From the Mouths of Dogs

This isn't one of those books with a talking dog or one written from a dog's perspective that seem to be so popular lately. No, this is an intelligent, well thought-out book that tries to explain our connection with our pets. That's not an easy task, since that connection is based so much on emotions

I grew up with a dog who was literally my best friend. He died when I was 17, many years ago - and I still miss him. Sandy will always have a place in my heart. Now, we have a wonderful dog-sized cat who is the center of our world and I don't know what I'd do without him.

Our pets bring joy into our lives - and losing those pets brings sorrow; but as the book points out and we all know, the joy outweighs the sorrow

This is a fascinating book that outlines the long history of the love of our pets and shows what they can teach us. A must read for any pet owner.

Every pet owner should read this book. It's so beautiful. I got really emotional reading about these people and their experiences. They make such a great work and care so much for the animals.

My childhood dog passed away last year (she was 16, I'm 25) and I still miss her every day. I got a new dog a few days ago and I'm starting all over again, because my first dog taught me all the lessons we find in these stories. Their love is always worth it, no matter what.

Thank you BJ Hollars for writing this book!

From the Mouths of Dogs does not simply look at what dogs teach us through the general act of being our companions but what they teach us in times of difficulty or pain. Though some aspects of the book will make any dog lover tear up, these instances are examined for what we as humans learn.

Some of the lessons come from talking with a county humane officer, a blind woman who uses a guide dog, a pet cemetery owner as well as others involved in taking in dogs or building aids for dogs with physical ailments. Through all of these chapters, Hollars interjects both statistics to support the anecdotal aspects as well some personal stories which ultimately form the thread that ties the book together.

I would recommend this book for any dog/animal lover as well as anyone considering a pet or a career in any type of animal related position. An engaging read with a lot of heart.

Reviewed from an ARC made available by the publisher via NetGalley.

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the Mouths of Dogs is definitely a book for the dog lover. I particularly enjoyed the chapters on pet cemetaries (to be distinguished from Stephen King’s Pet Semetary), services dogs, dog othortotics and the often dark times of those that toil in the animal welfare field. Not for the faint of heart, it is nevertheless a very balanced treatment of a very sensitive subject of animal control and animal welfare. Hollars maintains his journalistic balance of views, despite his obviously strong feelings on the topic, and I applaud that.

To anyone that thinks that pets are not a “serious” topic for a nonfiction book, I would merely point to the fact, as Hollars points out, that we, the pet loving public, spend more billions of dollars on our pets each year than the government allocates to Homeland Security.

Fluctuated between 3 ½ to 4 stars for me. 4 stars to the more informative sections, 3 to 3 ½ to the more autobiographical sections. But that is just a subjective preference and not the fault of the author.

Also published on Google Plus and Twitter.

If you love animals, you need to read From the Mouths of Dogs. The book is a powerful tribute to our beloved pets and a testament to how much they influence our lives. Hollars also addresses issues we often shy away from discussing.

Through the chapters, Hollars interviews a wide range of people about their experiences, from humane officers and a woman running an adoption facility for senior dogs to the family of Bruiser, a bulldog whose impairments require a specially designed orthotic. Hollars explores places like the Hartsdale Pet Cemetery, the country's oldest and largest pet cemetery, as well as the nature of the bond between a woman and her seeing-eye-dog.

Some stories will make you laugh and smile. Others will bring tears to your eyes. What unites all of them is the clear bond between dogs and their humans and the immense impact they make on our lives. Hollars is a wonderful narrator. He does an excellent job demonstrating how much we can learn from our beloved pets.

From the Mouths of Dogs is a perfect choice for any animal lover.

5/5

I received a copy of From the Mouths of Dogs from the publisher and Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

--Crittermom

A perfect book for the dog lover in your life

http://muttcafe.com/2015/11/from-the-mouths-of-dogs/

11/9/15

As a dog lover, this book is a must. I cried in parts but it was just an honest doggy book. Very Informative and a lovely read

Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (30 November 2015)
ISBN: 978-0803277298
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4*
Synopsis:
What is it that dogs have done to earn the title of “man’s best friend”? And more broadly, how have all of our furry, feathered, and four-legged brethren managed to enrich our lives? Why do we love them? What can we learn from them? And why is it so difficult to say good-bye? Join B.J. Hollars as he attempts to find out—beginning with an ancient dog cemetery in Ashkelon, Israel, and moving to the present day.

Hollars’s firsthand reports recount a range of stories: the arduous existence of a shelter officer, a woman’s relentless attempt to found a senior-dog adoption facility, a family’s struggle to create a one-of-a-kind orthotic for its bulldog, and the particular bond between a blind woman and her Seeing Eye dog. The book culminates with Hollars’s own cross-country journey to Hartsdale Pet Cemetery—the country’s largest and oldest pet cemetery—to begin the long-overdue process of laying his own childhood dog to rest.

Through these stories, Hollars reveals much about our pets but even more about the humans who share their lives, providing a much-needed reminder that the world would be a better place if we took a few cues from man’s best friend.
Review:
This is a fascinating collection of first hand accounts about the relationship that man has with dog - various people and various dogs, the string bonds that are forged and the complex relationships that we have with our four legged friends.
This book is heartwarming and, for the most part, made me (an ardent dog lover) smile and even shed a few tears. I find animal cruelty of any kind abominable, and it affects me so much more if a dog is involved. Dogs can suffer dreadful cruelty at the hands of man and yet can learn to trust again - I think humans could do with thinking a bit more like dogs!
I'd recommend this to all dog lovers and would like to thank the publisher for being kind enough to send me a digital copy, via NetGalley, in return for an honest review.

I’d rather go to the dogpark

From the Mouths of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us About Life, Death, and Being Human by B. J. Hollars (University of Nebraska Press, $24.95).

Full disclosure: I suffer from Doggie Deficit Disorder, having lived in a no-pets apartment for the last decade.

That may explain why B. J. Hollars’ From the Mouths of Dogs: What Our Pets Teach Us About Life, Death, and Being Human had me laughing and crying, occasionally at the same time. Or maybe it’s just that anyone who has ever loved a dog knows that our interactions with our canine companions define what it means to be both human and humane.

Hollars approaches the subject through personal essays, in which he examines his own relationships with dogs first. Then, moving outward from his own experience, he writes about spending the day with an animal control officer; a family that worked to make it possible for their dog, Bruiser, to have the orthotics he needed to be mobile; another disabled dog, Gretchen, who could not be helped to walk; and a dog essentially on death row for killing a cat—but definitely not convicted beyond a reasonable doubt.

Throughout, Hollars’ writing gifts—he teaches creative nonfiction at the University of Wisconsin—take what might otherwise be overly sentimental stories of dog-love and elevates them into tales of finding our own selves mirrored in our pets’ eyes.