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Summary: Julius, Stanley, Devon and Homer- The Dogs!
Review: "He was a two-year-old border collie of Australian lineage, well-bred but high-strung, and in big trouble." so starts this glorious book. I heard Jon Katz on NPR discuss his newest book, and knew I had to read his work. I decided to start with an older book of his to get the flavor of the writing and his message. This is a "cannot put down" book. A book filled with humour and fun and sadness and death.
Jon Katz believes strongly that if we are to take a dog into our lives, we must treat them as dogs, not as humans. Dogs do not know human behavior, and we should not treat them as such. And, if we love our dogs we will have them trained by someone legitimate, someone who understands dogs. Dogs need to learn to live in our people society.
Jon Katz had two lovely Labrador dogs, Julius and Stanley. Everyone loved them. They were the kind of dogs who are peaceful and contained. They loved everyone and actually liked to lick children's faces. They went everywhere with Jon and were well behaved. So, then, why did Jon feel an urge to bring into their lives a border collie who was untrained, wild and had not succeeded in his previous environment? You will come to understand. Jon was approached by a trainer who had read his books on dogs to take in this animal. Devon arrived from Texas on a wild and wooly night via airplane at a New Jersey airport. Jon waited for him and when his cage appeared, he unclasped the lock and zoom the dog was gone. Jon and the security guards spent the next 45mins trying to capture Devon. Finally, he was corralled and thus started the trial to tame Devon. Devon was a border collie, intelligent and curious, but he was the master and no one had been able to train him successfully. He needed to herd and he would run into the road trying to herd garbage trucks and buses. This just didn't work, He would run away and just at the time Jon started thinking it might be time to send Devon back to Texas- a miracle occurred.
Julius and Stanley were not loving Devon's arrival, but they tolerated him. Jon and the three dogs would go to an isolated area in New York State on a small farm and run free. Finally life seemed less stressful, and then the unexpected. One of the dogs becomes ill, and one of the most moving dog experiences I have ever read occurs. Tears dripping down my face I finished that chapter. And, then on to the arrival of Homer another border collie.
The lessons learned from this book about loving and living with dogs are significant. This is one of those books that help us to realize why animals are so important to our lives. So well written that I feel I know Jon Katz and I certainly know Julius, Stanley, Devon and Homer. Unabashedly recommended. prisrob
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Summary: For the love of dogs
Review: A friend gave me this book since she knew I loved my Labrador Retriever. I had just adopted a stray as a companion for the Lab and experienced alot more difficulty than I anticipated. Reading this book made me realize, how dogs have their own distinct personalities and how when we decide to adopt one, it is a time consuming commitment requiring alot of patience and love. There is a point in the book where he describes beating the dog prompting a driver to stop and chastise him. This was particularly disconcerting to me. Even when my dogs are at their worst, I could not comtemplate the beating Devon had to endure. Overall, I found the book enlighting and have recommended it all my friends that are dog lovers. The wisdom of Mr. Katz helped me find the patience to deal with my little hellion. I can't wait to read his new book on dogs.
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Summary: Reflective musing on man and dog
Review: Do not make the mistake of thinking this book is a training guide or how-to book for dog owners. Mr. Katz is, by nature, a story teller, and in this compact book, he weaves together observations and anecdotes during the course of a dog year, a year he pretty much devoted to his four dogs, a pair of aging labs and a pair of young border collies. The striking differences in the dispositions of the labs and Devon, a troubled border collie he adopts sight unseen constitute much of the book's premise. Mr. Katz must come to terms with Devon, a dog that is totally different from his beloved, mellow labs---so different, that he soon earns the nickname "Helldog." In learning to train and love this high-strung, very intelligent new addition, he must confront his own notions of discipline, commitment, and duty. He does not always make the right decisions, but he willing lays out the consequences, right or wrong, for readers. Though there may be lessons here for dog owners, and especially for potential dog owners, the book ultimately is a musing, and a good one, on looking honestly on life and death, seeing into one's own dark corners, and rejoicing on the primal bond between human and canine. If nothing else, I would hope that Katz opens up some eyes about how much work and joy are intertwined in being a dutiful dog owner.
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Summary: A dog lover must Have!
Review: I am hands down a Dog lover! Not only do we love and adore our 2 labs, 1 chessie and fat cat...we created our own dog company! This book is a total joy to read and to learn more about these fantastic members of Jon's family! The labs lived great lives and to then take on border collies is commendable at the very least. It takes a certain spirit and patience with all dogs, but border collies are constant works in motion...very complicated, diverse and yet full of Love! Jon proved to all of us to stay with the dog no matter what....it will get easier and eventually be fun and fantastic! I recommend this to all my dog lover friends....thank you Jon.
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Summary: A dog lover must Have!
Review: I am hands down a Dog lover! Not only do we love and adore our 2 labs, 1 chessie and fat cat...we created our own dog company! This book is a total joy to read and to learn more about these fantastic members of Jon's family! The labs lived great lives and to then take on border collies is commendable at the very least. It takes a certain spirit and patience with all dogs, but border collies are constant works in motion...very complicated, diverse and yet full of Love! Jon proved to all of us to stay with the dog no matter what....it will get easier and eventually be fun and fantastic! I recommend this to all my dog lover friends....thank you Jon.
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Summary: Great Title
Review: I live right near Hampton, NY in Vermont. All I can say is that I am glad that I didn't miss reading this one. I have two chocolate labs.
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Summary: Midlife crisis for Katz: Dogs suffer
Review: Rest in peace, Julius and Stanley. Too bad your master couldn't have shown you the loyalty you showed him in your old age. But then, you were dogs, he was human -- and an expert on dogs, at that. You didn't have a prayer when he brought in the bratty hell dog. And one of them wasn't enough to keep him interested. He was bored with you guys. Had I known your plight, I would have dog-napped you. You could have lolled around with me and my Springer (we're both unemployed!)and lived out your last years with dignity. Talk about dog stress. You had it in spades just at the time of your life when you didn't deserve it--your golden years. Maybe in the next life, Katz will be a dog and you can be his master!
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Summary: Best BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: The BEST Book!!!
A MUST read.
It talks about bonding with a two year old border collie called Devon.
It's worth your money!!!
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Summary: 12 Months isn't enough
Review: The only thing worse than finishing this lovely little book would be never to have read it at all. Katz writes about his dogs the way many of us would love to -- with affection, honesty, humor and pathos. It's hard to imagine a human who has more love for his dogs and more insight into their potential and limitations. The hard lessons, horrific failures and utter happiness of dog ownership can be discovered in reading "A Dog Year" with an open mind (and a box or two of Kleenex!) While the writer rejects the notions of anthromorphism that infect many human-canine relationships, he seems to be acutely aware and appreciative of the ties that bind (or in some case strangle) the two species. Katz works hard to understand his dogs' vision of the world, always mindful that a complete dogs-eye-view is impossible. He leads his readers on a journey through a tumultuous year in which he loses and acquires dogs at a somewhat frightening pace. And at each juncture, he examines not only his dogs' nature and behaviors, but his own as well. What he finds isn't always pretty or pleasant, but it is ultimately honest and moving in ways that books should be and often are not. In writing this story, Katz accomplishes something else that is rare and wonderful: He demonstrates a sense of forgiveness, acceptance and affection that needs to be applied not only to the dogs we own, but to ourselves as well. Katz' example shows us that if less than perfect dogs can be loved, pardoned and appreciated, less than perfect humans can be as well. A hard lesson but a valuable one indeed.
Rating:
Summary: for any pet owner
Review: this book is for anyone who has ever loved a dog.
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