A hotly-talked-about book that changed the paradigm of pet care.

#1 Amazon Bestseller Overall
#1 New York Times bestseller

“The Most Scientific Way to Love a Dog”

Based on the latest science and medicine,
Uncovering the secrets of dogs living long and healthy lives.


When asked to name the animal closest to humans, dogs are a must-have. According to the KB Financial Group Management Research Institute's "2021 Pet Report," there are 6.04 million households in Korea that own pets, accounting for 29.7% of all households.
Of these, 80.7% were found to be households raising dogs, and 25.7% were households raising cats.
This means that almost one in three households owns a dog.
Just a few decades ago, dogs were considered more like 'livestock', but now, many people think of dogs as 'family' and take it for granted to call them 'companions'.
Our love for dogs has also grown.
The problem is that we don't know the right way to love our dogs, so we are making them sick.


Over the past few decades, the number of dogs dying at an early age from illnesses, just like people, has increased.
Why? Scientists are beginning to realize that the same chronic diseases that plague people—cancer, obesity, diabetes, organ dysfunction, and autoimmune diseases—also plague dogs.
Pets suffer from preventable health problems and have shortened lifespans.

This book provides practical, proven tools to protect our faithful four-legged companions.
World-renowned pet care experts Dr. Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker traveled the globe, gleaning valuable wisdom from leading geneticists, microbiologists, and longevity researchers, and interviewing owners of dogs who lived into their 20s and even 30s.
The result is a comprehensive guide like no other, filled with surprising information, valuable advice, and inspiring stories about dogs and their lovers.
This definitive guide to dog care provides the knowledge you need to make smart choices and keep your dog healthy and happy.

The pandemic has shown us all too well how important dogs are in our lives and how they help humanity move forward and survive.
Dogs depend on people for survival, but we depend on them for countless things.
Ultimately, dogs help us become better people physically, mentally, and emotionally.

--- p.15

In 2016, New York became the first city to legalize burying pets in cemeteries alongside their owners.
If our pets deserve to be with us in heaven, they deserve to have a good life and a good place with us on earth.

--- p.19

You probably know that eating ultra-processed foods at every meal is bad for your health.
It is an obvious fact known to everyone.
However, many people do not know that most commercially available dog foods are just ultra-processed foods.

--- p.21

Unlike humans, dogs cannot make their own health decisions.
It's entirely up to dog parents to make smart choices that protect their dogs' health.

--- p.23

According to new calculations, genes account for less than 7 percent of human lifespan.
Previous estimates were as high as 20 to 30 percent.
In short, the story is that longevity is in our hands.
That is, the choices we make about how we live our lives.

--- p.36

Anti-aging researchers do not seek immortality.
Maybe you too.
What we all want and aspire to is an extension of our healthy lifespan.
…we want our dogs to do the same.

--- p.37

More and more people are suffering from so-called diseases of civilization, such as diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.
These diseases are mainly caused by lifestyle choices (unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, etc.) that have accumulated over time.
A slow-moving tsunami grows larger over years or decades until it reaches the shores of our bodies.
Thanks to improvements in nutrition and hygiene, and the development of medicine, we live longer than we did a century ago, but are we really living 'healthier' lives?
--- p.41

In 2019, The Lancet, one of the most prestigious medical journals, published alarming research findings showing that one in five deaths worldwide is now due to an unhealthy diet.
People are suffering from modern diseases because they eat too much sugar, refined foods, and processed meats.
…as you will soon discover, our dogs are the same.

--- p.43

Contrary to popular belief, dogs do not need carbohydrates.
However, a typical bag of grain-based food contains more than 50 percent carbohydrates, often from corn or potatoes, which raise insulin levels.
--- p.45

It bears repeating that dogs are exposed to the same pollutants and carcinogens as humans.
Generally, anything that makes people live longer also has the same effect on dogs.

--- p.49

Dr. David Sinclair of Harvard Medical School, who studies genetics and the biology of aging and has written extensively on the secrets to a long and healthy life, said he considers aging itself a disease.
Thinking this way, we can try to 'cure', or at least control, aging.

