Rating: 
Summary: Dogs With Jobs
Review: "Dogs With Jobs" is an entertaing and educational study in praise of man's best friend. It pays tribute to man's best friend and allows the reader to fully understand the complex abilities of our four legged friends. Although very detailed, it is written in easy to understand language and format. I recommend this to anyone who has a furry companion friend. On a personal note, I have a Newfoundland puppy, my third. Reading of the Newfoundland "Mas" jumping from a helicopter to save drowning swimmers brings special meanings to me while reading of the highly trained senses and abilities of these fine dogs. The work will interest all dog breed owners. A very good book.
Rating: 
Summary: Fun, Interesting, Silly, Happy
Review: "Dogs with Jobs" profiles 21 working dogs: guide dogs for the blind, snake-catchers, termite-finders, lost pet-locators, plus an actor and a retired greyhound. Guaranteed to bring a smile to any dog-lover's face. Brief stories on each dog with lots of photos make this a great book, a light read, and an informative look at dogs who work for a living.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful book
Review: "Dogs with Jobs" profiles 21 working dogs: guide dogs for the blind, snake-catchers, termite-finders, lost pet-locators, plus an actor and a retired greyhound. Guaranteed to bring a smile to any dog-lover's face. Brief stories on each dog with lots of photos make this a great book, a light read, and an informative look at dogs who work for a living.
Rating:
Summary: A Vet's Opinion of Dogs with Jobs
Review: Dogs with Jobs is fascinating reading. It is a well crafted accumulation of stories of the astounding abilities of working dogs and their owners. It also offers insights into behavioural origins of those abilities that any dog owner or admirer will find valuable. As I completed each story, I found myself simultaneously amazed at what I had just read and eagerly anticipating the next chapter. The book as a whole reminded me of the essence and breadth of human-animal interactions. Veterinarians and animal behaviourists currently extol the human-animal bond. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent in researching the interactions between dogs and humans. Yet the focus of that effort centers mainly on the dog's role as companion and relationship surrogate in modern society. This role is important, as people become more isolated from one another and from the natural world in the fast-paced technological environment that we inhabit. However, the bond Ms. Weisbord and Dr. Kachanoff describe is based on mutual respect and reliance that in many ways is a more authentic and complete depiction of the anicent link between people and dogs. I look at my nine-month-old Labrador, Molly, and see the ability to find avalanche victims of rescue drowning swimmers. As I rise and head toward my running shoes, she senses my intent and eagerly goes for her leash. In a way it's a shame we are both relegated to modern suburbia. But it is somehow comforting to be reminded that she and perhaps by association, I am capable of much more. What I appreciate about Dogs with Jobs is that it helped not just to entertain me but to remind me of her capabilities and my own.
Rating:
Summary: A Vet's Opinion of Dogs with Jobs
Review: Dogs with Jobs is fascinating reading. It is a well crafted accumulation of stories of the astounding abilities of working dogs and their owners. It also offers insights into behavioural origins of those abilities that any dog owner or admirer will find valuable. As I completed each story, I found myself simultaneously amazed at what I had just read and eagerly anticipating the next chapter. The book as a whole reminded me of the essence and breadth of human-animal interactions. Veterinarians and animal behaviourists currently extol the human-animal bond. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent in researching the interactions between dogs and humans. Yet the focus of that effort centers mainly on the dog's role as companion and relationship surrogate in modern society. This role is important, as people become more isolated from one another and from the natural world in the fast-paced technological environment that we inhabit. However, the bond Ms. Weisbord and Dr. Kachanoff describe is based on mutual respect and reliance that in many ways is a more authentic and complete depiction of the anicent link between people and dogs. I look at my nine-month-old Labrador, Molly, and see the ability to find avalanche victims of rescue drowning swimmers. As I rise and head toward my running shoes, she senses my intent and eagerly goes for her leash. In a way it's a shame we are both relegated to modern suburbia. But it is somehow comforting to be reminded that she and perhaps by association, I am capable of much more. What I appreciate about Dogs with Jobs is that it helped not just to entertain me but to remind me of her capabilities and my own.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely wonderful book
Review: I have read and re-read and re-read this book. My husband has bought me a number of "working dog" books but this is the only one that has really "clicked" for me. She manages to tell each story in such an endearing way. You really tangibly feel the love of the dogs and their owners for each other. You also come away awed at what these dogs are capable of. There are some stories that are more interesting than others but overall it was a great book. I too would give it more than 5 stars if I could -- and I'm usually pretty stingy with stars in my reviews!
