Illustrated Guide to 140 Dog Breeds

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Summary: Illustrated Guide to 140 Dog Breeds by K. von der Leyen
Review: Dear Nanette Gray, yes, indeed, it is a major typing-mistake: This book is the translation of my book which came out in German first, where I claim that the Greyhound needs 20 km exercise per day - which is roughly about 13 miles per day, and I firmly believe in that. They love running, it's what they were bred for, and the beauty of these beasts in motion is breathtaking. I myself have not seen the American translation of my book as of yet, but I hope someone at BARRON's makes a note of this mistake. Pretty much the same occurs in Kathy Fords criticism: The Pomeranian is a miniature Spitz, and that's what he is called in Germany. Again, not having seen the American translation, I would think you'd find the Pomeranian under German Spitz. Kind regards, Katharina von der Leyen

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Summary: PRETTY PICTURES-- HORRIBLE MISINFORMATION
Review: I have worked for many years in greyhound rescue so I naturally turned to the greyhound entry of this book first. I was absolutely struck dumb to find the book claiming that retired racers need frequent 13 MILE runs next to a horse or bike! This is total insanity. In truth, there is not a racer alive who is able or who desires to walk more than 1 or 2 miles a couple of times a week at most. These guys are SPRINTERS NOT MARATHONERS. Where on earth did the authors get this information? A quick check into any greyhound book or a call to any adoption agency would have set them straight instantly regarding greyhounds' very low exercise requirements-- they are truly couch potatoes. What is most upsetting is that these "facts" could scare off potential adopters. If the rest of the entires are as accurate as this one then this entire book is worse than useless.

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Summary: Wonderfully written & great basic knowledge
Review: In 140 accurate portraits the writer describes history, character-traits, trainability and adaptability of the different breeds., as well as wether that particular dog is city-compatible, how much trimming or clipping it needs, and how much excercise it requires. What's best about this book, though, apart from the great photographs, are the many little things the writer tells us: Wether the breed sheds, barks, digs, drools, snores or is extremely hard-headed or even has a sometimes unbearable sense of humor (for humans) - all those tiny, important things that people so often overlook when looking for the perfect dog, and which in the end are often the reason so many dogs end up in shelters. Even if you're not looking for the "dog of your life", this book is a great read and was obviously written by someone with a very big heart for these wonderful creatures.

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Summary: Excellent Dog Book, Though Incomplete for U.S. Readers
Review: Miss Von Der Leyen makes the personalities of dogs as clear as Dicken's characters. Half-psychologist, half-stubborn observer, she sees dogs in a clear-eyed, no-nonsense manner, that never loses its loving appreciation of each breeds peculiarities. Her charts about ease of care are a very useful antidote to impulsive ownership, giving clear eyed and objective data about how suitable each dog is for the owner's life-style. Her writing is breezy and humorous. I loved the book.

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Summary: More research needed ...
Review: Pretty book, but sadly coloured by personal beliefs which are out of place here, and badly researched in at least one area - the one I always turn to first: my favourite breed.

There is gross misrepresentation in the Greyhound section, which would put many people off owning one of these lovely dogs. Having kept greyhounds for ten years, I can tell you these dogs are NOT long distance runners - they're bred for sprinting. Running beside a bike/horse would be quite inappropriate for most greyhounds, particularly ex-racers who may have old racing injuries. They are sensitive to both heat and cold, too, which may cause further distress on long runs. My dogs get a long walk of between one and one-and-a-half miles a day plus a short 15 minute lead walk and they are pretty tired after that. Most greyhound rescues/adoption agencies recommend two twenty minute walks a day.

Also, it is misleading to say their coat requires no attention. All dog coats require attention and the greyhound is no exception. And far from being unsuitable for city living, the greyhound is one large breed that can be a good apartment dog because of its 'couch potato' character.

To find such inaccuracy in one section rather puts me off using this book as a reliable guide in other areas.

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Summary: VERY COLORFUL PICS
Review: The pictures are nice, and the quality of the dogs presented there is great, AND THERE IS MY FAVORITE BREED IN IT!!! If you read my other reviews, you know what my favorite breed is... COCKER SPANIEL!!! Cockers are great, and it's true a million times the stuff written about them there. And I also find other breeds interesting. But there are some important breeds missing, like, the Sussex Spaniel, Brittany, Welsh Springer Spaniel, American Water Spaniel, and Tibetan Mastiff. But it's still great.

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Summary: Something's missing...
Review: This book has a major omission. It claims to include "all important breeds available to dog lovers..." but, alas, the Pomeranian is not included. Why not??? Poms are the 10th most popular breed in the U.S. If the Entlebucher Sennenhund rates a page, then surely Pomeranians deserve a write-up.

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Summary: I find this beautiful book hard to put down but.............
Review: This full color book on the most well-known(some rare) dog breeds gives the prospective owner some of the pros and cons of each, size of the breed, color, height and weight, etc. A color photograph of each is presented next to the information. However, when reading the Greyhound profile, I came across this sentence: This breeds's need for exercise is daunting; at least 120 miles of running every day next to a horseback rider or cyclist! In my opinion, this is a major typing mistake. This breed profile would change anyone's mind about owning a Greyhound immediately. No dog needs that much exercise(an ex-racing Greyhound needs a couple of brisk walks a day). The rest of the information about the breed seemed accurate. Apart from that, if you are looking for a certain breed of dog and want to find out if you are the right person for the breed you are interested in, buy this book. It is up to date on all the breeds profiled.