Rating: 
Summary: Nice anecdotes, but hardly unbiased science
Review: I really did enjoy the little anecdotes in this book -- the ones about James Stewart and his dogs were especially sweet. It's worth browsing for some of those little gems, although frankly I don't think there's much here that hasn't been reported elsewhere. I can't answer for the structure of the "find your breed" quizzes, although I thought it weird that different breeds were recommended for men and women of the same personality "type." ...[I]t seems odd that no breed falls into two categories -- surely some are *both* "friendly" and "clever"?Where Coren drops the ball and then trips over it is when he discusses people who dislike dogs, and people who like cats. ...I think it's worth taking a closer look at exactly what he does in these two chapters. Apparently, people who dislike dogs have no other redeeming features. It's interesting to see Harry Truman discussed solely in light of his failure to enjoy the company of dogs. Apparently, Napoleon grew up a dictator because he lacked the love of a good dog. This is superficially convincing, until you remember that Adolf Hitler was apparently capable of being fond of at least ONE dog in his misbegotten life. What Coren is doing here is playing to the prejudices of animal lovers, who sometimes believe we're superior to people who don't like animals. Specifically, though, it's to any inherent feelings of superiority experienced by dog lovers. The chapter about cats and cat people is even worse -- and again, it's worse for an interesting reason. In his far superior book, *The Intelligence of Dogs,* Coren is at great pains to point out that "obedience intelligence" is only one kind of intelligence, that dogs bred for different purposes think in different ways, and just because a terrier is not as biddable as a goldenn retriever, it does not make the terrier "dumb." Then he uses the word "dumb" to characterize cats -- repeatedly. It never occurs to Coren that an animal which is not a dog might legitimately behave in a way different from dogs. And it's obvious he doesn't know much about cats, because he mouths all the stereotypes (aloof, unfriendly, doesn't socialize with its humans) in a manner to make anyone who knows a well-socialized cat howl with laughter. ("You rarely see cats during the day." Sure, you rarely see mine, unless you happen to be near me and looking down -- they're almost always underfoot!) Coren then quotes from a "study" he did of cat and dog owners. He doesn't reproduce his survey instrument, so there is no way of knowing whether it's reliable, but he uses it to characterize cat owners as cold, aloof, unloving people -- far inferior to the nice warm dog people! Then, just in case we haven't already lost all faith in his scientific impartiality, he proceeds to relate an anecdote from his past, in which a single, neurotic woman with obvious attachment issues is made to represent all cat people. (And yes, he says she is the quintessential cat person.) Now, if half of what he says about this poor woman is true, she was a mess -- but I know dog owners who treat their unfortunate pets in the very same ways. Turn them into picky eaters and then feed them an unbalanced diet of people food? Some dog owners do it all the time. Fail to socialize their pets and then make excuses when Fluffy bites someone? Again, plenty of dog owners do this. Let your pet run loose and then shrug when it comes to a tragic end, because "that's the natural way"? I've known several dog owners who did that, with a series of dogs. Coren's attempt to characterize these flaws as "typical" of cat people make it clear that he is unable to overcome his own dislike of cats, and either lacks the insight to realize it, or hopes to foist his agenda off on his readers. Me, I like dogs. I like cats. And I enjoyed his earlier book. But after he's exposed his own unacknowledged prejudices to this extent, how am I supposed to believe his discussions of different breeds of dogs carry any less bias? If the only criteria he has for dismissing cats as pets is his own opinion (and he does, in fact, offer his unsupported opinion that owning a cat is just slightly better than coming home to an empty house), what if he doesn't care for a particular breed of dog? Will that influence the groupings he creates? This is pop psychology of the most shallow, facile sort. Read this book for the anecdotess about Jimmy Stewart, but for heaven's sake don't hope for any insights into animals or people!
Rating: 
Summary: BOO! If there were a "0" star rating I would have given it
Review: I started this book with high hopes - the premise was so intruiguing. Sadly the book gets bogged down in "celebrities" and their dogs, and then the author goes off on a weird rant about people who like cats. To me, it sounds like Mr. Coran has "unresolved issues" with both felines and females. Please, spare us the judgemental attitude.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting concept
Review: Interesting concept of matching dog and human personalities. I found the personality quiz fun. A great deal of research went into the dog personalities and groupings. I thought the groupings were sensible. This book will help prospective buyers better aquaint themselves with what to expect from a prospective breed of dog. Whether you agree with his advice is not the point, this book helps you research your breed and learn about your personality. This information should help you make better choices. Besides, the celebrity pet stories are worth the price of the book. They were funny and poignant.
