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Most people who know me, know that I love, love dogs. I also love books about dogs. The following four are favourites. Muster Dogs: From Pups to Pros by Lisa Miller is a book that I read recently. The other three were read two years ago and have stayed with me.

Muster dogs: From Pups to Pros by Lisa Miller

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When Muster Dogs was first shown on TV in 2022, it audiences immediately loved it. Five very cute and boisterous Kelpie pups were adopted by farmers across Australia and underwent an intensive training program. The puppies very quickly became TV stars. The challenge was to see if they could learn to herd and muster within a year, which is a much shorter time that it usually takes to train a muster dog. The trainers were interested to see if their natural abilities enabled them to be quickly trained. With the guidance of expert breeders and trainers, these dogs and their new handlers demonstrated not only the puppies’ capabilities but also how using dogs can improve stock and farm management.

Lisa Miller, author and narrator of the TV show was among those who fell in love with these gorgeous and very clever puppies. Lisa shares her journey over two television seasons, updating us on the human and canine characters from series 1 and introducing us to five new collie pups, their trainers, and the challenges of season 2. Lisa writes that Muster Dogs profoundly impacted her life.

I decided to listen to the audio book instead of reading the book. I loved both series of Muster Dogs and I had no doubt that I’d enjoy the book. However I couldn’t see how the series, with it’s gorgeously cute, photogenic puppies, could translate to an audio book. I very quickly found that I was very wrong in my thinking. Lisa Miller, also narrates the audio book, so it feels like there is a continuation and feeling of taking up where the TV show left off. Muster Dogs also describes behind the scenes on a TV show like this, with it’s difficulties and funny moments of working with dogs.

Published January 1, 2024
292 pages, Paperback

Good Dogs Don’t make it to the South Pole by Hans-Olav Thyvold

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Good Dogs Don’t Make It to the South Pole is quite a dark, funny and whimsical story of aging and death, told through the eyes of a grumpy yet lovable dog. This very sweet story proves that sometimes a dog’s story more human than we would imagine.

Tassen has always been a one-man dog, completely devoted to Major Thorkildsen. When the Major passes away, Tassen and Mrs. Thorkildsen are left to go through their grief alone. Tassen mourns by indulging in too many treats, while Mrs. Thorkildsen turns to drinking. Despite their sadness and emptiness, they find solace in a shared interest: researching Roald Amundsen’s expedition to the South Pole, led by a courageous pack of dogs.

Their quiet days at the library are soon disrupted by the arrival of Mrs. Thorkildsen’s son and daughter-in-law, who plan to move into the Major’s huge house and send Mrs. Thorkildsen to a nursing home. As Tassen contemplates his own uncertain future, he shudders at the thought of what might happen to him. However, inspired by Amundsen and his dogs, Tassen and Mrs. Thorkildsen find the strength to face whatever challenges come their way.

I picked this book up because the dog on the cover was just so cute and irresistable. At first, I thought it was a lightweight book of cute dog stories, but nothing could be further from the truth.

As Mrs. Thorkildson ages and her health declines, Tassen is by her side, listening to her relate the story of an expedition and the role dogs played. Tassen’s thoughts on hearing the story are very funny and yes, exactly what a dog would surely think.

There are so many animal insights in this book, some comical and some sad as he has imagined conversations with himself about what he sees around him and what he supposes Mrs. Thorkildsen is up to.

Even though there is a thread of humour through the book, the story is definitely not light and superficial. As an older person, I could very much identify with the  themes of  ageing, death, companionship and life. I enjoyed this book very much.

Published August 2020
320 Pages

Love, Clancy: A Dog’s Letters Home by Richard Glover