A Dog of Many Names

Even though A Dog of Many Names is a short 170 page book, it has the impact of a book with a thousand pages. It follows Rascal/Reina/Ilse throughout a big part of her life in which she has to survive and has to adapt in order to do so. A Dog of Many Names is about change, and how it isn't always easy.

The book is quick-paced, it doesn't drag and the writing style is easy to read. The emotional impact however, is quite big. I had tears in my eyes while reading some parts of the story, trying way too hard not to let them fall because I was sitting in a car with several other people. 😂

A Dog of Many Names stands out because it doesn't have a real antagonist. It's a character-driven story in which we see that good people can still have bad moments, and that bad people can still show compassion. It's about growth, progression and development, both physical and emotional.

If you're looking for a short book that will emotionally destroy you, A Dog of Many Names is your book!

An interesting book written in the perspective of the dog. The author does a great job of capturing the dog’s thoughts and behaviors to tell a very compelling story.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Almost everyone loves dogs, right? A Dog of Many Names tells the story of just that, from the point of view of the dog! Starting at the beginning of her life, this dog is loved by a little girl who lives in a family that struggles. The dog gets played with, enjoys lots of hugs (even if they are a bit too tight sometimes!), and is well cared for. But then money gets tight and something terrible happens. That sets our adorable and loving main character out into the world for a series of adventures, misadventures, a lot of scary encounters, and many more families that treat her very differently. Along the way, our furry main character is given many different names, some affectionate, others a bit less so. (which is why I am not naming her in this blog entry)

Throughout this book, any dog loving reader will wonder just how a human could possibly treat an animal in some of these ways, but the reader will also be astonished at the dog's perseverance, strength, and luck. I really enjoyed this book and you will root for her every step along her journey!

I am a sucker for an animal story. I love dogs (though more of a cat person any more). It just kills me that there are people out there who could turn on a furry child. I hear heartbreaking stories of animals left behind with too much regularity. Always brings me to tears. The rescue dogs and cats on the news trying to find new homes- they all look so eager to please their new families, so full of hope. Humans can be the worst. Dog is a very strong soul. I Loved this story and have recommended it to fellow animal lovers.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is a sad tale of Rascal, a pup born out of a German Shepherd mother and a roving Romeo father. Rascal's original owners were the worst kind of greeders - those who breed dogs for income with no thought of health clearances, dog sport titles, etc. When Rascal's family had some financial difficulties, she was dumped out in the country. From that point Rascal (who was renamed several times on her journey) went from temporary owner to temporary owner, never finding a real home until she finds herself totally on her own.

I have to admit I found parts of this book very hard to read, however I think it might open people's eyes as to what can happen to a dog with irresponsible owners.

This review was written by Elza from www.elzareads.blogspot.com Elza is a fluffy white kitten and felt she had to write a review in the form of a letter to the dog of many names:

Dear Rascal/Reina/Ilse/Catnip/Artemis/Ares/Athena,

I am sitting on my Mommy's lap as I'm typing this letter to you. I am not too proud to admit that my bloomers are shaking in fear that you might want to come over for kibbles and cream. Let's just get one thing straight, that is not going to happen. Somehow I don't think you will be as interested in the kibbles as in me.

Okay, now that we have a clear understanding - thank you for sending me your story. I'm also not too proud to admit that it touched me dearly and I had to comfort my crying Mommy more than once.

If you read our about info, you will see that I am also a rescue. But the word is as far as the similarities go. I've never gone without a prepared meal, or a warm blanky, or loving arms for one night in my little life (at least what I can remember). I am aware how fortunate I am and I can honestly imagine how dreadful all those nights had to be for you. And that after you were born with so much love to give.
"All dogs love big, but for Rascal, love stunned."
I think my dog Momma, Lea, understands that. Lea came from a puppy mill. She was adopted by Mommy and Daddy when she was who knows how old. Perhaps about 4 weeks. She's just like you. Love stuns her. But I tell you, she's the best Momma ever. She raised all of us. Yes, I am a cat and she's a dog. You are not confused here.


