This book is a a work of narrative nonfiction that chronicles the author's first year with her Golden Retreiver, Scout, based on her blog of the same name from The New York Times. Is is an instructive and entertaining chronicle of a puppy's first year, by the author, the managing editor of The New York Times. One summer day, she brought home a nine-week-old golden retriever named Scout. Over the following year, as she and her husband raised their new puppy, she wrote a column for The New York Times's website about the joys and challenges of training this rambunctious addition to their family. Dog lovers from across the country inundated her with e-mails and letters, and the photos they sent in of their own dogs became the most visited photo album on the Times's site in 2009. Now she has gone far beyond the material in her column and written a detailed and deeply personal account of Scout's first year. Part memoir, part manual, part investigative report, it continues the author's reporting on all things canine. Along the way, she weighs in on such issues as breeders or shelters, adoption or rescue, raw diet or vegan, pack-leader gurus like Cesar Millan or positive-reinforcement advocates like Karen Pryor. What should you expect when a new puppy enters your life? With stories and a wealth of practical information, this book provides a road map for navigating the first year of your dog's life. -- Provided by publisher.