Category Archives: Dog Non-Fiction

The #Dogs Less or More Traveled?

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Blog Website, Dog Books, Dog Humor, Dog Memoir, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with , , ,

travels-with-casey-coveroff the leash year at the dog park matthew gilbertWalt Whitman trekked all over the countryside, and Emily Dickinson rarely left the house — and yet both have long been considered two of America’s greatest storytellers.

Well, the same could be said for two new dog memoirs that head in decidedly opposite directions. Travels with Casey by Benoit Denizet-Lewis details a year-long cross-country adventure with his Yellow Lab, while Matthew Gilbert’s Off the Leash circles around the community and camaraderie found at the local dog park. So, I guess whichever type of dog story resonates with you could depend on your lifestyle! (LA Times)

Animal Madness?

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog How-To Books, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with ,

I know most of us dog/cat/pet lovers are mad about our animals — but what if the animals we love have a serious mental illness and, literally, go mad? Well, now there’s a book out by Laurel Braitman called Animal Madness: How Anxious Dogs, Compulsive Parrots, and Elephants in Recovery Help Us Understand Ourselves — that probes deep into the minds of our furry loved ones.(WSJ)

animal madness laurel braitman

Summer Dog Book Club Picks

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog Humor, Dog Memoir, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with , , , ,

la_ca_0506_the_dog_who_could_flyoff the leash year at the dog park matthew gilbertThe LA Times came out this weekend with its summer reading picks — two dog books made the list, The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of A WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side (by Damien Lewis) and Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park (by Boston TV critic, Matthew Gilbert). (LAT)

Citizen Canine!

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog Memoir, Dog News Stories, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with , ,

citizen_canine evolving relationship cats dogs david grimmThe way that humans have embraced their animals since the 1940’s would make even Orson Welles blush, as we read in David Grimm’s new pet-friendly book, Citizen Canine: How Our Evolving Relationship with Cats and Dogs.

But this book is not just chock full of feel-good stories, Grimm, an editor at Science Magazine, uses social, historical, and, yes, scientific data to support his theories on how far animals have come in modern society.

For more info, check out the New York Times review here.

2 New Books That Vaguely Mention Dogs…

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog Non-Fiction, Dog Novel, Dog Rescue Non-Profit and tagged with , , , ,

9780307594136 bark lorrie moore9780871404510 blood will out walter kirnWhen I saw the title of Lorrie Moore’s latest book, Bark, I was hoping there might be a tale or two about dogs included in the short story collection, but it appears to be metaphorical — hence, the pic of tree ‘bark’ on the cover.

However, after listening to author, Walter Kirn, on NPR talking about his new Talented Mr. Ripley-like thriller about befriending a master manipulator (wait, that definitely sounds like a dog!), Blood Will Out, I learned that a Gordon Setter plays a big supporting role in the story. Like all great books, Kirn’s starts with a dog — when he agrees to shuttle a crippled rescue dog across the country to meet a supposedly wealthy, pooch-loving Rockefeller — who turns out to be a psychopath. But don’t worry, at least the dog doesn’t get killed! (NPR)

Ambassador Dogs to the Rescue!

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Art Photo Books, Dog Books, Dog Non-Fiction, Dog Rescue Non-Profit and tagged with , , ,

ambassador dogs lisa loebWhat with all the poor diplomatic relations going on between countries today, I think the world could use some talented Ambassador Dogs — with a strong foreign policy background, of course.

And luckily for readers, Extreme Dog Lover/Trainer, Lisa Loeb (no, not the singer, Lisa Loeb, who also happened to come up with one of the greatest pet-friendly titled pop songs of the 90’s, “Stay”) has come out with a sweet, colorful photography book filled with heartwarming stories of all kinds of therapy dogs and service dogs who are doing their part to make this world a better place!

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This Dog’s A Genius!

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog Memoir, Dog Non-Fiction, Dog Videos and tagged with , , ,

Chaser genius talking dogI’ve always heard that Border Collies were smart dogs, but then I read about this girl, Chaser. Wow. She’s not only cute and funny, but she has built up a big vocabulary!

Check out Dr. John Pilley’s Chaser: Unlocking the Genius of the Dog Who Knows A Thousand Words, to join the conversation…(Two Little Cavaliers)

When Bad Things Happen To Good Dogs…

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog How-To Books, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with , ,

Not to be an alarmist, but if you’re a dog owner, then you know there’s a million ways that our furry friends can get into trouble — perhaps even serious tragedy. From heat stroke to choke collars, Dr. Judith Samson-French, a vet surgeon, does her duty to make dog owners more aware of potential dangers in 39 Ways To Not Kill Your Best Friend: Tales of Caution for Dog Lovers.

I know the book doesn’t sound like a real laugher, but there’s no doubt some very useful tips for us all!

39-Ways-to not kill your dog judith samson-french

Devoted Dogs!

Posted by Russ Ryan in Dog Books, Dog Memoir, Dog Non-Fiction and tagged with , ,

devoted rebecca ascher walshOne of the holiday season’s most popular dog books, Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs by Rebecca Ascher-Walsh, tells us about some of the most amazing, heartwarming accomplishments that dogs have done. Certainly, most dog lovers have probably heard a few of these stories before — but no doubt will enjoying reading them over and over again!