Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog for You and Your Family

by Sarah Wilson, Brian Kilcommons

The authors of "Good Owners, Great Dogs" provide the straight scoop on selecting the perfect dog for one's lifestyle and personality. Photos.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs, Animals

272 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sue Delaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for folks looking at getting a dog

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a lot of really good advice about purchasing your dog, who to talk to in order to find out if the type of dog you want is the right fit for your family, and what issues there are health wise with each breed. The dog breeds are broken up into categories and it describes the dog's behavior pro/cons, shedding amount, if they can be paired with children or other animals, and ect ect which is a good starting place for anyone dog hunting. We found out that the breed we want to purchase will probably match our life style as long as we train it from a young age about kids, other animals, and we take a middle of the road dog that is confident, but not the most energy filled pup of the litter.

[Mpjenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reasonably good starting book for prospective dog owners. Runs through some of the high-level "need to know" stuff, and the bulk of the book is focused on explaining different dog breeds. Actually does a good job with pros AND cons - there's no hate in the book, but it tells you which dogs can slobber up a storm, which ones need *tons* of exercise, etc. The only downside is that covering so many breeds, it tends to not go super deep on any of them - which makes some of the material not that different from what you'd find just searching online

[David Ward · Rating 3 out of 5]

Paws to Consider: Choosing the Right Dog For You and Your Family by Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson (Warner Books 1999) (636.7). This book is designed to help one select an appropriate breed of dog to match one's family, temperament, and lifestyle. Pros and cons are listed for each breed. This should be a useful tool for those smart enough to ask the appropriate questions beforehand. My rating: 7/10, finished 2005.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Written with a sense of humor, and lots of great advice. I really appreciate that the authors gave the "pros and cons" of each breed, and really stressed that future dog-owners consider their motives for having a dog, and whether they can provide a good life for their future dog. Somehow both dog-centric and human-centric! I highly recommend this for people who are considering becoming dog-owners for the first time.

[Shirley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a must read book for anyone interested in getting a puppy or dog. In each breed it gives you the common pluses and also the more important possible drawbacks! Also included is the height, weight, grooming,shedding, bite potential, health concerns, and special comments. It gives a beautiful well rounded informed look at a specific type of dog.

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was published a decade ago, so keep in mind that some breeds may have improved since then while others have deteriorated, but the general considerations (amount of time you have to devote to a dog, grooming, whether you live in the city or country, etc.) are still very valid points. Again, it's all about matching a dog to your lifestyle and a particular dog's personality to yours.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the way the book is organized: The Nine-to-Five Dog, The City Dog, The High-Input, High-Output Dog. But the author may not have much experience with some of the breeds. This is the drawback of a guide book from a single author.

[Aod · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess that I am grateful to this book because it is where I first read about the breed that I ultimately fell in love with.

[✿ ♥ Heather ♥ ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book - helped us confirm that the type of dog would be suitable for our lifestyle was in fact our favourite litte type of dog anyway.

[Jouhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good alternative if Internet research isn't your thing.