Don't Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems
By Tanya Turgeon
Skyhorse Publishing, 2009
216 pages
$14.95
Right about now the novelty of getting a new dog or puppy as a holiday gift may be wearing off.
There's housebreaking to be done, inevitable messes to clean up, obedience classes to be
attended, training to be practiced, and many walks at all hours of the day to be taken. In other
words having a dog requires some work. As founder of
Stray Rescue animal shelter in Missouri, no one knows this better than author Randy
Grim.
I would imagine most
Fetchdog followers would never dream
of dumping their dog (making this read all the more enjoyable as you can truly empathize with
Grim's frustrations), but to those of you reading this who may know someone on the verge, get
this book into their hands immediately.
I wish I could say "Don't Dump the Dog" is revolutionary in its advice for
doggie behavior
problems,
but there is no need for "whispering," animal psychology dictionaries, or fancy
training devices here (unless you
count using a squirt bottle to deter excessive barking or a can with twenty pennies in it to deter
everything else). The appeal is that it brings us back to the basics in layperson's terms. For
example, Grim's advice to those who are dumping their dog because they are moving is "Good
for you. Take the dog with you. If your new apartment won't allow pets, find one that does. This
is where I can't fix stupid."
Except for the fact that he's agoraphobic, arachnophobic, and germaphobic (his therapist is the
second most prevalent voice in the book), Grim is exactly the guy you'd want coming over to
help with your dog issues. You would probably end up laughing and drinking through the whole
process, and somehow still come out with a much better-behaved dog.
"Don't Dump the Dog" is equal parts stories, advice, and Grim venting with a sense of humor
usually reserved for Comedy Central, which makes for a thoroughly entertaining read even if
your dog happens to be a perfect little angel. Hilarity aside, it's also a surprising wake-up call as
to why there are so many homeless dogs left to fend for themselves. Grim's account of a family
looking to return their adopted dog of several years who is described as "a wonderful dog who
gets along great with other dogs...is completely housebroken...graduated at the top of her
obedience class" simply because "she is getting old" particularly hits a nerve. It's cases like this
where Grim's brutal honesty and bluntness are a welcome approach to those people who aren't
the ones who will suffer in the end.
