I own two different encyclopedias of dog breeds. I have owned others in the past, but sometimes you lose books when you move. Not only is it enjoyable to read through the encyclopedias, it can help you identify this breed vs. that. For example, because I have read these over the years (and have owned various dog breed books), I'm pretty good at figuring out what breed or mix I'm looking at. The better you understand each breed the better you will be able to tailor your dog training to help a specific dog. I have had the privilege of working with, and watching other working with, a wide variety of dog breeds. This knowledge gives me a starting point for many dogs.
The main downside of these books is that they are not 100% perfect regarding breed traits. They are good, but not excellent. So, you still need to dig deeper into each breed, and get experience with them. So, it is kind of like owning a Wikipedia of dogs rather than an authoritative analysis of each breed. Think of it this way: do you think the authors have actually seen and trained all of these dogs? Probably not. But that doesn't mean these books are not an essential part of a dog training library.
I also think they make a great gift, including for kids. I was the type of kid who would have loved a book like this, and would have read it over and over again. I wish someone had gotten me one when I was around 10 years old or older. That was the point in life when I got hooked on reading.
Here are some examples... I would buy all of them. But I have a greater purpose than just wanting entertainment...
The Dog Encyclopedia (DK Pet Encyclopedias)
Dog Breeds (Encyclopedias of Animal Breeds)
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