Rating:
Summary: How to pick the data to fit your biases
Review: Stanley Coren comes across as an elitist snob who has a definite agenda to put across in this book and relates "facts" and anecdotes simply to fit his concept of animals rather than present a helpful discussion on choosing a dog. His numerous biases fly off of the page and completely detract from any meaningful data that might be present (though I doubt it). This is an author whom I would have no interest meeting in person.
Rating: 
Summary: As seen on DATELINE NBC and GOOD MORNING AMERICA!
Review: Stanley Coren, a psychologist and expert dog trainer, offers you a new test to make sure you have the dog that's right for your personality. It's easy, accurate, and a lot of fun--read all about the stars and past world leaders who've had the same dog as you. Featured on Dateline NBC and Good Morning America.
Rating:
Summary: An Intriguing Failure
Review: Stanley Coren, a psychologist famous for his popular 'The Intelligence of Dogs,' attempts in this more recent book to categorize the various dog breeds by their phychological natures in order to best match prospective owners and dogs. An intriguing idea, but unfortunately not accomplished in this work. Coren places each breed in one of seven rather indistinct categories: Friendly, Protective, Independent, Self-Assured, Consistent, Steady, Clever. He tests your personality and indicates which of the groups is best for you. You are then encouraged to choose from among the breeds in that group, breeds he bills as fairly interchangeable compatibility-wise. A large flaw in this is that no breed is described as having more than one strong characteristic: for example, no breed is listed as both friendly and clever. Additionally, no other compatibility issues are considered. For example, in matching you with a breed, no consideration is given to the breed's needs/demands for attention and exercise. Nor is consideration given to the breed's tolerance for children and other dogs. The most noteworthy accomplishment of this book is Coren's very extensive historical description of famous people and their relationships with their dogs, but the contribution of such anecdotes in establishing breed characteristics is rather ambiguous.
Rating: 
Summary: Contradicts itself -- I gave up
Review: Surprising that of 13 reviews posted only one other person mentions the problem I found. This book categorizes, sorts, etc. then contradicts itself on results of the quizzes and categories of recommended dogs for various owners! After reading this cover to cover and analyzing (myself and my husband) for best types of dogs, I found that the lists in the different locations contradicted each other. I think they owe me an accurate copy! (And I tried to reach them to tell them so, but didn't manage to do so.) Don't buy this one if you're serious. See if the newer edition is corrected. It seems to be useful information generally.
Rating:
Summary: Good read but was confused by inconsistent data.
Review: The book was very interesting in comparing human personality types with dog personalities, but after taking the quiz, I discovered that information on the Table (Table 5) summarizing the categories was inconsistent with the same information presented elswhere in the book, so I was left with not knowing which was the best dog type for me--which was the purpose in buying the book. Perhaps later editions of the book corrected the errors. Also, the stories about well-known dog owners and their dogs was very interesting. Would have givien it a higher score were it not for the typographical errors--which were major.
Rating: 
Summary: A definite must for the would-be dog owner & dog lover
Review: This book gives a good alternative insight into the perception of people and their dogs. Not only are the anecdotes from various famous people entertaining and enlightning, the book really gives a good picture of how humans build their relationships with others (not just limited to those of the same species!) I found the test very accurate in terms of what I was ACTUALLY looking for in a pet and learned not to be fooled by a pair of sad puppy eyes! For couples, this is important - just because you and your mate picked each other, doesn't mean you'd enjoy the same type of dog!
Rating:
Summary: This book is misrepresented
Review: This book is nothing like what it pretends to be. Although there is a nice listing of dog personality types, these can be found elsewhere. The book, purportedly, matches your personality with a dog's. No way. It assumes, rightly, that we have many personalities, especially when there are two of you like in our case. Dogs, apparently, only have one so the only answer, by the author, is to get about 5 dogs! A letter to the author to explainb this remains unanswered 4 months later. DON'T BUY IT!
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