I am always reading at least one book, but I don’t have time to review or mention all the dog-related books I read. Of course, some are not worth mentioning and some I don’t bother to finish.
In case anyone is interested in reading the same books or voicing an opinion, I plan to do a better job of keeping you updated on what I’m reading.
The current books I’ve started include A Member of the Family by Cesar Millan and Melissa Jo Peltier and Izzy & Lenore by Jon Katz. Anyone familiar with my blog is well aware that I am a huge fan of Cesar Millan and Jon Katz, not that I agree with everything they say.
If something from these books strikes me, maybe I will review them in more detail later on. If not, I won’t.
From the first third of Member of the Family I can say what I always think of Cesar: If you’ve seen one episode of The Dog Whisperer or read Cesar’s Way, you’ve pretty much heard what he has to say. On top of that, he’s no great writer. He says things as they are, clear and simple (and repetitive). Still, I can’t seem to get enough. In this particular book, he explains the ideal way to raise a dog from the very day she is adopted. He has me fantasizing about adopting a second dog but making sure to select one that will compliment the other pets in my house.
As for Izzy & Lenore, I can already tell that it has the same depth and heart I always look forward to when I read Jon Katz’s books. This particular memoir focuses on Jon’s experience as a hospice volunteer with his border collie, Izzy. I predict it will encourage me to do some volunteering with my own dog.
I encourage you to read Member of the Family or Izzy & Lenore and let me know what you think.
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I always wish there were an extra 4 hours in a day that I could just catch up on my reading with!
I’ve read both books. I think you’ll find that both are quick reads with some valuable info, insight and interesting stories.
With Ceasar’s books, they are so repetitive, I sometimes find it hard to remember if I already read that specific book or if I read another one! I recently read “How to Raise the Perfect Dog,” his newest book, and I could have sworn I had read it already, even though it had just been published. Eventually, I realized that he had put some of the early chapters on his website, which is how I felt I *knew* about the 4 puppies he chronicles. Nonetheless, I read them all, and there is always something interesting I get from each book.
As for Jon Katz, I’ve been reading his books out of order. I read Izzy & Lenore a little while ago, and I really enjoyed it. It definitely inspires you to consider what volunteer work might be best suited for both your temperament and your dog’s.
Recently, I read “A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me.” I don’t know if you read this book yet, but parts of it made me genuinely uncomfortable. Knowing that I was reading the Katz books out of order, I went to check which book came next in the sequence, and I discovered it was “A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life” which picks up the story of the same dog he adopts (Devon, re-named Orson). That was when I saw the incredible controversy surrounding this book, and what had happened to that dog. I put off reading the book and decided to take a break from Katz.
Jon Katz does not purport to be a dog expert. He readily admits that he is often doing the best he can, and I don’t think he ever implies that he should be taken as an example of a model dog owner. His books are about his own personal discoveries and how animals, particularly dogs, have allowed him to learn about himself, rather than teaching him about the dogs. My reaction to him is far more mixed than my extreme negative reaction when I read Elizabeth Marshall Thomas (who appears to take pride in behavior that actively endangers dogs).
Nonetheless, Katz makes his living off of writing about his dogs and other animals. As a result, I’m deeply troubled by his presentation of his own misdeeds toward his dogs merely as fodder for the next book sale. I’m curious if you’ve read these other books, and, if you have, what your take on them is. I’m glad I read Izzy & Lenore before I read A Dog Year, because at least I could take the book at face value, without thinking about how it fits with other books Katz had written.
I’ve read all of Katz’s dog books except Izzy and Lenore (currently reading) and his newest book, Soul of a Dog. I respect all of Katz’s decisions when it comes to his own dogs. I read “A Dog Year” a while back, and more recently, “A Good Dog.” I don’t hold anything against Katz for euthanizing Orson. The dog attacked multiple people, and Katz writes about the difficult decision to end his dog’s life. It’s hard to say what I would do in the same situation.
I completely agree with you about Cesar!
I don’t disagree with euthanizing a dog who has attacked people. I disagree with refusing to fence-in a dog who has fear-aggression issues and THEN acting as though when the dog attacks a person, because the dog’s “freedom” is deemed “essential,” it is just “inevitable” that the dog had to be put down. Katz was playing with fire. He’s LUCKY that the worst thing that happened was that he *only* had to put the dog down.
