There’s a new dog book in town and it’s written by two women who really know their dogs. In their nonfiction love story to dogs everywhere, “The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection,” the authors share all the wonderful benefits and reasons to bring a dog (or two or more) into your family.

Jen Golbeck rescues golden retrievers with special needs, including hospice care. She started what is an extremely popular Instagram page called The Golden Ratio. Stacey Colino is a science writer who has three rescue dogs. In this comprehensive and meticulously researched book, they share the whys and hows of bringing a dog into your family. And while much of the material they share is not going to be novel information for those who are involved in rescue or the dog world, I found that reading it reminded me of some things I knew, but had put on a back burner.

There are four parts to the book, and each part is comprehensive and includes scientific studies as well as anecdotal stories to make points about how wonderful dogs are and how much they can improve our lives. The first part, Creating Connection, is about the bonds we create with dogs, and how just having a dog can help us make human connections, too. Part Two is about how dogs enhance our health, and multiple studies have shown that’s true. Dogs not only encourage us to walk and move more, they actually can detect disease and help us as service dogs. They also help with depression and anxiety, and there is much to be said for how a dog can lower blood pressure and make us feel safe.

Part Three was of special interest to me as it’s about how dogs support us emotionally. They include the benefits of having dogs in the schools and interacting with children. I know that is true because for almost a decade, I brought a dog to school with me daily. Peanut, a facility dog, worked with me and helped my students feel comfortable and loved. She sat in difficult interviews with child protective services and helped the children being questioned feel secure. She helped the teachers just as much as she did the students, and whenever anyone at school saw her, even from a distance, they smiled. Before Peanut, two other dogs attended school with me: Bentley, a rescued herding dog, and Sadie, a Great Pyrenees whom I fostered when she was found at eight-years-old in Chicago. Both were certified therapy dogs. Both brought immeasurable joy to the students around them.

Part Four is the most difficult part to read, especially for those of us who have lost dogs. And those of us who are dog lovers, and dog rescuers, lose too many wonderful companions. The book really shares the dilemma that we face when wondering if the time is right to end the physical suffering of our beloved companions. I’ve lost three of my four dogs over the past four years, and there was definitely a lump in my throat as I read this part.

As someone who truly believes the study that shows that while breeds are great indicators of physical traits, breed alone does not reliably indicate personality. Those wanting a dog should research physical needs like energy levels and grooming needs, but then judge each dog individually. The only dog that ever bit me was, ironically, a golden retriever, yet my children grew up with extremely gentle Doberman pinschers. On the other hand, I fostered an amazing 10-year-old golden who was adopted into a wonderful home and lived five years there, getting all the attention and love he had missed the first part of his life. My mother had to put her Doberman, raised from a puppy, to sleep after she tried to kill my infant daughter (who was luckily fine). So I’m thrilled that the authors advise looking into rescue dogs and strongly caution against buying a dog from a puppy mill.

Working with reputable rescues where dogs are in foster homes can be a great experience, and the foster families really know their foster dogs and can help with a perfect fit. Also, the authors make it clear that you can’t adopt a dog and expect instant perfection. Housebroken dogs will have accidents while they adjust to a new environment and new schedule. It takes time and patience for dogs to learn new rules and to make connections with their new family. Truly, two to three months will pass and then, finally, your new family member will know they are home, hopefully forever.

I appreciate the comprehensive section of Notes at the end in which they share the sources for all their studies and information. There is also an index so that if you want to look up something specific, you’ll be able to get right there. Finding information you need when you need it is made fairly simple.

This is the kind of book that would make a great gift for someone who is thinking of getting their first dog, or even someone who has a dog but may not have done a lot of reading about dogs. There is a lot of important information in these pages, but the bottom line is what many of us already know: dogs are the best! They enrich our lives and provide us with unconditional love. And if you’ve forgotten those facts, this book will certainly remind you of that inarguable reality!

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.