Book Review: Comet's Tale

Comet’s Tale:  How the Dog I Rescued Saved My Life by Steven D. Wolf with Lynette Padwa

A friend of mine gave me this book for Christmas.  I immediately asked, “Does the dog die at the end?”  He was somewhat confident that the dog did not but was not sure.  I flipped open the book and saw the story began in 2000.  It is now 2013.  I bet that dog dies, I thought.

I hesitated for weeks to read the book.  After losing three pets in four years, I cannot stand to read a “dog book” with a negative outcome.  I do not think I will spoil the story by telling you it is safe to read the book.  Comet does not die at the end.

The book begins with Steven Wolf being fired from his job as a lawyer.   His partners feel his medical condition make him unpredictable, a liability.  Then, he moves to Sedona, Arizona to escape the brutal Nebraska winters that make his debilitating back condition even more painful.  His wife and daughters remain behind in Nebraska.  Mr. Wolf is now alone and in pain.  The life he knew is gone.  The future he must have imagined – continued professional success, happy children, thriving marriage – is now just a dream.  He must have felt incredible isolation and hopelessness.

Then, he has the good fortune to meet a lady from a local Greyhound rescue group.  Some weeks later, he adopts Comet, a beautiful greyhound who transforms his life.

What follows is a tale of quiet courage from a dog who was left behind at a race track.  We learn a little bit about the deplorable conditions these elegant creatures endure in the name of “sport.”  The main focus of the story, though, is the relationship between Steven Wolf and Comet.  The dog goes from pet to caregiver with ease.  Mr. Wolf describes many situations in which Comet’s devotion to him outweighed the fear she must have felt.

I really liked this book.  Mr. Wolf does a great job in describing Comet’s quiet dignity.  He is also blunt about how his medical problems pulled him away from those he loved.  He is candid when discussing the relationships with his wife and daughters. 

As I read the book, I often thought that Comet saved his life.  She provided more than physical support.  At times, I got the impression that she was his only link to the outside world.  Without her, I question whether or not Mr. Wolf could have kept on living.

On the dust jacket, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson says the book makes him want to adopt a greyhound.  He is right.  After you read this book, you want to know more about this elegant breed.

The only criticism I have is the book lacks pictures.  I want to see Comet!  I suppose the dog on the dust jacket is her.  Frankly, I do not have the courage to scour the Internet for photos.  I am afraid I will learn the inevitable has happened – and I do not want to think about that.  I prefer to hang onto the happy story of a dog who saved the life of a grateful man.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: GETTING IN TTOUCH WITH YOUR DOG, Linda Tellington-Jones

Book Review: Getting in TTouch with Your Dog, Linda Tellington-Jones, 1999.

I am eager to find something that will alleviate Gracie’s anxiety about riding in the car. The TTouch method has been around for a very long time. I had a vague idea about the concept and wanted to explore it further. (In case you are unaware, TTouch is basically therapeutic massage.)

The book is very informative. It offers recommendations for specific touches for certain problems. Each touch is thoroughly explained. Illustrations show exactly what parts of your hand should be used.

Keep in mind that TTouch is not just for problem dogs. Some of the touches shown in the book help with physical issues as well.

I tried the Ear Touch with Gracie when I took her for a couple of car rides over the weekend. I also massaged her shoulders and rubbed her back. Usually, she shakes and pants almost the entire trip; she tosses in a few whimpers for good measure. This time, though, the shaking and panting stopped after about 10 minutes.

Now, was it the TTouch massage? Was it the ThunderShirt, which I decided to give another try? Was it both? I do not know for sure but am willing to explore TTouch further to find out. If you too are looking for new ways to help your pet, I suggest picking up a copy of this book. Don’t let the copyright discourage you. The book has been reprinted several times, so you should not have any troubles finding it.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: THE CAUTIOUS CANINE, by Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D

Book Review: The Cautious Canine (Second Edition); Patricia B. McConnell, Ph.D; 2005.

Calling this item a book is a bit of stretch. I was supremely disappointed when it arrived. It is nothing more than a 30-page booklet. For six bucks. Yeah.

It does not offer any fresh information. I have found the same advice, explored more thoroughly, in other training and behavior books. Avoid this “book.” Take a look at some of the other books recommended on this and other sites instead.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: WHY DOES MY DOG DO THAT? by Sophie Collins

Book Review: Why Does My Dog Do That? By Sophie Collins, 2008.

This is the sort of book I like to keep by the bedside, for those nights when I do not want to become too intrigued in a book. The book poses over 50 questions about various dog behaviors. Questions range from “Why does my dog ignore me when I shout at her?” to “Why has my puppy begun to guard her food so fiercely? “

The answers to each question are short and sweet, so I will keep this review short too. Buy this book. It is a great little book to have around for times when you just want little information, not a 400-page study of animal behavior. Plus, some of the answers are rather entertaining.

Happy reading!

Rescue Mommy

What Are We Reading?

A few weeks ago, I reviewed Tamar Geller’s book, The Loved Dog. In that book, she offered a lot of great training advice. I like her style of motivating a dog with love rather than harsh discipline. I was glad to see that she finally wrote another book, Thirty Days to a Well-Mannered Dog.

The book was released about a week ago. So far, the book seems to be following the same track. I will give you a complete review in the future.

The next book on the list is A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron. It is written from the prospective of a stray dog. I read a little sample and immediately began kicking myself for not thinking of the idea. It looks promising. I will keep you posted.

If you have any books you would like to recommend, please leave a comment. Happy reading!

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac by Bruce Goldstein

Book Review: Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac: The True Story of a Man and the Dog Who Saved His Life. Bruce Goldstein, 2008.


If you ever wondered what it would be like to descend into the depths of depression or suffer extreme manic behavior, Mr. Goldstein succeeds in taking you to that dark place. Diagnosed with manic depression and suffering from a broken heart, Mr. Goldstein’s life is pure misery. The knives in his kitchen are telling him to kill himself. He sees Satan at a park.

During a weekend with friends, he has a severe episode. Alone in his room, a friend’s dog comes to him. The dog does not judge. The dog is not afraid of him. In desperation, Mr. Goldstein decides maybe a dog would help him regain his life.

He adopts a black Labrador Retriever who he names Ozzy. You will laugh out loud as he describes the first harrowing night with a puppy, the first poop-scoop, the first bath. I particularly loved the puppy diaper bag he packed. For example, he carries a spray bottle to cool Ozzy's feet; who would think of that?

Ozzy transforms his life. Mr. Goldstein must now focus on something other than his lost love or other problems. He also introduces Mr. Goldstein to lots of different people. After all, who can resist a puppy?

Mr. Goldstein has a great way of describing his journey. It is heavy subject matter. Stick with it. When Ozzy enters Mr. Goldstein’s life, you will be inspired by how much the dog transforms his life. No, Ozzy does not cure Mr. Goldstein’s mental illness. He helps him to find balance, though.

As an aside, thank you to Mr. Goldstein for the rant about KFC. I agree wholeheartedly and laughed out loud when you described what “KFC” really means.

If you want to know what that comment was all about as well as read a truly inspirational story, I suggest picking up a copy of this book. The dog DOES NOT die at the end, so don’t worry about that. And, the closing line is excellent: “I thank God this book was written by Bruce Goldstein. Not in memory of.” Good boy, Ozzy.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review Coming: Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac by Bruce Goldstein

I have not quite finished Puppy Chow is Better Than Prozac by Bruce Goldstein.  I hoped to finish it in time for this week’s blog posting.

I am about halfway through the book. I have really enjoyed it thus far, even though the subject matter is a bit heavy. It is the story of a man diagnosed with manic depression and his horrible struggles with the illness. In desperation, he decides a dog might help. I have reached the section where he has just adopted a black Lab puppy. His description of the first night with his new friend is laugh out loud funny in parts.

Stay tuned for the full review later….

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller

The Loved Dog: The Playful, Non Aggressive Way to Teach Your Dog Good Behavior, Tamar Geller with Andrea Cagan, 2007.

I raised my two previous dogs from puppyhood. Since Gracie was three when I adopted her, I knew training her would be a completely different experience. What had her previous owner(s) instilled in her? Did she have any doggie manners? Would she try to attack the cats? Was she properly socialized?

