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Rating: 
Summary: Excellent, "surface-level" field guide for identifying dogs
Review: I think this is a very good book, the pictures are amazing with very quality dogs, not just whatever dog came off the street with registration papers. The information on the different breeds was good, however there are a few things missing...i.e. there isn't a profile on German Shorthaired pointers, does not mention that Flat coated retrievers come in liver color, Basenjis and Norwegian Elkhounds are not listed as hounds, etc. But overall very good.
Rating:
Summary: Lavishly Illustrated Guide to Dog Breeds
Review: If you love dogs, this is a book you will enjoy for the profusion of excellent photographs! It is also packed with good information. Each breed is described in one or two pages with bullet points about its history and character. Color-coded data in the margins tells you the size and weight, temperament, and origin of the breed. But the best part of this book is the collection of full-color, detailed, and very expressive photos. The book is organized into chapters for "companion dogs, gundogs, herding dogs, hounds, terriers and working dogs." This is a little confusing, at least to a non-breeder. For example, Labrador Retrievers are in the 'Gundogs' chapter and Chow Chows are under 'Working Dogs'. Fortunately, there is an index to assist with locating the dog you want to learn about. I picked up this book to help me identify the breeds that went into my two adorable mutts. I admit I didn't get very far -- best guess is that one is a Lab-Chow Chow mix and the other is at least part American Pit Bull Terrier. Now that I have this book about breeds, I think I need a "Mutts of the World" book to help me figure out my little monsters!
Rating: 
Summary: Most-read book in our house!
Review: It may seem kind of silly, but in our household we must have thumbed through the pages of this book about a thousand times! Someone seems to take the book from the bookshelf and leave it lieing on the coffee table each week. Since you never actually read this kind of book cover-to-cover (it's really a fancy picture book), you always seem to find something new. The handbook is a wonderful guide showing almost every breed imagineable. Approximately one page is dedicated to each breed (there's the occassional 2-page dedication to popular dogs as well as 2 dogs per page for some lesser known breeds). After finding a breed which catches my eye, I enjoy jumping onto the internet to learn more from a dog club's web site. The book may be light on detail, but there's just enough to get you interested to learn more. And the pictures are great. If you're trying to decide on which breed is right for you, this book may be appropriate as a first step in your decision - but you'll have to go elsewhere to learn more. Make no mistake, there's a lot to learn about each breed which isn't described in this book. After getting some ideas as to which dogs may be right for you, call a breeder or talk to the personnel at your local SPCA. As a quick picture guide, we have found no better. Compact in size (8.5"x5.5"), it's a great book to carry to a dog show as well.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Place to Start in Researching Purebreds!
Review: The book contains colorful breed pictures, as well as basic informative information about the breeds (i.e. country of origin, first use, origins, height, weight, and temperament). It also gives a tiny bit of history and additional remarks. Use the book as part of your research, maybe as the foundation.
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