--- p.53

Have you ever come home from work and your dog sniffs you? It's to find out how your day went and if you're okay.

--- p.58

Realistically, everyone has some unlovable DNA, but this is where epigenetics and nutritional genetics come into play.
Just like you, the food your dog eats, the carcinogens he's exposed to, and the lifestyle you create for him can increase or decrease his chances of developing genetic diseases.

--- p.67

Choosing what to eat is like choosing what information to give your body.
Food is information that is transmitted to cells, tissues, and even molecular structures.
This is true for humans, bees, birch trees, and beagles alike.
Dr. David Sinclair agrees, saying that one cause of aging is the "loss of information within the body."

--- p.70

It's estimated that Americans consume 50 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.
And many pets get more than 85 percent of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.

--- p.78

American pets are more seriously contaminated with synthetic industrial chemicals than all people, including newborns.

--- p.83

Simply put, cellular senescence refers to the phenomenon in which old cells do not die.
Like zombies, they can move, but they cannot think rationally and do not react appropriately to their surroundings.
All cells must stop dividing and die at some point.
This allows healthy new cells to take hold without disrupting the body's systems.

--- p.96

In the 1970s, Nestlé (Purina's parent company) persuaded millions of women to feed their babies its formula instead of breast milk, claiming that formula was healthier than breast milk.
…Nestlé's marketing campaign has health advocates worldwide seething, leading to massive public outcry, boycotts, lawsuits, and a global education campaign about the benefits of breast milk.
The same revolution is happening in the pet food industry today.
Animal rights advocates are demanding natural products, not pellets made from food powders mixed with synthetic vitamins and minerals.

--- p.109

Dogs can also develop various types of cancer, including melanoma, lymphoma, osteosarcoma, sarcoma, prostate cancer, breast cancer, lung cancer, and colon cancer.
One in three people will be diagnosed with cancer during their lifetime.
Half of all dogs over ten years of age will develop or die from cancer.
It is known that many types of cancer that dogs get are very similar to human cancer.

--- p.124

We all know that persistent stress is detrimental to our health.
But what about stress levels in dogs? A study conducted in Finland found that 72.5 percent of dogs exhibited at least one form of anxiety.
These were psychiatric problems that we commonly think of as appearing in humans, such as obsessive-compulsive behaviors, fears, phobias, and aggression.

--- p.126

Many pets are prescribed psychiatric medications.
According to a nationwide survey conducted by a U.S. market research firm in 2017, 8 percent of dog owners and 6 percent of cat owners said their pets had been prescribed medication for anxiety, calming, or mood-altering purposes in the previous year.
In other words, millions of pets in the United States are medicated for behavioral problems.

--- p.127

Dogs are a great model for helping people understand the different aging pathways and lifestyles, and how to make changes to improve quality of life and longevity.
Research on aging using dogs is also about symbiosis.
The clues dogs give us about aging can also help us learn how to extend their lifespan.

--- p.148

Doctors urge people to change their eating habits.
This goal should involve the entire family, including your dog.

--- p.164

Dogs can digest carbohydrates, but that's not the problem.
Long-term consumption of refined carbohydrates is detrimental to the health of both humans and dogs.

--- p.166

The microbiome is so crucial to mammalian health that it could be considered an organ in its own right.

--- p.181

The pet food industry is like the jeans industry.
The same pair of jeans can cost $30 a pair or $300 a pair.

--- p.184

Realistically, feed is really convenient.
Likewise, people eat processed foods.
However, when we have time, we try to balance it out by eating healthy foods as well.

--- p.188

The raw healing diet strategy has made waves in the canine health field over the past four years.
Like human diets, a dog's diet can be positively adjusted to provide more calories from fat than protein (a ketogenic diet).
This is a powerful nutritional strategy to manage cancers that dogs are prone to.