I really sometimes struggle to understand just how humans can justify all the things they put us animals through. And that after the Big Guy Upstairs specifically gave them an instruction to take care of us. Won't it be perfect justice if there's a place where the roles can simply get reversed? But wait, I am loosing track of my story. Or rather, your story.
I was very glad to read that you at least knew that your gorgeous German Shepard Momma loved you and taught you how to be a good dog. No human or any other living scoundrel can ever take that away from you. Unlike humans, animals inherently stays the same. Even if our name and where we get to sleep have to change.

"Since dogs don't get to choose their lives, she took a breath and relaxed into what she liked about the newness, and let the oldness go, until the time it might return."

How difficult it must have been for you. So many bad things happened to you and you were so young. I'm sure you didn't understand half of what happened and even though you felt that it was all your fault, I can promise you - it wasn't. I know you feel that all those people just left you and they didn't like you anymore. If there wasn't a cat around to tell you that you are a smelly, stupid dog - then it wasn't you. I promise you that. Only a cat is allowed to make a dog feel inferior and not worth much.

We finished your lovely story in one sitting and we had to wake Daddy up to let him know that a wonderful human finally found you and rescued your heart. I think his groans was mostly happy. We love humans like Doug and we honestly hope there really is a place where roles will one day be reversed.

Thank you so much Doug, Tom and Catherine, Wendy, Cindy and all the people who see us and rescue us. We purr you, we bark you, we trumpet you, we roar you. We thank you from the bottoms of our hearts.

Lots of Love,

Elza

Rascal was the runt of the litter, devoted to the daughter of the family who bred her. Discarded when the family has a financial crisis, Rascal was thrown away with only a few pieces of kibble to help her survive the night. She had to survive in the mountain wilderness of Northern California, meeting various families that gave her different names. All she wants is one family and one name


I remember reading books like this when younger, and scenes from those novels still stick in my mind long after I've forgotten the author names or even the title. Sometimes the imagery and the emotion are just so vivid, they leave an imprint, and I remember them now because this book is the same way. The reader knows more about what happens to Rascal at each stage along her journey, from the financial problems of her first family, the illegal status of the second, the potential reasons for wanting to make her fight in the third, and then life in the wild.

She sought to survive, no matter what, and the abuse she lived through left her in fear of people that looked or behaved in similar ways. This book is the author's way of explaining a potential path his dog had taken before she came to him, and he imbued Rascal with the emotions and drive that any main character would have. She's a defender of the less fortunate, having been one herself, and is quite an endearing dog.

This is a Must Read book for all animal lovers!! It's a heartbreaking beautiful story told from a dog's view. This book will make you laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. I highly recommend this book. Thank you Circuit Breaker Books via NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’d like to thank Circuit Breaker Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘A Dog of Many Names’ by Douglas Green in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The smallest and weakest of the litter, Rascal lives with Fred, Myrna and their daughter Angela until money gets tight and they leave her alone in the woods to fend for herself. As she learns to scavenge for food she encounters strangers, mostly good but some not so good in whose hands she experiences suffering, as she hopes that eventually she’ll find humans she can trust.

‘A Dog Of Many Names’ is a short story that will pull at your heartstrings and make you want you to adopt this lovely dog who’s so desperately looking for love and someone to care for her. We follow the adventures of Rascal seen through her eyes as she’s given the names of Reina, Ilse and Catnip, and as she fights for her very existence. It’s an enjoyable story that’s easy to read and gives me hope there’ll be a happy ending for this gritty and determined dog.

Fred and Myrna Corbett live in an unpopular part of California and struggle to make ends meet. Their only real asset is their pedigree German Shepherd, Greta. So they breed her, producing puppies that bring them a respectable amount of money annually. When somebody wasn’t looking, Greta became pregnant by some other canine interloper. Rascal was the runt of that litter. She’s a skittish little pup that the owners can’t quite figure out. But their young daughter, Angela, who gave the little puppy it’s name loves her. Rascal’s behavior generally consists of a mixture of excitement and fear. She both relishes and recoils at affection. She hides under flowering bushes in the yard instead of doing normal dog things. But still Angela adores her.

