Really liked this one! Cute little book with lots of bite-sized information on a fairly wide variety of dog breeds, including some lesser-known ones mixed in with the usual suspects.
As a lifelong dog lover, but also a total and incorrigible bull terrier nut, I was over the moon to see those most excellent of dogs featured all over this book -- they're on the cover, they're the icon on the Terrier Breeds rider, they simply pop up everywhere! And of course the characterization is spot on ("If there was a dog show competition for the personality category, the bull terrier would take home 'Best in Show'. These dogs are the mischievous, comical geniuses of the dog world"... YES! I'm guessing one of the authors is fellow bully fan).
Kudos to the authors for this! There's still a lot of stigma, ignorance and misinformation floating around when it comes to bully breeds, so a balanced, reasonable book like this one is more than welcome. (The authors also offer similarly level-headed views on Staffordshire bullies, Rottweilers, Doberman pinschers and other often vilified breeds, but sadly nothing on pitbulls.)

Another thing I liked was the book's section on where to get your dog; IMO the breeder-vs-adoption info parts should be a great jumping-off point for discussion when it comes to deciding on what route to take -- yes, adopting a dog from a shelter might mean saving its life, but it might also mean taking on a dog with (possibly even unknown) issues. To be clear, I'm all for adoption. But I also believe that bringing a shelter dog home and expecting things to be just easy and peachy can turn life for you as well as that dog into an inmitigated disaster. And it's usually the dog that pays the price. So considering that this is a book aimed at kids, I'm all for the tiny little reality check the authors supply in regard to adopting.

Something I would have liked to see was a section on the breeds' health issues -- there are a couple of dog breeds featured here that are known for fairly serious, even life-shortening issues. I mean, yes, the Irish Wolfhound is a magnificent beast and a great companion... but count yourself lucky if they live past the age of six or seven. The flat-faced breeds like bulldogs or pugs do not fare well in hot or humid climates, or even just in homes featuring underfloor heating, and should you be clueless or careless enough to have your female breed, well, go ahead and book that c-section now. The bassett is a type of dog that, while a distinguished and classic hound breed, is so saddled with physical problems that I find it actively painful to look at. Even the ever-popular dachshund with its fun sausage shape/unfortunately elongated spine is just one careless jump away from total disaster.
Which, you know, is something to keep in mind. Especially if you don't have really deep pockets. Otherwise, you might be in for some very painful decisions.
I would also have liked some caveats on why, say, the super-smart herding breeds do NOT make great family pets, unless you're 100% able and willing to turn your home into a three ring circus -- nothing like a bored heeler or border collie to keep you (and your visitors. And your neighbors. And the neighborhood kids) on your toes; and I positively shudder at the thought at a dog novice taking home an Afghan (especially if there are cats around) or a Malinois... yes, they're super beautiful, but those are definitely not beginners' dogs. Something along these lines would have been helpful too, I think.
But all in all I really enjoyed this one.


My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a very informative book that kids will love. It is great for any dog loving children.

This is a must purchase for libraries! The organization of the book as well as the infographic nature of the design is very attractive and easy to read. The full page spread of the dogs highlighted cover dogs that are beloved favorites as well as some breeds that are not as well known. Besides the great graphics and adorable dog photos, the information about the dogs, back matter on adopting dogs, as well as a strong glossary, this book will not stay on nonfiction shelves!

My daughter is obsessed with reading dog books so we had so much fun reading this together each night at bedtime. It was marvelous!

Dog Genius is a well organized, beautifully formatted, informative guide to dog breeds for a young child looking for a surface level breakdown on the subject. This guide is good for fun browsing, and an introduction to learning what is out there. However, what it does not do is touch on the negatives of dogs bred to buy as pets, such as health complications of certain toy dogs, which are mentioned fairly early on in the title. It does immediately touch on finding the right dog for your lifestyle when picking out a dog breed as a pet, but only mentions the surface level consideration of how much exercise a certain breed might prefer. It will absolutely not tell you how to do so further than that, or even really touch on certain common trouble areas with certain animals like pugs eyes. This is definitely a ‘for fun’ read and should not be consulted as a be all, end all for buying / adopting decision making, or educational purposes. This is not necessarily a knock on the title, but of note for buying or reader’s advisory purposes. Similarly, it’s implied that “bull” types are all evolved to be sweet instead of brutal now, and stated directly that “Proper training shouldn’t be hard at all”. In a book aimed at kids, that maybe shouldn’t be said as training will always take hard work and dedication. While the read is not very nuanced, it is broken down in a very fun way, with many visually appealing photos and easily digestible text bites throughout. There is an included glossary and index in the back.