English Dog at Home

English Dog at Home by Wigan, Felicity. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780701131210.

British interior designer Wigan, journalist Mather and photographer Shakerley introduce here some photogenic canines from the best British homes, including the royal familys corgis and dorgis. An exception is the touching chapter on the Battersea Dogs Home, a temporary shelter for strays. Wigan conceived the books theme when a Great Dane interrupted a photo session to sit on the family sofa, demonstrating that "the English interior is not complete without the dog. . . . " The animals take center stage, and chapters include a brief history of the various breeds and some anecdotes about the dogs lifestyles and personalities: "Motherhood did not suit Lambchop. She murdered her first-born quite deliberately." Dog owners and their homes, some of Britains finest estates, also are presented. Photos of the dogs, and especially the homes, are captivating. But some American readers will find the British humor unappealing and aspects of the book pretentious.