The Complete Dog Book

American Kennel Club

by American Kennel Club

For more than seventy-five years, The Complete Dog Book has been the premier reference on purebred dogs. Now in its twentieth edition, this treasured guide is an essential volume for every dog owner and owner-to-be.

Comprehensive and thoughtfully organized, The Complete Dog Book features all 153 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, the official breed standards, breed histories, and photographs. Also included are the twelve most recently recognized breeds: Anatolian Shepherd Dog, Black Russian Terrier, German Pinscher, Glen of Imaal Terrier, Havanese, Löwchen, Neapolitan Mastiff, Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Parson Russell Terrier, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Spinone Italiano, and Toy Fox Terrier.

Along with AKC registration procedures and current forms, The Complete Dog Book includes sections on

• choosing the dog that’s right for you
• training
• nutrition
• grooming
• responsible breeding
• canine first-aid
• joining a dog club
• Canine Good Citizen® program
• every AKC sport: Agility, Conformation, Coonhound, Earthdog, Field Trials, Herding, Hunt Tests, Junior Showmanship, Lure Coursing, Obedience, Rally, and Tracking

Concluding with an extensive glossary of terms and line drawings, The Complete Dog Book is a reference that dog aficionados will turn to again and again.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals, How To

858 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1939

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have the Golden Anniversary Edition, 16th edition, Published in 1979. I think I got this book new about then.

This was when I started to really develop my love of dogs. I also dipped my toe into showing a Newfie I had at the time. The book has a sense of nostalgia that adds to my value of it.

Pictures are in two sections, not with the listing of the dog. Almost all breeds seem to have a good page or two of history on the breed which is nice. It boasts, ‘322 Illustrations including – for the first time – 113 Photographs in Color!’ The pictures are not up to par with ones in current books, but they tried. All the breeds recognized by the AKC are covered. Each dog standard is covered in detail.

New copies I am sure are a lot better, maybe I will get lucky and find one to add to my collection of books on dogs.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favorite sentence, under the Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier entry: Partially shrouded by the mists of time, the history of this breed sometimes reflects the Irish people's gift as storytellers rather than historians.

[Stephanie Pieck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you don't own a purebred dog, this book is a must-read. With close to 200 breed standards with representative photographs of each AKC-recognized breed, it's a definitive guide to dogs. If you've got a mixed-breed mutt, you can page through and find breeds that might be in his or her background.
What makes this book truly great, though, is the clearly written instructions and tips for dog owners, breeders, and lovers. Whether you're considering buying a puppy or you've got a ten-year-old couch hound in your house, you'll find something helpful here. Learn about what's normal in a healthy dog (temperature should be between 101 and 102.5), when it's time to call the vet about vomiting or diarrhea (if it persists for more than 24 hours, is very frequent, or contains blood), and how to teach a dog of any age the five essential obedience commands of Heel, Sit, Stay, Down, and Come. You'll also find instructions on how to train a dog to stand rather than sit (great for vet exams or grooming), how to administer medications (with non visual references that I appreciated tremendously as a totally blind guide dog owner) and more.
I only have one caveat. Don't binge-read the book from front to back like I did. If you do, you'll start on the common illnesses section and before long will start thinking your dog has at least three potentially serious diseases--when they don't! This is a book meant to sit on your coffee table for easy reference.
Just make sure your new puppy can't jump up on said table and chew up your beautiful volume of wisdom! (So there should be a sixth essential obedience command: "No!")

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information but did not list the negatives associated with certain breeds; Dalmatians prone to deafness, some drop eared dogs prone to ear infections, other health issues associated with certain breeds. I wanted that kind of info included. Great pictures of dog breeds and standards of each breed. When looking for a new dog, this is a good start for knowledge. Yes, if you want a puppy, a reputable breeder is the place to call. Would have liked that information

[Lilybeth12 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Useful for helping to decode the different traits our mutt is exhibiting from her various breeds.

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Complete Dog Book (20th Edition) by the American Kennel Club (Ballantine Books 2006)(636.7). The Complete Dog Book provides breed standards, histories, and photographs of all 153 breeds which the American Kennel Club recognizes including the newest additions to the roster. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 1/1/2010.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a basic reference book for AKC registered breeds. It's a good book for dog lovers/breeders to refer to regarding AKC standards and AKC rules/regulations. Also contains contact information for AKC officials and departments.

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

do you have a new dog and don't know what it is than read the complete dog book it has all the info. that you need to know about your new dog.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book. The only thing I don't like is that they don't have color picture for each breed of dog.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lists and describes all the breeds of dogs recognized by the American Kennel Club as well as breed standards for show quality dogs.

[Donna Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice dog book about all the dog breeds the AKC recognizes.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

It tells you everyting you need to know about dogs and different types of dogs.

[Keri]

Need to get this one

[Kat Karney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own the January 1947 version of this book. The pictures are fantastic and breed descriptions are interesting.