What do you think?
Rate this book
Smart Owner's Guide
German Shepherd Dog (CompanionHouse Books) Kennel Club Books Interactive Series; Detailed Information on Adopting, Training, and Caring for Your New Best Friend, plus GSD History, Traits, and Health
Dedicated to the world’s most accomplished working dog, respected guard dog, and beloved family companion, the German Shepherd Dog, this Smart Owner’s Guide, created by the editors at Dog Fancy magazine, offers the most up-to-date and accurate information every dog owner needs to become a well-informed caregiver for his dog. Illustrated with color photographs of adorable puppies and handsome adults, this easy-to-read primer is designed in a modern, lively manner that readers will find user-friendly and entertaining.
Each Smart Owner’s Guide offers a description of the breed’s character and physical conformation, historical overview, and its attributes as a companion dog. The reader will find informative chapters on everything he or she needs to know about acquiring, raising, and training this remarkable purebred dog, including: finding a breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy; preparing for the puppy’s homecoming, shopping for supplies, and puppy-proofing the home; house-training; veterinary and home health maintenance; feeding and nutrition; and grooming. Obedience training for basic cues (sit, stay, heel, come, etc.) and solving potential problem behaviors (barking, chewing, aggression, jumping up, etc.) are addressed in separate chapters, as are activities to enjoy with the dog, including showing, agility, therapy work, and more.
Entertaining tidbits and smart advice fill up colorful sidebars in every chapter, which the editors call “It’s a Fact,” “Smart Tip,” “Notable & Quotable,” and “Did You Know?” Real-life heroes and rescue stories are retold in full-page features called “Pop Pups” and “True Tails.” Recipes, training, and care tips are highlighted in the “Try This” feature pages.
The Smart Owner’s Guide series is the only series that offers readers an online component in which dog owners can join a breed-specific online club hosted by dogchannel.com. At Club GSD, owners of the breed can find forums, blogs, and profiles to connect with other breed owners, as well as charts and checklists that can be downloaded. More than just 20,000 pages of solid information, there’s a host of fun to be had at the club in the form of downloadable breed-specific e-cards, screensavers, games, and quizzes.
The Resources section of the book includes contact information for breed-related organizations and rescues, as well as practical guidance on traveling with dogs, identification, and locating qualified professionals to assist the dog owner, such as pet sitters, trainers, and boarding facilities. This information-packed Smart Owner’s Guide is fully indexed.
Each Smart Owner’s Guide offers a description of the breed’s character and physical conformation, historical overview, and its attributes as a companion dog. The reader will find informative chapters on everything he or she needs to know about acquiring, raising, and training this remarkable purebred dog, including: finding a breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy; preparing for the puppy’s homecoming, shopping for supplies, and puppy-proofing the home; house-training; veterinary and home health maintenance; feeding and nutrition; and grooming. Obedience training for basic cues (sit, stay, heel, come, etc.) and solving potential problem behaviors (barking, chewing, aggression, jumping up, etc.) are addressed in separate chapters, as are activities to enjoy with the dog, including showing, agility, therapy work, and more.
Entertaining tidbits and smart advice fill up colorful sidebars in every chapter, which the editors call “It’s a Fact,” “Smart Tip,” “Notable & Quotable,” and “Did You Know?” Real-life heroes and rescue stories are retold in full-page features called “Pop Pups” and “True Tails.” Recipes, training, and care tips are highlighted in the “Try This” feature pages.
The Smart Owner’s Guide series is the only series that offers readers an online component in which dog owners can join a breed-specific online club hosted by dogchannel.com. At Club GSD, owners of the breed can find forums, blogs, and profiles to connect with other breed owners, as well as charts and checklists that can be downloaded. More than just 20,000 pages of solid information, there’s a host of fun to be had at the club in the form of downloadable breed-specific e-cards, screensavers, games, and quizzes.
The Resources section of the book includes contact information for breed-related organizations and rescues, as well as practical guidance on traveling with dogs, identification, and locating qualified professionals to assist the dog owner, such as pet sitters, trainers, and boarding facilities. This information-packed Smart Owner’s Guide is fully indexed.
- GenresDogs
176 pages, Paperback
First published December 7, 2010
12 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 30, 2025
Basic dog book. Had some interesting resources that may or may not be outdated—the book is from 2009. It wouldn’t surprise me, some of the behavioral info was outdated. I wasn’t expecting Casa Blanca from this book, though. There are also silly typos but not many. Super cute pictures of floppy eared GSD puppies drove my read.
January 30, 2018
Good, basic overview of the German Shepherd. Good photographs.
July 29, 2013
I really enjoy reading books about various dog breeds. I purchased this one when my best friend adopted her second German Shepard. Since I am the puppy sitter, I thought it might be a good idea to read up on the breed. This was a very interesting read on everything from picking your puppy to feeding, exercise requirements and parasite prevention, health concerns and behavioral advice. This book has interactive information you can obtain from Dog Fancy's website.
February 7, 2011
Great book. Easy, informative, good tips.
April 1, 2012
Pretty useful info on the breed. Well laid out and easy to understand
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews