Pointer (Pet love) - Hardcover

An aristocrat bred for sports afield, the Pointer is the quintessential pointing dog, ancient in origins and unmistakable in his passion for the hunt. Bred and hunted in Britain for hundreds of years, this is a graceful, symmetrical and strong gun dog. As a pet, the Pointer is congenial and alert, making a fine watchdog and an active companion. Endowed with a noble air, kindness and dignity, the Pointer possesses all the desirable characteristics of a devoted friend to his owner. This book provides the much-needed factual information about the Pointer and his ancestry, character and standard, as well as proper selection, feeding, training, preventative health care and showing. The new owner will welcome advice about puppy-proofing the home, preparing for the pup’s arrival and preventing puppy problems. In addition to an extremely authoritative text, this book presents over 135 photographs in full colour, which prove to be as informative as they are attractive. Helpful hints and important information are highlighted to provide easy access to everything the reader needs to know about life with a Pointer. Whether it’s basic training problems, allergies or fleas, this book is the way to prevention, providing the reader with the necessary guidance an owner needs from puppyhood through the senior years. Recommended by top breeders and trainers, this book is the responsible first choice of every new owner. Topics discussed include: History of the Pointer; Characteristics of the Pointer; The Pointer Breed Standard; Your Pointer puppy; Everyday care of your Pointer; Housebreaking and training your Pointer; Health care of your Pointer; Showing your Pointer.

In 'The Natural History of Dogs', a fascinating and enlightening study of the development of the dog breeds of the world, authors Richard and Alice Feinnes classify most dogs as having descended from one of four major groups, all which trace back to separate and distinct branches of the wolf family. These four classifications are the Dingo Group, the Greyhound Group, the Northern Group and the Mastiff Group. It is important to have at least a basic understanding of these groups as very few breeds of dog are of pure descent; instead, they owe their widely diverse characteristics to an intermingling of the blood of as many as all four of the groups. The Dingo Group traces its origin to the Asian wolf (Canis lupus pallipes). Two well-known examples of the Dingo Group are the Basenji and, through the admixture of several European breeds, the Rhodesian Ridgeback. The Greyhound Group descends from a coursing-type relative of the Asian wolf. The group includes all those dogs that hunt by sight and are capable of great speed.