A new pet book has a lot of good, common-sense advice on taking care of your dog.

“The Complete Healthy Dog Handbook” by Betsy Brevitz (Workman Publishing, $19) answers a lot of useful questions on health, safety and daily grooming.

Here is a good tip to know as summer begins, and you and your dog will be spending more time outdoors: What do you do if your dog gets into something really sticky, such as chewing gum or tree sap, and you don’t want to cut his fur to get it out?

Brevitz’s handbook suggests a simple solution: Work some ordinary vegetable oil into the goo with your fingers. As you move it around, the mess should break up and eventually just wipe out of the fur. After this procedure, give your dog a nice bath using mild pet shampoo.

And on a cautionary note: Do not use any chemicals such as turpentine or nail polish remover to remove anything from your dog’s fur. These chemicals, writes Brevitz, are dangerous to dogs if licked off or absorbed into the skin.