What do you think?
Rate this book
The Forever Dog Life: 120+ Recipes, Longevity Tips, and New Science for Better Bowls and Healthier Homes
In this beautifully illustrated guide, the authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Forever Dog show how to create a thriving, sustainable lifestyle and environment to help your dog live a longer, happier, and healthier life
In The Forever Dog, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker explained that your dog’s longevity starts with proper nourishment. In The Forever Dog Life, they offer simple ways you can help your dog live longer and better from the inside-out and outside-in, including easy-to-follow tools, recipes, and tips.
Learn to prepare healthy, homemade meals your dog will love, with more than 120 nutritionally packed recipes for delicious food bowls, fresh food toppers that supercharge any type of pet food, and nourishing broths and stews that entice the pickiest of eaters. And don’t forget DIY training treats, cookies, jerkies, and chews. Accompanying the recipes are science-rich tips for the best ingredients, food hacks, and tools to use in the kitchen.
But food is only one aspect of a dog’s good health. The Forever Dog Life teaches you how to make your home as healthy as possible, with practical instructions for creating your own non-toxic DIY cleaners, natural disinfectants, and lawn care solutions that can easily replace hazardous chemical-based products that negatively impact our pet’s health. Also included are all-natural recipes for body care, including shampoos and conditioners, skin rinses, oral and ear care, and chemical-free flea and tick solutions. Habib and Becker make it easy to incorporate their science-backed tips into your home, so your dog (and cat!) can live a long, happy, and healthy life.
Filled with wonderful stories and fantastic canines, The Forever Dog Life makes the world a safer, healthier, and happier place for animals. Backed by science and filled with photographs and four-color instructions, it is the ultimate handbook to help your dogs and cats live their best life.
In The Forever Dog, Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker explained that your dog’s longevity starts with proper nourishment. In The Forever Dog Life, they offer simple ways you can help your dog live longer and better from the inside-out and outside-in, including easy-to-follow tools, recipes, and tips.
Learn to prepare healthy, homemade meals your dog will love, with more than 120 nutritionally packed recipes for delicious food bowls, fresh food toppers that supercharge any type of pet food, and nourishing broths and stews that entice the pickiest of eaters. And don’t forget DIY training treats, cookies, jerkies, and chews. Accompanying the recipes are science-rich tips for the best ingredients, food hacks, and tools to use in the kitchen.
But food is only one aspect of a dog’s good health. The Forever Dog Life teaches you how to make your home as healthy as possible, with practical instructions for creating your own non-toxic DIY cleaners, natural disinfectants, and lawn care solutions that can easily replace hazardous chemical-based products that negatively impact our pet’s health. Also included are all-natural recipes for body care, including shampoos and conditioners, skin rinses, oral and ear care, and chemical-free flea and tick solutions. Habib and Becker make it easy to incorporate their science-backed tips into your home, so your dog (and cat!) can live a long, happy, and healthy life.
Filled with wonderful stories and fantastic canines, The Forever Dog Life makes the world a safer, healthier, and happier place for animals. Backed by science and filled with photographs and four-color instructions, it is the ultimate handbook to help your dogs and cats live their best life.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2024
320 people are currently reading
3080 people want to read
About the author
Rodney Habib
3 books51 followersRodney Habib is one of the most influential pet health leaders in the world. He’s a filmmaker, multiple award-winning blogger, sought-after public speaker, founder of Planet Paws - the world’s largest pet health page on Facebook - and more importantly, a pet parent.
His honest and no-nonsense take on pet health and massive social media presence has gained him worldwide recognition. His 2017 documentary on the canine cancer epidemic The Dog Cancer Series accelerated his influencer status, leading to viral videos capturing more than 530 million views, then eventually achieving the status of most popular pet health food page on Facebook with 2.6 million followers.
His honest and no-nonsense take on pet health and massive social media presence has gained him worldwide recognition. His 2017 documentary on the canine cancer epidemic The Dog Cancer Series accelerated his influencer status, leading to viral videos capturing more than 530 million views, then eventually achieving the status of most popular pet health food page on Facebook with 2.6 million followers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 24, 2024
Thank you to Harper and Goodreads for this mouth-watering book I won in a Goodreads Giveaway!
Yes, I know this book is clearly for your dog, but your mouth will water too when you see the food photos contained within! I swear, I kept thinking that my dog was about to eat WAY better than me! 🤣
If you are a dog-owner and want an easy-to-reference guide on preparing interesting, healthier foods, treats, and even non-toxic natural grooming sprays and alternatives to use on your pooch, you’ll love this book!
WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF, says Twix, emphasizing this book is 5 stars all the way!
Yes, I know this book is clearly for your dog, but your mouth will water too when you see the food photos contained within! I swear, I kept thinking that my dog was about to eat WAY better than me! 🤣
If you are a dog-owner and want an easy-to-reference guide on preparing interesting, healthier foods, treats, and even non-toxic natural grooming sprays and alternatives to use on your pooch, you’ll love this book!
WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF, says Twix, emphasizing this book is 5 stars all the way!
July 27, 2024
I won this in a giveaway, and as a consequence it feels very bad to not be able to be very positive about it. It feels even worse to say that I didn't actually finish the book, but only the first 70 pages and a bit of flipping through some of the recipes.
Unfortunately, this just isn't a very nice book to read. Beginning with the actual physical structure, this is a massive, tightly bound hardcover. It is heavy in your hands, large and awkward to hold, and is not well designed to be set open on a counter as you'd expect a primarily recipe book to be. This unpleasantness to hold, and the lack of substance (which I'll get to momentarily) is the main reason I didn't finish it. The authors worked very hard on their visuals, pops of color and photographs, ingredient arrangements and other visually pleasing and eye catching tricks to make the book look really good if you flip through it casually. It's beautiful from that perspective... unfortunately the price of that beauty is the size of this monster and style over substance to a frankly insane degree.
Because simple recipes are easy to look up these days, and the book purports to have real scientific expertise in its writers, I was hoping for some genuine science, some discussion of studies that have been done. The book is certainly large enough for that kind of content. Unfortunately, and I quote "In the interest of keeping the pages and photos as user-friendly as possible, we have listed the nutritional analyses... and all our citations and references on the book's website." There are no links in the book, or article titles. That means every single scientific claim in the book is necessarily vague, simplistic and completely without verification or discussion. Just go to the website and hope for the best. Asking readers to visit a different medium entirely for the actual content of the book is completely unreasonable, especially when this book fails to have the structure of a recipe book that you can leave open on the counter easily. It is not built like a proper recipe book. But it has no content to justify its size either. It is almost a coffee table book, except for the part where it would never stay open to the pages you wanted.
I particularly didn't like the clarity and lack of detail concerning toxic foods, or the repeated insistence that a broccoli stem is a treat. Dogs are much like people, in that junk food is treats, and the time and place for junk food is when you need to give them medicine or something along those lines. Healthy food is great and all, but a dog is not likely to be motivated to do anything by a bit of broccoli unless it's a very strange dog. But those are minor quibbles compared to the main two problems: physical nature of the book and it's insistence that I go somewhere else for scientific information. Those two things made me increasingly disinclined to pick it up again and now I'm putting it to bed for good.
If you want colorful pages and lovingly arranged photos of mushrooms and lemon slices, this is probably the book for you. If you want an easy to use recipe book, this probably isn't because of how it's made. If you want a scientifically interesting look at the biological nature and needs of dogs as pertains to their diets and the actual nutrient quality of these various recipes, well too bad, that's not in here.
Unfortunately, this just isn't a very nice book to read. Beginning with the actual physical structure, this is a massive, tightly bound hardcover. It is heavy in your hands, large and awkward to hold, and is not well designed to be set open on a counter as you'd expect a primarily recipe book to be. This unpleasantness to hold, and the lack of substance (which I'll get to momentarily) is the main reason I didn't finish it. The authors worked very hard on their visuals, pops of color and photographs, ingredient arrangements and other visually pleasing and eye catching tricks to make the book look really good if you flip through it casually. It's beautiful from that perspective... unfortunately the price of that beauty is the size of this monster and style over substance to a frankly insane degree.
Because simple recipes are easy to look up these days, and the book purports to have real scientific expertise in its writers, I was hoping for some genuine science, some discussion of studies that have been done. The book is certainly large enough for that kind of content. Unfortunately, and I quote "In the interest of keeping the pages and photos as user-friendly as possible, we have listed the nutritional analyses... and all our citations and references on the book's website." There are no links in the book, or article titles. That means every single scientific claim in the book is necessarily vague, simplistic and completely without verification or discussion. Just go to the website and hope for the best. Asking readers to visit a different medium entirely for the actual content of the book is completely unreasonable, especially when this book fails to have the structure of a recipe book that you can leave open on the counter easily. It is not built like a proper recipe book. But it has no content to justify its size either. It is almost a coffee table book, except for the part where it would never stay open to the pages you wanted.
