Customer Reviews

Dogs: The Ultimate Dictionary of Over 1,000 Dog Breeds

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been looking for an encyclopedia of dog breeds, and boy have found it in desmond morris'. Not only does it include registered dogs, but also dogs that have not been seen in over a century. It may not have photos, but the drawn images give you an idea of what the dog looks like. The breeds are broken up not only by type, but specified in type or what they are mainly used for such as "Sporting-Treeing Dogs-then by country of origin"
I would suggest this book every time

Dogs come in so many shapes in sizes, that keeping track of them all is a difficult endeavor indeed. "Dogs: The Ultimate Dictionary of Over 1,000 Dog Breeds" covers the countlessly diverse canine species and the details that separate them from one another. Dividing them by type and breed, each entry details each breed's description, traditional purpose, and many entries are accompanied by a simple black and white sketch of the hound. "Dogs" is an ideal reference for anyone whose job revolves around the canine, or for any dog lover who values his or her knowledge of man's best friend.

Most lists of types of dog stick to the tried and true, using standard kennel club groups and well-known breeds. Desmond Morris includes the canids you see at Westminster and Crufts but also variations of standard breeds, breeds from all over the world and even some dog versions that are extinct. His categories include 12 types of sporting dogs, six of livestock dogs (including llama-herders)and 12 of service dogs (including truffle dogs). You may want to skip the section on edible dogs, but you will definitely want to read about the dorgie, a cross between a dachsund and Welsh Pembroke corgi doted on by Queen Elizabeth II. Morris' writing is urbane and entertaining, and his research has depth as well as breadth.

I've really enjoyed this book. It is the best dog reference I have come across and it literally is a Dog Dictionary. There are no pictures and several hundred illustrations, so I warn you that it is only for those who want to do research. If you're looking for a breed book with a lot of pictures you should look elsewhere. This book covers the known history of a thousand breeds and Desmond Morris provides references when possible.

One thing that annoys me is that there is a website: dogbreedstypes<dot>com that seems to be stealing a ton of the content from this book. In no place is it mentioned that what they are claiming is their own material comes from Desmond Morris' research or the book.

This books has great info on 1000's of dogs. Who new there were so many varieties of each breed. I bought this book for my daughter
who is pre-vet and she loves it.It gives good detail on personality traits of the different dogs and medical problems.

I purchased this book as a Christmas present, so I didn't get to go into any detail within the book. It seems very informative and touches on every dog breed you can think of. Please note there are no color photos in this book or actual photos of the dogs, just drawings. It is still very nice and made a good gift.

I'm a professional dog trainer and went to a seminar recently where this book was heavily pushed as a great resource for the behavior issues of all breeds. What I've found is that it's just like every other multi dog breed book out there with short blurbs from the standards and very little extra information. If you don't have a multi breed book, this is a good resource for you.

The reason this book is 2 stars is because the author puts so much of their own feelings on breeds into this book. It's very easy to tell which ones he despises and which he loves. This makes it difficult to have on hand in my little library for my clients, many of whom have the unfavored breeds.

This was a not-on-the-list birthday gift for my 22-yr-old son who loves dogs, claims to hate reading, and spends hours at a time in this book. He especially enjoys the history of each breed and the illustrations, which surprised me since I thought he would have preferred photographs to illustrations. We are both very pleased that the book includes many lesser-known dogs because it is not restricted to just AKC breeds. The only improvement would be if it was hardcover. This book is one of the best gifts I've ever given because of how much my son enjoys reading it, and, since I am a lifelong compulsive reader, because his enjoyment of it has already given me so much pleasure. Five paws up to Desmond Morris, Trafalgar Square Publishing, and Amazon.

Dogs by Morris is the only one of its kind book way ahead of any similar book on the shelf till date. It has been recommended by most behaviorist including legends like John Rogerson. Its precise, clear and very informative which helps in understanding breeds inturn helps in using correct methods of training certain breeds. I would rate it 10/10.