A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life

One Jon Katz dog book can go a long way. A GOOD DOG is my fourth Katz, and I think I've reached saturation point. Yes Katz loves his dogs, sometimes beyond reason. And here's his Orson again, a dog with "issues." But Katz is determined to find solutions, to rehabilitate this beautiful, over excitable, damaged creature. There are also some intimate looks into Katz's own life past and present here, making it a kind of memoir, which kept me interested. How this story would end seemed all to obvious, or maybe that was just me. A dear friend of mine said it best. "Dogs. No matter how much you love 'em, it always ends in grief." Still, a pretty good read. Recommended for readers who love dogs and Katz.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, show more BOOKLOVER show less

I love this man. The writing is not particularly elegant, but the heart that shines through is glorious. And this entry caused me to spend time contemplating my relationship with my own dog. MUCH better choice than Marley and Me

This was a hard book to read. Dogs are so fundamental to my sense of myself and I knew from the beginning what the outcome was going to be, so each page was wrenching. I have read Mr. Katz's column in Slate for years and have particularly enjoyed the descriptions of his donkeys. In the process of telling this story, Mr. Katz reveals some truths about himself that will diminish my enjoyment, perhaps for ever. However, I can only respect how hard he struggled to keep Orson and how hard he worked to fix this dog. He made a wrenching decision, one I had to make for similar reasons and I cannot help but feel for him. I know that he will remember Orson with a grief more than just of loss.

I love Jon Katz's writing. I like it when a paragraph or a few sentences seem to contain wisdom and are written in a endearing way. There is a lot of that in this book. When they are really striking I copy them out to put in my list of favorite quotes. There was a lot of quotes of that caliber or near so, but so many, it felt best to just save it for when I read the book again.

For the first half of the book I was thinking it was going to become one of my favorites. Then the second half came bringing with it a difficult question. I am not going to add a spoiler but maybe a few opinions to engage in any conversation with anyone who has also read the book. If he had made a different choice, what if it was wrong? We just need to make our show more best choice. You never fully know about what the outcome of the other road would have been. Makes me want to tie my dog close to me and keep him safe.

I still give it 5 stars even though the last half of the book was tough. It is obvious Mr. Katz thinks a lot, and then he shares his thoughts in an insightful way. I like his wisdom. I love getting to know his dogs and animals and farm. Nice pictures too. He didn't try to write a book with just stuff people would want to hear, but with what happened, so you were walking along with him on this part of his path of life that included an interesting yet complicated dog. show less

I love Jon Katz's writing. I like it when a paragraph or a few sentences seem to contain wisdom and are written in a endearing way. There is a lot of that in this book. When they are really striking I copy them out to put in my list of favorite quotes. There was a lot of quotes of that caliber or near so, but so many, it felt best to just save it for when I read the book again.

For the first half of the book I was thinking it was going to become one of my favorites. Then the second half came bringing with it a difficult question. I am not going to add a spoiler but maybe a few opinions to engage in any conversation with anyone who has also read the book. If he had made a different choice, what if it was wrong? We just need to make our show more best choice. You never fully know about what the outcome of the other road would have been. Makes me want to tie my dog close to me and keep him safe.

I still give it 5 stars even though the last half of the book was tough. It is obvious Mr. Katz thinks a lot, and then he shares his thoughts in an insightful way. I like his wisdom. I love getting to know his dogs and animals and farm. Nice pictures too. He didn't try to write a book with just stuff people would want to hear, but with what happened, so you were walking along with him on this part of his path of life that included an interesting yet complicated dog. show less

We’ve been on a bit of an “animal-human relationship” kick at work lately. I chose this one at random one afternoon. It is the second book that the author Jon Katz wrote about his life after meeting Devon/Orson, the border collie. he has many others detailing his life with other dogs. But Orson was his “once in a lifetime” dog. The one that changes your life.

That, however doesn’t mean things go smooth for Katz, or for Orson. He is a troubled animal. With something “broken” in him. He can’t really cope with life in New Jersey. So when Katz has the opportunity to buy and run a small farm in the country he leaps at it. He is a writer, location isn’t vital to his job, although his wife is still based in the city.

But show more simply changing to a rural environment isn’t enough to help Orson deal with his issues. He continues to have “incidents”; nipping at people and animals, bossing the other dogs, becoming over-excited and a danger to himself and to others. This is the story of Katz’s attempts to help heal this dog, who while being so negative still brings so much happiness into people’s lives.

For the first chapter or two of this I wasn’t sure I was going to finish it. It seemed, I don’t know, a little too opinionated for my tastes. Katz seems to be about to enter a mid-life crisis phase of his life and resents his urban lifestyle. Which is fine, but he comes across as a little too harsh on those who either choose that life, or are forced to live it. But that judgement was too harsh on my part. As I read on it becomes clear that Katz is well aware that his goals are not what everyone else aims at. And without any negative judgements.

It is, in many ways, a slightly controversial book. Katz quotes from some of the hostile letters and emails he received after publishing this book. People can be crazy-convinced that they alone know the truth and THE ONE RIGHT WAY to do things that would SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS of the world. I can’t say that I agree with his decision at the end of this book. But then again, to me, it is only a book. To him it was a dog he loved. And his moral responsibility. I’m sure he made the right decision for him.

It is a quick read. And while Katz gives quite a bit of detail about his own life, and the dogs’ of course, he skims his family’s. Which makes sense and respects their privacy.

Overall I’d have to say that I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. It isn’t the tale of a man and the brilliant but troubled dog and how they overcame all obstacles in their path in a saccharine sweet way. So if that’s what you are looking for this isn’t it. One the other hand if you are looking for a truthful and honest look at what people will go through for their pets, well this is a book for you. show less

Heartbreaking at the same time as uplifting, this is a unique story. The author had the guts to tell everything as it happened, and I only wish I could have met Orson. I have no more to add here, if you love dogs, you have to read this. It's that simple. Thanks, Jon Katz, for sharing your story with us and commemorating the life of Orson.