German Shepherds for Dummies

Rating:
Summary: A Champion Read !
Review: = A Champion Read

As a German Shepherd owner in northern Ontario, Canada, I found this book of valuable assistance. There is little help in a practical sense for animals in this part of the world, but this book has really helped. Chapters 12 and 13 on pet care are the best chapters in the book: they help you to dedect ailments early on and so you can avoid expensive trips to vets or even losing your loved animal.
Each chapter is clearly set out and has spacing between main paragraphs and sections.

It is obvious that this book is written by a true professional: it is thorough, yet not boringly over detailed. It mentions in one chapter about dominant aggression of the dog, but also, as always, goes to the root cause of the problem , which, of course, helps the breeder or owner alike, to be beware and maybe prevent such behaviour from happening in public.

As I say, it is a very practical book. It starts with a practical plan of how much it would cost to keep a German Shepherd at your home and then goes on to point out how it would fit in the family, how to house it etc. In another chapter, it gives really good advice on what to do with the "undesirables" such as how to remove a stink from your home to removing ticks from the dog.

Beautiful black & white as well as colour photos accompany the chapters.

Only a dummie would skip buying this book !

Glen M Darlow

Rating:
Summary: Excellent ....
Review: Having purchased several "other" guide books - this is the only one I will need. D. Caroline Coile writes this book for the common folk to understand and throws a few chuckles in with her skillfull knowledge. And excellent, understandable guide to raising and loving your German Shepherds! Thank you D. Caroline Coile for making me understand to think as my pups do, with a gentle loving hand! I recommend every German Shepherd owner to purchase!

Rating:
Summary: The best!!!
Review: This book has some pretty good general advice, but I was very disappointed. I really expected better. This is the same author who wrote several other 'Breed for Dummies' books, and it's pretty obvious she doesn't (and couldn't) have extensive experience with all of them. Couldn't they find a knowledgeable person within the breed to write the books for them? Also, in the training section, she makes no mention of any other training methods or what to do if her's fails. The one she suggests is decent enough, but she seems completely closed-minded to others. In the discussion of whether to get an American or a German line GSD, her point of view seems to be limited to 'American dogs win the dog shows and German dogs have roach backs'. Hardly objective, and not very accurate. The section on breed history is pretty good, although like most books it focuses on the herding section of the breed's past, while putting Max von Stephanitz's role in the breed down as 'formed a club and sponsored dog shows'. I wouldn't spend the money on this book.

Rating:
Summary: Good general advice...
Review: This book has some pretty good general advice, but I was very disappointed. I really expected better. This is the same author who wrote several other 'Breed for Dummies' books, and it's pretty obvious she doesn't (and couldn't) have extensive experience with all of them. Couldn't they find a knowledgeable person within the breed to write the books for them? Also, in the training section, she makes no mention of any other training methods or what to do if her's fails. The one she suggests is decent enough, but she seems completely closed-minded to others. In the discussion of whether to get an American or a German line GSD, her point of view seems to be limited to 'American dogs win the dog shows and German dogs have roach backs'. Hardly objective, and not very accurate. The section on breed history is pretty good, although like most books it focuses on the herding section of the breed's past, while putting Max von Stephanitz's role in the breed down as 'formed a club and sponsored dog shows'. I wouldn't spend the money on this book.

Rating:
Summary: The best!!!
Review: This is the most useful and user friendly of all the GSD books I have in my library! It has a lot of information none of the other books have.

Rating:
Summary: If You Haven't read any other books may be you will like.
Review: Well, for a start this has all the details that anyone would write about GSDs. Nothing unique in details. Not sure if the author is expert on THE GSDs. Having read few other books, I found this is not much unless this is your first book, if this is your first book then you will definitely be encouraged to read more about GSDs - thats the only good point as far as i can see.