Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep [Hardcover]

Cat Urbigkit (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

K-Gr-3-In this attractive bilingual book, Urbigkit takes readers into the world of sheep and the dogs that so valiantly protect them. Surprisingly, they are not specially trained, but are raised among the sheep as one of their own. At birth, the puppiesÖ beds are made with fleece so they get used to the smell of sheep. A few weeks later they go out to meet their flock, and in a process called socialization they become protective of the animals they must defend. With her appealing photography and easy, though somewhat abrupt, narrative, this book is a solid source for readers and report writers. The Spanish translation is good, although there are a few words missing that would make sentences more cohesive, such as £tales como su gran….¥ Also, the use of £mansos¥ (literal translation of gentle) coupled with £valientes,¥ instead of £guardians,¥ is a better description of these animals: courageous, yet affectionate and obedient.–Narda McCarthy, Para los NiñosÖ Consultant, Weston, FL
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 2. Through a relaxed narrative and pictures taken in a dramatic Wyoming setting, Urbigkit's photo-essay introduces children to guardian dogs--a category of working dog that is less well known than Seeing Eye dogs and herders. As Urbigkit explains, ranchers accustom future guardians to spending time around sheep by lining the puppies' beds with fleece; the rest, from warning away coyotes to playing babysitter at lambing time, is second nature. The book's 10-by-11-inch dimensions accommodate generously sized photos, allowing children to easily distinguish the white dogs from the sheep they closely resemble. Photos of the various guardian-dog species described would have made the author's note, which also explains the history of guardian dogs in the U.S., even better. But kids will still come away impressed by the "unique closeness" that can develop between two species and will want to return again and again to the heart-tugging images of shaggy puppies nuzzling their charges. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 6 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Boyds Mills Press (April 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590783174
• ISBN-13: 978-1590783177
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #195,284 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Cat Urbigkit has been a full-time writer since 1996. She is a correspondent for a variety of newspapers in the western region, freelances for several magazines, and is the author of a web-based news site for information about Rocky Mountain wolves, and a contributor to a nature blog.

Cat writes and photographs non-fiction books for children. She is also the author of an adult non-fiction book on the history of wolves in Wyoming.

In 2001, Cat expanded her activities to include photography, focusing her efforts on documenting western Wyoming's migratory sheep industry and the animals involved in this primitive method of agriculture. Her photographs capture sheep, guardian dogs and horses, as well as Nepalese and Mexican herders, Basque ranch owners, quiet camps and vast landscapes. Other topics Cat has included in developing her photography portfolio of more than 25,000 images include western cattle ranching, the natural gas industry, high desert cushion plants, domestic animals, Rocky Mountain wildlife and Indian relay racing. She traveled to western Mongolia in 2008 to photograph the men who use golden eagles to hunt furbearers.

Cat has won numerous awards for her journalism, her books, and her photography. She lives on a working sheep and cattle ranch in western Wyoming with her family and her livestock guardian animals, including sheep guard dogs and wild burros.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful book for young dog lovers, February 1, 2007

By 

M. Relyea (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (Hardcover)

I don't normally write reviews, but when I saw that this book had not been reviewed yet I had to stop and write one. My [...]son took this book home from his library at school and we have really enjoyed reading it together. The photos are beautiful and touching and it is teaching us both how these animals relate to each other. Who would have thought that little puppies would join their parents and learn how to guard sheep at such a young age?! Who would have thought that puppies and lambs could play together? And that the sheep actually look after the puppies and that the adult dogs actually help "babysit" when a sheep has too many young to handle? The pictures tell the story even if you can't read the words yet. I saw my son "reading" the book again on his own today and then we read it again tonight. He has asked a lot of questions about the photos. My son loves this book and so do I which is why we have decided to purchase one to keep. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!, January 18, 2012

By 

K. Bacheller - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (Hardcover)

Ms. Urbigkit has many fabulous books, this was the first one I collected. The photography is up close and personal, bringing her experiences, her family and her herd right to your hands. I didn't purchase just one book, I bought one for me, one for my grandson, one for my parents. My mother, in her late 70's, said it reminded her of experiences she had as a child that she had totally forgotten. I get misty eyed recalling her stories. These books, the whole series, are treasures to be shared again and again. I will keep a full set to share with my grandchildren, and I will give them as gifts, baby shower gifts, any time gifts. Her skill and talent are well-shared in her books. Get one for yourself! Check it out at your local library! However you get your hands on the books, do it! Our dog, Max, is an Akbash. He guards our cow herd. Thanks CAT!!

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Dogs Ever, January 2, 2011

By 

Blanca - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (Hardcover)

We adopted a 2-year-old Pyrenees 3 years ago and named her Blanca. She is a very gentle, sometimes timid and often friendly sweetheart of a dog. Another school librarian in my district shared "Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs" at one of our monthly meetings and I had to purchase it. I love the book. It explains a lot about our own dog. We live in a townhouse without a fenced yard but Blanca loves to be tethered outside watching her flock which is our neighborhood. This book very lovingly shares how these beautiful dogs have been raised to be working dogs. On-line and sharing stories with other Pyrenees owners I have read and heard stories of how vicious these dogs can be when there is a threat. Urbigkit (author) doesn't deny the protective side of this breed but handles it is a way that is appropriate for young children. In fact, I have read this book aloud to groups of children with Blanca at my side and the book did not deter any of the warm feelings the children had toward Blanca.

I believe that it is important for people (young and old) to understand the purposes of breeding certain traits into animals. Reading Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs helped me understand my Pyrenees just a little bit more. And children need to understand that many animals have jobs that they take very seriously.