maria Goodavage reveals in this delightful, warm, globetrotting tour of canine research that dogs are good medicine for everyone.
Maria Goodavage, veteran journalist and New York Times bestselling author of Soldier Dogs, Top Dog, and Secret Service Dogs, lives in San Francisco with her family and yellow Lab, Gus Kilroy.
Praise for Doctor Dogs
“An insightful and fascinating journey.”
—Psychology Today
“This is a fascinating book about the amazing ways dogs can, and
do, help people with physical and emotional problems. The title
isn’t stretching the truth: They really are “Doctor Dogs.” On the
other hand—and I mean this as a compliment—they would make terrible
lawyers.”
—Dave Barry, Pulitzer Prize winning New York Times bestselling
author of Lessons from Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog
and dozens of other books
“Goodavage has done it again, with her fascinating investigation
into the world of doctor dogs. Goodavage has expertly synthesized
the latest scientific research on how dogs can even save us from
invisible dangers lurking in our bodies. A testament to the
extraordinary connection between dogs and ourselves, and one more
piece of evidence that their love for us truly knows no
bounds.”
—Brian Hare, New York Times bestselling author of The Genius
of Dogs
“Doctor Dogs is fascinating, beautifully researched and written—and
deeply moving. Maria Goodavage takes the reader around the
globe—from laboratories developing a better e-nose or working to
understand what compounds dogs may be alerting to in cancer
samples, to homes where service and detection dogs are saving the
lives of their owners on a daily and even hourly basis, and to
facilities doing sophisticated and nuanced training with dogs that
have fine noses and love treats, toys, and praise. The reader will
meet seizure-detection dogs, dogs who can detect the dangerous
bacterium c-difficile, and dogs who can calm their humans suffering
from PTSD. Goodavage doesn’t shy away from the training challenges,
the sometimes disappointing study results, and the problems with
dishonest organizations taking advantage of desperate families. But
the reader comes away feeling hope and profound admiration for the
complex new roles that dogs are playing in helping humans—and for
the dedicated researchers, trainers, and owners who work tirelessly
and lovingly with our best friends.”
—Cat Warren, author of the New York Times bestseller What the
Dog Knows
“It’s often said that dogs are man’s best friend, and Doctor Dogs
depicts the healing power of canines in a very literal sense. I was
completely enthralled by Goodavage’s research and stories of dogs
in the medical field, and in awe of its dramatic takeaways. This
book is equally enlightening as it is heartwarming.”
—Craig Grossi author of Craig & Fred: A Marine A Stray Dog and How
They Rescued Each Other
“Introducing us to a memorable international cast of dogs and their
humans, Doctor Dogs captures how dogs are putting their natural
abilities to work on behalf of human physical, neurological, and
psychological health; explains the science behind these feats;
opens a window into expanding possibilities for medical service
dogs; and most of all honors the extraordinary social intelligence
of dogs and the life-enhancing relationships people forge with
them.”
—Hilary Hinzmann, co-author, with John W. Pilley, of Chaser:
Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows a Thousand Words
“Blending painstaking research with journalistic prowess, Maria
Goodavage takes the reader into the inspirational world of ‘canine
clinicians’, highlighting the gifts of an exceptional nose and
soulful eyes. Fetch a copy to be enlightened, humbled, and
amazed, as Maria never loses sight of the most important intangible
of all the emotional connectivity we recognize and love in every
dog.”
—Nick Trout, New York Times bestselling author of The Wonder of
Lost Causes
“If you’re a dog lover, Doctor Dogs is bound to become one of your
all-time favorite books. It’s a hope-inspiring testament to the
power of the human-animal bond — a bond that science is showing to
be even more powerful than we ever suspected. You’ll fall in love
with every dog in this book, and you’ll swoon with happiness and
relief for all the humans they’ve helped. Doctor Dogs gets four
paws up!”
—Laura T. Coffey, author of the national bestseller My Old Dog:
Rescued Pets with Remarkable Second Acts and a senior writer and
editor for the TODAY show
“If you take an amazing subject and put it in the hands of a
wonderful writer, you get…SPOILER ALERT…a truly fantastic book.
Every single page of Maria Goodavage’s Doctor Dogs is made up of
remarkable research and storytelling.”
—David Rosenfelt, national bestselling author
of Dogtripping and 31 other books
“Doctor Dogs is a captivating, groundbreaking, meticulously
researched book about the incredible new ways dogs are sniffing out
disease and helping people with physical and mental health issues.
Maria Goodavage, who has been writing beloved books about dogs for
thirty years, brings readers behind the scenes around the world and
immerses them in the fascinating, cutting-edge research dogs are
doing, as well as the riveting stories of how doctor dogs are
saving the lives of their humans every day. You’ll laugh, you’ll
cry, you’ll want to hug the nearest dog! (The life a doctor dog
saves may one day be your own.)”
—Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian”, Founder
FearFreeHappyHomes.com
“Maria Goodavage takes the reader on a fascinating journey to
uncover the amazing things dogs can do for their human friends.
From canines that calm the veteran with PTSD and the child called
upon to face her tormentor in court, through dogs that sniff out
cancers, malaria and other diseases, to the dogs finding
unprecedented roles supporting people with autism, schizophrenia
and myriad other ailments. Goodavage shows that there are many
people who, when they say, “my dog saved my life,” mean this, not
in some metaphorical sense, but in a completely concrete way:
without their dog they would not be alive, or certainly their lives
would be greatly constrained. Along the way, Goodavage is a witty
and compassionate guide and supremely well-informed. I learnt a
lot!”
—Professor Clive Wynne, director of the Canine Science
Collaboratory at Arizona State University and author of Dog is
Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You
“Grey’s Anatomy meets A Dog’s Purpose in journalist and bestselling
author Maria Goodavage’s fascinating new look into the world of
“doctor dogs”…A feel-good, hopeful ‘tail’!”
—Woman’s World
"Goodavage, who traveled thousands of miles and interviewed many
individuals to gather information for this book, mixes
straightforward science with emotionally rich stories of the
effects these dogs have on the lives of those they assist. The
result is a hard-to-put-down book, and a reminder that the ancient,
hardwired human/canine bond is a gift that keeps on giving."
—The Bark
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