Customer Reviews

Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep

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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!

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!!

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.