Customer Reviews

The Beagle: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet

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This book was one of the first Beagle books I have read and I was not impressed. The book is formula based... right down to the generic dog care chapters. If you want to be an informed dog buyer, this book doesn't cut it. I feel that the average buyer needs to also be informed about more complex issues such as responsible breeders and genetic diseases (more than a small paragraph). It is important to know what a Beagle ought to look like, some background (this is a hunting/pack animal!), and how genetics actually works. I recommend the New Beagle if you want to know more about your dog than what you could easily find out by reading the encyclopedia. The New Beagle not only spouts off the standard but helps illustrate it. I feel the average reader is more intelligent than formula books give them credit for and the The Beagle : An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet just doesn't cut it.

This is a great book for Beagle owners who want to learn some practical information and advice about their pet. There aren't tons of archaic black and white photos of former dog show champions past posing on the winner's stand. The color photos are up-to-date, delightful, and show Beagles doing what they do best - having fun and being cute! There are no long, tedious chapters on "Grooming for the Show Ring," "Training Hounds for the Field," or "Breeding Your Beagle" - Just lots of tips, suggestions and sound advice for keeping your pet fit, healthy and happy. Of the four major Beagle books I've read ("The Beagle" by Marcia Foy & Anna Nicholas; "The New Beagle" by Judith M. Musladin; and "Beagles" by Beverly Pisano) this book is clearly the best for owners in the "real, everyday world."

Meant for the person new to Beagles. This is the full version of the abridged book The Essential Beagle, which has a good section on understanding Beagle behavior.

Although I found this book to be a generic formula, I enjoyed it. The photos of the hounds are fresh and appear to be current.

This is just a nice little starter book for people who are interested in beagles and who enjoy photographs of the winsome little hound. As the owner of a beagle, I enjoyed this book and smiled at the antics of the hounds.