2 comments about The Great Dane.

1. This out of print book succedes in informing the reader about the wonderful breed. It's in depth color photo sections are some of the finest in range and beauty. If you have a Great Dane sized heart, use your cyber paws to order it up!



2. In this practical, beautifully illustrated book, the author traces the development of the Dane from Germany to its world-wide popularity today, and using numerous kennel stories, brings to life many of the most important Danes and the people who have made the breed special. 319 pp. / 200+ color photos / TFH-1988

No comments about Giant Schnauzers (Kw Dog Breed, No 204).

5 comments about Perfect Puppy: How to Choose Your Dog by Its Behavior.

1. I found The Perfect Puppy extremely useful in shopping for my last two mixed-breed dogs. I concede that no dog will conform to all characteristics attributed to the breed. But reading the profiles made me sensitive to different traits, and I used that sensitivity in shopping individual dogs.



2. There were times when I wanted to throw this book on the floor and shout "No! No! No!" First, I think Hart & Hart were far too discouraging regarding adoptions of adult dogs, although since the book is aimed at puppy buyers, I can look past this. If only that were the book's only foible...

   The authors suggest that bringing a female dog into a home where there is already a female dog is just as trouble-free as bringing a male dog into the same situation, which I just haven't found to be true. (In my experience, one dog of each sex is preferable in a multiple dog household.)

   Many of the breed rankings seem really off. Australian Shepherds and Chesapeake Bay Retrievers, for instance, significantly differ from the profiles Hart & Hart present. Chessies are far more dominant and territorial. Further, this book encourages people to conflate Chessies with Labs, which is not helpful, since there are pronounced differences in the temperaments of the two breeds.

   This book is worse than worthless, it is misleading and can give people a false sense of security.

   If you are looking for a puppy or dog, a much better bet is Brian Kilcommons' "Paws to Consider," or for a lighter, mongrel-centric touch, Kilcommons' "Mutts: America's Dogs," which contains short profiles of the more common mixes. I found both of Kilcommons' books to be right on target.




3. I don't know where the author got his information, but I surely don't think he's ever met an Australian Shepherd. If the other breed profiles are as mis-guided as this breed profile, Purebreed Rescue Groups are likely to see an influx of dogs purchased by those who thought they'd done their research. For the record: Aussie's *don't* read your mind without training, and a family with children had better have the time and commitment to devote to training this breed. In my experience, Aussie's are a highly excitable, high-drive breed with a profound instinct to herd. This herding drive requires focused training so that the dog will learn what is appropriate and what is not. Woe betide the intruder that thinks my male is a "benign" watchdog, or the poor soul who thinks my female, who is quite literally *never at rest*, is "relaxed". And if you think an Aussie won't challenge your dominance, think again: not only will some of them challenge your dominance, they'll challenge your intellect, patience and SAT scores (and probably top them too)! And a low rating on excessive barking? PUHLEEZE!

   Don't get me wrong... Aussie's are the perfect breed for the *right* home, provided that home has made an informed choice and is fully committed to appropriately training and exercising their Aussie. If that home has used this breed profile they'll be expecting an "out of the box" mind-reading-mild-mannered-
   playful-perfect companion, and they'll be unpleasantly surprised by the amount of training it will take to get that perfect companion, and quite unprepared for the level of exercise this breed requires.

   While the intent of this book is admirable, it's execution falls far short of the mark. Readers would be better informed simply by consulting a responsible breeder for research, a local kennel club for references, or by contacting the purebreed rescue club... these rescue groups are more than happy to educate people about the characteristics of their breeds, and have a vested interest in preventing "uninformed" choices.

   By all means, read this book for some light reading, but if you're looking for accurate and substantive information on which to base your selection of a new four-footed family member... keep looking.




