Dogland by Tommy Tomlinson

 

I love dogs and I also love watching dog shows when I find the time. With that in mind, I decided to listen to the unabridged audio version of Dogland by Tommy Tomlinson, which is a nonfiction book about dogs and dog shows like the Westminster Dog Show here in the USA. Also worth noting, Jonathan Davis does a wonderful job narrating Dogland.

I learned a lot about dogs from reading Dogland. Everything from selective breeding to the fact that even dogs can get STIs like brucellosis (a bacterial infection)! If you love learning about dogs and their history in and out of the show ring, then you may enjoy reading this book as much as I did. I also liked that this book discusses whether dogs are happy or not. Plus, there's even a discussion on the difference between show dogs and pet dogs.

Below is the publisher's summary for Dogland by Tommy Tomlinson found on the Goodreads website:

From Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of The Elephant in the Room comes the first inside account of the Westminster Dog Show—America’s oldest and most beloved dog show—following one dog on his quest to become a champion.

Tommy Tomlinson was watching a dog show on television a few years ago when he had a sudden thought: Are those dogs happy? How about pet dogs—are they happy, too? Those questions sparked a quest to venture inside the dog-show world, in search of a deeper understanding of the bond between dogs and humans that has endured for thousands of years. Dogland shares his surprising, entertaining, and unforgettable adventures.

Tomlinson spends three years on the road and goes behind the scenes at dozens of dog shows across the country, where he is licked, sniffed, or rubbed up against by dogs of nearly every size, shape, and breed. Like a real-life version of Best in Show, Dogland follows one champion show dog—a Samoyed named Striker—and his devoted entourage of breeders, handlers, and owners as he competes in the Westminster Dog Show, the oldest and most famous dog show in America. Tomlinson brings the dog-show circuit to life as he witnesses teams scrambling from town to town in search of championship points and colorful ribbons. Along the way, he also speaks to scientists who have discovered new insights into how dogs and people formed their bond—and how that bond has changed over the centuries.

Engaging, charming, and informative, Dogland is an irresistibly appealing read for pop culture followers and animal lovers alike.

I am giving Dogland by Tommy Tomlinson a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam

I am a dog lover! I especially love small dog breeds as our family has had Pomeranians for over 15 years. 

So, as a dog lover, I purchased a discounted hardcover copy of You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam prior to May of 2014. This year in an effort to FINALLY read more of the older books in my 'to be read' pile, I made You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam my 3rd read of 2020.

I enjoyed reading You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness overall. The author, Julie Klam, is a good writer and shares many pearls of wisdom on how dogs have enhanced her life. 

Favorite quote from this book:

A very wise dog woman once told me that dogs find owners, not the other way around. They pick you and they choose to stay with you. In that way, they are also giving you the end of their life. The deeper the bond, the harder it is to say goodbye. I know I'd rather have any amount of time with a dog I love and suffer the mourning than not have the time at all. (page 130 hardcover edition)

The following is the publisher's summary for You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam, which I found on Goodreads:

The hilarious and heartfelt chronicle of a woman learning the secrets of love, health, and happiness from some very surprising teachers: her dogs.

Julie Klam was thirty, single, and working as a part-time clerk in an insurance company, wondering if she would ever meet the man she could spend the rest of her life with. And then it happened. She met the irresistible Otto, her first in a long line of Boston terriers, and fell instantly in love.

You Had Me at Woof is the often hilarious and always sincere story of how one woman discovered life's most important lessons from her relationships with her canine companions. From Otto, Julie realized what it might feel like to find "the one." She learned to share her home, her heart, and her limited resources with another, and she found an authentic friend in the process. But that was just the beginning. Over the years her brood has grown to one husband, one daughter, and several Boston terriers. And although she had much to learn about how to care for them-walks at 2 a.m., vet visits, behavior problems-she was surprised and delighted to find that her dogs had more wisdom to convey to her than she had ever dreamed. And caring for them has made her a better person-and completely and utterly opened her heart.

Riotously funny and unexpectedly poignant, You Had Me at Woof recounts the hidden surprises, pleasures, and revelations of letting any mutt, beagle, terrier, or bulldog go charging through your world.

I am giving You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness by Julie Klam a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp

Paperback edition of Pack of Two by Caroline Knapp

I purchased a used paperback edition of Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp at a Friends of the Library Used Bookstore in Carpinteria, California in January 2013.

I'm playing catch up by reading books I've had in my personal collection of books for 4 years or longer. I chose to read Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp as I am an avid dog lover. I am especially fond of toy dog breeds... My family has had two Pomeranians over the years. So, deciding to read Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp was a no brainer for me. 

Why it took me until 2018 to finally read Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp, I'm not sure. All I can say is that I am extremely happy that I finally did read this book. 

I've never read anything else written by Caroline Knapp before, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect from Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs. I simply knew that I wanted to read her book about the bond between dogs and humans.

