Product Description

Having trained 30,000 dogs for more than 40 years combined, Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson know a thing or two about North Americas favourite pet. They share their wisdom and experience in this easy-to-understand, user-friendly, and comprehensive guide to selecting a breed, including: which breeds are good for small children, the elderly, the allergic, and the city-dweller; the characteristics of each breed; and which dogs are most compatible with different lifestyles. In addition, unlike most breed books, Paws to Consider discusses medical and behavioral problems typical to particular breeds, and offers fascinating information about canines and their potential owners. Kilcommons and Wilsons Good Owners, Great Dogs (Warner, 1992) netted more than 130,000 hardcover copies.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #392938 in Books
• Published on: 1999-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 272 pages

About the Author
BRAIN KILCOMMONS and SARAH WILSON are America's premier dog trainers and authors of numerous dog books. Brian hosted the national television series Pet News, was a past director at the City of New York Center for Animal Care and Control, and is on the faculty of Tufts University Veterinary School of Medicine. Sarah is also a media commentator, video producer, and publisher, whose articles have appeared in the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Cosmopolitan.

Customer Reviews

A great place to start
This book is very informative, and blends humor with unique insight to the ups and downs of many breeds. (By unique, I simply mean this book is not written in a "clinical" or "dry" manner. These are real people who share their experiences and help to educate prospective dog owners.) This book does not give alot of information about every breed--the authors only comment on breeds they are familiar with. My family and I are currently in search of the perfect dog for us, and this book made a great start. I've learned alot and am more excited to have the right dog share our home.

Do yourself - and your future pet- a favor and read this before you choose
This book is a delightful read, and well worth searching out. Kilcommons and Wilson provide impartial, practical and straightforward advice for eager potential dog owners. It's lighthearted yet serious, cautioning but not kill-joy. It gives a good impression of what living with different kinds of dogs can be like, and what your life with them would probably entail. And there are some surprises: some dogs you may not have considered suitable for your lifestyle, are (and vice-versa).

Brief descriptions of breeds' original uses and how this translates to their behavior will make you appreciate all dogs more, even breeds you may not care for.

Great book!
I loved this book! I had absolutely no idea what kind of dog I wanted to get before reading this book. This book separates the breeds into very logical chapters and also cross-references other chapters that the dogs would fit in. I love dogs so much that I was only able to reduce the number that I'd love to 19, but it made me consider breeds that I never would have before. Once I reviewed my 19 with my family, we were able to bring it down to 6 and I'm now doing research on those 6 in order to determine which one we'll buy. This is a great read if you're toggling between a few breeds and want to make sure you consider the good and the bad in the breeds.