I particularly didn't like the clarity and lack of detail concerning toxic foods, or the repeated insistence that a broccoli stem is a treat. Dogs are much like people, in that junk food is treats, and the time and place for junk food is when you need to give them medicine or something along those lines. Healthy food is great and all, but a dog is not likely to be motivated to do anything by a bit of broccoli unless it's a very strange dog. But those are minor quibbles compared to the main two problems: physical nature of the book and it's insistence that I go somewhere else for scientific information. Those two things made me increasingly disinclined to pick it up again and now I'm putting it to bed for good.
If you want colorful pages and lovingly arranged photos of mushrooms and lemon slices, this is probably the book for you. If you want an easy to use recipe book, this probably isn't because of how it's made. If you want a scientifically interesting look at the biological nature and needs of dogs as pertains to their diets and the actual nutrient quality of these various recipes, well too bad, that's not in here.
June 22, 2024
I love this book the beginning is very informational. I loved all the recipes and my pet will too. They have “additional recipes” but you have to pay for them $2 on their website which is disappointing. Also, Some recipes are super hard to source which is why I gave it only 4 stars because I have to pay to get access to changes of the recipes. I wish this book explored more resources in sourcing items too, but overall really enjoyed this and I know my dog will too!
January 17, 2025
A small disclaimer: I went into this book knowing that I would probably disagree with a lot of the things being promoted by the authors, but tried to keep as an open a mind as I could for the sake of discovering some fun recipes to try.
I checked this book out from the library because it seemed interesting; I love baking human treats and a recent change in medication meant that my dog was free to expand beyond her strictly hypoallergenic food diet. I was excited to try out some homemade recipes that promised to be healthy, and thought I had found a good resource for making special treats and a variety of meals.
There were a few red flags right off the bat: a raw food diet being promoted as the healthiest option for any and every dog, the immediate bad-mouthing of veterinary schooling and practice as a whole, the inclusion of questionably toxic ingredients in some recipes, and insinuating malice on the part of dog owners who feed their dogs kibble or store-bought treats.
Once you learn to get passed the negativity that is the tone of the writing (which is hard considering the introduction/text of nearly every single recipe takes a jab at either other vets or store-bought dog food and treats), the recipes themselves are mostly useful. There are recipes for jerky, celebration cakes, treats, and even things like shampoo, floor cleaner, and other non-food products. Aside from the recipes that suggest leaving the protein of choice raw for better health benefits (which is a whole other conversation), they are generally as advertised: healthy and easy-to-make recipes. This is where the two stars come from. If I were more impressed by the rest of the book, I definitely would have tried a few of these.
For a cookbook/recipe book that is marketed as the guide to a healthy life backed up by "New Science," there is a severe lack of science in the book. The citations are only available by visiting the website and most of the cited studies are either human-centered or do not feature canine subjects. Despite what the introduction to the book claims, humans and dogs do not have the same digestive tract. If you insist that your readers (and anyone who cares about their dogs) follows your recipes or else they are doing a disservice to their pets, the "New Science" you are quoting needs to be accessible and accurate.
Although it is not obvious as you are reading through these recipes, keep in mind that Dr. Becker's approach to animal welfare, alongside everything mentioned in this book, includes aversion to regular vaccines and boosters, and Rodney Habib has no formal qualifications in animal nutrition or health.
I checked this book out from the library because it seemed interesting; I love baking human treats and a recent change in medication meant that my dog was free to expand beyond her strictly hypoallergenic food diet. I was excited to try out some homemade recipes that promised to be healthy, and thought I had found a good resource for making special treats and a variety of meals.
There were a few red flags right off the bat: a raw food diet being promoted as the healthiest option for any and every dog, the immediate bad-mouthing of veterinary schooling and practice as a whole, the inclusion of questionably toxic ingredients in some recipes, and insinuating malice on the part of dog owners who feed their dogs kibble or store-bought treats.
Once you learn to get passed the negativity that is the tone of the writing (which is hard considering the introduction/text of nearly every single recipe takes a jab at either other vets or store-bought dog food and treats), the recipes themselves are mostly useful. There are recipes for jerky, celebration cakes, treats, and even things like shampoo, floor cleaner, and other non-food products. Aside from the recipes that suggest leaving the protein of choice raw for better health benefits (which is a whole other conversation), they are generally as advertised: healthy and easy-to-make recipes. This is where the two stars come from. If I were more impressed by the rest of the book, I definitely would have tried a few of these.
