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Dogs Unleashed
A comprehensive compendium of canine varieties—from purebreds to designer doodles—from the acclaimed author of The Spirit of the Dog. One glance around the local park will confirm that man’s best friend comes in many varieties. As the first animal domesticated by humans, dogs have been selectively bred for tens of thousands of years to be herders, hunters, guard dogs, and friends. The result is a plethora of breeds that are as different as the pint-sized chihuahua and the massive St. Bernard. Now there is a guide to each of them. Dogs Unleashed contains all the information required to differentiate breeds of canine. From the standard poodle to the Finnish spitz, readers will become experts of identification. Alongside beautiful photography, discover information on conformation, history, temperament, health risks, and more. This book even contains a section on today’s designer breeds like the labradoodle, the puggle, and the cockapoo. Ideal for researching a new family pet, or for general knowledge, this book reveals which dogs are the most expensive to keep, which are the best swimmers, and which breed has the longest life expectancy.
- GenresAnimalsNonfiction
1366 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 14, 2014
4 people are currently reading
22 people want to read
About the author
Tamsin Pickeral
52 books15 followersTamsin Pickeral is an art historian and an author of books on art, horses, animals and travel.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
She wrote her first book, The Encyclopedia of Horses and Ponies (published 1999) while living in the US, where she stayed for eight years, and has since that time written or co-written over twenty books.
She has lived back in the UK since 2004.
Pickeral's books are published internationally and have received critical acclaim in the media. This includes her book The Horse: 30,000 Years of the Horse in Art, chosen as Book of the Week by The Guardian newspaper (2006), and her book, The Dog: 5,000 Years of the Dog in Art, picked as one of the Top Fifty Art Books of the Year, 2008 by the Financial Times and voted into the Sunday Times Books Of The Year, Art, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 4, 2023
It’s a fast and easy reading, perfect for who wants to get know more about dog’s breeds!! But there is a lack of information on the behavior of each breed.
September 16, 2023
An interesting book that describes over 400 dog breeds with lots of pictures. It did not have deep descriptions of the breeds but touched on the basic traits of each breed: intelligence, ease of training, basic purpose of the breed, etc. The only thing I could fault it on, and it is a pretty big fault, is that I would not trust the health assessment she gave the breeds. In many cases, there was nothing at all. In others, the author was just wrong. To call French Bulldogs "generally healthy" and then list a couple of things they might be susceptible to is just wrong. I'm sure you can find healthy individuals, but I have read a lot that says if you want a Frenchie you better be rich or a vet! This alone would have made me grade this book with 3 and a half stars if I could have. So, take her health assessment with a grain of salt and do independent research on the health of a breed if you are interested in getting one, but enjoy the pictures!
June 20, 2025
A great book! It even has a few breeds in it that my other dog breed books don't. I also like that there is a section on how to recognize breed mixes. The only issue I have is that is very large. A smaller easier to hold book like this would be great.
October 8, 2023
An Inclusive Breed Guide
Finally, an encyclopedia of dogs that includes and celebrates mutts!
This excellent guide to dogs includes a variety of breeds, including more recent "designer" breeds and other rare dogs that aren't AKC recognized. For each breed, the book goes into its characteristics, history, and development. It also rates each dog on how affectionate, playful, and trainable it is as well as its friendliness towards dogs and strangers. My personal favorite, though, is the section that analyzes the appearances of several mutts to determine the likely genetic heritage and behavioral traits.
All dogs are good dogs and should be celebrated.
Finally, an encyclopedia of dogs that includes and celebrates mutts!
This excellent guide to dogs includes a variety of breeds, including more recent "designer" breeds and other rare dogs that aren't AKC recognized. For each breed, the book goes into its characteristics, history, and development. It also rates each dog on how affectionate, playful, and trainable it is as well as its friendliness towards dogs and strangers. My personal favorite, though, is the section that analyzes the appearances of several mutts to determine the likely genetic heritage and behavioral traits.
All dogs are good dogs and should be celebrated.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews