This is a beautiful book, and gives a lot of details about the many AKC breeds. It helps to give potential dog owners a lesson in the ways the breeds differ. This helps an owner see whether a particular breed, or combination of breeds will fit well into their lifestyle. You can learn about Toy breeds, Sporting Breeds, Working Breeds, etc, and try to determine which would best fit your lifestyle. Do you want a dog for an apartment or a ranch? Do you want a companion or a watchdog? Long hair vs short hair, dogs that need to go to salons to be trimmed and groomed, or which ones are easy keepers. There is a world of info in this book, and it can help anyone learn the ins and outs of dog ownership. Mixed breeds can be understood better if we know why they are the way they are. Rebel loves to run, that would be the Greyhound in him, and he is a loyal companion, a striking example of the Labrador Retriever. It is a valuable resource when trying to understand your dog, to know what the dog was bred to do.

Pros: Beautiful pics, and helpful info

Cons: expensive

Despite being a propent of mutts, I love having a reference guide with the standards of all purebred dogs recognized by the AKC. It is fun to know and can help identify mixed breeds. I would recommend getting a picture-based breed book, as well, because they are just more fun to look at. Overall, this book is a good value and full of useful (not not integral) information.

Pros: good information, kept up-to-date with multiple editions

Cons: a bit stale at times, limited breeds (only AKC)

GREAT book and guide to knowing and understanding various breeds of dogs. Good resource for the person looking to adopt a dog but just not sure the characteristics and type of dog they want.

Pros: none

Cons: none

This is a great reference book for learning about all of the AKC recognized breeds. Helpful to get a start in narrowing down which breed may be best for you by learning about it's traits. Also explains what is meant by breed standards.

Pros: Good Tool

Cons: only purebreds

This is a fantastic book that keeps on giving. It's especially great if you have a mixed breed. It explains what each breed was intended to do and will help answer questions about WHY your dog does something.

Pros: Gives you needed info on all dogs

Cons: NONE