The Puppy Diaries—A book review

The Puppy Diaries -- Raising a Dog named Scout by Jill Abramson
Released today

Jill Abramson is the executive editor of the New York Times. She and her husband navigate between their estate in Connecticut and their loft apartment in Manhattan. The Puppy Diaries recounts their first year with their Golden Retriever, Scout.

After losing a beloved Westie, Abramson is reluctant to get another dog, afraid that she could never love another dog as much. But her husband has his heart set on a large dog, a British standard Golden Retriever. And so begins the adventure as they put down a deposit, fill out an application, and hope to be approved by the breeder.

They are both dog lovers and with their children grown, the puppy, Scout, will become their baby.

The promotional material for the book says that “The Puppy Diaries provides an essential road map for navigating the first year of your dog’s life.”

Well, perhaps… if…

...your disposable income allows for having personal consultations with a variety of dog trainers and flying to California to attend training sessions by Karen Pryor and Victoria Stilwell in conference rooms at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, then this might be your kind of "road map."

As long as Scout was in Connecticut with room to run and friends she knew, she was becoming a good citizen with normal puppy mischief. But when they brought her to Manhattan and expected a months old puppy not ever to pull at the leash, the book began getting tiresome.

I felt sorry for Scout. I kept thinking I missed the part where Scout turned from a Golden Retriever puppy into a rescue Malamute.

You have a dog selectively bred for disposition and behavior.
She’s had more lessons than many children get.
Maybe it’s you.
(Yes, I sometimes talk to books while I’m reading them.
Oh, like you don’t)

At one point the Abramsons become disenchanted with clicker training and positive reinforcement and call on Cujocop, a New York City police officer who trained bomb sniffing dogs. His approach was different and led to some good results.

Later at a promotional event with Scout, Ms. Abramson has a conversation with Cesar Millan, who had been discredited by earlier trainers they had consulted. He tells her, “She loves you, but that doesn’t mean she will follow you…Too many people say that their dog is their baby…their soul mate. But we need to honor that a dog is a dog.”

She takes his words to heart and concludes that not every training method works with every dog and every owner. Perhaps we can find something from different approaches that will work for each of us.

Which is something we can agree with…

Comments

[Jodi]

Thanks for the review. I think I would become disenchanted with the book as well.

[threecollie]

A dog is a dog...so obvious and yet way past profound for some folks. Poor doggie.

[cube]

I agree with Cesar. A dog is a dog. That doesn't mean we love them any less, but they're not your child and they're not your soul mate. I don't know how some dumb people manage to make so much money.

[southern quebec]

Agree...it's a dog. Maybe they only wrote the book to pay for all the training sessions! :)

[Alyssa]

Sounds disappointing. Though it would be cool to have the kind of disposable income that allows for training trips like you describe.

[Heather]

You never fail to make me laugh...

[Linda]

Thanks for the review...it's now something I think I can relate too...

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

[jackie]

dogs is dogs..cats is not ...

[CandiRae]

Thanks for the review...book sounds rather disappointing. I agree with southern quebec, maybe they needed the money! lol