[.ca] Dog Is My Co-Pilot: Great Writers on the World's Oldest ... (ISBN 1400050537)

Steer clear of this dysfunctional book:
Today's crop of dog lovers are a delusional breed apart from the rest of humanity. This book is a disturbing look at just how obsessed some owners are with their dogs. One owner claims that dogs are better than babies, because as far as she knows, babies don't give "unconditional love". Another has a cardiologist and other specialists for her dog, and has spent $30,000 subjecting her beast to all kind of medical procedures. One woman is so emotionally dependent on her dog, that it has curtailed her lifestyle. These dog nuts check out the nutrition labels for their dog's food, or even home-cook the animal's meal. If you want to read this for its pathological value, it won't disappoint. It's a case study of a new type of psychological dysfunction. But otherwise, steer clear of this anthropomorphic garbage. While reading Dog is My Co-Pilot, I felt the urge to to tell each writer that "it's just a dog, stop fussing so much over it!"

Negative steriotypes:
Barks began as a newsletter for people wanting to form doggie parks in Berkeley. If they published a statement that said all Blacks are criminals and all Hispanics are lazy, we would have never seen the end of street demonstrations. The town would be immobilized by protest. Yet the same alledged experts characterize Dobermans and Pit Bulls as vicious. (On page 55) "Breed-ism" is just as irresponsible as racism. In over 25 years of training dogs, I have seen many Dobermans who assisted the blind and enabled independent living by the deaf. I have seen well-trained and loving "Pit Bulls" who are a tribute to their breed. The 'vicious dog" problem is not a dog problem -it is a human problem caused by ignorant and inhumane people. But cities and states don't have the political guts to properly punish people for acts of inhumanity to animals. When we start throwing people in jail instead of reflexively euthanizing "problem" dogs, the situation will begin to change. (I'm not just talking about poor people either. I wish I had a nickle for every dog I've seen that has been ruined by some pseudo-macho Yuppie.) Breed hatred is a terrible thing. It does not belong in a book of this quality. Shame on the Editor.

Good Reading:
I'm not one to stay glued to the end of a book, but this one had me. I couldn't put it down and when I did was axniously looking forward to the time when I could pick it up again. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the contibutors heartfelt/written experience of life with their Co-pilot, DOG. Someone once told me that dog is God spelled backwards. As someone that has always prided myself on being a cat person, there was a German Shepherd who touched my heart and passed on to Dog Heaven last year, that had changed my view of dogs in a way I never thought could happen. She allowed me to open my heart and let her in in a way that people cannot. It helped having onesided conversations where all she had to do was perk up those ears, stare at me with those big brown eyes and offer a few sloppy kisses for me to know that no matter what, she offered unconditional love and understanding. God's gift of Dog :-)

Dog is good:
This has been one of the most enjoyable books of the year. I recommend it to any dog-lover. It is a literate, touching, funny book that rings true. The reader can enjoy it on many levels - it informs about dog (and people) behaviour, and if it taught me anything about dogs, it taught me more about myself. This is a colleection of essays and stories by writers urban and rural, old and young, male and female. There's something for everyone who loves dogs (or a dog) and every reader will find his/her own treasures in it. I found that it was a book to savor slowly. I usually read a book every day or two - this one took me most of a week because it was not a book to be rushed. I'm going to buy a copy of the magazine "Bark" to see if I like it as much as the book.

Brings Me to Tears:
I know how and what I feel about my dogs and all dogs. I know how I evolved to this direction. I owned a Doberman at a very bad time in my life and she, (Peggy) got me through. The way the authors of some of the stories in Dog Is My Co-Pilot explains and describes my emotions to a T, much better than I ever could, along with the things they do for and with their canines. There is only one thing I disagree with, you will find on page 55 near the bottom. I will quote the sentence: Even vicious dogs such as Dobermans and Pit Bulls have no guile. I beg to differ, Dobermans and Pit Bulls are NOT vicious unless TAUGHT TO BE. I would like society to turn this opinion about these dogs around to the correct thinking. I would also like to add that Rottweilers are also considered vicious but again they are not born that way they are TRAINED to be that way. Thank you