--- p.193

The pet food industry's greatest achievement has been to convince dog owners that feeding "people food" to their dogs is nutritionally and socially unacceptable.
But these sentiments are in direct conflict with 21st century science.
Human food isn't necessarily bad for dogs.
In fact, human food is the highest quality food for dogs.
Because it's food that passed inspection!
--- p.202

For a long time, animal behaviorists have recommended exercise for common behavioral problems in dogs.
Because exercise is the most effective tool for correcting behavioral problems.

--- p.211

Time leaves its natural traces on us.
But when you add in serious anxiety, stress, and even a little depression, the aging clock starts ticking faster.
Consider the fact that after serving four or eight years in office, presidents turn gray and look unrecognizable.
People who experience severe stress, anxiety, or depression tend to look older than their age.

--- p.214

What makes stress tricky is that our physical responses don't change much, regardless of the type or magnitude of the perceived threat.
Whether you're in a truly life-threatening situation, simply have too much to do, or have a fight with your family, your body's response to stressors is essentially the same.

--- p.218

Dogs and humans have different sleep patterns, but sleep is equally important for recharging the brain and body and keeping bodily functions and metabolism running smoothly.
Just as sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your dog's health, excessive sleep can also be a sign of problems like depression, diabetes, hypothyroidism, and hearing loss.

--- p.221

The fact that the composition of our gut microbiota reflects our anxiety levels and behaviors has captured the attention of the scientific community, and maps are being created to determine which microbes are responsible for which outcomes.
As a result, scientists are beginning to figure out which diets create which microbial communities.

--- p.225

Modern lifestyles make it difficult for people and their pets to have direct contact with the ground.
Research shows that disconnection from the earth can cause physiological dysfunction.
Direct contact with soil causes interesting physiological changes and increases a person's perceived happiness.

--- p.234

Your dog's nose is up to 100 million times more sensitive than yours.
The dust hidden on the floor and in every corner of the house is full of potential toxins and accumulates like a snowball.
Older homes may have lead paint, putting your dog at risk of inhaling it or licking crumbs off window sills or the floor.

--- p.241

People don't realize that the smell of plastic, especially the soft plastic chew toys your dog plays with, can be a sign of all sorts of chemicals.
The most harmful chemicals are those we've already looked at: bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), phthalates, and parabens.

--- p.250

Chemicals used in air fresheners, such as benzene, formaldehyde, styrene, and phthalates, are carcinogens, hormone disruptors, and common irritants that cause neurological, respiratory, and allergic reactions.
Plug-in air fresheners also contain naphthalene, which causes lung cancer in animals.

--- p.255

A smog-covered skyline is a clear sign of air pollution.
But we are less aware of other forms of pollution that exist more subtly in our everyday lives.
Excessive noise and light.

--- p.260

All good changes to extend life start with food.
Ultimately, health changes that alter the quality of life and timing of death ultimately depend on diet and nutrition.
It's the same for dogs and people.

--- p.276

Veterinarians have something called the 10 percent rule.
It is okay for a dog to consume up to 10 percent of its total calories from nutritionally incomplete foods.
…we recommend replacing this with a longevity food rather than a low-quality snack.

--- p.277

Fresh vegetables and low-sugar fruits should make up a very small portion of your dog's diet, but they are still very important.
In the wild, wolves and coyotes eat grasses, berries, fruits, and vegetables as important sources of nutrients.
They provide not only fiber but also nutrients not found in meat, bones, or organ meats.
Studies have shown that a dog diet lacking vegetables harms the health of its microbiome.

--- p.282

What foods are truly toxic to dogs? The European Federation of the Pet Food Industry (FEDIAF) provides the most accurate and scientifically supported information on pet food toxicity.
The important thing to note is that only three foods on that list are toxic to dogs and cats.
These are grapes (or raisins), cocoa (chocolate), alliums (onions, chives, high-dose garlic extract (meaning garlic supplements, fresh garlic is fine)).

