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Established in 2003, Kennel Club Books, a division of Bowtie, Inc., specializes in the publication of dog books for the novice dog owner through experienced professionals.
Our highly acclaimed Comprehensive Owner's Guide™ series targets every breed (400 in total) recognized by the AKC with expert information from experienced dog authors, vets, and trainers. These books include breed origin and history, breed characteristics and requirements, puppy selection, obedience training and housebreaking, the illustrated breed standard, everyday care (grooming, feeding, exercise and more), senior-dog care, parasite control, skin problems, allergies and canine behavior for well known through extremely rare dog breeds.
Purebred puppies are the focus of our Breeders' Best™ series and a variety of training and topics are covered in our many well-received guides in the Positive-Training Series™ .
Kennel Club Classics™ Series
OVERVIEW: The Classics Series by Kennel Club Books® presents titles for lovers and admirers, breeders and exhibitors, judges, competitors, and dedicated owners of purebred dogs. Each book in the series is devoted to a single breed or group of breeds, concentrating on the kinds of topics for which breed fanciers seek out information. From the history and development of the breed in its country of origin, to the stories of the great champions and producers; from the artwork devoted to the breed to the collectibles available from dealers today; from the selection and care of a well-bred puppy or rescue dog to the feeding and nutrition, breeding, health concerns, and beyond, the Classics offer expert advice that is timely, thorough, and accurate. Each book is lavishly illustrated, making these remarkable useful volumes equally as beautiful to the eye.
Selection: New owners might be considering a puppy for a family pet or as a future conformation or obedience champion: the authors provide the specific advice needed for owners to make a well-informed, intelligent decision. Insight into breed lines, working traits, characteristics and the like infuse the author’s text with knowledge from a life lived in the breed.
Care: The care of a purebred dog begins with the breeder, and when that breeder is the author of a book, that experience makes the text more personal, valid and authoritative than other texts written by generic authors. This first-hand experience with the breed, often over the course of many generations, gives readers the security that their beloved pet is in good hands. Breeders are the go-to people for all of their puppy owners, and their advice on grooming, exercise, feeding, nutrition, training, and other important topics is prized by all of their puppy-owning disciples.
Feeding and Nutrition: Few topics in the dog world today are as contested as feeding and nutrition. Breeders often have very specific feeling about what their puppies and adult dogs thrive upon, whether it’s a store-bought major brand, homemade recipes, or raw foods. The devoted owner who is the reader of the Classic will not be seeking short-cuts or economical substitutes for the correct answers. The Classic author is able to provide excellent advice to help keep dogs healthy, happy, and well fed.
THE SERIES: Kennel Club Books® introduced its Classics Series in October 2007 with the release of The French Bulldog by breeder and prize-winning author and journalist Muriel P. Lee at the national specialty show of the French Bull Dog Club of America in Denver, Colorado.
In April 2008 Kennel Club Books released the second volume in the series, The Bully Breeds by well-known author and dog show judge Dr. David Harris.
The third title in the series, The Chihuahua by breeder and handler Susan Payne, was released in June 2009.
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Kennel Club Classics™: French Bulldog
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Kennel Club Classics™: The Bully Breeds
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Kennel Club Classics™: The Chihuahua
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Kennel Club PRO™ Series
OVERVIEW: The PRO Series by Kennel Club Books® presents titles for serious dog fanciers and competitors in all areas of the dog sport, from dog shows and obedience trials to agility trials, rally, field and hunting trials, tracking, flyball, and much more. In each of these diverse areas of the dog sport, the general principles of dog care and selection, training, and nutrition are first and foremost in the minds of breeders, owners, and handlers.
Selection: Whether a puppy is destined for a life in the spotlight of the conformation show ring, a career as a top athlete in agility trials, or a career as a hunter in field trails, an owner selects accordingly. Top show dogs most often beget top show dogs, and top performance dogs beget top performance dogs. Breeders select for specific traits in show dogs, such as temperament, an exquisite head piece, an excellent topline, or that ineffable “star quality,” while breeders of agility dogs select for traits that focus on intelligence, endurance, physical dexterity, and so forth. An owner is well advised to purchase puppies from breeders who concentrate on a particular discipline when selecting a puppy candidate for a dog sport.
Care: The care of a show dog or performance dog begins with the breeder. That the breeder is providing excellent accommodations to the litter of puppy will be evident in the quality of the puppy. A well-cared-for eight-week-old puppy will be friendly, alert, and squeaky clean. The answers to the puppy-care test will always be that the coat will glisten, the nose will be moist, the eyes clear, and the ears clean smelling. An owner’s proper care of a show dog or a performance dog is addressed by the authors of the PRO Series in monthly seminars and columns, reiterating that all competitions, whether shows or trials, are about dogs first and that all dogs require optimum care in the form of exercise, travel safety, excellent accommodations, grooming, and top-quality food.
