# A Good Dog



## elsie

by Jon Katz

has anyone read this?
if so, care to share your thoughts?


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## wrenny

Don''t think your link worked?


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## Timber1

Is this the book that ended with Mr. Katz eventually killing the dog. I gave his books a few reads and was trying to find this one, but if I can correct he had an absolutely great and healthy dog euthanized. I suspect I threw the book in the trash.

For a more positive messge, give Merle's Door a read.


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## elsie

the book is about his border collie, orson. yes, he euth'd him because he continually attacked people.


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## TMarie

I read it. 

Here is a link to his web sight also
http://www.bedlamfarm.com/

They interviewed him on the Early show not long ago, and he talked a lot about Orson.
He has a beautiful farm.


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## elsie

i have no doubt the man loved this dog dearly. he felt it was the most responsible of his choices.
would i do the same thing? i don't know. maybe i'm too selfish? what a heart wrenching decission.


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## TMarie

I am sure he loved his dog very much. I don't think anyone could really say they would or wouldn't do what he did under those circumstances without actually living it.

We can only get the feel of what happened by what he wrote, and by his interviews. Without being there and going through the same experiences as he did with Orson, we can't possibly get the whole story. We can only know what he cared to share.


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## elsie

a co-worker gave me the book for Christmas. she told me he dies at the end. i didn't give it much thought at the time. but, knowing how fond i am of animals, particularly dogs, why did she give me this book? really makes me wonder. does she think dylan should have the same fate?


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## TMarie

AW, she probably just wasn't thinking. People like that just find it easy to give a book about dogs to any dog lover, no matter how the story ends.

I read it in one day. I love reading, but hardly have the time. So when I do pick up a book, I take one day and read it, until I am finished. 
I always end up crying. Of course I knew how it ended before reading it, since I had watched his interview before I picked up the book.


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## ThreeDogs

I have read most of his books. And yes it is horribly sad, but I thought it was wonderful. He was able to convey his vast love for his dog, but he also showed great strength when it was time to make a difficult decision. 

I don't know if I would have done the same, but I would hope that if my dog was biting people unprovoked I would have the guts to do something.


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## elsie

dylan "nipped" twice. broke skin once (stupid drunk neighbor). there were a few times, when he was all wound up, during play sessions, he looked at dh barking seriously, and dh said if he ever bites (meaning him) he's done. i guess that's why this is bothering me so badly. i'm very sure that that's same decission dh would make, if the circumstances were such. dylan means the world to both of us, but..............


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## ThreeDogs

> Originally Posted By: elsie there were a few times, when he was all wound up, during play sessions, he looked at dh barking seriously, and dh said if he ever bites (meaning him) he's done.


My Cyrus is very intense when he sees his ball or the Chuck it, he has almost nipped me a few times going for the chuck it. 

I don't ever ever want to be scared of my dog. 

So I worked with him everyday, on a bomb proof sit stay, then I introduced the ball and chuck it. 

I can honestly say I am not at all afraid of my dogs ever biting me, but if there was a concern I would fix the problem any way possible. 

I am the type of person that will not accept an out and out dog bite, obviously there are circumstances where people get bit and that behavior can fixed but an out and out bit, no way would I live like that.


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## Catu

I used to post in a Border Collie Forum when I had one. And the opinions on Katz... lets say that they were not favorable at all.


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## elsie

> Originally Posted By: LicanAntaiI used to post in a Border Collie Forum when I had one. And the opinions on Katz... lets say that they were not favorable at all.


i hear ya! can only imagine what was said about him. not much good, i'm sure.

as far as being afraid of my dog, neither of us are. do i think he would "attack" to get his frizz-bizz off my head when i pretend it's my hat, no, i don't. but as i always say, he's a dog, and you never know what a dog is going to do. i don't care how much he's trained. they make their own decissions and do what they're compelled to do.


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## DancingCavy

My trainer gave me this book and the book after it for Christmas. She owns BCs and rescues BCs and really seems to like this guy. Definately recommends the rest of the series as well.