Flash forward a little and the Corbetts, no longer profiting from Greta, are once again falling on hard times. The last thing they need is a dog that’s contributing to their hardship so little rascal is discarded like trash and left to fend for herself.

A Dog of Many Names is about Rascal’s attempts at survival in a sometimes harsh and cruel world. She bounces from place to place and her name changes with each new human she temporarily finds herself with. She’s confused and unsure why she keeps getting mistreated by these humans that seemed to care about her. The adversity is strengthening her and summoning her animal instincts to protect her, and she’s learning how to navigate her harsh reality.

I love animals, and I’m a sucker for a good dog story, especially one featuring a German Shepherd, so I was immediately interested in reading this book. However, I should have paid more attention to the description. I was anticipating more of a Lassie type story, but what I got was very different. Rascal’s quest for survival involved the hunting of innocent animals and violent, brutal and bloody fights with others. Not my thing. I understand the food chain and all that, but hey, everyone has their preferences for reading material.

Overall, the story wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t for me. And admittedly, I did put the book down and almost DNF’d it earlier on before the more violent scenes because my interest waned. I struggled to connect with it. But I decided to pick it back up and finish it since it was a relatively short book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of A Dog of Many Names.

“A dog is not a thing. A thing is replaceable. A dog is not. A thing is disposable. A dog is not. A thing doesn’t have a heart. A dog’s heart is bigger than any “thing” you can ever own.”

– Elizabeth Parker

A Dog of Many Names tells the story of Rascal, a dog that is abandoned by her family. This book is told from the dog's perspective so we get to know her feelings, fears and thoughts. Spoiler Alert: You will end up emotionally destroyed if you are too empathetic and emotional.

Ever since I saw the cover of this book I knew I would love it. And I loved it. This book is amazing, from the writing to the message we learn at the end of the book. It is a fairly quick and understandable reading, without losing any quality. I loved this book.

I am a person who loves dogs, in fact I have rescued and adopted 16 of them, so reading this book was quite painful for me. I cried while reading almost all the chapters and this book touched my heart in a thousand different ways.

I do not understand how it is possible that there are such cruel people who harm animals in that way and do not feel guilty. The detailed descriptions of her appearance, pain, suffering and sadness were so real that it hurt too much.

I found the way in which he so realistically described the life of a stray animal extremely interesting. It is not only hunger and thirst, it is being physically attacked, fighting with other animals, feeling extreme cold and heat. Here in this book, I was able to read a bit of all of this.

I am very grateful to NetGalley for giving me a free advanced reader copy (e–ARC). Having the opportunity to read this book was splendid and I certainly enjoyed this roller coaster of emotions. Thanks!

Hey folks, daddy Steve here. Been a while since I reviewed a book but it’s not because I am not reading. I still am. Still reading doggiebooks. Take this book here, A Dog of Many Names, by author Douglas Green, well I finished reading it back at the beginning of July. Got like 12 more to talk to you about so stay tuned!

First, this one here. Very interesting book, even if at times a bit sad. It’s all told through the eyes of one dog, from her birth, through all the happines but also all the difficulties she goes through in her life. Made me realize that not all dog live the happy life that my boy Malcolm lives. But there is a lot of love in this world, enough for all the good dogs.

Mini spoiler: the dog doesn’t die. 😉

It’s a recommended read if you are a dog lover, but be ready to maybe shed a few tears. I did.

Huge thanks to NetGalley who provided a free eBook advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. This is as honest as it gets... The book is available now.

#Malcolmstories #doggiebooks
#NetGalley #ADogOfManyNames

loved this as a use of a dog as the narrator, this was a really good piece. I had a great time reading this book and enjoyed going through this.