Do our dogs experience the equivalent of infancy and puberty? Do they go through terrible teens or struggle with mid-life crises? And what can we do to ensure they take each step in their stride? Best-selling author Jan Fennell leads us through the key stages of a dog's development by uniquely defining the seven ages of man's best friend.

All owners know their dogs pass through distinct, often dramatic phases during their life. But what are those phases?

In a fresh, new approach to the subject, Jan charts the dog's life from the buoyant, boundless energy of the Puppy and the Pioneer, through the troublesome teens that are the ages of the Playboy and the Protege and the difficult middle years of the Pretender and the Protector to the twilight years of the Pensioner.

The book is also a comprehensive guide to coping with the problems that crop up at particular times in a dog's development - from toilet training and vaccinations, to puberty and parenthood.

In The Dog Listener, Jan Fennell changed the way we think about our dogs. Now, in her most important book since, Jan once more challenges conventional thinking to put forward an alternative view of the dog's world. It is a book dog owners everywhere will want to read - then keep close to hand for years afterwards.