A Good Dog - The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life

By Jon Katz .  Brand new paperback.

'From the moment Jon Katz and Orson meet, when the beautiful border collie springs from his traveling crate at Newark airport and panics the baggage claim area, their relationship is deep, stormy, and loving. At two years old, Katz's new companion is a great herder of school buses but a dud at herding sheep. Everything Katz attempts - from obedience training to acupuncture - helps a little but not enough, and not for long. Aided by good neighbors and a tolerant wife, the man and his canine companion explore meadows, woods, and even stars, wade through snow, bask by a roaring wood stove and struggle to keep faith with each other. "Like all border collies and many dogs," Katz writes, "he needed work. I didn't realize for some time I was the work Orson would find." Ultimately, this is a story of great joy and heartbreak, as Katz faces the most difficult decision any dog lover has to make.'