The Complete Dog Breed Guide

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Q&A selector charts help you find the perfect pet to suit your lifestyle, while a practical section on care covers the fundamental aspects of looking after a dog - handling, grooming, exercise, and health - with step-by-step photos and expert-written advice explaining the essentials of basic obedience.

For thousands of years, humans bred dogs toward the physical and mental traits best suited for the work expected of them. The sleek Greyhound types bred to chase fleet-footed prey, and the huge mastiff types used as guard dogs and warriors, are two ancient examples of dogs bred for specific jobs.RESCUE WORK A German Shepherd Dog working for a search-and-rescue team hunts for survivors in a collapsed building following an earthquake. I N T R O D U C T I O N T O D O G S MEDIUM EXERCISE DOGS TRAINING Suitable choices Blue Gascony Griffon Easy to train Swedish Vallhund Rat Terrier GROOMING Alapaha Blue Blood Drentsche Partridge Dog Australian Terrier Low levels of Bulldog grooming Greyhound Nordic Spitz Whippet Quite easy Suitable choices Drever to train Basenji Bull Terrier Canaan Dog Not so easy Pembroke Welsh Corgi Presa Canario to train Bulldog Basset Hound Griffon Nivernais Suitable choices Boerboel Spanish Mastiff Neapolitan Mastiff Tosa Medium levels Easy to train Suitable choices Small Munsterlander of grooming Bernese Mountain Dog Picardy Spaniel West Highland English Setter Tibetan Spaniel White Terrier Affenpinscher Quite easy Suitable choices Norfolk Terrier to train Pyrenean Mountain Dog Airedale Terrier Finnish Spitz Cavalier King American Eskimo Dog Dachshund (long-haired) Charles Spaniel Not so easy Suitable choices Fox Terrier (Wire) to train Aidi Lakeland Terrier Hungarian Kuvasz Borzoi Cesky Terrier High levels of Easy to train Suitable choices Miniature Schnauzer grooming Keeshond Portuguese Water Dog Rough Collie Standard Poodle Hungarian Puli Shih Tzu Newfoundland Quite easy Suitable choices Eurasier to train Bouvier des Flandres Scottish Terrier Bearded Collie Tibetan Terrier St. Bernard Chow Chow Not so easy Suitable choices to train Komondor Tibetan Mastiff Sealyham Terrier People have been breeding dogs since prehistoric times. The earliest dog breeders used wolves to create domestic dogs. From the beginning, humans purposefully bred dogs to perform various tasks. Hunting, guarding, and herding are thought to be among the earliest jobs eagerly performed by the animal destined to be called “man’s best friend.”

From spaniels to sheepdogs, The Complete Dog Breed Book is all you need to find the perfect pet for your family. Fully illustrated and featuring over 400 of the world's best-loved breeds, this comprehensive guide offers expert advice on keeping, training, and caring for your beloved dog.With over 420 breeds at your fingertips - from established favourites, like the Labrador Retriever and German Shepherd, to newer "designer breeds" including the Schnoodle, Puggle, and Mal-shi - this book has all the information you need to help you choose, train, and care for your dog. This book offers a very broad overview of the different registered dog breeds. Not much information is given about any particular breed, but the pictures are gorgeous and the additional information is very helpful. The book's special Q&A selector charts help you make the right choice as per your lifestyle and convenience. Clear and practical instructions on care cover the essential aspects of looking after a dog, including handling, grooming, nutrition, health, and exercise.

As humans became more sophisticated, so did their dogs. Eventually, there emerged specific breeds of dogs, custom-bred to suit the breeders’ local needs and circumstances. The Greyhound, for instance, was the foundation type for the immense Irish Wolfhound and the dainty Italian Greyhound. All three have a distinct family resemblance, but you’d never mistake one for another. The AKC standard for each breed originates with a “parent club,” the AKC-recognized national club devoted to a particular breed. Once approved by the AKC, a standard becomes both the breeder’s “blueprint” and the instrument used by dog show judges to evaluate a breeder’s work. CHOOSING THE RIGHT DOG 17 LOW EXERCISE DOGS TRAINING Suitable choices French Bulldog Easy to train Miniature Pinscher GROOMING Quite easy Boston Terrier Low levels of to train Pug grooming Not so easy to train Suitable choices Medium levels Easy to train Pomeranian of grooming Quite easy English Toy Terrier to train Toy Fox Terrier High levels of Not so easy Chinese Crested grooming to train Easy to train Suitable choices Quite easy None to train Not so easy Suitable choices to train Löwchen King Charles Spaniel Chihuahua Russian Toy Suitable choices Griffon Bruxellois Italian Volpino Skye Terrier Dandie Dinmont Terrier Japanese Chin Suitable choices Basset Artésien Normand Suitable choices Maltese Papillon Kyi Leo Bichon Frise Australian Silky Terrier Coton de Tulear Bolognese Suitable choices Yorkshire Terrier (long, show coat) Lhasa Apso Havanese Suitable choices PekingeseThe visual training programme features step-by-step photographic sequences, explaining the specifics of basic obedience. Tried-and-tested notes on how to identify and prevent common behavioural problems provide a fascinating insight into the behaviour of dogs and how we interact with them. Looking for the ideal, perfectly compatible canine companion for your family? Your search ends here. So, then, when is a breed a breed and not just a kind or type of dog? The simplest way to define a breed is to say it always “breeds true.” That is, breeding a purebred Irish Setter to another purebred Irish Setter will always produce dogs instantly recognizable as Irish Setters. THE BRDCOEMOEPLDEGTE BOOK Consultant Editor Commissioned photography by DR. KIM DENNIS-BRYAN TRACY MORGAN