Born the runt of her litter, Rascal continues to live with the humans who owned her mom until financial circumstances lead that family to abandoning her in the country. Over the following months, she learns to fend for herself, is brought into other human homes, and given many different names. Will she ever find a forever home and a forever name?

This book reminds me a lot of the <i>A Dog’s Purpose</i> series. If you like that series, you are likely to like this book, too! The story is mostly told from the point of view of Rascal, although at times it seems to be more from various humans’ point of view; it did not stay consistent. I liked the author’s note at the end, explaining that he actually adopted a dog whose life prior to coming home with the author could potentially have been much like Rascal’s life. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the narrator of the audiobook, especially the fact that we could sometimes hear her loud inhalations between sentences.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an audio ARC of this book.

A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green pulled me in with its cover. As an owner of German Shepherd Dogs for 30+ years, I was enticed to read the blurb, and then listen to the book. I am so thankful to #NetGalley and #Mindbuck Media Audio for allowing me to listen. This is an incredible book of one dog's story. I loved how the author wrote the story from the dog's perspective. Unfortunately she had some horrible experiences. That sweet pup went from loving home to abandonment, physical abuse, to doing whatever it took to survive. Finding a forever home was an emotional journey. Kelly McNair performed the book beautifully. She expressed the right emotions for the story. This book really packs a punch.

This book is the perfect example of why humans do not deserve dogs. There were so many times in listening to this that I wanted to climb through my phone and punch whatever human in the face. That said, it demonstrates really well why and how dogs are so unconditionally loving and just you know, the best.

This story made me think of The Miraculous Journey Edward Tulane except this dog, unlike the bunny, didn’t end up back where he started and THANKFULLY.
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Rascal is the runt of the litter beginning life as an underdog. Yet she is living a good life with the daughter of the family who bred her. That is until Rascal’s love and devotion is discarded after the mother loses her job. This incident puts the family into a financial crisis. The mood turns bitter and resentful toward innocent Rascal whom they can no longer afford to keep. And the truth is… they never really wanted her in the first place. The family just throws her away like a bag of garbage. They drive her out into the country and abandon her on the roadside, pouring out a bit of dry food on the ground. Rascal has nothing but a few pieces of kibble to help her survive a life in the wild for which she is unfamiliar and unprepared.
Abandoned and alone, Rascal must learn to fend for herself and embark on a harsh and dangerous journey through the rough terrain in the mountain wilderness of Northern California. Along the way, she is taken in by new families and strangers and is given many different names. But she needs a forever home. Will she ever settle with one family and one name?

This is a bittersweet and courageous story of survival, seen through the eyes of a scared and desperate dog who just wants to love, be loved, and if she could express it to be given one last name.

Narrator was very good for this story.

This was a neat audiobook for kids wise beyond their years. As a kid, I would've loved this. With the wear and tear of adulthood, it made me cry a few times. The narration was great.

I listened to the audible version of A Dog of Many Names. This was a story about a dog's struggle to find its forever home. There were times in the book that I nearly stopped and walked away from it altogether because the content was upsetting as an animal lover. And if triggers for animal abuse and neglect are an issue for you be warned that this story does contain both. I am, however, glad that I stuck with it despite how distressing it was at points because it was a lovely story overall. If you are a dog lover expect tears, expect anger and expect to be heavily invested in the struggles of this dog.

4 1/2 stars for me. It was a tough read at times for me because it hurt my heart but I would recommend this to anyone who can handle the emotional journey and who loves dogs.

Trigger warning for animal cruelty.

I received this audible book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.


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While I am typically fine with reading a story that does not end happily I have an issue reading anything where the ending is bad for the animal. Be assured this story has a happy ending. But, it is an emotional journey getting there.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book about a dog’s struggle for survival. My heart broke a little each time she lost a home and had to figure out how to survive in her new situation. This story also demonstrates how important patience and loving care is needed while rehabilitating and gaining the trust of a rescue dog.

This book shattered my heart into smithereens... The story of an abandoned dog in search of her name and her human...

The people the author created in this book, seen through the eyes of the dog, are forged from the depths of human depravity. And it is truly tragic that this world is filled with so many such people, with little humanity.

The dog in this book... I love her... She's everything beautiful, and brave... resilient, a survivor...

As a dog parent, with an avid interest in the biosociopsychology of dogs, I was quite fascinated with the author's insight about dogs (though some of the thoughts the author attributed to her were a little far fetched)...

This story also touched my heart, because... it is the story of every stray / streetie in India... adopted as a cute puppy, abandoned when they stopped being so cute... it is the story of every illegally bred runt, or over-bred female dog... it just might be the story of my puppy...

I choked up when I heard the author's note... that this was meant to be his dog's fictional biography before she came to him; because like my Batty her black-box before the author adopted her could only be guessed at...

Douglas, I'm so glad Aria found her name, and found you, her human... I'm so glad Aria found love, and care, and acceptance...

A puppy is born in a home. As the runt of the litter, she spends her days there loving and being loved until she is dumped in the forest because the family cannot afford her upkeep.

From then on, it is a constant battle for survival for Rascal. She learns a lot of things in the forest. She learns to hunt for food, to hide in plain sight, and to attack when troubled.

She is adopted by different people at different stages of her life and given different names. She is scared and untrusting of people. Will she ever get her forever home?

The story, narrated from the dog's POV (third person), is heartbreaking and heartening in equal measure. For every bad incident, there are things that make you believe in humanity. Above all, the story talks about the resilience of a dog.

I liked this book but not only because I love dogs. It was a good book if only a bit short. I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator too.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

4 stars.

I love dogs, and was assuming this would be a heartwarming tale of a dog seeking her fur-ever family -- something akin to Lassie Come Home maybe. It didn't quite meet my expectations, but I know there are other readers who will probably like the story better than me. I found it to be rather grim and dark, but of course it has good qualities too.

This is a gritty tale of survival, as our dog heroine is passed to her next owner, to the next, and the next. I gotta hand it to this dog... She is resilient and brave! One of the other things I liked is that at one point in her life, she lives with a Spanish-speaking family. I thought it was awesome that the author added the Spanish dialog into the story for diversity.

I would recommend this book for ages 13 and up. There are some mildly vulgar words and mentions of mature themes, including drinking, drugs, crime, and the dog becoming pregnant. The story mentions frequently about the dog's ancestral instincts, to the point where it seemed almost mystical.

Overall, it's a good story to see how the dog ends up in life. Plus, it's a fairly quick read!

Thank you NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book, it seemed to have The Call of the Wild vibes. It's a story of the life of a dog.

3.5/5 Stars A Dog of Many Names by Douglas Green
Narrated by Kelly McNair
Run Time: 4 hrs and 17 mins
Summary:
A fictional account of the fears developed by a female rescue German shepherd mix.

Additional Comments:
• Narration is 4, story is 3.
• Performance took a little getting used to because the narrator’s voice was a tad higher pitched than I find soothing and easy to listen to, but she did a nice job overall with the story she was given.
• The perspective narration (story not performance) was inconsistent. For example, it would say something like “the poking place” and then two paragraphs later be like “the veterinarian.” Or like “the hairy-faced man” and “kitchen.” I get it, but the level of sophistication kept jumping around like one of those beans.
• The story started out with the family, stayed with them for a while then switched over to the dog’s perspective and stayed there.
• Content warning: It’s clean-ish, but there was at least one scene description of dogs doing it I definitely could have done without. Some violence. A few scattered curse words
• Overall equal parts charming and annoying.

Conclusion:
If you want to hear a rambling tale about a dog, go for it. It’s like the gritty opposite version of homeward bound. Or the dog version of the foster kid’s crappy life journey to the loving forever home.
*I received a free copy of the audiobook. I have chosen to leave a review. All thoughts are my own.

Ahh, this was a tough one to listen to. This is a fictional account of what one dog goes through in her life on the path to finding her forever home, told from her perspective. The author bases his assumptions on his own rescue dog, though in the end says that he "bought" her from a couple? Anyway, this fictional dog goes through multiple homes, each lacking to some degree, and survives on her own for a time before being rescued.

I'm not sure who the intended audience is. Backyard breeders who are producing puppies to make a buck? Irresponsible owners? Abusive owners? Those working in rescue? While I won't say this is a bad book, it's not one I would recommend either. Those of us who work or volunteer with rescues don't need more sad tales and the others, I'm not sure this would hit home enough to change their ways (not that I think they'd actually read it). So yes, this pulls at the heartstrings, but I can't think of one person I'd recommend this to.

Thanks to Mindbuck Media Audio, Author's Republic, Circuit Breaker Books and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my review.

A dog of many names
By Douglas Green
The reality of the book is a sad story of human greed, abandonment, neglect, and evil. A young dog who was reluctantly taken by her family to be abandoned by the side of the road. Her struggles and triumphs as she tried to live in the ugly reality of the human world. Aspca would appreciate the confidence of this story and the reminder of the commitment to animals we have.

An eye-opening tale of a dog’s resilience upon abandonment and her journey of survival on the streets, flitting from human to human. I cried and fumed and cried some more. This was such a heart breaking tale of how careless, disrespectful and utterly ridiculous humans can be to animals. I highly recommend this to everyone just so we can get a different perspective of life and how we can be better people.