[.ca] The Complete Dog Book: 20th Edition (ISBN 0345476263)

From Amazon.com:
There's the Scottish Terrier ("an earth dog used in hunting the fox and the brocke"), the Boston Terrier ("a lively, highly intelligent, smooth coated, short-headed, compactly built, short- tailed, well balanced dog"), or the Great Dane ("one of the most elegant and distinguished varieties of giant-type dog"). In fact, there are 146 AKC-recognized breeds profiled within the pages of the Complete Dog Book, and the pictures and text provide great bowser browsing. The breed descriptions help you choose among the hounds, terriers, toys, and working breeds, the herders, guard dogs, and sporting breeds. Measurements help determine which dogs will best fit your abode (Chesapeake Bay Retrievers measure 21 to 26 inches high at the shoulder, Chinese Cresteds are a mere 11 to 13 inches off the ground, while the Irish Wolfhound stands 30 to 32 inches tall), breed temperaments help you choose your ideal pet, and show criteria help you know what you're looking for when you actually start to shop for a pup. In the meantime, there are interesting stories about breed origins, and a useful glossary of dog terms, while the chapters on grooming, training, and Canine Health and First Aid will come in handy once you've brought your new dog home. --Stephanie Gold

Well I give it 5 stars.:
In my opinion this is a nice book. I am very active in show dogs and the AKC, so this book suits me fine. However, some people may not be completely happy with it. For instance, if you want to know what breed of dog you should get, this is not the book to help you. Although it glosses over the history and care of each breed, you will need a lot more information if you want to decide which breed to get. Also, if you are not into purebred dogs or their standards, you probably wouldn't be interested in the book, maybe only the last section with dog care in it. Which brings me to this point: if you are looking for a book which teaches you how to care for your dog, this book only contains only the absolute basics, and you will need a much more detailed book to teach you thorough care. Another thing is, there are more than 400 breeds of dogs, and since the AKC recognizes around 150 of them, this book only gives you a small taste of all the breeds that are out there. With that said, I truly enjoyed this book, and if you are none of the above, then I recommend this book to you!

great basic reference:
This book is a good reference for breeders and enthusiasts. It has the breed standards for all the AKC recognized breeds as of the publication date. It also goes into basic dog care. I would definitely recommend it to families still struggling with what breed to pick out. Check out the book, talk with your veterinarian then go to a dog show and talk with breeders and trainers.

Complete Dog book review:
My husband is a dog show judge and has been looking for this book. As always, Amazon has what I need. This book is 2 yrs out of date, but this isn't Amazons' fault. Overall, the dog standards have not changed, except AKC has added some new breeds that aren't listed. Will be valuable with our breed (miniature Dachshunds).

AKC:
Excellent book. You can find most of this information on their web site, but it's great to take to a dog show when you have questions about other breeds. Wonderful book. I always reference it.

A must for all dog lovers!:
This book has so much great information--I refer to it constantly. I only hesitate to give it 5 stars because I think the black-and-white photographs are of very poor quality (although the color photos are great).