If Orson was the only example of troubling behavior, I think I’d be a lot quicker to give Katz the benefit of the doubt. In a Dog Year, Katz is also awfully quick to euthanize a senior dog, despite the fact that the dog is exhibiting a healthy appetite and no sign of pain. The decision to euthanize is such a complicated one, and if anything, most people seem to hang on to long, even when an animal is suffering.
But Katz seems to treat the dogs in his life as more expendable than I’m comfortable with – once a dog no longer “fits” the expectations he has for the animal, it’s time for the dog to move on. Katz is an extremely gifted writer, but I do wonder about the extent to which he is merely *using* the dogs that come into his life. The dogs seem to be all about fulfilling Katz’s needs (even Izzy and Lenore) rather than Katz fulfilling the needs of the dogs, even though that’s what the responsibility of a dog owner entails. I’m always curious if other people are “seeing” Katz this way and don’t mind or if they just agree with his justifications for everything he does. [He does spend a lot of his pages rationalizing his behavior.]
I know reasonable people disagree on this. My husband enjoys reading Katz and says that he can enjoy the stories or learn something from it, without viewing Katz as any sort of role model for dog ownership, especially since we typically use the library (so we’re not buying new copies of these books). On the other hand, I get fatigued reading book after book where the beloved dog companion dies, simply because of old age/sickness/life-span, which is inevitable. So I think I have a harder time when I see someone who doesn’t seem to be as naturally selfless toward the animals.
I respect your opinions very much so, and I can understand why you see Katz the way you do. I’ve enjoyed hearing your side. You won’t find me disagreeing with Katz very often, though. I’ve always respected his decisions when it comes to his dogs, and I can’t recall a time when I was upset by his writing.
I just finished “Breakfast at Sally’s” and recommend that book. It’s not 100 percent about a dog or training, but it’s about a homeless man and his dog. I very much enjoyed it.
Thanks, I’ll add it to the list
I also read “Breakfast at Sally’s” and highly recommend it. I was drawn to it because of the cover picture of the author and his dog.
I’ll make sure to read it.
I loved Breakfast at Sally’s too! Amazing story of the human-animal bond. It really opened my eyes about homeless people too and made me feel more compassionate towards them. I’m also a fan of Jon Katz books though the stories in them are sometimes repetitive. I’ve noticed them becoming increasingly spiritual and reflective about not just dogs, but all his farm animals. A good book I’m just finishing is Animal Magnetism by Rita Mae Brown, the story of all the animals in her life. January is a good month to catch up on reading!
BarkWagLove
Thanks I’ll check out Animal Magnetism!
I just finished “A Member of the Family” and yes, there is a lot of repetition but I found the chapter by Illusion to be very touching. She tells everyone the story of Cesar before his rehabilitation. Before I read this, Cesar was a ‘superstar’ but after reading this chapter, he became a human. “Be tha Pack Leader” is very informal to me. It explains the theories and techniques in ways that the other books do not. It was one of the more informational books I have read. If you are interested in dog behavior,
I would recomend “The Body Language and Emotion of Dogs”, “The Intellegence of Dogs”, “Never Cry Wolf” (About a pack of wolves) and “The Dog’s Mind”. There are many more but these are my favorite.
Thanks for the recommendations. I also liked the chapter by Illusion. Also liked the part about over vaccinating and proper nutrition. Glad to hear Cesar promoting raw food for dogs.
Do you feed your dog raw food? I am considering trying that out. I currently feed my dog California Natural which seems to be pretty good for his diet. He is a fairly hard dog to feed since he has zinc deficency and reacts badly to low-grade foods. I agree about the over-vaccination part.
Have you done any posts about doggy-daycare/boarding? I currently work at a dog kennel in South Fargo and I worked at two other kennels in the past (also in Fargo). I have quite a bit of opinions and insider information when it comes to kennels. I would be interested to see what you have to say about them.
No my dog and cats eat Nature’s Variety Instinct right now, which is dry. I plan on introducing some raw food soon. I just haven’t gotten around to it yet. I’d rather use Nature’s Variety’s pre-prepared raw food rather than try to do it on my own.
I have a post about questions to ask before boarding your dog. I worked at a kennel in the Minneapolis area for about seven years. Let’s just say it was not a good kennel.
Here’s the post. It’s an older post. I’d love to hear your comments: http://www.thatmutt.com/2008/02/27/10-questions-to-ask-before-boarding-your-dog/