Nutrition: Feeding dogs is a hot topic for all dog owners, and professionals in the dog sport commit to learning as much as possible about the complex topic of canine nutrition. It’s no secret that every top dog show and trial in the country is sponsored by a dog food manufacturer that has committed millions of dollars to the development of excellent quality dog food for dogs of every discipline. These companies secure the cooperation of the top-winning dogs to promote their brands, happy to brag about the nation’s number-one dog eating a certain kind of food. Some companies produce foods specific for working dogs or active dogs as well. Show dog breeders have long believed in the importance of feeding a top-quality food. An often-heard slogan in the show world is “First you breed a coat, and then you feed a coat.”
Training: There’s no question that training is an essential component in every pro discipline in the dog sport. Show dog puppies begin conformation training classes at twelve weeks of age; field puppies are exposed to feathers, hides, or game as a part of their kindergarten routines; performance-bound pups learn the basic principles of obedience the day their first leashes are attached. Each author in the PRO Series has his or her own approach to training dogs of their discipline, and these philosophies are espoused in each author’s unique volume in the series.
THE SERIES: Kennel Club Books® introduced its PRO Series in December 2007 with the release of Best in Show: The World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows by internationally acclaimed dog show judge, breeder, and historian Bo Bengtson. Hailed by critics as the most important and comprehensive volume ever written on the sport of canine conformation, Best in Show has set a tone of excellence for the PRO Series.
In February 2008 Kennel Club Books released the second volume in the series, Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type by best-selling author and dog show judge, breeder, handler, and journalist Richard G. Beauchamp. The first edition of Beauchamp’s book was published in 2002 by Doral Publishing. Kennel Club Book’s new, expanded second edition is completely illustrated with color photography. Like Bengtson’s book, Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type concerns itself strictly with the sport of canine conformation, addressing matters of concern for dedicated dog show judges and breeders of top-quality purebred dogs.
In January 2009 Enjoying Dog Agility was published, expanding the scope of the PRO series from dog shows and breeding to the world of canine agility competitions. Author Julie Daniels is one of the pioneers in the agility sport in the United States and has won top honors with her dogs. She has professionally trained hundreds of agility dogs and continues to offer seminars on agility training and performance around the country. Enjoying Dog Agility was originally published by Doral Publishing in 1998, and the new volume is fully revised and illustrated with color photography.
The fourth title in the Kennel Club PRO Series (due in mid-2009) is Born to Win: Breed to Succeed by world-famous Norwegian Elkhound breeder and dog show judge Patricia Craige-Trotter. Mrs. Trotter’s unique qualification in the dog show world is that she is the most successful owner-handler-breeder in the history of the sport in America. She has won the Hound Group at the famous Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show ten times with her own homebred Elkhounds. Born to Win was originally published by Doral Publishing in 1997, and the new edition is expanded and published with beautiful color photography.
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Best in Show: The World of Show Dogs and Dog Shows
By Bo Bengtson |
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Solving the Mysteries of Breed Type (2nd Edition)
By Richard G. Beauchamp |
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Enjoying Dog Agility (2nd Edition)
By Julie Daniels |
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Born to Win: Breed to Succeed (2nd Edition)
By Patricia Craige-Trotter |
Kennel Club Books Country Dogs™ Series
OVERVIEW: The Country Dogs Series by Kennel Club Books® presents titles for all dog owners living and enjoying life in America’s rural settings, from working and hobby farmers, to weekend sportsmen and hunters, to committed dog fanciers and competitors in field trials, hunting tests, tracking tests, earthdog trials, and much more. For all of these owners, important information about dog breeding and puppy selection, general dog care, training, feeding and nutrition remain vital components of the contents of each title in The Country Dog series:
Hunting: The dogs that hunt encompass a fairly wide variety, from gun dogs like spaniels, retrievers, pointers, and Continental all-purpose dogs to scenthounds (like Beagles and Coonhounds) and sighthounds (like Greyhounds and Whippets). All of these working dogs perform in the field in different capacities, using their innate skills to search, scent, sight, track, pursue, tree, point, retrieve, flush, outrun, and so forth. This remarkable variety of skills makes the education of the hunter critical to the dog’s execution of his bred-for task.
Herding: The dogs that herd perform in different fashions and on different livestock: sheepdogs can move sheep by nipping, staring, corralling, and barking; cattledogs nip, bite, and coerce their bovine charges. Herding dogs come from various parts of the world where their skills are needed, and each breed of herding dog varies in style and execution, though all herding dogs are more similar than disparate, whether they are Border Collies from England or Australian Shepherds from America, or whether they are Cardigan Corgis from Wales or Australian Kelpies from Down Under.
Training: The education of hunting and herding dogs depends largely on the owner/trainer’s ability to direct a young dog’s natural skills toward its bred-for tasks. A six-week-old Golden Retriever puppy who’s earmarked to become a hunter needs to feel and smell feathers and dead birds just as the future herder Border Collie needs to meet docile sheep to activate his instincts. Every step of the training process, from introducing young puppies to their charges or prey, to the detailed instructions to penning a group of unruly goats or performing a double blind retrieve are addressed by authors in the series.