4. This book provides some very misleading information. Take the Australian Shepherd for example -- according to this author, the Aussie makes the perfect family pet because it is a "benign watchdog" that will not challenge its owner's dominance! How wrong! The Aussie, as a herding dog, is bred to handle tough situations, to turn a bull around, grip a 250 pound ram in the nose, etc. They like to "herd" children, tell them what to do, and if there is not a strong leader in the family, will happily take over that role! The evaluation of the Aussie could mislead people into believing they are buying a laid-back, easily trained pet, when in fact, they acquired a strong-willed herding dog, looking for a job to do, with an insatiable need for exercise, training, and strong leadership. Not given the right leadership, Aussies can easily become destructive. The breed standard describes them as "reserved around strangers" and poorly trained and socialized Aussies may become aggressive! This breed is absolutely wonderful -- for the right owners, willing to provide the right training, exercise and leadership. I would give this book five MINUS stars!



5. I spent 1 minute with this book and it was evident that they did NOT do research of their own, they merely took false studies and slapped them into a book. While I can only speak to the areas I know, I cannot say the entire book is worthless, but if one section is so clearly unresearched the value of the book as a whole, in my eyes - is null.

   I own and work with Siberian Huskies and am apauled every time I see something claiming them to be aggressive this is NOT a breed trait by ANY stretch of the imagination.

   With many researchers they marks "huskies" as being aggressive but fail to denote the difference between siberian huskies, alaskan huskies etc. It's a shame people will base their opinions on books like this and propogate bad information.

   Any dog of any breed CAN be aggressive. But by standard, the siberian is most definitely not aggressive towards people and other dogs. If you want good information, turn to a GOOD breeder or a rescue organization near you. Breed specific rescues are throughout the country and are more than happy to help educate you on the shortcomings of their breed.

No comments about Raising Riley: A Kid's First Lab Puppy.

2 comments about The Rottweiler Handbook.

1. Unlike the high praise I have for the German Shepherd Dog Handbook and the American Pit Bull Terrier handbook, this one has nothing that makes it stand out from other books of the same breed. The author also focuses 90% of the pages to general dog care, not Rottweiler specific information. That means you could find 90% of this books information in a book about any large and dominant breed, a book on dogs in general, or even in some dog encyclopedias. And you could find ALL OF IT in any other Rottweiler book. Now, that's not such a bad thing if you don't have any books on general dog care and want one with a Rottie twist but it is a VERY BAD thing if you're comming to this book as a student of the Rottweiler breed and hoping to learn something you don't already know! I reccomend the Rottweiler book in the "Happy Healthy Pet" series over this. While a lot of it is a reiteration of general dog care too, the Rottie specific information left me more satasfied as it goes deeper into the essence and history of this breed.



2. This book is the culmination of roughly two years of research, travel, and interviews with top breeders, trainers, and rescue organizations devoted to the Rottweiler in both the United States and Germany. "The Rottweiler Handbook" contains chapters on: History of the Rottweiler (did you know that German historians say that "Rottweil" was *not* named for the red tiles, but for something else?); The Rottweiler Today; The Rottweiler as a Companion; The Rottweiler's Life Stages; Choosing the Rottweiler Puppy; Adopting the Adult Rottweiler; Preparing for the New Arrival; Welcome Home; Crate Training and House-training; Grooming and Feeding; Preventive Care; Common Diseases of the Rottweiler; The Basics of a Well-behaved Rottweiler; Beyond the Basics-Getting Involved; and Useful Addresses and Literature.

   The book also contains more than 100 color photographs that were taken in both the United States and Germany.

5 comments about The Dog Sitter's Handbook: A Personalized Guide for Your Pet's Caregiver.

1. I read some of the other's reviews of this book. And it apparently was not what they were looking for. I can't understand why that is. What could be more important than a book that details your customer's fears regarding your services? Its a treasure trove of ideas for shaping your business and laser targeting your USP.



2. This small book was written to comfort owners. Thinking about having a sitter come into your house to care for your pets is a stressful thought - what if they forget something? What if they break/steal something? What if they forget to come? But basically if your pet sitter isn't asking for all this information in this book on his/her own without the book then you are in grave trouble.
   
