Customer Reviews

Mutts: America's Dogs

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was an enjoyable book, but not completely a positive experience. I currently have three dogs (two mutts, one purebred), and have fostered many - all different kinds, both mixed and pure. I've loved all of them dearly, but books like "Mutts" imply that one can only love one or the other - purebred or mutt. They're all dogs, all individuals. I don't own a breed, I own my Beau, a collie - a breed that gets a lot of negative attention in this book.

Some of the passages about purebred dogs were downright offensive. A Golden/collie mix is described as "Valley girl meets Forrest Gump" in a section discussing temperaments of mixed breed dogs. There was much space wasted dissing purebreds in like fashion. I guess it's supposed to be humorous, but I found it nasty-tempered and alienating.

Yes, there are German Shepherds that are skittish and shelties that are hyperactive yappers, but this book makes it sound like every purebred dog is a degenerate freak and only mutts are "real" dogs. While I understand the need for a book that promotes mutts as the great pets they are, I wish it didn't have to be at the expense of purebred dogs and those who choose to own them.

This is a terrific book for those considering adopting a shelter dog. It gives you some guidelines about the different temperaments and characteristics of the purebreed components and combinations you might encounter. There are great stories and good training tips, too. Kilcommons has written several good training books that have a common sense, compassionate and humorous approach to making living happily with any dog easier to achieve.

This book solidified my desire to bypass dogs with fancy "brand names" and go to my local shelter to pick up a mutt. The statement that eight million mutts are killed each year because no one wants them made me determined to save a dog from being killed. I am now the proud owner of a lovely mutt-of-all-mutts. Both her parents are suspected to be mutts, and she's a mix of so many breeds we can't even figure out what might be in her heritage.

I loved this book because it didn't just tell you to get a mutt, it told you why mutts are the logical choice. It pointed out reasons such as better health, goodwill, and it provided countless examples of hero mutts. This book would make any mutt owner proud of owning one and many purebred owners envious. My favorite story in the book was about "Susan and Joe," the tale of a Great Dane-German Shepherd who helps a multiple sclerosis inflicted woman lead a normal life. Very heartwarming!

Toward the end of the book there are some chapters that tell you how to select a dog and how to stop some common behavior problems. The advice offered there does not go into great detail, though. You'll certainly need some other books to help you raise a mutt, but this book offers a good start.

Finally, the book contained great pictures and was set up in a way that was easy to read and definitely not boring. The print was fairly large, and the book was separated into many sections so you could easily find your way through it. The book was also humorous at times, making for a very enjoyable read.

I like the point made that non-pure bred dogs are wonderful and worth saving. However some of the "catalogue" of mixes was ridiculous. Example: comments on "chow-sharpei" mix and "chow" mixes was obviously due to the fact that the author does not like either breed. I have a chow/samoyed mix who is absolutely wonderful - got the best of both breeds. It would have been more fair to catalogue as well the good points of the breed and perhaps explain more as to why certain breeds can have negative points (poor breeding, socialization & training for example).

If you are the owner or a fan of mixed breed dogs, you've scoured the shelves for a volume that covers your interest, probably with little success. This book addresses that shortcoming, and does it with grand style and a lot of good humour. I was originally skeptical, wondering how anyone could write a book about dogs that are always different from the next, but Kilcommons pulls it off. Packed with photos, celebrity mutts, descriptions of various 'blends' and some helpful training info, I found a lot to like and learn here. Easy to read, and a great book to have lying about when your purebred-owning friends stop by. It made me proud to have my wonderful mongrel.

This is a must read for those who would love to know what kinds of behaviors to expect with mixed breed dogs. Also, the authors explain how to choose a dog or puppy from a pound. I loved the facts, stories and layout of the book. It was a quick read, highly entertaining and a must read for all who love dogs.

I always have to describe my dogs in terms of purebreds. This has never sat well with me. My dog is a mutt. She is medium sized, fluffy and white. This satisfies none of her admirers - she has to be part border collie or australian shepherd in order to slake their curiousity. What is is it with people, why does breeding matter? Yep, she probably has some border collie in her, but she cannot/will not herd (she is stubborn) and hates chasing balls and frisbees - she ain't no stinking border collie.

Oh well, it is nice to have this book for some mutt pride. Yeah, there is not a purebred in my house - but I have this in common with most american families! My dog is known as 'white dog' in this book - and that's enough for me!

I have a whole library of dog books, and this is by far my favorite. Training and advice about adoption are touched upon in this book, but even more so, there are heartwarming stories, and very humorous descriptions of different types of mixed breeds (including a section titled "hybrids are like Honda accords". I would (and do!) recommend this book to anyone who likes dogs. It is one I pick up again and again when I need a good laugh.

Mutts: America's Dogs is superbly written, and validates what we mutt owners already know: Mutts are best! Thank you to the authors for suggesting that mutts are better than pure breeds in a lot of ways, and for telling people how to adopt a wonderful pet from an animal shelter rather than going to a breeder. I hope this begins to solve the pet over-population problem in some way.

This is by far the best written and most interesting dog book I have ever read. It proves that mutts are by far better companions then purebreds will ever be. It has wonderful stories from life saver mutts to pepsi retrievers (my personal favorite story). It's a must buy for any mutt or even purebred owner!