Dogs (The Little Guides)

Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT book!
Review: I bought this book (...) and it's been such a help! It tells you about the breeds history, their temperament, the exercise needed, grooming requirements, and much more. Color photos for each breed as well.

I definatly recommend this book. I can't even count the number of times it's come in handy.

Rating:
Summary: Good introduction to breeds and caring for your dog
Review: Part One gives you infromation on how dogs evolved, understanding canine behaviour, healthcare, feeding, grooming and exercising your dog.

Part Two gives you information about 90+ different breeds. The breed guide give you a size comparison (comparing the dog's height with that of and "average adult and child"). My question to the author is what is "average". The breed guide also gives you the breed's temperament, excerise required, watchdog capability, grooming/trimming, preferred enviroments for the breed, and the size and weight of the breed. It also gies you a good representative of the breed, and the breed's (AKC) name.

Some breed descriptors are erroneous such as the Jack Russell Terrier would be "ideal for apartment living", and the Pug "doesn't shed much". I advise anyone to go to a JRT rescue group and ask why this breed is not suitable for apartment living if they don't understand why. The JRT is simply has too much energy, and needs to romp in a big fenced backyard. Also, go into a pug owner's house and you will probably see little fawn and/or black hairs all over thier house. Pugs, like Dalmatians, are notorius shedders.

Overall, I would have to give this book three stars. It is a good and colourful introduction to different breeds, but has some simple errors about breeds in it. To supplement this book I would purchase the "Encyclopedia of the Dog" by Bruce Fogle and "Your Purebred Puppy : A Buyer's Guide" by Michele Welton.

Rating:
Summary: This book is fantasic!!
Review: This book has a guide to dog breeds, how to care for your dog, and other helpful things. It has full color photos that are helpful to identify certain breeds. Although I don't own a dog this book comes in handy a lot. There are other books in this series if you are interested, but if you don't own one in this series I recommend you get one.