Everyone loves an underdog. According to Julia Szabo, the author of the new book, The Underdog: A Celebration of Mutts, 60 percent of Americas dogs are mixed breeds. But when Szabo, who writes the Pets column for the New York Post, found bookshelves wanting of a comprehensive guide to unbreeds, she decided to write her own.
What results is a comprehensive guide to mixed breeds. Szabo lovingly writes of the five mutts who share her life, and keeps it light with chapters about the mutt family tree, mutt history and popular movie mutts. Celebrities also contribute to the chorus of praises for mutts: Says fashion designer-talk show host Isaac Mizrahi, A mutt is couture the only one of its kind in the world, made especially for you.
Szabo marries the humorous with the practical, and offers valuable advice on everything from picking the right mutt for your family to everyday dog care and maintenance. While most of the practical information can be found in any comprehensive dog book, what makes this one special is Szabos ambitious effort to give mutts the magnum opus they deserve.
Posted: April 20, 2006, 5 a.m. EST