The Good, the Bad, and the Furry
By Lizz - Nov 29, 07 Read All About It
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Have you read the book “the Good, the Bad, and the Furry“? This survey of dog breeds, written by Sam Stall, is full of fact, humor, and realistic advice about common traits of dogs. Just read for yourself a section of the entry for Scottish Terrier:
Headaches and Hassles: Scotties love to dig, so don’t leave one alone in your backyard unless you’d like it to install a root cellar. They also require professional grooming. Because this breed is quite active, it relishes regular walks. A sedentary Scottie is a bored Scottie. And a bored Scottie may amuse itself by taste-testing interior furnishings….
This book keeps you interested in learning about every breed, even the ones you could never imagine having in your home. Stall gives rational advice on everything, from energy level and disposition to physical traits and genetic health problems. The truth about whether a dog will or will not fit into your lifestyle is the basic premise of “The Good, the Bad, and the Furry”.
Be sure to get this book for *anyone* you know who is interested in bringing a new dog home. ‘Tis the season when people consider adding to their furry families. Do your homework first, you’ll be glad you did.
(*If you know several people who need to learn more about dog breed traits before they choose a new dog, Amazon is selling this book in packs of 8 copies. Perfect gifts for your dog’s friends?)
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I recently acquired the book “The Good, the Bad and the Furry” through a book sale benefiting our local wildlife center. I was very surprised at some of the things Stall said:
American Staffordshire Terrier
“Poorly bred AmStaffs (including their no-good, half-breed cousin the pit bull)…”
“But do you really want your kids’ best buddy to be a bear trap with legs? Get the family a Labrador retriever instead.”
Doberman
“A well-trained Doberman can be a devoted friend – a friend who’s indifferent to physical pain…”
I read these things and immediately wanted to shred the book.
I have worked for various animal shelters and run my own dog rescue. If Stall knew anything about dogs,he would know that not all of the breeds that get a bad rap act as he says they do. People like Sam Stall are the reason that there is breed prejudice.
What an idiot…
Wow. I am sorry that the book made you so upset. This book is tongue in cheek. The line between Stall’s sarcasm and comedy is hard to flush out, especially if he is writing about breeds you really know and love and you don’t agree with him.
Plus, the foreword was written by Ed Sayres of the ASPCA!
On Dobermans, he also acknowledges that they can make excellent service dogs. He is telling people that it is better to be an experienced owner to take on a full sized dobie. What is wrong with that? I have known some really wonderful, calm, not protective, docile dobies in my time, but I still think it is okay to tell people that they were originally bred for guarding and that you need to be dog-savvy to know how to train them. I don’t think this book is the only thing people should look at when they want to adopt a dog, but it definitely gives people something to think about.
How would you write about the breeds? Sure you can’t really encompass every dog who has any part of a breed all into one clearly defined category, but there has to be a way to explain to people what kind of dog they are dealing with in a historical sense. That is not about stereotyping, it is about managing expectations.
Maybe you like the ASPCA Meet Your Match system more? They assign colors to the personalities of both adopters and pets. Then the staff shows the adopters which pet personalities they mesh with the best. It is a good way to show people the dogs that they’d get along with instead of the dogs that catch their eyes in the shelter.
Here is a link: http://www.aspca.org/adoption/meet-your-match/
Hi! I was surfing and found your blog post… nice! I love your blog.
Cheers! Sandra. R.