Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout [Hardcover]
- Author by Abramson, Jill
Editorial Reviews
From Publisher
An instructive and marvelously entertaining chronicle of a puppy's first year, by the executive editor of The "New York Times """
One sparkling summer day, Jill Abramson brought home a nine-week-old golden retriever named Scout. Over the following year, as she and her husband raised their adorable new puppy, Abramson wrote a hugely popular column for "The New York Times"'s website about the joys and challenges of training this rambunctious addition to their family. Dog-lovers from across the country inundated her with e-mails and letters, and the photos they sent in of their own dogs became the most visited photo album on the "Times"'s site in 2009.
Now Abramson has gone far beyond the material in her column and written a detailed and deeply personal account of Scout's first year. Part memoir, part manual, part investigative report, "The Puppy Diaries" continues Abramson's intrepid reporting on all things canine. Along the way, she weighs in on such issues as breeders or shelters, adoption or rescue, raw diet or vegan, pack-leader gurus like Cesar Millan or positive-reinforcement advocates like Karen Pryor.
What should you expect when a new puppy enters your life? With utterly winning stories and a wealth of practical information, "The Puppy Diaries "provides an essential road map for navigating the first year of your dog's life.
Reviews
- From Publishers Weekly
- Abramson, executive editor of the New York Times, is a tough-minded investigative journalist with a soft spot for cuddly pups. In this book, based on her popular Times blog, she chronicles her first year with her new puppy, Scout, and shares what she learns about doggie nutrition, training, socialization, and even pet health insurance. When her husband, Henry, falls in love with a friends British standard retriever and persuades her to get a puppy from the friends breeder, Abramson, still grieving the loss of her beloved Westie, Buddy, is reluctant. But by the time theyve gotten home with Scout, Abramson has already begun to dote on her. An empty nester with two grown children, she delights in bonding with other dog owners at the dog park, fretting over Scouts graduation from puppy kindergarten, and pampering her with trips to doggy day care or to a pool for pooches in their Tribeca neighborhood. As Scout romps toward canine adolescence, chomping through shoes, spectacles, and table legs with pin-sharp teeth and dragging her owners along by the leash, Abramson consults with dog authorities like Cesar Millan of The Dog Whisperer, clicker-training and positive-reinforcement proponent Diane Abbott, and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin. Though not all might have such envious resources, puppy owners will enjoy her account of the trials and joys of raising a puppy and will benefit from her balanced look into the contentious realm of dog-training methods. (Oct.) Copyright 2011 Reed Business Information.
- From Booklist
- After her West Highland white terrier Buddy died, heartbroken New York Times managing editor Abramson was reluctant to get another dog. Then she was hit by a truck. Suffering post-traumatic depression, she agreed with her husband to get a puppy, a British standard golden retriever named Scout. Determined that Scout would become a better-behaved dog than Buddy, she registered the puppy for obedience training based on the positive-reinforcement principles of dog expert Karen Pryor. Trained as an investigative reporter, Abramson interviewed many dog trainers, breeders, veterinarians, and owners, and read many manuals in her search for the best way to raise her puppy. She also sampled services for dogs and their owners in the upscale Tribeca neighborhood of New York and in rural Connecticut. This engaging report on Scout's first year belongs in most public libraries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)
Quote Reviews
"In this book, based on her popular "Times "blog, [Abramson] chronicles her first year with her new puppy, Scout, and... consults with dog authorities like Cesar Millan of The Dog Whisperer, clicker-training Diane Abbott, and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin. Though not all might have such envious resources, puppy owners will enjoy her account of the trials and joys of raising a puppy and will benefit from her balanced look into the contentious realm of dog-training methods."--"Publishers Weekly"
"A golden retriever of a memoir... it should hit the wide, heart-shaped mark cultivated by dog fanciers everywhere."--"The New York Times Book Review"
"In addition to the simple, sweet pleasure of reading about the love between people and dogs, "The Puppy Diaries" offers a few more sophisticated treats."--"Newsday"
"In this book, based on her popular "Times "blog, [Abramson] chronicles her first year with her new puppy, Scout, and... consults with dog authorities like Cesar Millan of The Dog Whisperer, clicker-training Diane Abbott, and animal behaviorist Temple Grandin. Though not all might have such envious resources, puppy owners will enjoy her account of the trials and joys of raising a puppy and will benefit from her balanced look into the contentious realm of dog-training methods."--"Publishers Weekly"
Leading Article
