Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, Interesting, and True
Review: "Dog Eat Dog" is an entertaining look at the dog show scene, and is a must for any dog fancier. The book thoroughly chronicles the life of a prominent breeder and her campaigning special, Rusty. "Dog Eat Dog" is humorous and interesting, and will have you repeatedly nodding your head in agreement. Read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: 'Dog Eat Dog' is the 'Orchid Thief' of the dog show world
Review: 'Dog Eat Dog' is the 'Orchid Thief' of the dog show world, but the obsession in this case is with Bullmastiffs, not orchids. Jane and Michael Stern have written an interesting, sweet, and sometimes sad book about the 'dog eat dog' competition in the American dog show ring. The sadness comes in when the authors describe the problems that we humans have wrought upon our best friends, by breeding for a particular and possibly arbitrary trait (size or hairlessness) and ignoring the consequences (hip dysplasia, deafness, birthing problems).The authors suffered from the purebred dog syndrome themselves: "Some couples dream of a house, others of a baby; we could think of nothing more enriching to our tender relationship than the companionship of a drooling, flatulent Bulldog." Richard, the Bulldog was an utter failure in the showring but if he was the genesis of "Dog Eat Dog", then he was a very successful Bulldog, indeed. Please read this book. It is a droll, ingratiating, doggy slice of Americana.
Rating:
Summary: 'Dog Eat Dog' is the 'Orchid Thief' of the dog show world
Review: 'Dog Eat Dog' is the 'Orchid Thief' of the dog show world, but the obsession in this case is with Bullmastiffs, not orchids. Jane and Michael Stern have written an interesting, sweet, and sometimes sad book about the 'dog eat dog' competition in the American dog show ring. The sadness comes in when the authors describe the problems that we humans have wrought upon our best friends, by breeding for a particular and possibly arbitrary trait (size or hairlessness) and ignoring the consequences (hip dysplasia, deafness, birthing problems). The authors suffered from the purebred dog syndrome themselves: "Some couples dream of a house, others of a baby; we could think of nothing more enriching to our tender relationship than the companionship of a drooling, flatulent Bulldog." Richard, the Bulldog was an utter failure in the showring but if he was the genesis of "Dog Eat Dog", then he was a very successful Bulldog, indeed. Please read this book. It is a droll, ingratiating, doggy slice of Americana.
Rating: 
Summary: horror show
Review: A more apt title might be "Human Eat Human" because the dogs in this book are civilized. It's the people who are vicious. This book is meant to be a light-hearted romp through the wacky world of dog shows, but I found it downright depressing. Dog show competitors are a strange breed themselves. They seem to look upon dogs as decorative objects born to win them ribbons (and to suffer whatever consequences go along with that). The people involved in dog shows are closely akin to those who drag their kids around the country in order to compete in beauty pageants: cold-blooded, calculating, back-stabbing competitive. Show dogs lead an unnatural, lonely life stuck in a kennel when they're not on the road in a trailer headed towards the next competition. There might be some merit to it if the contests were honest, but there's back room politics involved and it seems to have more to do with seducing the judge, putting the right makeup on your dog, or getting a judge that happens to like your dog's body type or breed than honest competition. Mimi, the main human character in the book, works at her local animal shelter and visits retirement homes with retired show dogs. So you would think she should know better because of her exposure to the plight of homeless animals. But apparently not. And she supposedly loves her dogs, but I suspect she loves them for what they can do for her ego in the show ring. And if they fail, as Rusty did at first, she has no qualms about giving him away to another trainer at very short notice. The obsessive mating (or artificial inseminating) of so-called "purebreds" (the bullmastiff, the main focus of this book, has been so genetically manipulated that its lifespan is only about nine years) in order to sell puppies to equally obsessed clients who have a "thing" about the look of a certain breed is nazi-like. And considering the huge number of healthy, available dogs in shelters and with rescue groups in this country, it's insane that breeders continue to produce often physically and psychologically impaired purebreds for the market (and to appear on the dog show circuit). Especially when you consider the fact that 15% of surrendered shelter animals are purebreds. At one point, frustrated in her attempts to produce a healthy litter, Mimi has a moment of enlightenment: "I am thinking of getting out of this business altogether. Purebred dogs are nothing but heartache. I just want nice mutts from the pound who live forever." Unfortunately, she doesn't follow up on this wish.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone who competes purebred dogs!
