Michael Brandow

The author’s stated purpose is to have a discussion about dog breeding and humans being hooked on a certain type of dog whether it be for looks or as a status symbol. Yes, the author does rant on about the bizarre need of rich Americans in the late 1800s to emulate the British aristocracy whether by selling their daughters to British nobles or buying and breeding society dogs from British aristocracy. The eugenics involved in the breeding of American Kennel Club dog breeds is outrageous; whether it is the crunched hind legs of the German Shepherd or the catatonic induced state of the American Pointer. The American Kennel Club has catered to the dog fanciers in the U.S. for registration fees can only help the AKC survive. The author includes a massive litany of the physical and behavioural manifestations that have arisen due to breeding for looks rather than hybrid vigour. Some critics of this book fault the author’s lack of medical skills that would hinder an informed medical opinion but as a dog walker for many years in New York City, he witnessed the physiological and behavioural problems of the dogs he walked daily. Designer dogs are meant to massage the ego of the owner and do nothing to help the wellbeing of continued generations of afflicted breeds. As for the breeders of these designer dogs; they do it for the money, not for the betterment of the breed.… (mehr)

I received this book a while ago from the Early Reviewers program and finally got around to reading it. Although I'm not really a dog person, I was looking forward to learning about a new topic. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed by this book. It was essentially 200 pages of the author complaining about how all people who buy purebred dogs are stupid and awful human beings. I would have gotten a lot more out of this book if the author had included more data about the specific health problems faced by certain breeds, the treatments required, and an organized presentation of the history of dog breeding/competitions. I found much of the book hard to follow and the angry tone of the book made it an unpleasant read. I agree with the author that dog breeding is often done at a disservice to the animals themselves, but his book really didn't add much to my understanding of the topic.… (mehr)