Bloodhounds are wonderful dogs. They are very determined and curious. They need not work for a police force to be happy (as Ms. Baer would have us believe). All they need is a family that's firm and patient.

If Ms. Baer was that far off the mark with bloodhounds, I could only imagine how deep her misunderstandings of other breeds must run.


Concise dog breed descriptions.   November 15, 2000
 23 out of 26 found this review helpful

This book is a nice concise description of many of the most common dog breeds but I wouldn't recommend using it as your sole source of information when selecting a dog. I have two main complaints. The first is the use of drawings rather than pictures for each breed. Most of the drawings only vaguely resemble the breeds they are supposed to depict. I would have gladly paid more for some nice color photos of each type of dog.

The second and more serious complaint is that the authors seem to be overly hard on most breeds when it comes to their suitability as pets. In reading though most of the descriptions I got the feeling that only five or six breeds were suitable to stay in the house with humans. Fortunately, I forgot to bring the book with me when I went to the shelter and ended up with one of the most wonderful dogs I've ever had the pleasure to meet (an English Pointer). If I had read the breed description in the book I would have never gotten her and in fact, they recommended that Pointers shouldn't be used as pets, only for hunting. Like I said, this book provides nice, concise descriptions but there are many other sources of information you should consider as well before choosing a pet. All that being said my favorite description was of a Bull Mastif as a dog that "snores, drools and is prone to flatulence". :)


Honest and thorough   May 30, 2000
 14 out of 17 found this review helpful

It's hard to find books willing to be honest about the good and bad points of a breed. If you have children at home this book is especially important. Yes, some criticisms are rather harsh, but better safe than sorry. I don't think it's possible to be too well-informed when making an important long-term decision like getting a dog. Also recommended is "Your Purebred Puppy"if you're thinking of getting a puppy.


excellent book   February 24, 2000
 23 out of 27 found this review helpful

The problem with most books that describe breeds is that they're too sanitized (afraid to say anything negative about a breed at all costs) and/or use meaningless descriptors like "faithful," "loyal," "proud." The books end up being absolutely useless. THIS book is different. It relates the personal experiences of trainers who work with various dog breeds. Do I agree with everything? No, but the book isn't about ME. The book is about what THESE authors have encountered in THEIR contact with the breeds described. It's real, it's excellent. And frankly, as a dog trainer myself, I DO agree with a great deal of what they've experienced. This is always a book I recommend to someone exploring breeds. (Hey, if nothing else, it's cheap, so buy it and decide for yourself what you think!).


M A J O R Disappointment !   September 28, 1999
 46 out of 64 found this review helpful

If there is one word to sum up my review of this book it has to be disappointment. The authors have obviously not looked beyond their own viewpoints and biases. If one could award negative stars I would most certainly do so because I was so negatively affected by the pictures drawn about certain breeds. Yes - there may well be some terrible examples of every breed of dog which appear before a trainer. But to then brand an entire breed with that bad example is unacceptable. I have been bitten once in my life by a dog - by a cute playful beagle. Would I dream of announcing to the world that each and every beagle alive is a miserable bitter and cannot be trusted with people because they will always bite? NEVER! No honest and unbiased person could or would do that. YET - read the description for the Chinese Shar-pei in this book. NOT ONE sane or intelligent person in the world would dream of getting one after reading the remarks and judgements included here! But I happen to have and raise Chinese Shar-pei and there is little close to reality in this book in the picture of the dogs I personally own and love. The book says they are not the dog for a family with small children, that they can not be touched on the head even by their owners without being bitten, that they are dog agressive, on and on the negatives flow. And to each one of them I say - you have never seen my dogs, or the most of the Shar-pei owned by the people I know, or the majority of Shar-pei now being shown and produced by concerned & caring breeders. For proof of that - go to a dog show. Watch the Shar-pei in the ring. Then go and talk to the owners and handlers and ask if you can pet their dog, then, touch it's head, feel it's bristly fur, check out those tiny ears, run your hands over those endless wrinkles. Giggle in delight as that dog licks your face. I know loads of families which own and love shar-pei and who have NEVER experienced any problem. The American Kennel Club, in fact, lists the Chinese Shar-pei as one of the top 10 dogs best suited for families. That, most certainly, is a far cry from the opinion this book projects and presents. Sorry - but this book if off my list. I dread hearing from people in other breeds about the inaccurate pictures they see printed in this book. If they are as far off the mark with them as they are about the CSP it makes you wonder.