Review: Alright, I must admit, I am a little biased. I have known Mimi Einstein, the subject of this fascinating book, since
I was a child. She and her incredible dogs, the "Allstar
Bullmastiffs" have been precisely captured in a work which
intimately details the goings-on of a very unique and somewhat deranged land, the world of purebred dog showing. The book is an extremely telling account of this world, and a true and honest reference for anyone thinking about exhibiting their beloved Fido. The Sterns' language is, at times, grandiose and overbearing, but they really can't help it...so is the world of dog shows.
Rating:
Summary: A must read for anyone who competes purebred dogs!
Review: Alright, I must admit, I am a little biased. I have known Mimi Einstein, the subject of this fascinating book, sinceI was a child. She and her incredible dogs, the "Allstar Bullmastiffs" have been precisely captured in a work which intimately details the goings-on of a very unique and somewhat deranged land, the world of purebred dog showing. The book is an extremely telling account of this world, and a true and honest reference for anyone thinking about exhibiting their beloved Fido. The Sterns' language is, at times, grandiose and overbearing, but they really can't help it...so is the world of dog shows.
Rating:
Summary: I loved it! Anyone in the dog fancy would!
Review: An easy read, hard to put down once you start. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. Any person in the fancy should be able to identify with Mimi, Jane & all the dogs with the trials and tribulations of campaigning a show dog. I know I sure can.
Rating:
Summary: very entertaining, well written, and highly disturbing
Review: At first read, this is a highly entertaining, well written, humorous account of a behind the scenes look at the world of dog shows. However, after reading it once, I was left with a nagging feeling that it really shouldn't have been humorous, so I read it again, and, being a dog lover, I started getting quite disturbed. I and many others who love dogs have often thought that these beauty contests for dogs and the breeders who breed solely to win these contests are seriously damaging the genetic makeup of purebred dogs. This story, although it tries to present this side of the dog world in a positive light, if looked at closely it exposes many of the problems. The show dogs live a horrible life, travelling around cooped up in cages for years. The main character the book follows claims HER breed has no genetic problems, but an average lifespan of 5 years? constantly lame dogs? having to deliver all the pups surgically? breeding dogs that behave so badly no sane person would want to keep one as a pet? if this is a breed with no genetic problems, I don't want to hear about breeds that have problems! Over all, though, a very readable, informative book, something every dog lover should take a look at, and something anyone considering getting into the dog show business should read.
Rating:
Summary: An All-Star Book
Review: I first came across this book as editor of the local newspaper where Mimi Einstein lives. I wrote a story about her and the Sterns and the book. I enjoyed the book so much I read it in one sitting. The Sterns couldn't have picked a better person to shadow as Ms. Einstein truly treats her "dogs," i.e. babies, like the All-Stars for which they are named. Even better was meeting the "star" Sam himself after reading about his exploits.
Rating:
Summary: I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
Review: I have watched the Westminster kennel club show on USA for years. We just recently adopted a retired racing greyhound. Of course, we think she's wonderful...would anyone else?
After reading this book, I now know that I have no future in dog shows, but that's okay. I thoroughly enjoyed spending "the year" with Jane and Michael Stern, Mimi Einstein, Mugsy, Sugar, and yes, even Allen Levine (read the book to find out what *that* means!). Of course, once I started reading, I couldn't put it down and whipped through the book in an afternoon and evening. That's all?? I wanted more to read!
I have always loved Road Food, Square Meals and the Sterns' monthly column in Gourmet. I enjoyed them as much on the dog show trail.
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