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| Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family | 
 enlarge | Authors: Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $22.95
Buy Used: $2.10
You Save: $20.85 (91%)
New (5) Used (29) Collectible (2) from $2.10
Avg. Customer Rating:  40 reviews
Sales Rank: 208760
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 7.8 x 1
ISBN: 0446521515
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.70887
EAN: 9780446521512
ASIN: 0446521515
Publication Date: September 1, 1999
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Lots of shelf wear, may contain some notes or highlighting, corners/edges worn and bent, may not include companion materials like cdroms or access codes.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 1-5 of 40 | | ... 8 NEXT » |
 A great place to start January 12, 2008
This book is very informative, and blends humor with unique insight to the ups and downs of many breeds. (By unique, I simply mean this book is not written in a "clinical" or "dry" manner. These are real people who share their experiences and help to educate prospective dog owners.) This book does not give alot of information about every breed--the authors only comment on breeds they are familiar with. My family and I are currently in search of the perfect dog for us, and this book made a great start. I've learned alot and am more excited to have the right dog share our home.
Do yourself - and your future pet- a favor and read this before you choose January 8, 2008
This book is a delightful read, and well worth searching out. Kilcommons and Wilson provide impartial, practical and straightforward advice for eager potential dog owners. It's lighthearted yet serious, cautioning but not kill-joy. It gives a good impression of what living with different kinds of dogs can be like, and what your life with them would probably entail. And there are some surprises: some dogs you may not have considered suitable for your lifestyle, are (and vice-versa).
Brief descriptions of breeds' original uses and how this translates to their behavior will make you appreciate all dogs more, even breeds you may not care for.
Great book! July 1, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I loved this book! I had absolutely no idea what kind of dog I wanted to get before reading this book. This book separates the breeds into very logical chapters and also cross-references other chapters that the dogs would fit in. I love dogs so much that I was only able to reduce the number that I'd love to 19, but it made me consider breeds that I never would have before. Once I reviewed my 19 with my family, we were able to bring it down to 6 and I'm now doing research on those 6 in order to determine which one we'll buy. This is a great read if you're toggling between a few breeds and want to make sure you consider the good and the bad in the breeds.
SAVE YOURSELF & YOUR DOG FROM HEARTACHE January 23, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I wish I could afford to give a copy of this book to every library in the country. I have been a volunteer for different animal shelters and rescue groups for many years. Most animals are turned in to shelters because of a mismatch between the owner and their dog, or because people are unaware of what's involved in pet ownership. The authors give a very realistic appraisal of different breeds. I love "Dog Fancy" magazine, but so many times when they profile a breed they will describe "good with children if they are raised with them." "Paws to Consider" will be straightforward in telling you that a particular breed is not good with children. This book also helps you decide when is the right time to add a dog to your household. Too many dogs are given up because the owners have decided to have a baby and don't want to have a dog around the baby. Or an owner makes an impulsive holiday purchase and comes to regret the decision. It is frequently devastating for a family, especially the children, to give up a dog. It is also traumatic for the dog to lose its home and most of these dogs will be euthanized. "Paws to Consider" goes a long way to promoting happy endings for people and the dogs who join their families.
Absolutely Great September 1, 2005
13 out of 13 found this review helpful
This book should be mandatory for anyone even thinking of getting a dog. Even if that dog is ten years off. Since I became interested in dogs and dog welfare, I have heard and seen too many times the unhappy scenario of dogs being dumped because their owners just did not bother to do ANY reasearch. Families duped by Beethoven, Lassie, and 101 Dalmations decide tv never lies and buy one for their young children. People who want a guard dog buy a Rottweiler for "protection" and dump it out in the yard. A calm couple wants a "small, quiet, easy-going dog", so they judge on size and get a terrier. A jogger wants a partner and thinks a great dane will keep up.
I love that the book lays it out flat that almost half the breeds listed require more exercize than the average Joe is willing to give them. Sure, we're all charmed by those Weimaraner costume photos... but will you spend at least an hour every day playing with it? Do you even have space for it to do so? Lack of exercize spawns so many behavioral problems that it cannot be emphasized enough. I know another reviewer complained that "too many negatives" were listed for each dog; I prefer it that way. Better that someone realize that the dog they want is too loud, too big, too headstrong, too energetic, too needy, too expensive, or even too gassy, than to get one and then dump it somewhere because they did not realize the mismatch. Or, even better, it may give someone new ideas as far as what is a good match. (Everytime I mention I would love a sighthound, especially an ex-racing greyhound, the immediate reaction is that I shouldn't take something so hyperactive. I say, uh-uh, if I wanted hyperactive, I'd get a lab!)
The book's organization is excellent. It starts off asking why you want a dog and what you want in one. It gives you a starting point as far as where to look for one, and I was ecstatic to see rescue groups mentioned, although I do not think the book went into them enough (it would have been great to say that you can easily find one by googling "[x breed] rescue [your state/area]", or, nowadays, on [...]). I understand that the authors assume the reader wants to buy from a breeder, because I think those people are the ones who will be perusing breeds, and the ones who really need the most assistance. (It's not mean, it's true.) Then the book does something essential - it goes over groups of dog breeds and what jobs they were INTENDED to do, and explains how it affects their behavior and temperament. I recently heard of a man lamenting that he bought a mini schnauzer who was obsessed with his rat cage and would not leave the rats alone. He had not read up that these dogs were originally bred for ratting!
There is a lengthy section going into individual breeds. There are always both pros and cons. Looking into my dog experience and research, I have to say these people know what they are talking about, even without looking at their credentials. The only drawback is that they do not touch on every breed, but then again there are so many it could make this book three times its size. I also think the "not for everyone" section is great, but could use more info. The more people are discouraged from getting Rotts and Pits on a whim, the better.
I personally think there is enough info here to find that dog you want, but it is always recommended that you look to other sources; the book itself says so. Spend time with members of your chosen breed, search the web, read other books. Then buy Kilcommon's/Wilson's Good Dogs, Great Owners, and you're on your way!
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