Book Review: Puppy Love (true stores and fun facts)

Puppy Love (True Stories of Doggie Devotion), by Lisa Gerry (National Geographic, 2014, 160 pages, $12.99, ages 10 and up, grades 5 and up)

Our Kind of Book!

Wonderful puppy photos, 25 short stories (all true but not sad tear-jerkers), interspersed with pages of fun facts! And a golden retriever pup on the cover. What more could this dog book reviewer ask for?

Of course, being a National Geographic book, a few pages highlight other Nat Geo books, like Jennifer Holland’s Unlikely Friendships. (Read about the unlikely friendship of Bella and Tara – dog and elephant.)

Fun Facts

According to Paul McCartney, the next time you listen to “Sergeant Pepper,” watch your dog. The Beatles put a sound on the recording that only dogs can hear.

Did you know a dog can wiggle each nostril independently to determine which direction a smell is coming from? How cool is that?

Dogs – Loyal, Wise, Caring, Strong, Inspiring

Caring: Read about service dog Mr. Gibbs who carries an oxygen tank for his little 5-year-old human girl Alida and who sits when she tells him to, and lies down when she tells him to but their favorite is “Let’s go!”

Read about Cooper, the dog with a Seeing Eye Human, and read about a dog who can read. Learn to understand dog talk.

Strong: Read the story of the surfing dog, Ricochet* (or read DogEvals review of the Ricochet book here),

and little Hooch who skydives AND scuba dives.

Remember Tillman, the English bulldog skateboarding sensation? Did you know that “the one thing he hasn’t quite mastered yet is stopping. So, instead, to avoid running into things, he turns by shifting his weight to the left or right.” Just like some little human kids I know!

Inspiring: Read that Mathilde de Cagny, the premier dog trainer to the movie industry, trains with positive reinforcement, making lessons a fun game for the dog. She says, “The clicker is a great tool to use and . . . a great way to bond with your dog.” (p. 155)

May I Quote You on That?

“Dogs are great. Bad dogs, . . .are perhaps the greatest of them all.” (John Grogan of Marley and Me fame, p. 153)

Back Cover of Puppy Love

And with a quote from our favorite Ree Drummond of the Charlie books fame (get the book to find it), we close Puppy Love.

Read More About It: Yesterday’s blog – To Shave or Not to Shave (or, Should I Shave my Dog in the Summer?)

* p. 105 “Ricochet. . .instinctively knows where she should stand on the [surf] board to adjust to the person’s disability. She’ll stand at the front, at the back, or even sideways in order to maintain balance.”