For a cookbook/recipe book that is marketed as the guide to a healthy life backed up by "New Science," there is a severe lack of science in the book. The citations are only available by visiting the website and most of the cited studies are either human-centered or do not feature canine subjects. Despite what the introduction to the book claims, humans and dogs do not have the same digestive tract. If you insist that your readers (and anyone who cares about their dogs) follows your recipes or else they are doing a disservice to their pets, the "New Science" you are quoting needs to be accessible and accurate.
Although it is not obvious as you are reading through these recipes, keep in mind that Dr. Becker's approach to animal welfare, alongside everything mentioned in this book, includes aversion to regular vaccines and boosters, and Rodney Habib has no formal qualifications in animal nutrition or health.
April 25, 2025
I thought the book was very informative, with lots of great recipes, from treats to toppers to full bowl ideas, and also very colorful and visually beautiful. However, the full bowl recipes were kinda disappointing, in that every recipe had at least one ingredient that would be hard to source, and while they provided a QR code to get access to additional recipes that offered useful swaps, you have to pay $1.99 to get access. That aspect is disappointing… for a book for beginners, and also people who largely live in areas where those hard to source ingredients are, in fact, hard to source; I was hoping for recipes less intimidating. However, the treats and toppers are doable for me, and I am happy to start incorporating those.
December 21, 2024
Very informative and a must-have if you prepare meals for your furbabies. Great recipes and DIYs.
August 12, 2024
This gorgeous recipe book is a great starting point for any pet parent who wants to feed their dog or cat more nutritious and delicious options than just kibble.
The book is broken down into six chapters.
Chapter 1: Feeding Your Forever Pet
This introduction covers some basics about nutrition, suggestions for helpful kitchen tools and storage options, and the formula for figuring out the percentage of bad carbs present in your commercial dog food. There’s also great information on your pet’s microbiome and tips to transition to healthier eating habits.
If you’re looking for the more in-depth education about pet nutrition, I would suggest reading Dr. Becker and Rodney Habib’s first book The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer.
Chapter 2: Forever Foods
The 35 pages of this section were the most useful to me. They go into detail about their favorite five forever foods for dogs: mushrooms, eggs, sardines, dandelions, and sprouts & herbs. In addition to suggestions on how to prepare these foods, they also include how much to feed your pet based on their weight in 10lb increments.
Chapter 3: Treats & Toppers
This was my second favorite section of the book with 77 pages of recipes for all sorts of treats and toppers. They cover jerky, small treat cookies, a dog birthday cake, frozen treats, gelatin treats and more.
I’ve marked the pages to try their pill pockets that sound super yummy with diverse ingredient choices. My two dogs have daily medications, so I may as well use that opportunity to mix up more healthy ingredients into a pill pocket solution.
I’m also really excited to make the Applesauce and Tandoori Topper for spreading on lick mats. I’m aways spreading yogurt, avocado, or coconut coil because those are easy go-tos. But the recipes for these two spreadable toppers are really easy.
At the end of this chapter, they share 9 different recipes for bone broth and several tea mixtures, including a detox tea that I know I’ll be brewing for my dogs.
Chapter 4: Complete & Balanced Meals
There are 33 recipes covered in these 80 pages, and they have more on their website, which is especially helpful if you’re wanting to adjust a recipe for your dog’s life stage and activity level.
I may make some of these recipes to use as toppers to give my dogs more variety in their food, but I don’t see me cooking for them on a daily basis. I barely have the time and inclination to make healthy meals for me several times a day.
They mention that substituting or removing ingredients will likely create a meal that is no longer considered complete & balanced, and some of the ingredients are things I don’t normally stock in my pantry. But if I’m cooking these recipes to divide up into smaller portions for toppers, then I’m much less concerned about missing ingredients messing with my dogs’ daily nutritional needs.
Chapter 5: Indoor & Outdoor Recipes for the Forever Home
This section is short with 21 pages covering many recipes for creating your own cleaners, dryer sheets, disinfectants, weed killer and more. I did mark the page that includes recipes for Simmer Pot Scents. The fall spice ingredient list has me wishing for cozy autumn mornings reading with this scent blending with my coffee.
Chapter 6: Recipes for the Body
At 16 pages, this section is the shortest with recipes for pet shampoos, wipes, ear cleaner and more. I’ve used the Paw Soak recipe before and my dogs love it. Of course, my dogs are perfectly happy to stand in the bathtub with two inches of water covering their paws to let them detox from their environment. I realize that not everyone has dogs who appreciate a spaw experience;)
Overall, any pet parent can benefit from the various recipes presented in this book. If you’re a cat lover, they’re included here too. I didn’t pay as much attention to the directions given to cat parents, but whenever a dose is different for cats, they include that.