Exhibitions: Working dogs perform in the field or on farms to do the tasks for which they are bred, though competitions to hone or test a dog’s skills abound for every discipline and are sponsored by clubs and kennel clubs. Herding dogs can compete in herding tests and trials, and gundogs and hounds can compete in field trials and hunting tests. These exhibitions are rewarding for dog and owner/trainer alike and provide excellent forums for interested spectators to meet working dogs and discover more about what’s involve with living with and training working dogs.
Breeding: A breeder’s knowledge of his specific breed and the discipline for which his breed exists is first and foremost in his mind. Breeders select for specific traits, whether it’s the superior nose in a line of champion Bloodhounds, the natural tracking ability in a line of Weimaraners, the mental and physical agility of in a line of working Border Collies or Australian Shepherds, the soft mouths and biddability in a line of hunting Springer Spaniels or Golden Retrievers. Recognizing excellence in proven dogs who work in the field and creating a line of dogs that focuses on these special abilities are the hallmarks of a successful breeding establishment that produces working dogs.
Selection: Selection of the best suited sires and dams for matings is the first step; selection of the best puppies for working careers is the second. Each working discipline—tracking, herding, upland game shooting, big-game hunting—requires a dog with a specific ability, reflected in the puppy’s lineage. A sire and dam with a resume of retrieving waterfowl will produce progeny with natural ability to hunt, just as champion trackers beget puppies with noses that “go.” Owners seeking puppies with working ability are well advised to discuss the discipline with the selected breeder. These breeders can be found at trials and tests sponsored by working dog organizations, the United Kennel Club or the American Kennel Club. Oftentimes the breed itself is secondary to the work required, though certain breeds specialize in certain kinds of work. By way of example, few breeds can compare to the Australian Kelpie for work on cattle; the Australian Shepherd, more easygoing than a Kelpie or Border Collie, excels on smaller chargers like ducks and geese. Most potential owners can find excellent hobby breeders who devote themselves to a single breed and a couple different disciplines, such as herding and tracking or hunting and tracking.
Care: Breeders provide care to the dam and puppies, paving the way for the care a new owner must give to his puppy. A quality breeder has a clean, uncluttered kennel or puppy area, provides top-quality veterinary care, offers socialization opportunities to the litter, and begins the house-training process with her brood. When selecting puppies from a well-bred and well-cared-for litter, an owner cannot mistake the sparkle of quality in the pups. Young puppies of the retriever and herding breeds, for instance, will likely be more high strung and charged to go. Spaniel and scenthound puppies are less driven than professional herders and retrievers. Regardless of the puppy’s energy level, a well-cared-for eight-week-old puppy will be friendly, happy, and confident. Always look for coats that shine, noses that are moist and not runny, and ears that are good smelling. Proper care of a working dog is essential to success in every field. No matter how talented the dog, he needs optimum in the form of exercise, safety, health care, grooming, and top-quality food.
Feeding and Nutrition: No topic demands as much attention currently as feeding, and the feeding and nutrition of working dogs is even more demanding than that of companion dogs. Every dedicated owner commits to educating himself about what is best to feed and the latest findings in canine nutrition. It’s not enough to walk into the local farm and fleet store and purchase a sack of commercial dog food or a case of cans. Some dog food companies design foods specifically for active and working dogs, distinguished by a higher protein and carbohydrate content. Naturally active dogs burn more calories in a day running sheep or chasing rabbits than would a house dog dreaming about sheep and rabbits (in his next stew).
THE SERIES: Kennel Club Books® introduced The Country Dogs Series in December 2008 with the release of Retriever Madness: Training the World’s Favorite Gundog and Herding Dogs: Selecting and Training the Working Farm Dog. Retriever Madness was written by award-winning author Nona Kilgore Bauer, a noted Golden Retriever trainer and handler from Missouri. Bauer is the author twenty individual breed books, including titles on each of the retriever breeds: Labrador, Golden, Curly-Coated, and Flat-Coated, as well as the critically acclaimed best-seller Dog Heroes of September 11th. Christine H. Renna, a member of the famous Hartnagle family in Colorado, is the author Herding Dogs. The Hartnagle family developed a Las Rocosa line of Australian Shepherds, and Renna has been involved with training and rearing herding dogs since she was a young girl. She continues to train and work the family line of Australian Shepherds.
In January 2009 Kennel Club Books released the second two volumes in The Country Dog Series: Canine Tracking Guide: Training the All-Purpose Tracker by Don Abney and Hunting with Spaniels: Training Your Flushing Dog by Paul Morrison. Abney has been a master trainer in tracking, obedience, search and rescue, hunting and detector dogs for nearly thirty years. He is the author of Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog, a breed he has trained for tracking and hunting. Morrison has been working with and training flushing spaniels for over twenty years; he is a well-known breeder of American Water Spaniels and an AKC Spaniel Field Trial and Hunting Test judge.
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Canine Tracking Guide: Training the All-Purpose Tracker
By Don Abney
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Herding Dogs: Selecting and Training the Working Farm Dog
By Christina Hartnagle Renna
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Hunting with Spaniels: Training Your Flushing Dog
By Paul Morrison
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Retriever Madness: Training the World's Favorite Gundog
By Nona Kilgore Bauer
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