Customer Reviews

Your Purebred Puppy, Second Edition: A Buyer's Guide, Completely Revised and Updated

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I'm a veterinarian and people often ask me what kind of dog they should add to their family. I tell them to get this book, decide if they truly want a dog and use the author's recommendations in selecting a breed and breeder and selecting a puppy. The breed descriptions are the most accurate and yet simple to understand that I've seen and the book covers many breeds not seen in most other books. I know from my own experience that the descriptions were right on target for my own two dogs. Other people whom I've suggested the book to have corroborated my story and had happy results as well.

I have bred several breeds of dogs all my life. This book is right on target discussing the breeds. Most books only tell you the advantages of different breeds. Lowell did research with many breeders to get actual pros AND CONS of different breeds. The best part is that she tells you what genetic diseases you need to watch for in each breed. Don't select a breed without reading this. No other book has this much factual information.

I have always wanted a dog and when a good friend of mine said that he would purchase one for me I was ecstatic. Not knowing what kind of dog I wanted, though, I decided to get online and get some information. Picking this book was the best decision I could have possibly made. I knew I wanted a small dog but didn't realize the different breeds and some really important characteristics that dogs have. This book was excellent in telling me the dogs' habits, what kinds of environments they need to be in, their health problems, and even what dogs not to pick out of the litter. It even gives you tips on how to recognize a dog that isn't a true breed; and with the detailed pictures that are contained within I am very confident that I will pick a perfect dog for me. This book is a must have for anyone thinking to buy a dog for the first time and wants to feel comfortable with their final decision.

This book contains all the information you need on buying a puppy. Doesn't even have to be purebred for this information to be of considerable value. The description of the sequence of steps in the buying process is extraordinarily informative.

The main part of the book is a presentation of all the major breeds with the kind of detailed information of most use to a prospective owner, including ratings (frow very low to very high) of traits that would make a particular breed desirable (amount of shedding, amount of exercise needed, suitability for a novice owner, etc.) allowing a very informed choice.

In addition, there are chapters on how to make the purchase, how to contact a breeder, how to select the right puppy for you among those available, what to ask the breeder, etc. This way you feel prepared for the experience rather than falling in love with the first pup you see and buying it.

The writing is approachable and readable, but most of all, directly tailored at someone doing this for the first time. After looking at other books on puppy/dog adoption, my wife and I put all the others aside when we came upon this one. Highly recommended.

What makes this book so great is not just its honest and informative summaries of the different dog breeds, but its instructions on how to locate a responsible breeder and a good and healthy puppy.

Though you can just flip through the hundreds of breed summaries and pick one you like best, if you do this you can not be sure it is really the right one. The front of the book goes over what factors you must consider when you are getting a dog, from your willingness to exercise your dog, to your social needs. It covers factors that you may not have even considered, such as how much grooming you can put up with, but may determine which is really your perfect pet. You can then go through the book, and check to see how much each breed fits your lifestyle. Any dog that scores a perfect ten is sure to be a winner.

The back of the book contains possibly the most important information in obtaining a puppy: how to find a responsible breeder. From what to look for, to what to questions to ask, there is everything you need to know about good and bad dog breeders.

Today, millions of dogs are being needlessly killed because of irresponsible breeders. Many purebred dogs are riddled with health problems such as hip dysphasia and blindness, and just as many dogs are plagued by troubles that have been specifically bred for! Pugs may have trouble breathing because of their cute little short faces. Tiny toys suffer from a list of ailments fifty times their size, as they have been bred for nothing but "cuteness" and the ability to fit inside a person's fist.

If every prospective purebred puppy owner had this book:

There would be no one whose faithful companion has an irreversible genetic illness.

There would be no one with a bad tempered, ill adjusted, aggressive or excessively nervous dog.

There would be no one with a breed of dog ill-suited to their environment. No hyper English shepherds trapped in city apartments. No delicate Italian greyhounds forced into big families with small children.

And the list goes on...

