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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Books I Recommend

A couple months before the idea of getting a Guide Dog puppy ever even crossed my mind, I happened to read two books that later influenced me greatly in that decision. Both books were just random selections that happened to be available by downloadable audio on our public library's website. (I rarely "read" a book because I like to multi-task. I prefer to listen to books on MP3 while I'm driving, running, or working, thus accomplishing two things at once.)

The first is called Crashing Through, by Robert Kurson. It's the true life story of a man named Mike May, who was blinded at age 3. Although completely blind, there was almost nothing this man couldn't do. He rode bicycles, went downhill skiing, even tried driving a car, and worked for the CIA. Then, 43 years later, surgery was able to restore his sight. It was remarkable to read about how being given sight was not the same as knowing how to see. His eyes worked, but his brain wasn't always able to interpret what he was seeing into things he could comprehend. This book gave me a keen interest and insight into those dealing with issues of blindness.


The second book is called Merle's Door, by Ted Kerasote, about the author's experiences with a dog he finds while on a camping trip in Wyoming. Merle, the dog, is a Labrador mix, and they form an instantaneous bond with each other. The author does tend to humanize Merle quite a bit, giving great meaning to the dog's every gesture. The author is also a big fan of letting his dog live off-leash and wander around their neighborhood at will (although they do live in a rural area), despite leash laws. But the book showed how strong and meaningful a relationship between dog and owner can be. Let me warn you, though--it's a tear jerker.

Having never had a dog as an adult and unsure whether we wanted to make a 10+ year commitment to a dog, getting a Guide Dog puppy for a year or so seemed like a great way to get our feet wet. It was a very good decision. Guide Dogs for the Blind gives us such tremendous information and instruction, and without that, I don't think we would have been successful pet owners. Of course, my goal now is to have Cabana become a working Guide Dog--but whatever happens, whether Cabana makes it as a Guide Dog or becomes a wonderful pet, I know I have been changed, for good.

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