I have yet to find the time to read the books. I have other dog books I need to read first. I'll give the book a chance.


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## Cassidy's Mom

Elsie, did you read the book yet?


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## Timber1

Get the facts right please, the dog did not continually attack people. He bit a neighbor on Mr. Katz's property, whom the author did not even like. The dog was also loose, so if Mr. Katz was concerned perhaps the dog should have been restrained.

I would like to provide a few quotes from his book, but unfortunately the man's decision to kill his dog was so despicable I tossed the book.


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## Cassidy's Mom

I did read the book Timber, just a few months ago in fact , and Orson did not just attack one person. He attacked several people, his behavior had become more and more unpredictable, with an escalation of aggression, and Katz had tried everything, including trainers, traditional and non-traditional veterinary care, as well as some pretty far out stuff, to try and figure out what was wrong in his dog's head and what to do about it. He didn't just give up and toss him aside at the first hint of a problem. 

I don't know if I'd have had the courage to do what he did, but he didn't feel like he had a choice, and under the circumstances, I can't fault him. If it had been my dog I would have been very afraid that he might seriously hurt someone someday.


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## elsie

yes he attacked on several occaisions, one being one of his "girlfriends", a woman he knew for quite a while and always showed affection to. the neighbor-farmer was just the last one, and the most severe.

deb - yes, i read it. 

i see the man's point of view. i'm not saying i think he's right or wrong. i don't know if i could make the same decission.


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## Timber1

I wish I would not have tossed the book, but I do remember the bite took place on Katz's property, and the dog bit a guy not even the author liked. 

My daughter, who works for the Milwaukee Humane Society, read the book and was as disgusted as I was regarding the author's decision to kill his dog.


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## artisgsd

Timber1 - He also built fences and tried to keep people away from Orson but people keep rudely showing up on his property unannounced and he was afraid something really bad was going to happen. 

When you really care about a dog, you need to look at the whole picture. The world doesn't make sense to some dogs (doesn't make sense to some people either)...the choice was to either confine him to the house / kennel all of the time, but what kind of life is that? Locked up and being tortured by his inner demons...or let him go. Anyone that read this whole book cannot say he didn't try everything - he gave him a job, tried training on multiple occassions. He couldn't get a grasp on Orson...you can't fault him - he has other successful working BCs. Orson tormented his other dogs. 

I thought this was a fabulous book...it's a topic we have to look at in rescue a lot. I cried while I read this book...not for just for Orson but for Katz and his family.


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## kutzro357

Da_Boyz_Mom, excellent post. To me the people that are throwing fits and think he`s horrible just don`t understand. He tool that dog over here to Raspberry Ridge, he tried and tried. He made a choice that I cannot argue with. This is a great book that explores a part of dog ownership that few deal with and even fewer go to the extent he did in order to try and keep Orson.
IMHO a true dog lover will love the book despite the emotional side of it.


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## artisgsd

Yes, kutzro...agreed. Heck he moved out of his town in Jersey - to a farm - for personal reason but also for Orson! How many people would do that????

P.S. I'd love to see Raspberry Ridge...


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## kutzro357

It`s a B & B and has weekend seminars.
http://www.raspberryridgesheepfarm.com/Index.aspx?SS=0


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## elsie

> Originally Posted By: kutzro357 He made a choice that I cannot argue with. This is a great book that explores a part of dog ownership that few deal with and even fewer go to the extent he did in order to try and keep Orson.
> IMHO a true dog lover will love the book despite the emotional side of it.


i totally agree


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## onyx'girl

He also had a small chapter at the end (or it may have been in his next book about the dogs of bedlam, can't remember-I read it a while ago)about dogs biting and the seriousness of it, especially when children are involved. I think he did everything in his power to give Orson what he needed, and failed him. He knew that he failed him, which made it even harder to have him put down. It was a good read, and I did learn from it, not that I agree with the author.


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## artisgsd

...sometimes, you fail not for lack of trying, but because the subject can't be helped...


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