About The Author

Linda Whitwam is a career writer and photographer who has worked on numerous international books, magazines and newspapers over the years.

She is the author of the Canine Handbooks, Amazon’s leading dog breed series in terms of both sales and reviews.

After travelling the world as a freelance, she returned to her roots in Yorkshire, England, where she now lives and writes the Canine Handbooks, constantly distracted by a garden full of hungry pheasants and fields of sheep – who knew sheep could be so interesting?!

In 2008 she began writing about her first love – dogs – and set up the Max the Schnauzer website in honour of her beloved Mini, Max.

Four years later she wrote the first book in the Canine Handbooks series, The Schnauzer Handbook, (updated December 2022). Since then the series has gone from strength to strength, with over 30 titles and 250,000 books sold.

Linda says: “My mother and sister are teachers and that must have rubbed off of me. With my writing, I’ve always had a great desire to educate – I was a newspaper Education Correspondent for several years.

“I want to help people understand their dogs better so they give them the best lives possible. I come from Yorkshire, where we are known for being plain speakers, so the books are written in a very easy-to-understand manner – yet without dumbing down.

“Every breed is different and it’s impossible for a single person to know the ins and outs of each one – a Labrador is a completely different dog to a Terrier, for example. So I work with people who really do know their dogs inside out: ethical breeders, trainers, veterinarians, breed clubs, rescue organisations and those at the sharp end – owners.

“Their love for, and knowledge of, their dogs really shines through and they give excellent insights into the realities – both positive and challenging – of owning the individual breeds.

“In recent years there has been an explosion in puppies being churned out purely for profit, with little regard for health, welfare or genetics; it breaks my heart. I feel passionate about steering people away from puppy farms and for-profit breeders, so there’s plenty of advice for anyone who hasn’t got their puppy yet on how to find a good breeder.

“If you’ve already got your dog, I wish him or her a very long and happy life with you.” Linda is a member of The Dog Writers Association of America and the UK’s NUJ (National Union of Journalists).