Here’s to all of our dogs and cats living forever!
The book is broken down into six chapters.
Chapter 1: Feeding Your Forever Pet
This introduction covers some basics about nutrition, suggestions for helpful kitchen tools and storage options, and the formula for figuring out the percentage of bad carbs present in your commercial dog food. There’s also great information on your pet’s microbiome and tips to transition to healthier eating habits.
If you’re looking for the more in-depth education about pet nutrition, I would suggest reading Dr. Becker and Rodney Habib’s first book The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer.
Chapter 2: Forever Foods
The 35 pages of this section were the most useful to me. They go into detail about their favorite five forever foods for dogs: mushrooms, eggs, sardines, dandelions, and sprouts & herbs. In addition to suggestions on how to prepare these foods, they also include how much to feed your pet based on their weight in 10lb increments.
Chapter 3: Treats & Toppers
This was my second favorite section of the book with 77 pages of recipes for all sorts of treats and toppers. They cover jerky, small treat cookies, a dog birthday cake, frozen treats, gelatin treats and more.
I’ve marked the pages to try their pill pockets that sound super yummy with diverse ingredient choices. My two dogs have daily medications, so I may as well use that opportunity to mix up more healthy ingredients into a pill pocket solution.
I’m also really excited to make the Applesauce and Tandoori Topper for spreading on lick mats. I’m aways spreading yogurt, avocado, or coconut coil because those are easy go-tos. But the recipes for these two spreadable toppers are really easy.
At the end of this chapter, they share 9 different recipes for bone broth and several tea mixtures, including a detox tea that I know I’ll be brewing for my dogs.
Chapter 4: Complete & Balanced Meals
There are 33 recipes covered in these 80 pages, and they have more on their website, which is especially helpful if you’re wanting to adjust a recipe for your dog’s life stage and activity level.
I may make some of these recipes to use as toppers to give my dogs more variety in their food, but I don’t see me cooking for them on a daily basis. I barely have the time and inclination to make healthy meals for me several times a day.
They mention that substituting or removing ingredients will likely create a meal that is no longer considered complete & balanced, and some of the ingredients are things I don’t normally stock in my pantry. But if I’m cooking these recipes to divide up into smaller portions for toppers, then I’m much less concerned about missing ingredients messing with my dogs’ daily nutritional needs.
Chapter 5: Indoor & Outdoor Recipes for the Forever Home
This section is short with 21 pages covering many recipes for creating your own cleaners, dryer sheets, disinfectants, weed killer and more. I did mark the page that includes recipes for Simmer Pot Scents. The fall spice ingredient list has me wishing for cozy autumn mornings reading with this scent blending with my coffee.
Chapter 6: Recipes for the Body
At 16 pages, this section is the shortest with recipes for pet shampoos, wipes, ear cleaner and more. I’ve used the Paw Soak recipe before and my dogs love it. Of course, my dogs are perfectly happy to stand in the bathtub with two inches of water covering their paws to let them detox from their environment. I realize that not everyone has dogs who appreciate a spaw experience;)
Overall, any pet parent can benefit from the various recipes presented in this book. If you’re a cat lover, they’re included here too. I didn’t pay as much attention to the directions given to cat parents, but whenever a dose is different for cats, they include that.
Here’s to all of our dogs and cats living forever!
November 6, 2024
I read all the way through this in one sitting because the amount of accessible information is really packed in there. I already feed my dog and cats a raw diet, but seeing how much more food variety dogs and cats can actually eat is both eye-opening and exciting! It's given me plenty of future meal, topper, and enrichment ideas with the abundance of ingredients listed, how much to feed, and why they're good for your pets. It goes beyond what you can feed your pets and extends to things you use around the house, like cleaners, laundry detergent, pest deterrents, pet shampoo and conditioner, and so on.
The information is laid out in easy-to-read ways, with text often broken into small chunks and illustrations/photos and negative space giving your eyes plenty of breaks. My one formatting complaint is that there are several paragraphs that start out as single column and then switch to double column without a space between the two types. This is really disruptive as my eyes lost the natural path to follow while reading. It's a minor complaint, but it stands out because I can't think of any other complaints I have.
