gcv-border Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 Has anyone read this book? The full title is "The Puppy Diaries; Raising a Dog Named Scout" by Jill Abramson. I read a review of this book in the NY Times http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/14/books/the-puppy-diaries-by-jill-abramson-review.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=the%20puppy%20diaries&st=cse I hope this link works. If not, go to wwww.nytimes.com and search on "the puppy diaries". Look for the article on October 14th. Reading the review made me NOT want to read this book. I really do not want to wade through another book describing bad puppy antics that are the result of owners that lack common sense. BUT, if someone has read the book and can say that it is worth it (i.e. it is not another Marley book), I would consider reading it since I do like canine literature. Jovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 I'm pretty sure it's based on the series of articles she wrote at the time in the NY Times. (I read them as they appeared in the newspaper). You could do a search and read a couple of them for free, then decide. Not as clueless as "Marley and Me", but I think it was a learning experience for them - it had been a while since they'd had a puppy, and puppy raising philosophies (as with child-rearing philosophies) had changed over time. I found one of the more interesting parts was reading the "comments" in the newspaper related to each article. Dunno how much of that is captured in the book. She did get a LOT of heat for purchasing a puppy from a breeder rather than rescuing one. I'd be interested to see whether she provides anything more than she did in the articles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted October 19, 2011 Report Share Posted October 19, 2011 She was on the Diane Rehm show this morning on NPR. I didn't hear the whole show, but I wasn't terribly impressed. The question of why not rescue did come up, and she said her husband had his heart set on a puppy. I haven't heard anything that makes me want to get the book.... J. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gcv-border Posted October 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 I'm pretty sure it's based on the series of articles she wrote at the time in the NY Times. (I read them as they appeared in the newspaper). You could do a search and read a couple of them for free, then decide. Not as clueless as "Marley and Me", but I think it was a learning experience for them - it had been a while since they'd had a puppy, and puppy raising philosophies (as with child-rearing philosophies) had changed over time. Yes, it is based on her series of puppy articles, and the links did pop up when I searched "puppy diaries" on the NYTimes website. Maybe I should read a couple. Then if I get disgusted, at least I have not spent any $$. 2nd Paragraph above - This is something I can not understand. Here is a couple of smart, well-educated people who (according to the review) read extensively on the subject of puppy raising & training. I am sure they are reading recent books so they should have learned the 'new' philosophies. They also live in a city with unlimited resources. Again, I am assuming there are some good dog trainers & behaviorists in NYC. They are well-meaning. They take their puppy-raising responsibility seriously. Yet, with all these advantages, they still have an out-of-control puppy. I guess I could read the book to try and understand how things went awry, but just not sure that I want to spend my time doing that. I have probably spent more time thinking about this than I should have. Jovi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alchemist Posted October 20, 2011 Report Share Posted October 20, 2011 I didn't get the sense (from what I remember from the articles) that their puppy was out of control. Certainly not a "Marley" by any stretch of the imagination. Maybe I missed some of the later parts when Scout hit adolescence. But... "well-educated" doesn't necessarily mean all that dog-savvy. Any two highly-rated books you buy today on Amazon could give different advice. If I recall correctly, their initial "Bible" was the Monks of New Skete book, which, from the reviews I read on Amazon (which were enough to dissuade me from buying it!), advocates "alpha rolls". And at one point they were considering an electric fence (which IMHO run the risk of breeding aggression in dogs). There are some fairly substantial differences today in puppy-rearing philosophy (you don't have to go as far as the Cesar Milan controversy; just spend time reading these Boards to sense the gulf between "purely positive" trainers and those who employ even mild corrections!). They did solicit advice, and did hire a private trainer (if I recall correctly) and also took their puppy to obedience classes. They also (as I recall) worked hard to socialize their pup. A lot of what was described in the newspaper series was about what they were learning on the journey of raising a pup. As I said, the "comments" to their articles were what I found most interesting, as here you really had a sampling of the views held within the "dog community" at large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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