--- p.311

The general purpose of supplements is to fill nutritional gaps that are not sufficiently supplied or cannot be consumed through food, but taking supplements too extreme can actually be harmful to the body.
No matter how good something is, too much of it is not good.
Antioxidants are a good example.
Taking too many synthetic antioxidants as supplements can interfere with your body's natural antioxidant and detoxifying functions.

--- p.319

Veterinarians who practice functional medicine seek to identify and eliminate lifestyle or environmental barriers before disease occurs.
We develop personalized, dynamic wellness plans for your pet, aiming for sustained well-being and an above-average quality of life and longevity.
It is different from traditional medicine, which treats disease symptoms in response to the disease or deterioration that has already occurred.

--- p.348

You may be aware that consumers have moved beyond simply seeing meat ingredients on pet food labels.
Why did this meat become a "feed-grade ingredient"? Is it healthy but "waste" meat? Or is it tissue from a diseased animal? Where did it come from?
--- p.367

Dry food contains ingredients that have been heat-processed at least four times.
It's literally dead food.

--- p.373

Essential nutrients are one of two things.
That is, they come from food sources or are synthetic nutrients (artificially created vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and fatty acids).
The lower the nutrient density of the feed or the more heat it has been exposed to, the more synthetic nutrients need to be added.

--- p.378

The reason veterinarians advise against homemade diets is because owners often do them wrong.
This means that you don't really know how to provide your dog with the minimum nutritional requirements.

--- p.385

Generally, homemade diets using adequate levels of synthetic vitamins and minerals are the least expensive way to feed your dog a fresh, homemade diet and are met with the least veterinary opposition.
In short, it is a simple way to supplement the necessary trace nutrients.

--- p.397

Just like people, dogs can sometimes eat 'fast food'.
The key is to avoid creating a lifestyle that relies on ultra-processed feed as the primary source of nutrition.

--- p.413

In ancient times, neither people nor dogs had the luxury of eating multiple meals and snacks a day.
There was no guarantee that I would fill my stomach at the same time every morning.
The dogs fasted until their next successful hunt.
Modern eating habits are more a product of culture and habits shaped by affluence.

--- p.417

People often use food as a substitute for emotions.
…put your phone away and look at your dog.
Focus on talking and spending time together.
Take a few minutes to cuddle your dog.
Both you and your dog will get a rush of oxytocin.
Paying attention is like a tonic to everyone.

--- p.424

All dogs are natural athletes (except for breeds that cannot breathe or move normally).
Rehabilitation veterinarians and physical therapists believe that dogs are healthiest when they run or sprint at least once a day, along with aerobic conditioning (exercise).

--- p.431

We often get asked how much exercise they should get each day, and our answer is simple.
“Long enough to fall asleep at night from exhaustion.” … Dogs generally need a lot of aerobic exercise to stay mentally and physically healthy.
Much more than people.
That's exactly the problem.

--- p.432

Even if you look healthy, eat well, and seem to have no problems, that doesn't mean you don't need blood tests or other diagnostic tests.
Any metabolic or organ problems affecting your dog can be detected with biochemical changes in blood tests months or even years before symptoms appear.

--- p.441

We can influence the expression of many genes that are directly related to our health and longevity.
The same goes for dogs.
However, it is up to us to make wise choices for our dogs.

--- p.447

It's no surprise that one of the secrets of centenarians in the Blue Zones is strong social ties.
And this fact tells us that social networks are important for dogs too.
(If your dog likes physical contact) Don't underestimate the power of hugs and kisses.
Your friendship is very important to your dog.
Maybe you're his only social outlet.

--- p.450

Depending on their childhood experiences, dogs can either live confidently, prosperously, and adventurously, or they can actively avoid and defend themselves from the new and unpredictable in a scary world.

--- p.453

What we have known from experience for thousands of years has now been proven by scientific research.
A growing body of research shows that owning a pet can help you maintain an optimistic attitude and reduce depression and anxiety.
Dogs are good for our souls.
For our health too.

--- p.483

We want our precious new family members to live as happily and healthily as possible.
The best way to do this is to create an environment that stimulates and nourishes your dog's body, brain, and soul.

--- p.484