I bought this as someone not looking for meal recipes, but more so for general information on what ingredients are safe for my dog and cats to consume, safe quantities based on body weight, and some natural alternatives to household cleaning products and pest deterrents. I wasn't disappointed. Visually, it's a beautiful book, and the hardcover feels well made. The spine didn't crack while reading (if you're picky like me, I cringe at cracked spines). There's a wealth of information here for those interested in feeding fresh foods to their pets, even if it's just for treats or toppers, and not looking to replace entire meals.
The information is laid out in easy-to-read ways, with text often broken into small chunks and illustrations/photos and negative space giving your eyes plenty of breaks. My one formatting complaint is that there are several paragraphs that start out as single column and then switch to double column without a space between the two types. This is really disruptive as my eyes lost the natural path to follow while reading. It's a minor complaint, but it stands out because I can't think of any other complaints I have.
I bought this as someone not looking for meal recipes, but more so for general information on what ingredients are safe for my dog and cats to consume, safe quantities based on body weight, and some natural alternatives to household cleaning products and pest deterrents. I wasn't disappointed. Visually, it's a beautiful book, and the hardcover feels well made. The spine didn't crack while reading (if you're picky like me, I cringe at cracked spines). There's a wealth of information here for those interested in feeding fresh foods to their pets, even if it's just for treats or toppers, and not looking to replace entire meals.
August 20, 2024
This book is a quick read and a bit of a treasure trove for dog lovers committed to enhancing the health and longevity of their furry companions. There are over 120 thoughtfully crafted recipes, along with the science-backed tips for nutrition and wellness to serve as a guide for giving your dogs the best possible life.
The author doesn't just focus on diet with the recipes, but also dives into the latest research on canine longevity, offering practical advice on how to create a healthier home environment for their dogs. From reducing exposure to environmental toxins to optimizing exercise routines, the book covers all aspects of a dog’s life that can contribute to a longer, healthier existence.
The recipes themselves are largely accessible and easy to follow, catering to a variety of dietary needs and preferences. The ingredients tend to focus on those things that are wholesome and natural, emphasizing fresh, real food over processed alternatives.
Another strength of the book is the focus on the emotional bond between dogs and their owners. The authors clearly understand that dogs are more than just pets—they’re family members. This perspective is woven throughout the book, reminding readers that the choices we make for our dogs’ health have a profound impact on their overall well-being and happiness.
It’s a recommended read for anyone who wants to add resources to ensure their dog lives a long, healthy, and joyful life.
The author doesn't just focus on diet with the recipes, but also dives into the latest research on canine longevity, offering practical advice on how to create a healthier home environment for their dogs. From reducing exposure to environmental toxins to optimizing exercise routines, the book covers all aspects of a dog’s life that can contribute to a longer, healthier existence.
The recipes themselves are largely accessible and easy to follow, catering to a variety of dietary needs and preferences. The ingredients tend to focus on those things that are wholesome and natural, emphasizing fresh, real food over processed alternatives.
Another strength of the book is the focus on the emotional bond between dogs and their owners. The authors clearly understand that dogs are more than just pets—they’re family members. This perspective is woven throughout the book, reminding readers that the choices we make for our dogs’ health have a profound impact on their overall well-being and happiness.
It’s a recommended read for anyone who wants to add resources to ensure their dog lives a long, healthy, and joyful life.
October 10, 2024
Wealth and privilege are soaked into the words written on these pages. A completely unrealistic and junk science lifestyle promoted by people who live privileged and entitled lives. Don't get me wrong, I think that lots of things can be done to enrich our canine companions lives but the debunked "science" these two people write about, and try to shame the reader into implementing, isn't part of an enriched life. Unless it's because they're investing in the companies selling all of the unrealistic and unpronounceable additions to your dogs life that they apparently need to live long lives and they're thinking of their bank accounts. That would make sense.
Skip this book and do the best you can with what you have access to in your area for your pet. Quality vet care is probably the number one factor in your dogs life and if you have a vet who gives bad advice (because they're human and fallible) do the best you can with what's available to you.
This book assumes everyone is a millionaire and food deserts don't exist and quality vet care is available to everyone everywhere for free. Since they're the only people who live in that world, we should do the best we can in the real world.
Skip this book and do the best you can with what you have access to in your area for your pet. Quality vet care is probably the number one factor in your dogs life and if you have a vet who gives bad advice (because they're human and fallible) do the best you can with what's available to you.
This book assumes everyone is a millionaire and food deserts don't exist and quality vet care is available to everyone everywhere for free. Since they're the only people who live in that world, we should do the best we can in the real world.
