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Review of City Dog: A Novel

City Dog: A Novel, by Alison Pace

West Highland Terriers are proud, cute and fun loving dogs.  The star of the book, City Dog: A Novel by Alison Pace, just happens to be Carlie, a West Highland Terrier that is true to type.  Carlie explains about her breed:  “The Westie will not be ignored!” And constantly attempts to get the attention of her beloved owner Amy.westiecitydog

In the book Carlie the Westie becomes a star of a reality T.V. show.  Perhaps the best part of this novel is when Carlie narrates a few chapters.  Carlie begins her chapter by declaring, “This is a book about me!”  She is so cute once cannot help but love her.

Most of the other chapters are narrated by Carlie’s human, Amy, a lonely writer who prefers to stay inside on the weekends than go out on dates in the city (New York).  Amy makes her living by writing children’s books called Run, Carlie, Run! (Unsurprisingly, again, the Westie is the star.)

Alison Pace knows how to write some killer sentences, and she pays careful attention to the poetry of words.  The book begins with Amy on a date.  Amy is horrified because her date says he “was divorced” whereas Amy “is divorced.”  Amy considers the difference between those two verb tenses for a hilarious paragraph.

Alison Pace is clever and funny and has a knack for writing in the voice of the dog.  This is probably because she is the actual owner of a Westie, so she should know!

Anyone who enjoys reading dog blogs will certainly enjoy City Dog: A Novel.  I also suggest it to dog lovers, frustrated writers, and loners world wide.

Monks of New Skete

The Monks of New Skete are famous to dog lovers around the world. Their now classic How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend was the first dog book recommendation I ever received. And the person who suggested it was a writer herself—she claimed the dog manual was one of her all-time favorite books to read. And with chapters like, “Myths, Mutts and Monks” and “Discipline: The Taboo Topic”, the monks cover every important topic.

Monks of New Skete

A Monk and his Shepherd

The New Skete Monks
The New Skete monastery is located outside Cambridge New York, near Vermont. As I read their work, I imagine that it’s a charming community nestled in the snowy hills with dogs walking piously and politely around the grounds. The Monks devote their full time to breeding German Shepherds and training dogs of all types; they truly are dog experts, spending extraordinary amounts of time with their pooches.

An Oldie but Goodie
You will find gentleness on each page of How to be Your Dog’s Best Friend. “Teaching your pup to look to you as a humane leader is important from the very start,” they advise. It’s the only book I’ve ever read that emphasizes both discipline and love equally. And, in fact, you cannot have one without the other because they are two sides of the same coin. Raising a dog the New Skete way is to raise him or her as carefully as you would a child.

The New Skeet Monks

The New Skeet Monks

One of the most useful chapters for new dog owners is, “Where is your dog this evening?” Which suggests simple, practical advice on bedroom etiquette. They advocate “sleep therapy”, which discusses how to manage your dog in the bedroom. And how sleeping arrangements can strengthen the bond between you and your dog.

My favorite part of the book recounts a breeder’s relationship with her dogs. Every morning she visited the kennel singing and talking to each dog individually—using his or her name. “Every dog has a song,” the monks tell us. And talking to your dog is key.

Update: The New Skete Monks’ gentle discipline can now be watched thanks to a fantastic DVD set!

Latest Offering
Divine Canine is the latest New Skete book. With its flashy yet elegant package, this is my best gift pick for any dog owner or lover—particularly for children. In fact, any family considering a dog should read this book. (I recently sent it as a gift through Amazon to a good friend). Among its vast resources, Divine Canine will teach kids the importance of training a dog and the serious but rewarding daily commitment it takes to maintain a pet.

Glossy photos throughout show beautiful dogs of all breeds—including the Monks’ favorite German Shepherds. And not only does the book teach basic commands, but they provide real-life stories of the dogs (and humans) the Monks have trained. It vividly illustrates the incredible transformations undergone by all. I promise this book will leave you wanting to be the best “best friend” you can be.

Doglirious Rating (out of 5)
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