The Loved Dog was one of the first books I read after Gracie joined our family. Ms. Geller is a former Israeli intelligence officer who founded the first cage-free doggy boarding and daycare center in southern California. She developed cruelty-free training techniques based upon her experiences from a troubled childhood and the abusive training methods she witnessed while serving in the military.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Geller’s approach is gentle and methodical. I felt her techniques were geared more toward gradually building a bond with your dog than mastering dominance over him or her. In fact, it seems to me that “gentle leader” would be the role she wants you to have, not domineering master.

Her methods are logical. For example, she notes that we often ramble on and on when giving a command to our dog: “Now, Gracie, I want you to be a good girl and potty as soon as we go outside because Mommy is tired and wants to go to bed.” So, what exactly did you want me to do, Mommy?? She recommends that you say the word “good” and add the command – “good walk,” “good sit,” et cetera. It builds the dog’s vocabulary and gives him/her a better chance at success.

Another technique I liked was her rewards system. She recommends having three levels of treats: gold, silver, and bronze. The higher the treat value (i.e. gold), the more complicated the behavior. I tried this technique early on with the car-riding phobia. Unfortunately, Gracie had completely shut down by then. No treat in the world would bring her back. I still think the system could be very effective, though. In my situation, I feel it would be better to try it when Gracie and I are learning other obedience commands, not trying to conquer fear.

Overall, I have found that her non-aggressive methods are effective with Gracie. I do not want Gracie to do something because she fears me. I want her to do it because she is having fun. You will find lots of great tips in the book. I would definitely recommend adding The Loved Dog to your training library.

Rescue Mommy

Book Review: Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food.

Not Fit for a Dog: The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food. Michael W. Fox, B. Vet. Med., Ph.d, D.SC., M.R.C.V.S.; Elizabeth Hodgkins, D.V.M.; and Marion E. Smart, D.V.M., Ph.d. (2009)

I lost two dogs to cancer in a 1.5 year period. During that time, I heard stories from other pet owners whose companion was either going through the same thing or who had lost pets to cancer. Why is cancer so prevalent now in our pets? Is it simply a case of better diagnosis since we Americans spend millions on pet care? Is it the result of greater exposure to a toxic soup of chemicals from food and environment?

I hoped to find some answers in this book. In the introduction, it states the book (among other things) will teach you “how to read pet food labels and what you need to avoid for your pets’ sake.” It was exactly what I wanted. At just 178 pages, I figured it would be a quick, yet informative, read.

In reality, the book is an extended diatribe against the commercial pet food industry. Its ultimate advice is to avoid commercial pet food (except for some canned cat foods) and prepare a homemade, raw food diet designed by Dr. Fox. Recipes appear in the appendix.

At times, the book is downright insulting. The two worst statements are:

But the mere convenience of commercial pet foods is no valid reason for informed consumers to continue to feed them to their pets in all good conscience. (page 42)

If people are capable of properly feeding their own families, they are certainly capable of feeding their own pets without resorting to opening a bag or can of processed food to do it. (page 114)

Clearly, the authors are in need of a reality check. Perhaps they should have suggested that, unless you earn an upper six-figure salary, pet ownership is not for you.

I want to emphasize the copyright on the book – 2009. We are in the midst of one of the worst economic downturns in decades. People are not able to properly feed their own families. Pets are surrendered daily because their owners cannot afford them. In fact, as I write this, one of those abandoned pets is sleeping in my lap.

I can appreciate the authors’ passionate beliefs. I agree that pet food industry has tremendous problems – as does the human food industry. This book should have included more information for people who may not have a choice and must feed their pet a commercial pet food. For example, the section about ingredients could have contained some recommendations such as “avoid this food if the top five ingredients are these.”

In the end, I was left with a very bad taste in mouth. If I find a book that offers better information, I will review it here. In the meantime, here is some advice from a longtime pet parent. Avoid the cheap store brands; the money you save now will be spent later at the vet’s office. Buy the best food you can afford. Take your pet to the vet regularly. Give your furry companion plenty of water, exercise, and, most importantly, love.

Rescue Mommy