Book review:

Choose your pet breed carefully

Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds (hard cover)
by D. Caroline Coile Ph.D.
List price: $29.99
Amazon price: $19.79
In stock. Special offers available

THIS book is one of the best of its kind available. I think that today, people are more aware of the need to match the breed of dog that they purchase with the lifestyle it will be expected to lead and the size and activity level of the family it will be expected to interact with. No use buying a pug if you want a dog to go running with you each night, or a greyhound as companion for an elderly man or woman. Therefore we do need to read as much as possible about the temperament, care, maintenance and needs of any breed we are considering BEFORE we buy it - disappointment and exchange are NOT options once you have purchased.

Of course, the best books to buy are the ones that tell you most about the breeds you are interested in - and this one tells you plenty. Never boring and at times quite funny, it tells you about the history of the breeds, their exercise requirements, any ailments they are particularly susceptible to, and their over-all temperament with people or other animals.

It does not, however, list many of the more rare or lesser-known breeds. But an obscure breed is not for the novice anyway - best to stay with the huge list of well-known breeds for which information is readily available.

The encyclopaedia of dog breeds is good value for money - a whole 328 pages of information that includes very clear colour photographs. A book that you will return to often. - EP