I love the way this book is structured! Learning about the different breed categories to learn more specific ways to train your dog is just so intuitive. Every breed has a distinct purpose, so why not learn how to take your dog’s strengths and use them to help your pup become the well-adjusted and happy dog he was meant to be!

I so appreciate the author’s celebration of mixed-breed, rescued dogs. He makes it a point to acknowledge the huge number of dogs waiting for people to adopt them. But he also does not diminish ownership of full-breed dogs. He is ready to help all dog owners find their dog’s motivations as well as their potential triggers.

The information is well laid out and well researched. I enjoyed reading about all the different breeds- not just the breeds of my four fur children. I found the information insightful and accurate.

Highly recommend this one!, thank you to NetGalley and HarperOne for the ARC to read and review.

This is a must read for dog owners or anyone considering a dog. The first part of the book explores how dogs are descendants of wolves. That DNA still resides in the cutest of the cute dogs we have around today. That ancient coding can effect them and this book gives some guidance on what we as their humans need to do to respect that. Then the author breaks down the individual breeds, their traits, and gives some basic training for them.

We got a pandemic puppy in April 2020. We did some research on her breeds because my son is allergic to dogs and we had to get a hypoallergenic animal but there was a mountain of information that I didn’t know. I’ve been pestering my family for the last few days with fun dog facts and I probably won’t be stopping anytime soon.

Thanks to @netgalley and @harperonebooks for an advanced copy of this book!!

After years of adopting purebred lab rescues, I have found myself with a lab mix. And the personality was definitely different. So, I’ve been reading up on her Siberian husky traits. Let’s just say, she doesn’t have the easy going, I’ll do anything for my human, nature that I’m used to. Getting an advance copy of The Story of Your Dog was perfect timing. McMillan’s supposition is that neither you or your dog is going to be happy if you try undoing hundreds of years of breeding through one size fits all training. For each group, he provides behavior challenges and possible solutions.
He initially focuses on the different groups - working, herding, sport, terrier, hound to give an overview and then provides a brief snapshot on specific breeds within the group. He’s a big fan of mixed breeds and says that he now requires clients to have a DNA test done on their dog so he knows what he’s dealing with, saving everyone time and trouble. He’s honest about which dogs aren’t good for novice owners or ones not willing to devote daily time to wear a dog down. It should be required reading before someone buys or adopts a dog. Here’s what he has to say about the herding group: “keeping any dog cooped up is like never allowing a child to play. Keeping a herding dog cooped up is the next level, like what happens when that child is a track runner with attention issues who’s stuck in a chair by an open window on a sunny day. The scenario just doesn’t work.”
I found the book fascinating. I learned things about my little sled dog and got some good ideas on figuring her out. But I also enjoyed reading about other breeds - their original jobs, their background and their traits. I recommend this to anyone who has a fondness for dogs. This is not, per se, a training book. McMillan wrote another book on that topic.
My thanks to Netgalley and Harper One for an advance copy of this book.