Choosing a Dog: Your Guide to Picking the Perfect Breed [Paperback]

Nancy Baer (Author), Steve Duno (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1995

Is a Springer Spaniel too high-strung for an apartment? Is a Golden Retriever the best choice for a family with young children? This easy-to-use, A-Z guide profiles the behaviors of all breeds recognized by the AKC, as well as a cross-section of mixed breeds. The authors also discuss how to choose the right breeder, how to select a puppy and prepare for its homecoming, and more. Line art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425149587
• ISBN-13: 978-0425149584
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (17 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

89 of 89 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not my personal choice, December 28, 2001

By 

I. Westray (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Choosing a Dog: Your Guide to Picking the Perfect Breed (Paperback)

As breed guides and puppy-choosing aids go, this one just wasn't a shining light for me. It's not atrocious -- try "Why We Love the Dogs We Do" if you want truly BAD advice. It's just not the one that seems to catch the personalities of the dogs, or not the dogs I know anyway. The breed descriptions just don't win me over. They aren't quite as pedantic in tone as the Encylopedia-style listings in some other mediocre guides, sure, but they just don't quite get to the essence of a breed.

That reaction is based on the several breeds I've had a fair amount of exposure to. For example, there's a Newfoundland sleeping against my foot as a write this. "Choosing a Dog" describes Newfies as "very active for a giant breed," but it makes no distinction between indoor and outdoor activity. "The Right Dog for You" has little charts that do make that distinction; "Paws to Consider" catches the personality of Newfs better. It's not that this book is harsh toward the breed, not at all -- it just doesn't give the best sense of what it's like to own a Newfoundland. It doesn't seem to know that Newfies eat tremendous amounts primarily during their first two years, nor does it mention the overriding concern that good breeders have with not allowing them to become overweight. It says they shed, but it doesn't give you a sense of just how Newf owners come to regard epic shedding as a badge of honor, if you know what I mean.

Several other breeds we know seem to be slightly off in the same way. Boxers drool -- my family's had generations of them, I used to ride with their jowls on my lap on vacations -- and this book doesn't mention that. They're also aggressive with other dogs in a particularly abrupt and unpredictable way that this book doesn't quite catch. Corgis can become quite a run-around-the-house-frenetically dog, and I don't see that reflected here. (No distinction between the personalities of Cardigan and Pembroke Corgis is made, either, which struck my Corgi-owning friends as extremely odd.) I've lived with a Chinese Crested, and for a breed that's intended as a companion, Cresteds have quite a bit of sight hound chase to them. This book describes Cresteds as active, but that's not quite catching the sense of the dog. Similarly, "Choosing a Dog" mentions that Border Terriers are diggers, but it doesn't mention their tendency to bolt impulsively after things; the breed club emphasizes that to potential owners, and cautions owners against letting them off leash. The description of Cairn Terriers here says "a barker, but not to the same degree as a Schnauzer or a Wire Fox Terrier." Cairns do bark some, but it's the unbelievably snarly noises when they play with other dogs that really strike the people I know who have one. Again, that trait is something the breed clubs, and some books, mention to people who are thinking about a Cairn. With respect to Soft-Coated Wheaten Terriers, this book doesn't even mention the spring-legged leaping that Wheatens are known for. That's an almost impossible trait to train out of that type of dog. Wheatens are also described as "timid," which to my mind doesn't quite catch the sort of suppressed, pent-up enthusiasm Wheatens mostly seem to show people. I didn't see that personality in this book. (Also, Wheatens are often on people's lists because they're supposed to be less allergenic than other dogs, which this book didn't really address. I may have missed it, but allergies didn't seem to be on these authors' list.)

There are some positives here, and it sure wouldn't be the worst choice. The authors do repeatedly emphasize socialization and fair, positive training methods. The idea of a "Right Home" description for each dog is a nice one, though a lot of the listings are pretty similar to one another. ("Patient, confident leaders" are always the best choice.) I just don't see this as particularly inspired. The dogs are grouped in the same old ways -- Sporting Group, Terrier Group. If I'm a person with a nine-to-five job and allergies, where should I look? (I'd check the index under "allergies," but there IS no index.)

If you want a similarly concise book on the same basic topic, easily the best I've seen is "Paws to Consider" by Sarah Wilson and Brian Kilcommin(s?). "Paws" is thoughtfully written and put together and, judging by the reactions of all the breeders and owners I read it to, hits just the right notes for each dog. It's very enjoyable to read, too -- just right.

A less ably-written (and edited) guide that tries to assess each breed's personality in detailed charts would be "The Right Dog for You" by Daniel Tortora. Tortora's written descriptions aren't as consistently useful as those in "Paws to Consider," though they're sometimes really fun. Maybe his charts are a little TOO detailed and specific for the real world, but it's an interesting approach and definitely gives you a sense of a breed's general personality.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Concise dog breed descriptions., November 14, 2000

By 

David M (Vienna, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Choosing a Dog: Your Guide to Picking the Perfect Breed (Paperback)

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". :)

27 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, February 23, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Choosing a Dog: Your Guide to Picking the Perfect Breed (Paperback)

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!).