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 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. ( )

I have a friend who shows dogs, more in obedience trials than for best of breed, so I was interested in this book. There is plenty of fascinating material to write about but somehow the author misses it and has written a simplistic book that barely skims the surface of this world that so consumes the time and interest of afficionados. Cut it down by half and it would make a good children's book for 8-12 year olds. ( )