Maggie Knows Dogs

File No. 001 · For people who love a dog

Your dog can't testify. You can.

Maggie's Case File teaches you to read, record and represent your dog. You'll notice changes weeks earlier, and you'll walk into the vet with facts instead of a feeling.

Get the Case File, $29Free: The Go-Now List

About 100 pages and 14 printable forms. Instant PDF download. Large, easy-to-read print.

Maggie Whitfield at her kitchen table with a green mug and her reading glasses
Maggie Whitfield, Connecticut
"For forty years I kept files for people who couldn't make anyone listen. My clients have four legs now. The rule hasn't changed: if you didn't write it down, it never happened."
From the opening note

What's in the file

Not an encyclopedia. A method you can use this weekend.

Six short parts, built the way a good case is built: first what normal looks like, then the signals, then the pattern, and finally how to present it to the person who can help.

CASE FILE · WHITFIELD
CONFIDENTIAL: FOR THE DOG
  1. PART 1
    The BaselineWeight, water and appetite, and where your dog chooses to lie. The before picture almost nobody has.
  2. PART 2
    Trauma WhispersWhy dogs go quiet instead of crying out, and how to tell fear from pain.
  3. PART 3
    The Pattern, Not the EventOne bad day is not a case. How to log what happened before, during and after.
  4. PART 4
    Presenting Your Case to the VetThe one-page brief, the right questions, and the signs that mean go now.
  5. PART 5
    Representing Your Dog at HomeSitters, grandchildren, visitors, and how to cross-examine the latest gadget.
  6. PART 6
    The Long ViewWhat changes after seven, and a calendar of good days for the older dog.

14 printable forms

The exhibits

Print on plain paper, US Letter or A4. Keep them in one folder by the leashes.

Exhibit AThe Client ProfileMedications, vet, poison helpline
Exhibit BThe Baseline SheetWhat normal looks like, in numbers
Exhibit CThe Weekly Five-Minute CheckNose to tail, once a week
Exhibit DThe Three Numbers LogTwelve weeks of weight, water, appetite
Exhibit EThe Whisper ChecklistQuiet signs of pain and discomfort
Exhibit FThe Incident ReportBefore, during, after
Exhibit GThe Pattern TrackerOne behaviour over 30 days
Exhibit HThe One-Page Vet BriefHand it over at the front desk
Exhibit IThe Go-Now ListEmergency signs, for the fridge
Exhibit JThe Vet Visit NotesQuestions before, answers during
Exhibit KThe Sitter's BriefEverything a sitter needs to know
Exhibit LHouse Rules for VisitorsFor children and guests
Exhibit MThe Good-Day CalendarQuality of life, month by month
Exhibit NThe Signal IndexWhat you see, and where to turn
A white colonial kitchen with a navy island, and an old golden retriever asleep by the wood-burning stove

About Maggie

Forty years in court. Now she represents the dogs.

Maggie Whitfield ran a small law practice in lower Manhattan for four decades, representing ordinary people: employees, tenants, and people hurt in traffic accidents. Today she trains dogs in the Connecticut countryside, where her twelve-year-old golden retriever, Winston, keeps his post in front of the kitchen stove.

She's sceptical of gadgets and quick fixes, and she believes time, consistency and attention beat almost anything you can buy.

"I'm not a vet. Wherever your vet should take over, I'll tell you plainly, and I'll tell you when it can't wait until Monday."

Maggie's Case File · PDF

$29 one payment
  • About 100 pages in six parts
  • 14 printable forms, US Letter and A4
  • Large, easy-to-read print
  • Clear “call your vet” lines throughout
  • Free updates to this edition
  • 14-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked
Buy the Case File

Secure checkout. The PDF arrives by email right after payment. Not a subscription.

Free

The Go-Now List

One page for the fridge: the signs where you don't wait and see. Leave your email and Maggie will send it over, along with a short note now and then. Unsubscribe any time.

Before you buy

Questions people ask

Is this a replacement for my vet?

No. The Case File helps you notice changes early and describe them clearly. Every part says plainly when it's time to call your vet, and when to go to an emergency clinic.

My dog is young and healthy. Is it too early?

It's the best time. A baseline is written while your dog is well, so you have something to compare with later.

Do I need any equipment?

A pencil, a bathroom scale, a measuring jug and your phone. About fifteen minutes a week.

Can I print it?

Yes. The forms print on plain paper at home, in US Letter or A4.

What if it isn't for me?

Email us within 14 days and you'll get a full refund.