January 24, 2025
I love the goal of this book- to feed dogs and cats with wholesome, real food. We learn right off the bat that dry processed kibble is the worst form of food for our furry friends. Fresher, more raw food is best. I like the chart showing the progression from worst to best forms of food. And the cover will wow you. I've been a fan of Karen Becker for many years when she was a writer of a pet newsletter on the Mercola website. She has since departed from that platform and has her own following.
The only thing that was kind of a big bummer for me is that most of the recipes are time-consuming and contain a long list of hard-to-find or hard-to-prepare ingredients. Case in point- the prebiotic cookies contain whitefish, peanut butter (not processed), sweet potato puree, oat flour, and chickpea flour. None of these are items in my pantry right now. And that's one of the more simple recipes. I find it easier to just add fresh fruit and veggies to my dog's food and also swap in raw ground buffalo.
The only thing that was kind of a big bummer for me is that most of the recipes are time-consuming and contain a long list of hard-to-find or hard-to-prepare ingredients. Case in point- the prebiotic cookies contain whitefish, peanut butter (not processed), sweet potato puree, oat flour, and chickpea flour. None of these are items in my pantry right now. And that's one of the more simple recipes. I find it easier to just add fresh fruit and veggies to my dog's food and also swap in raw ground buffalo.
June 5, 2025
Rounded up from 3.5 stars.
The information in the first part of this book is phenomenal, both for dog and human health. Honestly, I’ll use this resource a lot for my own personal health in addition to my dogs. As far as this part goes, it’s a 5.
The lower factor is that the recipes in this book are not even close to being sustainable or affordable if you have big dogs. I was hoping they’d offer at least a couple of affordable solutions for homemade dog food, but there weren’t. Three stars for the recipe portion.
Overall, though, I’d still recommend this book because it does have amazing insights, and they do a good job of encouraging that anywhere you’re able to start making changes is improvement from doing nothing, which I appreciate. There’s no shaming people that are doing what they can do, rather, there’s a lot of positivity around it.
The information in the first part of this book is phenomenal, both for dog and human health. Honestly, I’ll use this resource a lot for my own personal health in addition to my dogs. As far as this part goes, it’s a 5.
The lower factor is that the recipes in this book are not even close to being sustainable or affordable if you have big dogs. I was hoping they’d offer at least a couple of affordable solutions for homemade dog food, but there weren’t. Three stars for the recipe portion.
Overall, though, I’d still recommend this book because it does have amazing insights, and they do a good job of encouraging that anywhere you’re able to start making changes is improvement from doing nothing, which I appreciate. There’s no shaming people that are doing what they can do, rather, there’s a lot of positivity around it.
June 6, 2024
This is a bible to give your furbaby the best possible healthy and happy life. It’s filled with lots of tips and recipes. I have marked all the new home made treats and recipes I will be trying out for my forever dog. I love that there’s Whole Foods version recipes as well as with supplements version. So this way you can work with the recipe version that works for you. There’s DIY flea tick spray and other non toxic products to ensure you and your forever dog has the best possible chance at longevity!!
Read
June 16, 2025Pg.10-13 ok to use some commercial food.Author provides info on how to find an atleast ok one: 10% carbs, avoid high-heat processing. Example: dehydrated or air-dryed
Pg. 16 use high quality stainless steel bowls with 18 gauge metal. Filter the water decreases cancer risk
Pg. 23. The pit and stem of the avocado is toxic...the rest of the fruit is fine! So many rumors about this being a no for dogs!
Pg.27 pets require different types of oils than humans. Check beforehand
Chapters dedicated to 'FOREVER FOODS' mushroom's health benefits, eggs, dandelions, sprouts and sardines. Eggs are a perfect protein for dogs!
I really like the concept of the balls/cubes of gealtin with food inside but how do you train the dog to not take it off the food mat and smear into the carpet?
Foreverrecipie.com has 400 additional recipies you can buy.
Pg.161 Nutritional Yeast is fine for dogs
163 if the food is identifiable in the poop then it needs to be chopped/processed more
Instead of cancerous air freshner do "Simmer Pot Home Scents". Stovetop or crockpot
Those that are nervous about fully raw meat. Author suggest freezing raw meat for 3 weeks and unthawing to feed
Pg. 16 use high quality stainless steel bowls with 18 gauge metal. Filter the water decreases cancer risk
Pg. 23. The pit and stem of the avocado is toxic...the rest of the fruit is fine! So many rumors about this being a no for dogs!
