Book Review: Pukka

While I was on vacation last week, I brought along lots of books to read, all dog-related (why would I want to read anything else?!). I rarely make the time to read when I'm home, although I do listen to audiobooks while I'm driving or sewing. But since not all books are available in audio format, it was a treat to choose from a wider selection.

Pukka: The Pup After Merle is mostly a picture book and reminded me of a dog blog. It was written by Ted Kerasote, who wrote Merle's Door, which I read several years ago, before getting a dog or raising a guide dog puppy was even a blip in my brain. (Click here for my review of Merle's Door.) So it felt full-circle to me, reading this book about Merle's successor.

Yellow lab mix Merle died in 2004, and it took 5 years for Ted to get another dog. Ted took over 14,000 photos of Pukka during their first year together, then selected 200 of them for this book.

Pukka reminded me so much of Cabana, which was nice since I was missing her while we were away. Early in the book, Pukka gets bitten by a neighbor's dog, right below his eye. It leaves a little scar that reminded me of the black pigment mark below Cabana's eye (her beauty mark).

While not the most substantive dog book on the market, it was really fun to read. I hope the author will publish a sequel so we can see Pukka when he's all grown up.

More book reviews to come!

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And the winner is...

Thanks to everyone who gave me book suggestions! I now have a nice long list of "to reads" that should keep me busy for a long time to come.

And the "winner" of The Art of Racing in the Rain CDs is Min! Please email me (see my profile) with your mailing address, and I will get these out to you.

Since we're on the topic of books, and since Cassie so kindly asked for my book suggestions, here's a list of 5 of my favorite books. I don't know if they're truly my favorites, since I'm sure I'm forgetting some--but these are 5 that are fairly fresh in my mind.


These are in no particular order.

1. The Glass Castle - I love memoirs and biographies, and this one is as fascinating and bizarre as they come. It's incredible to me that the author turned out to be as "normal" and capable as she did, given her dysfunctional and poverty-stricken-by-choice parents. From cooking macaroni & cheese for herself at the age of 4, to seeing her elderly mother "dumpster diving" on the streets of New York, this book is stranger than fiction.

2. Here If You Need Me - I have read this book over 5 times, and I will probably re-read it again at least 5 more times. Kate Braestrup is a chaplain for the Maine State Troopers, accompanying the rangers or staying with family members when someone is lost out in the woods and might never be found. The author talks about what a privilege it is to be with people in their happiest and saddest moments in life, and she provides comfort in an uplifting and unimposing way, yet without being overly religious or pat.

3. Kira Kira - This is actually a kids' or young adults' book (Ro, I like those, too), but I might have to say it's at the top of my top 5 list. A fictional story but with elements of the author's own life, the book is about two Japanese sisters that move to Georgia, where their parents work in chicken processing factories. It's randomly funny and deeply sad at the same time. Having moved to the United States at the age of 2 (I was born in Korea), I could relate to many of the cross-cultural challenges these characters had to face.

4. What the Dog Saw - I love everything that Malcolm Gladwell has written, but this is his latest book. "What the dog saw" is a reference to Cesar Milan, The Dog Whisperer. The author has a chapter on what a dog is seeing when being "whispered to" by Cesar Milan. The book is about so many interesting things, like why there are lots of different kinds of mustards but only one ketchup.

5. A Big Little Life - I figured I had to have at least one true dog book on my list, and I consider this book one of the better dog books out there. The famous author Dean Koontz adopts a career changed dog named Trixie from Canine Companions, and this book is his loving tribute to her. It's WAY better than Marley & Me or The Art of Racing in the Rain, though of course, since Cabana is a career changed dog, I'm sure my opinion on this book has a bit of bias. ;)

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Giveaway - The Art of Racing in the Rain CDs

I just finished listening to The Art of Racing in the Rain. I enjoy books about dogs, so when my younger daughter brought this book home from the library, I immediately ordered it on CD. How was I going to resist a book with a photo of a Cabana-esque dog on the cover?!

The book is told from the perspective of a dog named Enzo, who lives with a race car driver. Although the book got very good reviews on Amazon, I personally found it disappointing. I didn't think it was a compelling story, it was fraught with inconsistencies, and I just couldn't wrap my mind around a dog who watches AND understands television and who cares so deeply about car racing.

After my incredibly scathing review, IF you are still interested in listening to this book, I'd like to offer you my copy! My daughter felt that the book had its moments, and when I complained about it after listening to the first CD, she encouraged me to keep going, saying that the book gets better. And it did--slightly.

If by some miracle, more than one person leaves me a comment, I will randomly select the winner. BUT I need some recommendations for other GOOD books to read, so please comment with a title or two that you think I'd like. They don't have to be dog-related, and either fiction or non-fiction would be appreciated.

Deadline for giveaway: Wednesday, May 26, 2010. Thank you!

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Doggy Pat Peeve

I'm in the midst of reading (listening to) a great book called For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend, by Pat McConnell. While not a dog training book per se, it is full of insight and helpful information, going deep into dog (and human) psychology, sociology and physiology. I am looking at Cabana with new eyes and much deeper understanding for how she feels and communicates.

One no-brainer tidbit the author shares is the fact that most dogs don't really like to be patted on the head. I say it's a no-brainer, because if someone gave us bouncy pats on the tops of our heads, we'd all say it doesn't feel so great. But it's amazing how automatically people perform this gesture. After reading this, I purposely patted Cabana on her head, and sure enough, her body language told me that she isn't fond of that expression of my affection. She took a few steps away from me, still wanting my affection but acting a bit stiff, rather than going limp and relaxed like she would from an ear fondling.

The worst part is that I have caught myself patting her head a few times since without even thinking about it! It's not as annoying as the pat-pat-pat shown in the image above, but just a neutral stroke across the top of her head. Another human form of affection that dogs don't really care for is getting hugs. I wouldn't say Cabana dislikes these kinds of touches, but I don't think she enjoys them either. I'd like to give Cabana more affection that actually feels good to her, rather than things she just tolerates.

Some other topics in the book include how to select a puppy from a litter, how to judge its temperament, whether dogs have the ability to rationalize, tips for dealing with anger and separation anxiety, and reading a dog's facial and body language.

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Dog Bloggers of Bygone Eras

As a kid, I never read Lassie or Rin Tin Tin books, although as a big fan of Beverly Cleary, I did read Ribsy. Now, thanks to Cabana and my growing interest in dogs, I have started to search out books on canine subjects.

I am currently reading (listening to) Shaggy Muses, by Maureen Adams. It's about the role of dogs in the lives of 5 famous women authors: Emily Bronte, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Virginia Woolf. These women had rather bleak and tumultuous lives--but they all derived great comfort and companionship from their dogs. Many put their dogs into the stories, poems and letters they wrote. And their diaries contain many references to their dogs, which struck me as being the pre-internet way of blogging their dogs!

It's gratifying to think that we are following in the footsteps of some very talented and renowned women. And I'm so grateful to not be living in the Victorian era--what a horribly limiting and misguided period that was!

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