Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain by Martha Sherrill


Posted on Jun 12, 2009
By Tanya Turgeon

 

REVIEW by Tanya Turgeon

The Penguin Press, 2008

237 pages

$25.95

 

The economy has probably drained more than a few travel budgets this year. Fret not, there are other means of visiting faraway places. A mere $25.95 (or only $7.49 if you shop amazon.com) can get you a copy of Dog Man, which through the quality of writing of Martha Sherrill, takes you to the mountains of Japan (a place you may have a hard time getting to even if you could afford it). Here in the rural land of Mount Kurikoma you will experience the biographical account of Morie and his love of dogs.

In America we are lucky enough to be a melting pot of diversity, even in our dog breeds. It is not uncommon to walk the streets of New York City and encounter a Chihuahua, a Saint Bernard, a Maltese, and a Weimaraner all within a two block radius. But it is not often that we get an in-depth look at the history of a particular breed or a chance to witness it in its original environment. Through Morie's life, as retold in Dog Man, we get a full and very personal feel for the native dog of Japan, the beautiful Akita.

"Morie had a dream dog in his head, a vision of what he hoped to produce someday: a sturdy mountain-worthy dog that carried the traits and temperament of an old-style snow country dog." This quest for the perfect Akita is the through-line of Morie's entire life with his work and family consistently struggling to be more than just bystanders. Through the decades of dog breeding that Morie did--from practically saving the breed from extinction during World War II to his present-day involvement at dog shows--certain individuals were noted as special and the stories that accompany these dogs unfold like an old family photo album. Of course the black and white pictures showing off Shiro, No Name, Three Good Lucks, One Hundred Tigers, Samurai Princess, and the rest of Morie's lifelong pack don't hurt either.

Sherrill is one of those writers who prides herself on capturing the essence of the less-accessible. In Dog Man she not only transcends geographical barriers in order to spend time with Morie and his wife Kitako in their mountain home, but language, cultural, and personal barriers as she unravels the life of a man who seemed to connect to no one but his dogs. It's one of those books where nearly every line is a great quote. I'll leave you with this one: "We yearn for the company of dogs because they return us to an ancient way of life vanishing now." So maybe staying home and spending some peaceful time with a good book and your dog will end up being just the vacation you needed.


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