|
| A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life | 
 enlarge | Author: Jon Katz
Publisher: Random House Trade Paperbacks
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy Used: $1.93
You Save: $12.02 (86%)
New (41) Used (45) Collectible (1) from $1.93
Avg. Customer Rating:  146 reviews
Sales Rank: 62611
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.7
ISBN: 0812971493
Dewey Decimal Number: 636.73740929
EAN: 9780812971491
ASIN: 0812971493
Publication Date: June 26, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: clean tight pages! minor wear to cover. PLEASE VERIFY YOUR SHIPPING ADDRESS TO AVOID DELAYS! average shipping is 7-10 business days media mail. need it quicker choose expedited shipping! thanks!
|
| Customer Reviews:
 A realistic read for dog lovers.... March 9, 2008
1 out of 6 found this review helpful
This was a wonderful read, even if it didn't have the disney happy ending that some feel it should have had. I have had many dogs in my lifetime and could easily relate to many of the situations encountered in this book. I applaud the author's courage and highly recommend this book to anyone who has had years of experience with border collies and/or other breeds of dogs. The author's compassion is compelling. I enjoyed this book so much, I laughed out loud one minute and cried my eyes out the next. Many of the anticts described in this book reminded me of my border collie Lucky, whom I lost the same year this book was published.
 A Good Dog February 27, 2008
6 out of 7 found this review helpful
In my view, Jon Katz is a murderer!!! There are many people out there with
dogs way more dangerous than poor "Orson". If Jon Katz had any compssion
at all, he would have kept Orson away from the public (he lives on a farm,
for crying out loud)and still had their early morning rides to look at the "Dog Star", etc. Orson could have lived a long, happy life. (maybe just a little more confined) without this Jon Katz deciding to kill him! Just who does he think he is, anyway? What gives him the right to kill a perfectly happy, healthy dog? Well, all I can say is....He'll have to live with that awful, wrong decision for the rest of his life! I'll never read another book of his!
Judge for yourselves... February 25, 2008
2 out of 6 found this review helpful
I was hesitant in reading this book,as I knew what the end would be...but, love his other works and find his emotional connection with his animals and the way he writes of them to be very entertaining. I would highly recommend that people read Jon's other books and get a good sense of the the man and the bond between him and Orson.
I see so many negative reviews here and it is a shame. Really people, don't judge others choices (as you may be judged just as harshly some day)...and if you dare to read his works and get the whole picture - you will then fully understand how heart wrenching his choice was. I believe it will haunt him, but am certain he did what was necessary.
I personally have a deep connection with my dogs, but, also know that they (and there actions) are my responsiblity. And if they were ever to be a threat to others...if I knew I could not trust them to be "good dogs"... then I too would be faced with that same decision...
I think Jon did a very brave thing...taking such a personal decision public...knowing the scrutiny he would receive. Maybe there is a lesson to learn here.
Remarkable February 16, 2008
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
This is a passionate story of a man's extreme love for his dog and his gut-wrenching decision to act intelligently and responsibly as a pet owner. I am a devoted dog owner and I applaud Jon Katz for his raw honesty despite the fact that it would stir controversy and anger. Books which cause you to think very deeply about life long after you finish the last page belong in a special category of literature.
Katz changed his lifestyle to the extreme to accommodate and try to rehabilitate his beloved Orson. However, this dog's aggression progressed to unpredictable, vicious biting of people. In the end, it really does come down to the owner's responsibility to family, friends, other dogs, and other people. This dog was capable of seriously maiming or killing a child. For readers who believe that the life of a dog is worth more than the safety of a child, I don't have time to try to reason with you, but I will point out that it was extremely likely that Orson could kill one of the other dogs on the farm or on a neighboring farm.
One reviewer naively states that Jon simply needed to call in Cesar Milan, "The Dog Whisperer". It is highly likely that aggressive, outdated, alpha-dominance techniques would have made Orson worse. As far as spending thousands of dollars to search for a brain abnormality, does any veterinarian or human MD really think anything could have been done even if a shadow was seen on a brain scan? Subjecting a nervous dog to countless medical procedures and/or medicating a dog into a buzz for the rest of its life is not a great option for many reasons and in fact, does not guarantee the dog will not bite. Putting Orson in a fence in isolation would have made him miserable and who knew this better than his owner? The fence would not have ensured the safety of Katz himself or other people who would need to enter the fence to care for Orson. A very important issue here is quality vs. quantity of life. Jon's love for Orson guided his agonizing decision.
Katz suggests that Orson's early training to be a show dog may have damaged him but I think it was the other way around-- Orson's mental abnormality derailed his show career. Ironically, this led him to Jon Katz and a wonderful life which he was unlikely to get elsewhere. Although I don't like how things ended, I also didn't like how To Kill a Mocking Bird ended or how Of Mice and Men ended. There are many people who hate books which don't have a Disney ending and that is their prerogative. S.P
Bad as Grogan's Me and Marley February 14, 2008
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
Maybe Katz & Grogan (Marley) are brothers.
BOTH horrible pet owners.
NEVER EVER be allowed a pet - not even one that's a stuffed toy.
|
|
|
Powered by Associate-O-Matic
| |
