Men Are Dogs - Reviews

Don't be misled by the title. (I was.) What we have here is a clever, carefully researched, and highly entertaining discussion of various breeds of dogs and the relevance of their dominant personality traits to male human beings. (Were Jeannette Wright to write a sequel, Women Are Dogs, would she suggest any significant differences between genders?) "Men are dogs?" Wright asks. "Not when you consider how wonderful dogs are! Written like a dog breed book, Men Are Dogs compares qualities of men to 42 breeds of dogs." At this point, I should acknowledge that I am among those who have serious doubts about astrology. Differences between and among those "born under the Pisces sign," for example, can be major and numerous. Not so with dogs within each of the 42 species. Contact the owners of (let's say) 100 West Highland White Terriers and they will describe their "Westies" in the same terms. For example, that they refuse to be ignored.

After explaining why men are like dogs and then how someone can determine "the right breed," Wright organizes her material within seven Groups: Herding, Sporting, Hound, Working, Terrier, Toy, and Non-Sporting. For each breed within a Group, she discusses

Physical Characteristics Abilities & Interests Training Social Skills Type of Woman Typical [Name of Species] Woman Famous [Name of Breed] Man

Here's a brief sample: "Collie men are very handsome and catch people's eye. They have a friendly, open look about them and a great smile....[They] are excellent at herding people whether they herd them to ideas, places, or philosophies and beliefs. Gentle herders, most people are not aware they are being herded....A collie man is usually easy to train because he wants to please. He is intelligent and knows how to concentrate. The biggest challenge is his desire to relax and do things in his time frame....In a social setting with new people, the Collie man can be very polite and well mannered. He will, however, take his time getting to know someone....The woman for a Collie man will appreciate his intense need to herd; either her or others. She knows he may move at a slow pace when he's not herding....[One Famous Collie Man is] Matt Damon as John Grady Cole in All the Pretty Horses. As a young man, [he] is eager to escape his humdrum life and travel to Mexico. He wants to work on a big cattle ranch, appropriate to a Collie's herding instinct...." You get the idea.

Wright is convinced that understanding and considering the dominant characteristics and tendencies of various canine breeds can help a woman to select the most appropriate man for her. Given the fact that approximately half of all marriages in the United States now end in divorce, and about half of those divorces are granted less than two years after the marriage, obviously some bad decisions are being made. If Wright's book helps to lower the divorce rate or at least reduce the pain and suffering caused by bad relationships, more power to her. I am unqualified to determine whether or not her approach is more reliable than, let's say, the Jung-Myers-Briggs typological approach to personality evaluation which measures a person's compatibility with a prospective mate. FYI, I am aware of but have never taken nor even examined the Jung Marriage Test.

In my opinion, this book can have have substantial practical value IF used as only one of several resources for evaluation, the others including common sense and shared values. Some of the happiest, most enduring relationships I have observed, however, have involved two persons who could not be more different in several significant respects. My guess (only a guess) is that opposites attract because opposites are intrigued by such differences. Key point: They are aware of them. In effect, this is what Wright seems to be saying: "If you become involved with a Doberman Pinscher Man, this is probably what you can expect.

" Earlier I referred to this book's entertainment value. It really should be prominently placed on a coffee table. Like a "Westie," the book's cover and title refuse to be ignored. Those who pick it up and begin to flip through it will soon become engrossed and inevitably read passages from it aloud. The game is on! In fact there are several which can be played. Game #1: "Which breed do you think you are? Let's see what it says." Game #2: "That's not you. So, what are you? Let's find out." Game #3: "What does it say about the Old English Sheep Dog?" and then identify mutual acquaintances who match up with the description (pages 42-46). Game #4: Sharing responses to items on List 1 and List 2 on page 7. (This exercise could have been the premise for an entire episode of "Sex in the City.") The responses will help determine a woman's level of experience when choosing "the right breed" for her.

Certain redundancies (e.g. strong herding instinct) are inevitable because several breeds share one or more dominant characteristics. One minor quibble: An Index should be added to the next edition. In all other respects this book is well-written and handsomely produced. The illustrations provided by Mike McCartney are outstanding. This is indeed "A Woman's Guide to Choosing Her Breed of Man" but men as well as women will enjoy reading it and then sharing it with others.