Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of This Dog Will Change Your Life. I am absolutely the target audience for this book. I’ve followed The Dogist on Instagram for a while and love his videos. He seems like such a genuine person and I loved the stories throughout this book. He has had some pretty amazing opportunities. It was cool to read about all of the incredible organizations involving dogs and just the way they change peoples lives everyday.

I’ve always been a dog lover. Yes I cried several times while reading this and yes we truly don’t deserve dogs.

3.75 stars, rounded up.
thank you, firstly to netgalley, the dogist, and random house publishing for this arc copy of “this dog will change your life”. it arrives june 3, 2025.
i read much of this while my service dog was close by so my favorite parts were parts about sully.
the part about capturing biden’s dogs were interesting too.
some of this definitely felt very subjective and outwardly wrong and doesn’t seem to shy from oodly mutts, which i don’t love. i did appreciate a general consensus of adopt or shop responsibly and an understanding at many points of purpose breeding.
overall this was in a way a look at our modern connection with dogs through a photo based blogs lens. in many ways it reminded me of my tattered copy of chicken noodle soup for the dog lovers soul i had as a kid.

A very good book about dogs, what they mean to us, and some organizations that help them. The ARC did not contain the photos, so I think I would have liked it even more with them. The book was well-written and appreciated the different stories.

The perfect book to read with your own furry friend curled up against your side.

To be honest, I finished this book quickly but kept finding reasons not to review it in order to be able to hang onto it a bit longer, so to speak. Yes, I enjoyed it thoroughly. And, yes, much of it was read with my own rescue, Daisy, curled up next to me or snoozing on my feet, one of her favorite spots. I think it's to make sure I don't go anywhere without here. The author, who I'm almost embarrassed to admit that while I've heard of him, I'd never checked out his Dogist site, would probably know. It was great fun to sort of travel along with him as he talks about his childhood dogs through the creation of his Dogist site.

His love of dogs shines through even when he shares a few not-so-fun experiences as he learned the best way to approach and handle his mostly random encounters with dogs and their humans. I found his thoughts on not staring into a strange to you dog's eyes interesting, for instance. His thoughts on puppy mills and rescue are equally thoughtful and shows his disciplined approach to learning more about all aspects of the dog world.

I won't detail the text as those familiar with his photography are probably more familiar with him than I was when I started this book. To be honest, I think I was expecting a sweet book of dog photos, some of which are included. After all, that is how I became aware of him, but was impressed by his depth and ability to share this thoughts in a conversational manner that made this an easy, enjoyable read. Instinctively, I think most dog fans know how dogs touch our lives but it's nice to see it laid out in print and I found myself taking extensive notes. Heck, even designer dogs, if that's the right turn, are discussed, as is the toll on those who rescue. My Daisy is a rescue, so I have the utmost respect for them, that's for sure. I even learned about a distant cousin, so to speak, of the corgi, the Lancaster Heeler, so there's much to learn here, too. Bottom line, if you love dogs, you will love this book. My sincere thanks to #RandomHousePublishingHouse for giving me this early peek at this book. Dogs do change us for the better, that's for sure.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

I've been a fan of The Dogist for several years and was so excited to read this book. It didn't disappoint! As a golden retriever mom, I was happy to see goldens mentioned a lot. My favorite parts were the chapters about working dogs and service dogs. Some of those stories brought tears. Never ceases to amaze me how much dogs bring to your life. Every dog lover should read this.

Having followed The Dogist on Instagram, I knew I'd want to read This Dog Will Change Your Life. Just watching Mr. Friedman interact with dogs and their owners on the street is enough to show how much affection we have towards our pets. The book is extremely well written, with historical facts and personal anecdotes about his own dogs that really touch the reader. I saw the author venture into cat territory once but have no fear, he's no Catist. Elias Weiss Friedman has written a book that will resonate with dog owners everywhere
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book will change your perception of dogs. I have loved seeing Elias Weiss Friedman talking to dog owners and photographing dogs, getting only their best sides. Throughout the book, he describes how dogs make such a huge impact on their human families, from service dogs to family pets. He is transparent with the stories he tells about his friends, the people he meets along the way, and even himself.

Elias has travelled the world and encountered dogs in all kinds of situations. His heart is easily discerned through his stories and through his pictures. When he talks of his friends and their dogs, the love shines through. When he encounters street dogs his heart breaks for them. His anger burns at puppy mills, his love shines through when dogs are obtained through reputable breeders or adopted from a rescue agency. He applauds fostering--even when it fails and the foster becomes the pet adopter.

This book may not change your life, but it will give insight into dogs and dog owners. I loved it.

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a dog to love you forever.

Random House Publishing Group provided the copy of this book for me to read. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

This book was everything I'd hoped it'd be, and more. Friedman does a wonderful job conveying the impact dogs can have on our lives. I so thoroughly enjoyed his own story as well. I've been a longtime fan of his work, and can't wait to share this title with my friends.

This is a fun read for dog-lovers, and it will surely be picked up by the author's legion of fans on his Instagram account, the Dogist. Friedman writes in a conversational style, and while it does tend to ramble in sections, it's an enjoyable, light, and engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
Any dog lover will enjoy this book. The Dogist has such a fun and fascinating "job". He writes with an obvious love of dogs and the relationship between dogs and their humans. I enjoyed the chapters on the working dogs the most, such as the guide dogs for the blind and the hunting dogs.

I could not put this book down! This well-written book will open your eyes to the many dogs who need homes and those who have found homes and what you can do to ensure that dogs can live their best life. Dogs certainly make all our lives better.