Book Reviews 2005
1 journaler for this copy...
This books is a review of books I've read in 2005 that do not get their own BCID for whatever reason.
For the Life of Your Dog by Greg Louganis and Betsy Sikora Siino
ISBN: 0-671-02450-7
I picked up this book at the library since we are considering getting a dog. I was just looking for books about dogs. I did not recognize the man on the cover or his name until I read the first sentence: "In 1995, I published Breaking the Surface, a book about my life: my family, my career as an Olympic diver, my identity as a gay man, and my struggles with HIV." Oh ... now I know who this is.
I liked this book as a general book to read before you get a dog. It's a book people very early in their interest in considering a dog should read. It starts out talking about what you need to think about before you get a dog. Greg Louganis, however, is a dog snob. Some of his concerns, while legitimate, come over in a very snobbish way. Even though I have no idea of this man's personality, I got the distinct impression that he does not like children. He qualifies it as a point that children hurt dogs, but it seems that all children, except those of his friends of course, hurt dogs. Since I intend to raise my dog with my children that was a little off-putting.
Mr. Louganis takes you through all the stages of your life with your dog, from considering whether to get one or not, all the way to the end of your pet's life, and all the steps in between. He is really quite thorough. He is not giving training advice per se, although he does offer an opinion on how you might want to train your dog. With his thorough coverage of the stages of a dogs life as your pet, you will have a very good understand of what you might be undertaking. If you already have a dog, and are considering a second one, you might want to read this book as a review of some of the more difficult stages that you may have forgotten. He also deals specifically with the topic of adding a dog as a companion to your current one.
The book is written in an easy to read style. It is a good one to check out of the library and perhaps review when considering whether to get another dog, but I would not say it is needed to keep as a reference.
ISBN: 0-671-02450-7
I picked up this book at the library since we are considering getting a dog. I was just looking for books about dogs. I did not recognize the man on the cover or his name until I read the first sentence: "In 1995, I published Breaking the Surface, a book about my life: my family, my career as an Olympic diver, my identity as a gay man, and my struggles with HIV." Oh ... now I know who this is.
I liked this book as a general book to read before you get a dog. It's a book people very early in their interest in considering a dog should read. It starts out talking about what you need to think about before you get a dog. Greg Louganis, however, is a dog snob. Some of his concerns, while legitimate, come over in a very snobbish way. Even though I have no idea of this man's personality, I got the distinct impression that he does not like children. He qualifies it as a point that children hurt dogs, but it seems that all children, except those of his friends of course, hurt dogs. Since I intend to raise my dog with my children that was a little off-putting.
Mr. Louganis takes you through all the stages of your life with your dog, from considering whether to get one or not, all the way to the end of your pet's life, and all the steps in between. He is really quite thorough. He is not giving training advice per se, although he does offer an opinion on how you might want to train your dog. With his thorough coverage of the stages of a dogs life as your pet, you will have a very good understand of what you might be undertaking. If you already have a dog, and are considering a second one, you might want to read this book as a review of some of the more difficult stages that you may have forgotten. He also deals specifically with the topic of adding a dog as a companion to your current one.
The book is written in an easy to read style. It is a good one to check out of the library and perhaps review when considering whether to get another dog, but I would not say it is needed to keep as a reference.
Your Boxer's Life by Kim Dearth
ISBN: 0-7615-2048-1
I checked this book out of the library because we are considering getting a Boxer. I checked out several books specifically on Boxer's. I read another book very similar to this written by a British woman and published in the UK. I don't recall which book that was, although I found it thorough and interesting.
This book is also very thorough and I'm looking for my own copy. Besides general dog information, it delves into the Boxer personality and the needs of a Boxer. Boxer owners know that Boxers remain highly active, even after the "puppy years" are over. However, someone considering a Boxer may not know that. It covers some of the medical issues that tend to afflict Boxers in a bit more detail than general dog books do. There is a section on training. However, training should only be done from a book if there are no obedience classes available to aid you.
What I liked most about this book is that someone who has never owned a dog could read it and understand it. Basic definitions are given of things that are common dog terms, but might not be known to those who don't have dogs. As someone who has lived in a family that bred Golden Retrievers, I was very familiar with many aspects of dog raising. This book works as a good reference guide for me to look things up in.
The book is fair. While the focus is on Boxers, there is no bashing of other breeds, and the author covers issues that concern dog owners without preaching.
This book is a "must" pick up if you are considering adding a Boxer to your home.
ISBN: 0-7615-2048-1
I checked this book out of the library because we are considering getting a Boxer. I checked out several books specifically on Boxer's. I read another book very similar to this written by a British woman and published in the UK. I don't recall which book that was, although I found it thorough and interesting.
This book is also very thorough and I'm looking for my own copy. Besides general dog information, it delves into the Boxer personality and the needs of a Boxer. Boxer owners know that Boxers remain highly active, even after the "puppy years" are over. However, someone considering a Boxer may not know that. It covers some of the medical issues that tend to afflict Boxers in a bit more detail than general dog books do. There is a section on training. However, training should only be done from a book if there are no obedience classes available to aid you.
What I liked most about this book is that someone who has never owned a dog could read it and understand it. Basic definitions are given of things that are common dog terms, but might not be known to those who don't have dogs. As someone who has lived in a family that bred Golden Retrievers, I was very familiar with many aspects of dog raising. This book works as a good reference guide for me to look things up in.
The book is fair. While the focus is on Boxers, there is no bashing of other breeds, and the author covers issues that concern dog owners without preaching.
This book is a "must" pick up if you are considering adding a Boxer to your home.