Pg.27 pets require different types of oils than humans. Check beforehand
Chapters dedicated to 'FOREVER FOODS' mushroom's health benefits, eggs, dandelions, sprouts and sardines. Eggs are a perfect protein for dogs!
I really like the concept of the balls/cubes of gealtin with food inside but how do you train the dog to not take it off the food mat and smear into the carpet?
Foreverrecipie.com has 400 additional recipies you can buy.
Pg.161 Nutritional Yeast is fine for dogs
163 if the food is identifiable in the poop then it needs to be chopped/processed more
Instead of cancerous air freshner do "Simmer Pot Home Scents". Stovetop or crockpot
Those that are nervous about fully raw meat. Author suggest freezing raw meat for 3 weeks and unthawing to feed
June 22, 2024
I liked everything about this book except for one thing. The recipes for the meals have a lot of supplements in them. There is a section of the book that states the whole food recipe can be found online. Getting nutrients from whole foods should be the favored instead and I wish those were printed in the book and the supplement version was found online. I still prefer to get recipes from books and read from actual physical books and not digital form.
December 6, 2024
After reading The Forever Dog, I was exited for the release of the "cookbook." However, I discovered so much more than that in The Forever Dog Life. There were not only recipes for whole meals, but also easier treat ones, but knowledge the entire family and household, along with recipes to make your home the ultimate chemical free environment. Which is good for you and your pets. Sure, somethings take more time, but everyone, including the environment will benefit.
May 5, 2025
The book is a good guide if you want to make some homemade treats for your dogs. But make sure you check with your vet and do your research on some of the ingredients they suggest for your dog. There were some recipes thats were very questionable because they promoted toxic foods. But the recipes are a great baseline just make sure you research each ingredient and make sure they are dog safe never just believe a book because it says so.
July 4, 2024
Love all the recipes that come with this book! If you're looking for natural ways to keep your pet healthy, live longer and happier, check this book out. Dr Becker and Dr Habib and all involved with making this book happen, are wonderful humans looking to make a difference in the health of our pets. And I promise you, you'll turn this into healthier options for yourself too!
July 5, 2024
If you want your dog to eat as well you, if not better, then this is the book for you. There are also some really good tips and tricks for those of us who don't have the time or ability to go whole hog, so to speak. The treats and toppers particularly caught my eye; chapter 4's complete and balanced meals will never be in Hank's repertoire unless I'm making them for me too.
August 8, 2024
This was such an interesting, cookbook. Calling it that, I think that's right it has lots of recipes and a few safe cleaning tips and recipes so it not only food. I'm sure my dog is going to love it.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required, and all views expressed are our own.
January 3, 2025
Love Your Dog
This was a great overview of a holistic approach to feeding and caring for your pups. The information was presented in a way that wasn’t overwhelming and very applicable to human health as well. While these changes take some commitment, well worth it for healthy animals.
This was a great overview of a holistic approach to feeding and caring for your pups. The information was presented in a way that wasn’t overwhelming and very applicable to human health as well. While these changes take some commitment, well worth it for healthy animals.
July 15, 2024
I was never more excited to read a book when I read this one. I loved learning all the things I can give my dog that are healthy and that I know she’ll eat without a fuss. Oh and the treats! So many ideas! Loved this book to the very end!
September 4, 2024
Thank you to Goodreads and HarperCollins Publishers for gifting us this beautiful cookbook. The Forever Dog Life is wonderful for a healthier furbaby . The presentation and photos in this book make it absolutely coffee table worthy as well as an informative cookbook. Bon appetit!
December 1, 2024
This is an excellent book for pet owners. Not only will it give valuable information but recipes. Although I don't have a pet (yet), I do feel this will be a good book for those who own multiple pets, a pet day care, or anything along that line.
June 24, 2024
Some great ideas that I’m eager to try. I’ll skip the recipes calling for supplements and/ or too many ingredients.
June 28, 2024
Excellent and informative book and wonderful recipes for your fur babies.
July 4, 2024
Absolutely loved this book! Provides great tips and recipes for our pup! Definitely recommend!!
July 9, 2024
Great for our pets. Lots of info on different types of nutrients and how they tribute to dogs health.
July 19, 2024
A beautiful book.
Wonderful recipes for your fur babies.
I won a copy from Goodreads.
Wonderful recipes for your fur babies.
I won a copy from Goodreads.
October 4, 2024
Absolutely must have in your home as a dog parent! It educates you on fresh, healthy foods for your dog! Help them live healthier, longer lives!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews