COLLINS NATURE GUIDES: Dog Breeds of the World

First published in 1996 as Collins Gem Dogs and reprinted several times since, we are delighted to have this up to date reprint of this glossy colourful guide to over 130 breeds of man?s best friend. Whilst puppies need careful feeding up to the age of about seven months, most adult dogs will eat a wide range of food stuffs similar to the human diet including meat, vegetables, cereals and even fresh fruit. The earliest ancestor of the canids appeared on earth 60 million years ago, a weasel-like creature with the distinctive teeth of a carnivore. By the time man began to keep livestock about 10,000 years ago, the dog was already domesticated enough to be used as a herding animal. Selection for behaviour characteristics produced changes in physical appearance that led to various types of dog which became shaped into breeds described primarily by how they look rather than how they behave. Dogs are rightly regarded as the epitome of loyalty as Schopenhauer once said and originally kept as hunters and workers, dogs have evolved in history to occupy a unique position in the human world. The pack instinct, hunting instinct and protective instinct - each has enabled the development of a close and mutually beneficial relationship between dogs and their human owners since the earliest times. Following general anatomy and life cycle, the book covers dog management from choosing the right puppy to training and the older dog, and group features and breeds by the following groups - Hound, Gundog, Terrier, Utility, Working and Toy. The compendium looks at classification, breeding, showing, kennelling, regular healthcare, first aid, then famous dogs and dogs in art, literature, film, advertising, outstanding dogs, and dog names. And in the useful Glossary are such technical terms as Apron (longer hair below neck on the chest, frill) and Brisket, the part of the dog's body below the chest and between the forelegs. We didn't know that! 256 page softback with each entry featuring a full page photo, details on size, lifespan and features. We came across many we didn't know like the very pretty Tibetan Spaniel and the lamb-like Bedlington Terrier with its silky topknot which has suffered a decline in popularity in the 20th century.