Am I Bored By This Book? (clue: no)
When I was at Blog Paws in Columbus, I attended a panel featuring Edie Jarolim of Will My Dog Hate Me. An accomplished travel writer already, Edie was indoctrinated rather late in life compared to the rest of us crazies in the world of dog obsession. She made up for it admirably, though.
Am I Boring My Dog is the happy result of what was clearly some pretty thorough crash-course research into dog ownership, a soup-to-nuts guide to pretty much everything you need to know when bringing a furball into your life.
I’ve read lots of dog guides in my time, and I’ll be the first to admit I rarely make it past the first three pages of most of them, overcome by the mealy platitudes and not so subtle condescension making it apparent the author is targeting it towards someone who shouldn’t be trusted with a box of cereal, never mind a living creature.
This isn’t that kind of book. It’s a how-to that is actually fun to read, imbued with wit and cleverly broken up into 99 bite-sized chunks that are easy to digest, well organized, and well thought out.
The advice she offers is solid, specific enough to be helpful to novice owners and broad enough to have something of use to just about any dog fancier. This is a book I would give to a friend with a new dog, not only because I liked it but in the hopes it’s expansive enough to keep them from pestering me with questions. (Just kidding, mom.)
If you’re not in the market for a new book, you should still watch the trailer since it will make you smile on a Thursday morning. This Frankie character is seriously cute.
I will argue one sentence in the book, because this is my blog and I can: in her section on what to look for in a veterinary clinic, which is otherwise well done, she asserts that any reputable vet will allow you into the back on a moment’s notice for a tour without having to run into the back to hide the evidence make sure all is well.
I wanted to address that not to quibble with Edie but because it’s a request we get not infrequently, and I think it’s a good thing to want a tour. I consider myself reputable, yet I still go into the back to get the all clear first- not because I’m worried the staff is swinging kittens by the tails or anything, but because I need to make sure it’s safe for you and the pets I am responsible for.
1. We could be taking x-rays and expose you to radiation.
2. Kekoa could be waiting on the other side of the door, ready to bolt in search of me.
3. My RVT could be in the middle of multiple tooth extractions, which even in the best of circumstances are bloody events that could be disconcerting to the uninitiated (which is exactly what was going on a few weeks ago when they tried to bring a YMCA summer camp through the back.)
4. We could have a fractious cat that we were finally able to coax out of the cage, and, having gotten the entire clinic to be silent, are taking advantage of the 5 second window of cooperation to get a blood sample before she tries to gouge our eyeballs out.
These are all regular occurrences in the clinic. So while I can’t endorse that one sentence, the other myriad thousands are solid. Edie, you’re welcome to come and not bore me any time. Just as long as you are OK with hanging out in the lobby for just a second first. And bring Frankie. 