If you get this book and follow it, it is a guaranty!
You WILL have a puppy that suits your needs, but more important then that, you will have a puppy with a stable temperament who is truly healthy.
It's a sure thing.

Your Purebred Puppy is a must-have book for anyone looking to buy a new dog or any clinic that has a pre-purchase counseling service. It is 319 pages long and covers 200 different dog breeds. Welton divides the book into four steps: deciding whether or not to get a purebred dog, choosing the right breed, finding the right breeder, and choosing the right puppy.

There are several reasons that I highly recommend this book. First of all, it does not just explain the different breeds, but it gives advice for choosing the right breeder and puppy. Since the breeds are listed alphabetically, it is easy to quickly find the breed for which you are searching. Each breed's page describes its characteristics such as exercise and grooming needs, sociability with strangers, temperament, history, physical features, health issues, and some things to be aware of before you buy a dog of that breed. The histories of the breeds are interesting to read and help explain why certain dogs do the things they do. Each breed's AKC popularity and photograph are also included. A glossary of color and medical terms is included at the end of the book.

It is difficult to find anything wrong with this book. One improvement to this book could be to include color photographs instead of black and white ones. Also, Welton is biased toward holistic medicine and all-natural pet foods. This is only evident on two pages of the book, so it is a minor issue.

Your Purebred Puppy is a great starting point for a pre-purchase counseling program. Welton's unbiased breed profiles serve as a great reference for helping a client to choose a dog. This book is an excellent source for any veterinary clinic and can be recommended to clients as well.

Ms. Welton has produced a most practical book for those wishing to find a pup as companion and family member ...

The author prepares the potential new dog owner with all the necessary - from how to pick a breed to how to pick a pup, from how to pick a breeder to a timely caution on the time/effort required to rear a puppy ... While most "how to pick puppy" books may deal with the same topics, Ms. Welton does it exceedingly well, and the chapters are conveniently laid out, easy and fun to read ...

What we find most appealing is her description of the 200 breeds set out in the book (more than some breed books) ... Ms. Welton provides plenty of information about each breed (again, more than some breed books), from their expected temperament (including interaction with children) to expected life span, grooming requirements, genetic & hereditary medical cautions, availability (in the US), estimated price etc.

After having served its primary purpose and guiding owner to pup - the book will continue to be a very useful addition to any dog book library - as a source of information and reference ...

The photographs could be better though - maybe in the new edition ...

I bought this book when I was looking into buying a Doberman. It not only goes into breed specifics, what to look for, and what to ask for, it lists various ways of finding good breeders, and if you really should have a dog. Though this book should not be the only piece of literature you go by in choosing a dog breed, as you should check several breed specific books, it tells you energy level, trianability, grooming level, and more, in a easy to read and find list on every page for each dog. I wish the photos could have been color though.

It also lists genetic problems, a quick history, and what to ask your breeder about this specific breed. In one of the last sections of the book, it goes through step by step how to talk to your potential breeder, what to ask, what to expect, and how to turn down a bad breeder.

I often times am looking through this book, even though I am not looking for a dog at the moment, it is simply fun to read through and look at. It's an enjoyable read, and I recommend it to anyone who is looking into buying a puppy, purebred or not.

I have found this book to be very helpful in the selection process that should be invovled in an educated decision to add a dog to your life. A must read for anyone new to dogs or not sure about different dog breeds.

I bought this book to keep on the resource table my animal-rescue group has at pet adoptions. People often want to know what we think is the best breed for them, and I direct them to this book.

The author is very honest. She doesn't mince words in the breed descriptions and flat out says of some breeds, "This is just too much dog for the average family." She also gives great advice about finding a good breeder.

However, I find that she is a little unrealistic in her discussion of prices. She feels that some breeds, particularly toys, are "overpriced." I dispute that -- as the owner of a Maltese from a top-notch breeder, I know that most toy dogs have very small litters, and puppies are very difficult to come by. In addition, toy breeds often require more assistance with delivery than other breeds, thus driving up the costs of pups even further.