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A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,727 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In spite of everything, Katz loves Orson, his "lifetime dog," a beautiful border collie <#150> intense, smart, crazy, and unforgettable. A touching narrative of an impossible dog that needs help, helping others in the process. "[His] subtle, evocative de
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"An extremely amazing book (non-fiction) about an author and his quest to truly honor and understand a challenging dog. His dedication and sacrifice is inspiring, as is his willingness to share this story and all he gained. "
— Kris (4 out of 5 stars)
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“[Katz’s] subtle, evocative descriptions of the beasts around him—including Rose, another border collie whose brilliant herding steals the show—vividly capture the fascinating, enigmatic lives of animals.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Katz's border collie, Orson, evoked all kinds of emotions during their fulfilling time together…Tom Stechschulte captures all of these flawlessly but none more movingly than when Orson’s end comes. The eloquence with which Katz describes those moments moves Stechschulte to tears, as it surely will the listener.”
— Audiofile -
“A heartbreaking memoir of love, friendship and responsibility.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“This is a lovely memoir.”
— Booklist
Awards
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A USA Today bestseller
A Good Dog Listener Reviews
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Lynne, 3/3/2016
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" This was my first (and last) Katz book. I loved the first 3/4 of the book. It is both sweet and funny and, as a dog lover, I related well to much of it. This book was on its way strong 4-5star rating at that point. Unfortunately, I fundamentally disagree with the decision that Katz eventually came to, which truly ruined my good feelings on this book. As an animal lover, I recommend you look elsewhere for a good animal memoir. "
— Heather, 2/8/2014 -
" I thought this was a wonderful book and would highly recommend it to all dog lovers, especially those with "problem" dogs. A bittersweet, true story... "
— Mtipping1, 2/4/2014 -
" Very good for a dog lovers but warning it is very sad!!! "
— Sue, 1/31/2014 -
" LOVE. THIS. BOOK. I can't believe this is the first I'm reading Katz, one of my new favorite authors. LOVE. "
— Michelle, 1/30/2014 -
" This is a bit of a "hankie" book - the ending is sad, but the often humorous relationship between the writer and his devoted dog makes this a worthwhile read. (I believe a movie is in the works.) "
— Mary, 1/19/2014 -
" one of the sadist books i have ever read but so good "
— Brandi, 1/11/2014 -
" Read half of this book -- then saw reviews on Amazon which made me realize I do NOT want to finish the book. "
— Betty, 1/9/2014 -
" I'm only saying i liked it because i thought the writer was, at times, funny. But it's basically a book about a completely clueless human being when it comes to dogs...who gives up on the dog and puts him down. So sad...and it made me really angry. I have a friend who works with herding dogs like this one and the ones she ends up with are the result of "city" people getting them because they're cute..but never doing anything to satisfy their herding instinct. So they get crazy and aggressive becaue they don't know what else to do with that energy. That's what happened with this dog..but I just feel like Katz gave up and couldn've found more help. Maybe. I guess I'm still not sure how I feel about this story. "
— Kim, 12/28/2013 -
" I liked the book. A lot of people have not liked it and I understand why, but I think the author justified his actions. "
— Jstengle, 12/27/2013 -
" A very sad tale of a dog that could never figure out what humans expected of him. This book is heartbreaking. "
— Nona, 12/22/2013 -
" Not what I was expecting, but a very interesting read. I checked out the website and it was cute to see all his dogs and other animals. "
— Jenifer, 12/13/2013 -
" I liked this book, it makes you question what your own judgement would be if faced with a similar situation. I can't say I liked the style it was written in, kinda jumpy and confusing at points. "
— Beth, 11/27/2013 -
" Parts make you laugh but others make you cry. Good story of his journey with a difficult dog. "
— Pandora, 11/22/2013 -
" I love books about dogs. This was a good one. "
— Vickie, 10/25/2013 -
" Well written,funny interesting book. My roomate had a border collie so I understand what Jon Katz was saying about the dog's energy level. "
— manatee, 10/14/2013 -
" First of my adventures with Bedlam Farms. I went to a hospice fundraiser given by author and had him sign this book. "
— Jen, 8/25/2013 -
" Good book! If you love animals you will enjoy this book. "
— Debbie, 8/4/2013 -
" Perseverance, patience, sacrifice, and love are blended together for an amazing book. Recommended especially for dog lovers. "
— Xiaoqi, 5/11/2013 -
" Ultimately, a sad story, but one which touchingly highlights the bond between humans and dogs. "
— Andrea, 5/5/2013 -
" 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. "
— Aylin, 4/29/2013 -
" I enjoy listening to his life on the farm stories. Heartbreaking for sure & not for me to judge the authors decisions. "
— Jan, 2/13/2013 -
" As a dog lover, I found the book both troubling and affective. I did not agree with many of the methods used in the training or taming of Orson but found the story mezmorizing. "
— Marsha, 9/5/2012 -
" Moral of the story--don't rescue a troubled dog if you can't do the work, don't take on more than you can handle, and don't quit on your dog like Katz did to Orson. Jerk. "
— Judith, 3/24/2012 -
" More cute dogs. It's amazing how much dogs can affect your life. "
— Ayelet, 3/17/2012 -
" It was supposed to be a good book. I just can't tolerate the ending. "
— Camila, 7/15/2011 -
" Let's just say I was glad I didn't pay for this book when I got the chance to read it. "
— Valerie, 3/14/2011 -
" Good book! If you love animals you will enjoy this book. "
— Debbie, 1/28/2011 -
" <br/>This was sweet and sad story about about a guy and a half-crazed dog who help each other find joy in life. "
— Carol, 1/8/2011 -
" one of the sadist books i have ever read but so good "
— Brandi, 9/15/2010 -
" An engaging, but overly sentimental story of a beloved pet, who was clearly not a "good" dog. "
— Suzanne, 8/2/2010
About 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, Wall Street Journal, Slate, Rolling Stone, Wired, and the AKC Gazette. He has worked for CBS News, the Boston Globe, Washington Post, and Philadelphia Inquirer. He is also a photographer and the author of a children’s book, Meet the Dogs of Bedlam Farm.
About Tom Stechschulte
Tom Stechschulte (1948–2021) was an acclaimed narrator and winner of the prestigious Audie Award for Best Narration. He had been a college athlete and business major when a friend dared him to audition for a play. He got the part and traded the locker room for the dressing room, eventually taking him to New York City and to recording audiobooks.