After reading this book, I felt like Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp was A) part memoir about Caroline Knapp's personal life and the bond she had with her dog, Lucille, a shepherd mix, B) the bonds felt by other people with their dogs who were interviewed for this book, and C) the scientific data sited for this book. All three areas were intertwined throughout this book seamlessly into tightly written chapters that focused on specific topics.

Caroline Knapp's writing is really engaging and she does a wonderful job in demonstrating the unique bond between people and dogs. I don't think you need to be a dog lover to enjoy reading Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs. I was also quite taken with how open, honest, and vulnerable Ms. Knapp was about sharing intimate details of her personal life that most of us wouldn't necessarily share in some detail with others in a book.

The following is a blurb about Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp on Amazon:

At the age of 36, Caroline Knapp, author of the acclaimed bestseller Drinking:A Love Story, found herself confronted with a monumental task: redefining her world. She had faced the loss of both her parents, given up a twenty-year relationship with alcohol, and, as she writes, "I was wandering around in a haze of uncertainty, blinking up at the biggest questions: Who am I without parents and without alcohol? How to form attachments, and where to find comfort, in the face of such daunting vulnerability?" An answer materialized in the most unlikely form: that of a dog. Eighteen months to the day after she quit drinking, Knapp stumbled upon an eight-week-old puppy at a local animal shelter, took her home, and named her Lucille. Now two years old, Lucille has become a central force in Knapp's life: "In her," she writes, "I have found solace, joy, a bridge to the world."

Caroline Knapp has been celebrated as much for her fresh insight into emotional and psychological issues as she has been for her gifts as a writer. In Pack of Two, she brings the same perception and talent to bear on the rich, complicated terrain of human-animal relationships. In addition to mining her own experience with Lucille, Knapp speaks to a wide variety of dog people--from animal behaviorists and psychologists to other owners whose dogs have deeply affected their lives--about this emotionally complex, sometimes daunting, often profoundly healing alliance. Throughout, she explores the shift in canine roles from working partners to intimate companions and looks, too, at how this new kinship, this wordless bond, becomes a template for what we most desire ourselves.

I am giving Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs by Caroline Knapp a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

Dog Days of Summer: Dog Tag

I discovered the Dog Days of Summer: Dog Tag
from Greg's Book Haven book blog.

I wasn't specifically tagged for this particular
book tag, but I thought it would be fun to
play along and answer the questions below.

If you want to participate in this particular book
tag, then by all means do so. Just leave me a 
comment below with a link to your 
Dog Days of Summer: Dog Tag post, as
I'd enjoy reading your answers!


THE QUESTIONS

WHAT WAS THE NAME OF YOUR FIRST DOG?

Duchess, she was a Doberman Pinscher and our

family pet. My dad was partial to Doberman Pinschers

as he'd grown up with them. And guess what? His first

childhood dog's name was Duchess. So, having a

female, black and tan Doberman Pischer named

Duchess was what we had as a dog when I was a child.

I am not a huge fan of Doberman Pinschers.

They are too aloof personality wise for me.

DO YOU HAVE A DOG NOW?

No, I do not have a dog currently as we are unable to have

them where we currently reside. 

Otherwise, I'd have a dog in a heartbeat.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BREED OF DOG?

Chocolate Colored Pomeranian

Pomeranians are my favorite dog breed,

but I'd be happy with any small toy breed of dog.

I also love the Puli and the Komondor breeds...

But I think they'd be a grooming nightmare,
so wouldn't want to own one. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANINE THEMED BOOK?

I don't read a lot of what I would call 'canine themed' reads.

I'm currently reading a nonfiction book called 

'Pack of Two: The Intricate Bond Between People and Dogs'

by Caroline Knapp, which I am enjoying a lot.

But it is too early to tell if this will become my

favorite canine book.

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE FICTIONAL DOG? 

Enzo from the Art of Racing in the Rain

by Garth Stein.

WHAT IS YOUR TOP MOVIE CHOICE WITH A FEATURED CANINE? 

Cats & Dogs from 2001

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A DOG OR A CAT PERSON? WHY?

I like both cats and dogs equally as I think they

both have their virtues and perks as companion pets.

BONUS QUESTION

TELL US ABOUT A PERSONAL DOG RELATED MEMORY

Awww, I have so many fun and memorable dog memories
with our dog, Roxy, a Pomeranian, who passed away in 2014.
Roxy loved and was fascinated with cats!
Roxy loved touching noses with cats and would
become really excited about seeing cats in general.
We had Roxy as a puppy and never had cats in our home...
So to see her so excited by and fascinated with cats was
cool to see.

Lovable Literary Canines

I love dogs!! So, when I came across an article post on The Guardian titled Top dogs: 10 literary canines by Mikita Brottman, I couldn't resist reading and sharing this article on my book blog!! So check out everything "From Lord Byron and his much-loved Newfoundland to the Hardys and their attention-seeking terrier, Mikita Brottman on her favourite bookish hounds."