What I'm Reading Now

I'd like to preface this post by saying I don't just read dog books. I read lots of books. I like books. I enjoy murder mysteries, suspense, fiction-fantasy, sci-fi and the occasional autobiography. However, this is Kelley's Dog Blog, so we're only going to discuss dog-related books here. E-mail me if you want to discuss any non-dog books -- except romance or paranormal crap. I hate that. Anyway, I'm currently reading three different dog books and would love to discuss them with anybody who's interested! (By the way, I realize it's kind of weird to be reading several books at once. My excuses: I have a short attention span and Amazon.com has my credit card on file. And they keep sending me "suggested titles." And I'm weak . . . )

The first book I'm reading is One Nation Under Dog: America's Love Affair With Our Dogs. The subtitle is "Adventures in the New World of Prozac-Popping Puppies, Dog-Park Politics, and Organic Pet Food." What a mouth full! The book highlights the changes in America's attitudes towards their pets over the last few decades. It discusses everything from the $43 billion pet supply industry (yes, that was billion with a B -- I'm in the wrong business!) to the way dog-related laws are being changed around the country. The book is interesting, but I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it -- which is probably why it's taking me so long to finish it. A few months back HBO aired a documentary with the same name. I'm not sure if I liked that or not either. Truth is, sometimes animal people are weird, and I'm not entirely comfortable being one of "them." I know, TMI.

I'm also reading A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. This is a fictional story about a dog that keeps getting reincarnated in search of his true purpose. Breeder loved this book and really wanted me to read it. Currently I'm on the second incarnation and I am crying my eyes out. It's written from the dog's point of view and is very entertaining -- but definitely NOT recommended for anyone who is "a bit hormonal." I feel horrible now for yelling at Pepper all those years over her getting in the trash. And I swear, if the story doesn't get happier soon I'm going to send Breeder a nasty e-mail and a bill for the box of Kleenex!

The third book just came today from Amazon.com. (Remember that whole "credit card on file" thing mentioned above?) I'm absolutely loving Raising a Champion: A Beginner's Guide to Showing Dogs. This book has lots of pictures -- and pictures are a good thing for visual learners like me! The book is also written in plain English for those of us who know little or nothing about "the fancy." There's even a glossary in the back to explain odd terms like "bandy-legged" and "cow-hocked." This book covers how dog shows work, how to stack and move a dog, necessary equipment, how to read a show catalog and fill out forms, how championship points are scored, and much, much more. It's a great all-around book and I look forward to absorbing it. However, I'll still need help with some breed-specific things. For example, page 19 states:

German Shepherd Dogs are posed differently from any other breed. Posing a German Shepherd isn't covered in this book.

All I can say is, thank goodness for the Internet. I found How to Stack a German Shepherd on eHow.com and several videos on YouTube. I'm also hoping to find a mentor. Of course, I should probably get the puppy first . . . Think I'm a little excited? It'll be fun. Stick around and see. -- K