An Eye for a Dog: Illustrated Guide to Judging Purebred Dogs [Paperback]

Robert W. Cole (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Dogwise Publishing (June 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 192924214X
• ISBN-13: 978-1929242146
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #41,632 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My eyes were glued to this book!, January 5, 2005

By 

Amanda Eaton "Jack Russells rule!!!" (Custer Park, IL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Eye for a Dog: Illustrated Guide to Judging Purebred Dogs (Paperback)

Once I started reading "An Eye for a Dog" I was unable to put it down. There is so much information crammed into this book! As of the time I'm writing this review I'm reading it for the second time!

Mr. Cole has made it possible for any novice dog showman to develop his/her "eye." The format is fun, easy, and very informative all at the same time. Definitely a must for those getting into the sport of dog showing or breeding.

4 Paws UP for this book because:
- It is written almost like "lessons" in judging dogs
- It allows you to practice and develop your eye with wonderful illustrations and tests your knowledge of several breeds
- It is incredibly applicable! I find myself using it as a reference while watching dog shows on TV!

Another great thing about "An Eye for a Dog" is its generality. It doesn't go too deep on any one breed, but instead uses a few breeds to apply principles to the dog world. It emphasises correctness for each individual breed, and not what is "showy" or eye-catching.

Subjects covered in the book:
Type, balance, proportions, features (plus how to highlight/hide them!), faults and illusions, and a very complete section on movement!

I would recommend this book to any dog breeder or showman, or anyone interested in judging purebred dogs. It's a great general reference and starting point for dog structure and judging!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book really helped me see dogs in detail, January 29, 2006

By 

Stacey Amirov "stacey_venancio" (usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Eye for a Dog: Illustrated Guide to Judging Purebred Dogs (Paperback)

I tend to be highly critical of books I read, but I can't criticize this book! It has made a huge difference in my ability to see details and critique dogs.

I have a much better understanding of proper gait and a crystal clear understanding of "type". I can quickly see balance and actually pinpoint areas that make a dog off-balance, instead of just feeling that "there's something off about this dog..." I can also find tiny flaws in dogs I previously thought were perfect-

This book is an invaluable aid for any breeder/exhibitor to prevent kennel blindness, aid in selection of mates, understand judge's decisions, etc.

In the process of learning about structure and gait, I also gained many, many little tid bits of information about a lot of different breeds and now I can watch a dog show like westminster and actually know what to look for in most of the breeds.

This book is fun to read, since you compare two sketches of dogs that look almost identical and pick which one you like more, which flaws they have, etc. Then you get to read the author's pick and explanation and see if you did a good job critiquing the dogs. I got more and more accurate as I went through the book, so I know that it definitely helped me develop an "eye for a dog".

I love this book, will definitely read it again and highly recommend it!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it!, March 1, 2006

By 

Sallie Shepherd (Lake Charles, LA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Eye for a Dog: Illustrated Guide to Judging Purebred Dogs (Paperback)

I asked my local kennel club to purchase it for the parish library, but when it came in I went back to them and asked that a copy be purchased for each family in the kennel club. They agreed. We even intend to keep them on hand to give new members joining the club also. The information is great for new conformation exhibitors and for those who have been showing for a while. The illustrations make it so much easier to see what the author is trying to describe, and the descriptions are in a language even the novice can understand.