   Professional sitters cost more than the "kid down the street" because they DON'T forget to come, they DON'T steal, and they DO know what questions to ask so that nothing is forgotten (and if there is an confusion, they know just who to contact to fix it with no delay). They also don't get bored around the 2nd or 3rd day and decide not to show up anymore (and lie about it).
   
   Your sitter is not going to read this book if you leave it for them. Unless it is a professional, and then they will just read it to laugh at how usless it is. Do you really want your sitter spending his time reading instead of playing with your pets? If you want, buy this book so you know what the pet sitter will ask before they arrive (and to weed out any fly-by-night bad ones). Then hire a true professional. Plan to spend 60-90 minutes with the pet sitter answering his/her questions at the Meet and Greet. And if you are still not feeling near "worry-free", turn down that sitter and choose another.



3. I think this book included a lot of information the sitter should know that I had not yet thought of. I think it is good for someone who is pet sitting the way they would baby sit, not as a pet sitting service, but sitting occasionally, which is how many people do sit. There are many books out there for "professional" pet sitters who have a pet sitting business, but nothing else for those who occasionally sit. I feel this book caters to those people where none others do. And it's a helpful little book for anyone to read who is watching your pet. I would recommend it if you are having someone come to watch your pet, or for someone who is going to watch someone's pet and can offer it as a gift to the owner. Handy and helpful.



4. If your pet sitter isn't asking about your pets needs and behaviors before agreeing to care for your pet, you're in trouble. As a pet sitter, having a client hand me their Dog Sitter's Handbook would be useless. Not only do I not have the time to read it, but I would already have asked all of these questions of the owner directly. The only use I can see to this book is if you are hiring a "free" pet sitter such as a neighbor or friend. Even so, it would be a lot easier for them if you wrote everything concisely on a single sheet of paper. And don't forget emergency phone numbers and directions to your vets office.



5. My only complaint with this little book (and the reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5) is that it is too small for the purpose. The information provided is excellent and would help a Dog Sitter tremendously, especially the fill-in-the-blank pages that really personalize this book. This great book deserves to be much larger in format instead of a super small 'gifty' size...but it's still no reason not to purchase this book and use it over and over again! I have dog-sat in the past and wished I had a little something to go on. This is just the ticket! I do recommend it highly...just don't expect a full size 'handbook' as the title indicates.

No comments about Yorkies in Europe.

2 comments about Dog Parties: How to Party with Your Pup (Pampered Pooch).

1. This book was very good if you are planning to become a pet party hostess. I plan and have parties for pets and have received some helpful ideas from this book.



2. I picked up this book to extend upon my party planning research I gathered from on-line sources and was not disappointed. Moore provides tips and ideas for everything ranging from creating a planning schedule timeline, to the "Petiquette" of thank-you cards. It may be a short book, but it's packing with information including: indoor & outdoor game ideas, cake & treat recipes, party size guidelines, party favor ideas, and outlines on what not to do/give.
   
   After successfully completing my first dog birthday party, I have nothing but praise for this book!

No comments about The Genetics of the Dog (Cabi Publishing).

1 comments about RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK (Pet Owner's Guide).

1. In discussing the history of the Rhodesian Ridgebacks, the author acknowledges other rare purebreds with ridges, mainly the Phu Quoc Dogs of Vietnam and the Thai Ridgeback Dogs of Thailand. He goes on to say that it is a mistake to call a "Thai Ridgeback" a "Thai RIDGEBACK." Rather they should be referred to as the "Thai Ridged Spitz" or "Thai Ridged Dog." That's like saying do not call an Anatolian Shepherd or an Australian Shepherd a "Shepherd," because "Shepherd" is reserved for the German Shepherd only. Everyone else would probably understand that a Thai Ridgeback (most likely related to the wild Dingo) is another breed with a "ridge" on its back, regardless of whether it is related to the Rhodesian Ridgeback or not. Just like Anatolians and the GSDs are two different types of "shepherds." The author is so fixated on reserving the term "ridgeback" for the African breed that he gets lost in a true historical analysis and the use of a "common noun."