Roger A. Caras (1928–2001)

I found this DOGS handbook on our local library sale shelf recently, and it's a fine all-breed reference book with some beautiful color plates of dozens of breeds, but the main reason I bought it was it fell open to the page for the Silky Terrier, with the following description -

"Mentally and physically quick. Feisty and independent ... Can be rather aggressive toward other pets. Not particularly friendly toward strangers. Possessive of home territory. Somewhat noisy ... More active than show more most toy breeds, the Silky needs daily runs or walks on leash. Will chase other animals without regard for its own safety if allowed to run free ... It is bent on doing things its own way at all times ... Inclined to be noisy, it makes a good watchdog ... should have obedience training, to which it responds well. If training is not provided, tge Silky will take over the household, which it generally tries to do most of the time."

This is a near perfect description of our Charlie, a very 'feisty' little bitch we rescued from a shelter three months ago today. This past ten days it has been a real trial trying to keep her reasonably quiet while she recuperates from being spayed. And she is probably at least nine or ten years old. She has already had a few snarley dust ups with our generally mild-mannered Emmy, a Chihuahua-Boston mix, who is thirteen. But she came into our house and settled in immediately, as if she had always lived here, and quickly formed a strong bond with my wife. And yes, she is noisy, and does try her best to run the place. We are all making adjustments.

So - HARPER'S ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK OF DOGS (1992), edited by the famous dog expert, Roger Caras, is indeed a valuable addition to our collection of canine reference books. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER show less

Illustrated in various styles with line drawings, sketches and black and white photographs, A Cat I s Watching by Roger A. Caras offers a smooth blend of anecdote, analysis and personal opinion. The author invites readers to ponder how a six foot man might appear to a tiny kitten, why a pride of lions might view safari humans in their car the same way we view zoo animals, and just what that cat staring solemnly over the fence might have in mind.

The cat’s mind is different from the show more human’s of course, and the author does an excellent and truly intriguing job of suggesting how the senses (not necessarily five) interact, how instincts are formed and informed, and how, in fact, cats aren’t half as independent as they appear.

I have to confess, I’m more of a dog person myself. But A Cat Is Watching could easily hook me on cats. If only one were watching me so I could give it a home.

Disclosure: A friend loaned me this after a visit to a cat cafe. show less

I love Roger Caras because he always has something good to say about Greyhounds! This is a well written book, with sly humor and many thought provoking chapters about man's best friend. Great addition to a dog lover's library.

Not at all what I was looking for. I was hoping that I would get an insider's view on what goes on behind the scenes at dog shows. Instead, I got brief explanations here and there of what judges look for in the show ring, and lots and lots of explanations of why people breed show quality dogs.
I get it! I have champions at home, so I don't need to be convinced why mixed breed dogs should not be bred. What I thought I was going to be reading were stories on how dogs got to be champions, how show more people cheat to get their dogs looking good, the politics and backstabbing that goes on in the show world...basically the low down dirty stuff. This book was very bland, containing nothing like that. A summary would be:
choose a breeder wisely; hope your dog has the personality for the ring; here are a few sentences on what they look for in the ring; don't breed mixed breed dogs; all dogs need love whether they are champions or not.

One thing I'm glad about is that I borrowed it from the library. If I had spent money on this book I would have been livid. Not that it was badly written, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. show less