Pukka's Promise

The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs

By: Ted Kerasote

Narrated by: Luke Daniels

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 pure bred 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 forour companions. And as he did in Merle’s Door, Kerasote interweaves fascinating science with the charming stories of raising Pukka among his 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.

©2013 Ted Kerasote (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Very informative book for all dog lovers

What made the experience of listening to Pukka's Promise the most enjoyable?

The author interwove the story of his second dog, Pukka, with his research about the health and well being of dogs. He mostly sticks to science to explain many things associated with living with and owning dogs.

What did you like best about this story?

I am a dog trainer. I've lived with dogs my whole life and I rely on my service dog to live in a world made for able bodied people. I do my best to stay up to date on the best ways to care for my dogs. This book opened my eyes to a few new things I can do to ensure my dogs live long and healthy lives.

Any additional comments?

If you are a dog professional, a dog lover, or just someone who wants to learn more about these animals we share our lives with, read this book. I promise you will learn something.

great information, bad sound editing

if you're concerned with your dogs health and not willing to accept "standard" veterinary practices then this is a book you need to read. luke Daniels performance was outstanding, but the sound editing was crap. when he uses a softer voice the volume drops so low you can't hear it so you're constantly having to rewind it and crank up the volume.

Good content, strange narration

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

The content of the book was interesting- factual data about canine health issues interspersed with snippets from Pukka's real-life experiences.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Pukka's Promise?

The story about how euthanized pets are rendered and used in pet food.

Did Luke Daniels do a good job differentiating all the characters? How?

He did a good job differentiating them. Too good, I guess. It seemed so patronizing to hear him try to do different accents to indicate who was speaking. He also used a lot of "little baby" voices to indicate the dogs were speaking. It was distracting. I don't have a better suggestion, but the voices were a bit over-the-top for my taste.

Not Merle’s Door

I so enjoyed Merle’s Door so I was excited to listen to this book. I understand why the author covered the killing of the abundance of dogs in the US in relation to part of the decision to get Pukka. I was not expecting the belaboring of the gruesome details of this topic. It was difficult to make it through the multiple depictions of individual dogs as they were killed.
Merle’s Door is a “go to” book when I want to listen to an enjoyable nonfiction story. Pukka’s Promise is not in that category. Once and done.

Very Good, Although 'Less Would've Been More'

We lost two golden retrievers to cancer way too soon and before the breed's ostensible median age. We do our best to be responsible dog owners, to stay informed about canine health issues, and to try to give our dogs their best and longest lives. But, there is so much information out there that it's like drinking from a proverbial fire hose. Moreover, much of that information is conflicting, is presented in an emotionally charged and judgmental way, and is presented without much (if any) supporting evidence. So, I really appreciated the effort that the author undertook to research several key issues that affect canine longevity, address / question / challenge the various approaches to those issues, and share the results of his research in a dispassionate and seemingly even-handed manner.

That said, I would've paid more for a CliffsNotes version of this book. The various anecdotes that the author shares are charming and all, but I was ultimately just interested in his research. Also, I thought that the narrator generally did a fine job -- although when he narrated the author's quotes from the dogs, his dog voices could be really grating.