The Ultimate Guide to Dog Breeds

by Derek Hall

Mankind's relationship with the dog can be traced back for thousands of years. Indeed, the dog is probably our oldest non-human companion. Excavations of Middle Eastern fossils, believed to be at least 12,000 years old. Interestingly, for an animal that has been so important to us for so very long, there is uncertainty as to the exact way in which domestication of the dog occurred. We cannot even be absolutely sure of the evolutionary route by which the dog itself came about- although most experts are in agreement that the wolf is the most probable ancestor. This guide explores in more detail the most likely theories of dog evolution. It also explores some of the ways in which the dog may have begun to befriend humans.

Genres: Animals, Reference, Nonfiction

448 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2002

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads catalog with this name. This entry is for Derek ^ Hall.

Reviews

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ultimate Guide to Dog Breeds by Derek Hall (Chartwell Books Inc. 2014) (636.71) (3748).

Dog lover here. This is a British publication, and it provides the best descriptions of the world’s various canine breeds that this dog fancier has yet encountered. The volume contains over 600 photographs, and every single picture looks like a lovingly staged and professionally-shot portrait.

This book deserves two thumbs up and received one of my highest ratings.

My dog loved it too.

I purchased a used PB copy in like-new condition from McKay’s for $0.75 on 6/1/22.

My rating: 7.5/10, finished 3/29/23 (3748).

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[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read this book several times as a dog lover and I think it is the best dog breed book I have read so far. This book is the perfect book if you are looking for a new furry family member or you just love dogs and want to learn more about them and the different breeds. The book is filled with tons of amazing pictures of over one hundred different breeds of dogs. Not only does the book include visuals of the breeds it also includes many facts about them including temperament, appearance, coat, size, and origin of the breed. Another great benefit of reading this book is that once you finish reading about every breed, Mr. Hall included a section about training your dog (at the end of the book). Mr. Hall thought of everything a dog lover wants/needs to know about dogs. If you are interested in any occupation where you have to know dog breeds and their names, I highly recommend this book as a reference. Overall, I think it is the most interesting dog breed book I have read. The six hundred pictures make such a huge difference.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love dogs to pieces and I love this book on them. I have owned it for years (I believe it was a gift from my mother) and I read it over and over again all the time. It has beautiful photographs and in depth information reguarding each breed that it contains. Despite all of this, I gave it just 4 stars because I wish that it included some of the rarer dog breeds. It has a few, but with being such a huge book, it could have contained many more.

[Ruchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

One stop shop guide for basic knowledge on all breeds. must have for dog enthusiasts