the best knowledge that could be gathered together, from my experience of 

 all my life in dogs, and of others, more wise than I. 



It has all been done for dogs, my love for dogs, my earnest and upper- 

 most desire through all the many years of my life — do good to dogs, and 1 

 have been hunting for — saving up — trying and digesting carefully, every- 

 thing herein, so as to feel reasonably sure it was good for dogs, and the 

 book is put out with a most comfortable feeling that it will do a mighty 

 lot of good to dogs. Humans may "bite" you, (watch out for that bite, 

 for I know), but never will your dog bite you — and harm you. Often 

 bitten by dogs I have been, but the dog did not know he was biting his 

 best friend, but the humans who did "bite" me — they knew. 



My father was a minister for forty years, and I used to have the idea 

 that I would get into Heaven on the "family ticket," but I now believe, 

 that should I fail on this, that what I've done for dogs will pass me in — 

 (or ought to) — anyhow, I've two chances. I made my will not long ago, 

 and in it a provision as to a home for each of the dogs in the kennel when 

 I am called away, (you should do the same), and when it's time to go to the 

 mysterious beyond, about the last comforting feeling will be, that my loved 

 dogs will be cared for nearly as well as I have done for them. 



In a preface to a former edition I said to own a thoroughbred dog, 

 so as not to have to apologise to your friends when they saw your dog, 

 but I want to change this now — to, own a dog — any kind of a dog, even if 

 not pedigreed — just so it's a dog — so you can make that one dog happy. My 

 heart aches, often, when I see a poor homeless cur on the streets, hungry 

 and thirsty — and if it were possible, I would take that dog home — but there 

 is a limit to everything. That night, after in bed, I lay awake, thinking of 

 that poor, homeless dog I met on the street in the city today. 



By this time many who read this will have decided that I am a 

 "krank" — so I am — as to dogs — and proud of it. The "curs" you see on 

 the streets, homeless and friendless, are to be blamed for, because of the 

 owners of female dogs, that were not kept up, but were allowed to run 

 loose on the street when in season, (but should have been), and here is 

 where the mongrels come from. There ought to be a law in every state 

 that when a female is in season, she must be kept confined till over it, or, 

 a penalty of a fine of twenty-five dollars, for here is where these "curs" 

 come from. If you see or meet one of these poor "unfortunates," if you 

 can't give him a home yourself, try to get some friend to take the dog and 

 give it the home any and every dog deserves. 



Twenty-two thousand of my former two editions of this book were sold, 

 a wonderful record, beating the combined sales of all the other dog books 

 ever published, and I only wish it were possible to publish the thousands of 

 letters I have received unsolicited — for they have made my heart glad — 

 often — when it needed it too. 



