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    A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life
    A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life
    A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life
    Audiobook6 hours

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

    Written by Jon Katz

    Narrated by Tom Stechschulte

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    About this audiobook

    In this gripping and deeply touching book, bestselling author Jon Katz tells the story of his lifetime dog, Orson: a beautiful border collie-intense, smart, crazy, and unforgettable. From the moment Katz and Orson meet, when the dog springs from his traveling crate at Newark airport and panics the baggage claim area, their relationship is deep, stormy, and loving. At two years old, Katz's new companion is a great herder of school buses, a scholar of refrigerators, but a dud at herding sheep. Everything Katz attempts- obedience training, herding instruction, a new name, acupuncture, herb and alternative therapies-helps a little but not enough, and not for long. "Like all border collies and many dogs," Katz writes, "he needed work. I didn't realize for some time I was the work Orson would find." While Katz is trying to help his dog, Orson is helping him, shepherding him toward a new life on a two-hundred-year-old hillside farm in upstate New York. There, aided by good neighbors and a tolerant wife, hip-deep in sheep, chickens, donkeys, and more dogs, the man and his canine companion explore meadows, woods, and even stars, wade through snow, bask by a roaring wood stove, and struggle to keep faith with each other. There, with deep love, each embraces his unfolding destiny.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRecorded Books, Inc.
    Release dateFeb 21, 2008
    ISBN9781440798993
    Author

    Jon Katz

    Jon Katz has written over twenty books, including Talking to Animals, Soul of a Dog, Izzy & Lenore, Dog Days, A Good Dog, and The Dogs of Bedlam Farm. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Rolling Stone, Wired, and the AKC Gazette. He has worked for CBS News, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Katz is also a photographer and the author of a children’s book, Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm. He lives on Bedlam Farm in upstate New York with the artist Maria Heinrich; his dogs Izzy, Lenore, and Frieda; and his barn cats, Mother and Minnie.

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    Reviews for A Good Dog

    4/5

    130 ratings13 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this book for the most part - literally until the last couple of chapters. John Katz is a likeable guy for the most part and a good writer, even if he's a skeptical, cantankerous old fart. Unfortunately, I just had to read this book until the end. I should have stopped, but I thought maybe that since there were several chapters after the low point (Spoiler: He has Orson put down), that there must be some writing at the end to at least make up for that part of the story. Nope. He went and got another dog six weeks later (a lab) and is happy as a clam with his perfect dog family minus the troublemaker. I spent the last thirty minutes of the book daydreaming about John Katz rolling down his favorite hill or having a terrible ATV accident and having the epilogue written by his handyman after finding the manuscript. Halfway through the book I had gone ahead and added the rest of Katz's dog books to my "to read" list. Nope. Nope. Nope.
    • 3/5
      Enjoyable book that explore the psyche of a troubled border collie and the owner who loves him and goes to great lengths to heal him.
    • 5/5
      Made me cry. Anyone who has ever had a border collie, especially a "haunted," "troubled" border collie could completely relate to this book. We, too, had to make the difficult choice to euthanize our beautiful border collie rather than to risk possible human safety. Our border collie looked just like Orson and similar attributes. He was quite the herder and protective to a fault, but what "a good dog" at the same time.
    • 3/5
      This book tells the story of a man who tries to fix a troubled dog. The story is written reasonably OK, the story is definitely impressive, and the ending of the story very well-balanced.
    • 3/5
      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 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.
    • 5/5
      This is one heck of a gutsy writer.
    • 4/5
      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.
    • 5/5
      A bittersweet account of one man's relationship with his "life dog." This book incorporates events from all earlier Katz books and seems to be
    • 3/5
      I did not like his style of writing. He seemed to ramble.

      The ending was a surprise. I don't think Katz considered every alternative. Had he never heard of muzzles? But, I was moved by and understood why he made the choice he made.

      Because I love reading about animals, I enjoyed the book. But, it was one I could and did often put down.
    • 5/5
      Be warned that this is not the happy dog story that the reader may be expecting where the dog dies in the fullness of his years. In fact, the ending was a real shock. I appreciate it because it does deal with difficult issues. I don't know that I would have made the same choice as Katz did in this case, but I have been in his situation. It's not something that I can be too judgmental about.

      I also liked that Katz discussed the different personalities of different animals. One has to accept that some animals never form strong attachments to people: his Border Collie Rose was chiefly interested in the sheep.

      Whether or not one agrees with Katz's decision, I found it a welcome look at a serious problem and a real dilemma. Perhaps people should read a book like this before they get a dog, so they understand the risks; hopefully fewer dogs would end up later abandoned. I appreciate his honest exploration of a difficult dilemma.
    • 4/5
      A moving and personal revelation of a man who loves dogs and ended by failing the one that he loved most.
    • 2/5
      I found this to be a really disapointing read. After having read Marley & Me a few months ago, I looked forward to this book. Let's just say, I would not consider the author the ideal pet owner. It seemed as though he loved the challenge of the dog more than the dog itself.
    • 5/5
      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