Old Working Dogs
David Hancock has produced some marvellous books on sporting dogs, such as terriers and gundogs. His passion comes through in his writing. His books aren’t dry texts, and they’re well-illustrated. ‘Old Working Dogs’ was first published in 1984, and is a short (32 page) account of British working dogs. Its strength is the large number of vintage photos, some of which show dogs from breeds that are now extinct. The photos are also interesting for showing how some breeds have changed over time. David Hancock is particularly interested in sporting dogs, like hounds, earth dogs, and gundogs, so these dogs have better coverage. There’s also a short section on ‘Pastoral Dogs’ with some vintage pictures. ‘Old Working Dogs’ is inexpensive, fun to read, and a good starter book on the subject.