The Golden Years: A Pet Owner's Guide to the Golden Retriever [Hardcover]

Mordecai Siegal (Author), Mardecai Siegal (Author), Matthew Margolis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The golden retriever is one of the most popular breeds registered by the American Kennel Club (AKC). It is well known for its easygoing temperament, trainability, and people-oriented nature. Authors Siegal and Margolis are no strangers to the dog scene, having authored over a dozen dog books either singularly or together (e.g., Woof, LJ 7/94). Writing the present work especially for the first-time owner, they claim to offer a "complete basic training course formulated specifically for the Golden Retriever." Unfortunately, their book leaves a lot to be desired. Although none of the theories expressed here does any harm, there are many glaring errors and omissions. For example, agility trials are touted for testing endurance, and the levels given for USDAA agility are actually those of the AKC. The Golden Retriever Club of America is not listed in the three pages of addresses given for guide dog schools (though it is mentioned as a resource to contact when looking for a puppy), and though the authors contacted several golden retriever breeders and owners across the country, they did not list them as resources. This book also leaves out significant information that can be found in general dog care and training texts?including books by Siegal and Margolis themselves. More substantial titles include Gertrude Fischer's The New Complete Golden Retriever (Howell, 1984) and Marcia Schlehr's New Golden Retriever (Howell, 1996). Not an essential purchase.?Edell Marie Schaefer, Brookfield P.L., Wis.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company; 1st edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316790176
• ISBN-13: 978-0316790178
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,703,448 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Handy, Easy to Read Reference Book, August 12, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Golden Years: A Pet Owner's Guide to the Golden Retriever (Hardcover)

I am in the process of selecting a Golden Retriever puppy. I recently owned a Cocker Spaniel for over 11 years, and before that, a mixed breed for 6 years, so I know a little about dogs. I was searching for a hard-cover book priced between $10 and $20, that would give me the basic information I needed to make a wise decision on choosing a Golden Retriever puppy, as well as general information about owning a Golden Retriever. I read the reviews for this book, and it appears one either liked the book very much or disliked it very much. There was no "middle of the road." I will agree that there was some redundancy in what the author wrote, but he kept repeating (reinforcing) in my opinion, all the positive traits about this breed that I was hoping to read. So, I didn't look at this repetition in a negative way. The book contains all the basic information a novice to the breed needs to be able to choose a puppy, and enjoy and care for in every way, his or her Golden Retriever for the long term. There is also a fairly generous amount of color pictures featuring several Goldens in various stages of development and in various poses. The pictures also showed the variety of golden colors--from light gold to dark gold. Since I am not qualified nor interested in breeding or showing the dog, I really didn't mind that the book did not go into great detail about the pedigrees and how to show a dog. For those who are looking for this kind of detailed information, I am sure there are more in-depth (and expensive) books featuring extensive coverage of these subjects and others, but as I stated in my "one liner" review, this book is a great value for the price, and a great benefit for most of us who just want a Golden Retriever as a companion dog. I highly recommend it to anyone who never owned a dog, or to someone who is switching to Goldens after owning a different breed. After reading the book, I am excited, enthusiastic, and feel this book has helped me to better prepare to welcome a Golden Retriever into my home.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great information book about Golden Retriever, September 25, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Golden Years: A Pet Owner's Guide to the Golden Retriever (Hardcover)

This is one of the best Golden Retriever book I've ever read! This book contain almost all information you need to know about Golden Retriever such as the standard for Golden, training, feeding, bonding, and more. I recommend this book for those who love Golden Retriever.

2.0 out of 5 stars Especially non technical., July 7, 2004

By 

J. Connor "film and book fanatic'." (Palm Desert, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Golden Years: A Pet Owner's Guide to the Golden Retriever (Hardcover)

No technical, helpful details. Owner lacks this pet and does not seem to have much experience with animals in general. The facts are basically known and cheaply categorized. Book may be one of the most unpopular manuals published and sold around stores. In my opinion, this did not need to be published in any case. Least though, the topic is a particular dog breed, which is fine.
The manual is hardback, but does not deserve to be refurbished as much as other, more deserving manuals. Opinions differ in every respect, however this guide should not be bought by ones who presume it is a technical, fact containing guide. M. Siegal should have deciphered between publishing sub par material or making another attempt.