Rating:
Summary: A Great Book!
Review: I was amazed by every exploit from every dog in this book. I was impressed by Bruno the German Shepherd who has assisted and protected his partner who is a police officer on 800 arrests half involving dangerous felons. This same dog has found 9 lost children 3 of whom no one else could track. I loved the story of Willie the golden retriever who predicts epileptic seizures and protects his owner from harm. This dog was trained to operate a footpad telephone in case of an emergency This incredible dog will even bark to remind his owner to take her medicine. I liked the story of AJ the bloodhound and Rachel the pet detectives. AJ is a former police dog who found a missing Alzheimer's patient, rescued a lost hiker and earned an award for saving the life of suicidal man. AJ is now teamed up with Rachel a Weimaraner a dog who searched for cadaver and body parts. She uses her sniffing skills to help AJ locate missing pets. I enjoyed the story of Mas the Newfoundland who can swim a mile to a drowning person and tow them to safety. This dog is strong enough to pull a sailboat filled with people to safety. There are other dogs in this book like Endal a Labrador retriever who assists a man in a wheelchair by doing everything from reminding him to look both ways when crossing the street to retrieving socks, groceries and even money. You will enjoy the stories in this book even if you don't own a dog.
Rating:
Summary: Terrifically charming and inspiring
Review: In contrast with the rather austere _The Difficulty of Being a Dog_, this is the book I would get for the dog lover on your gift list. The authors profile dogs around the world who do vital, entertaining, helpful, and sometimes life-saving work. Although there are some familiar types in this bunch -- a retired racing greyhound, a top sheep-herding champion, a prize-winning show dog, a veteran Iditarod race sled dog, a canine actor (malamute-timberwolf mix), a police dog, and a German shepherd who hunts for injured people in disaster areas -- you will encounter some canines who accomplish tasks you could not have imagined. Snooper is a female beagle who can out-perform any humans and their machinery in detecting termites in people's Florida dream homes. A Newfoundland named Mas rescues boats and people at sea of the east coast of Italy, even leaping out of a helicopter to get to them. Yanka and King are a pair of German shepherds who perform the dangerous work of sniffing out land mines in Bosnia. A black Lab named Star is an arson investigator in England who can detect 10 different hydrocarbon accelerants in the wreckage of a fire. A yellow lab named Endal performs about 90 different tasks for his paraplegic Gulf War veteran friend, from opening doors and cupboards and turning on lights to taking a wallet and a note up to the cash register to "make a purchase" at non disabled-accessible businesses. A golden retriever can forecast his owner's epileptic seizures. Tammy, a Border collie, catches smugglers of endangered abalone in South Africa and has her own bodyguard -- a German shepherd who's a veteran police attack dog -- because criminals have made death threats against her. The book is simply written, as if for high schoolers or middle schoolers. Also, the schematic structure of the chapters -- start in the middle of a dramatic moment, leave the action hanging to sketch in the background, return to the climax -- is a little obvious. But color portraits of every pooch and many more black-and-white shots, and the charm and wonder of the tales, make up for these shortcomings.
Rating:
Summary: A great mix
Review: of the serious and the joyful. The authors do a commendable job of balancing the sometimes important and grave aspects of dogs' work with the happy silly things dogs do. It is patently impossible to not love dogs *even more* after reading about their courage and unique skills. My favorite part of the book is the beginning, which shows stunning color photographs of these beautiful animals. One cannot miss the dignity and purpose in all of the dogs' expressions. Truly marvelous!
Rating:
Summary: Dogs With Jobs ROCKS!
Review: The stories in "Dogs With Jobs" are fascinating, the photographs are beautiful, and the variety of the types of jobs that these dogs have is just amazing. Maybe I'm biased because my two pet detective dogs are featured in this book (my weimaraner Rachel & bloodhound A.J. are trained to track missing pets)--but I doubt it. I think ANYONE who truly loves dogs will absolutely love this book!
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