Jon Katz's dog books:

Sorry, just wanted to vent about these and maybe start a discussion.

I read the first one several years ago, guy gets given a 2 y/o border collie with issues. He allows it to escape from the yard when he is run over. Behavioural issues get worse, so he takes him sheepherding - ok fair enough. Then he gets another puppy.

The bits that really stood out in a negative way - he threw a ball for hia lab into a flooded river and it almost drowns, does the same with a storm drain. At least one lab is PTS very early (for what he later called the start of mild HD). He admits to shouting at the scared, confused BC and repeatedly hitting him with a metal poopscoop.

Got the 2nd book as a gift, again some very dodgy dog handling (won't call it training because it wasn't). He was previously advised to spend some time bonding with his other male dog because they were having their own issues, instead he bought another new puppy. That makes the problem worse, so he rehomes the male (ok fair enough, sounds like the dog was far better off). Seems like he's making some progress with Orson the male with issues and the book ends with him getting - you guessed it another puppy, this time a lab. Overall it wasn't that bad of a book.

Got the 3rd book (A good dog) as a gift. Read it last night and was absolutely fuming at it. Very quickly after reading the rehashed material at the start of the book, I realised where it was heading. There was no mention of the progress he had made in the last book.
And Orson nips at 3 people, drawing blood. The bites were totally preventable, owner knew that he was nippy with people coming into his area but was leaving him where workmen could get to him. He had him in a pen, low enough for people to reach over - unsurprisingly he bit 2 of them.

Then Katz calls a shaman rather than a dog trainer, poo-poohs the idea of raising the fence because the dog wouldn't like it, refused to consider rehoming him, refused to have a brain scan recommended by the vet because it was too expensive and ignores the progress he makes with accupuncture (that vet said Orson was in pain from the old injury where he was hit by a car).

Result, a one way trip to the vet and...... yet another new puppy.
(Incidentally he later rehomed this lab puppy and the one he got at the end of the second book).

Ok I know that was really long but I was completely appalled. Just seems like this dude gives up whenever things get too difficult but there's also a little doubt in my mind that says he's selling books based on his dogs - and drama sells books.

Yes I believe that there are some dogs (very, very few) are beyond reasonable help but I just read this book, 'watching' as a dog had his issues exacerbated by his situation and owner - who didn't give him the help he needed because it was easier to just give up and get a puppy.

 Quote: Tanith Wheeler

... I was completely appalled.

You are not alone.

Here are a few reader reviews that summarize the books for those who might be drawn in by the cover or by one book's reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Year-Twelve-Months-Four/product-reviews/0812966902/ref=cm_rdphist_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar

I sent him an email to tell him exactly how I felt.... and I was channelling Ed Frawley!

His name has long been a dirty word on Border Collie forum I frequent.

He's never kept any of his dogs for their natural life - either has them PTS or rehomes them and is on to the next dog. Poor Orson was set up to fail on every level.

His method of "training" a sheepdog is to put the youngster out with the sheep to let them figure out what to do with them. This is totally opposite of how they should be trained - you never let the dogs out on their own to just work the sheep to learn how to do it! You're supposed to be out there training them and setting them up for success. I've seen some videos of him "training" his dogs on sheep - they're pretty pathetic.

He is all about himself throughout his books - when I read his account of lambing season I was like "you've got to be kidding" In all his drama he barely survives lambing season with 10 ewes (huh? I was lambing out 20 ewes and going to school when I was 17).

He's been on the radio promoting such ideas that "rescue dogs have issues because they're rescues and there is nothing you can do about it" and "dogs only live 7 or 8 years"

And he switches gears to appeal to the audience - in the space of about 5 years he went from "Border Collies are the greatest and never get a rescue dog cause they all have issues" to "labs and rescue dogs are the way to go"

He's not about the dogs, he's all about himself.

 Quote: tanith wheeler

I sent him an email to tell him exactly how I felt.... and I was channelling Ed Frawley!

LOL!

You used Ed's "style," huh? Good!

 Quote: mara jessup

His name has long been a dirty word on Border Collie forum I frequent.

He's never kept any of his dogs for their natural life - either has them PTS or rehomes them and is on to the next dog.

Sickening, IMHO. Sickening that unsuspecting folks spend money on his books.

These people hope their reviews will stop a few people in time:
http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Year-Twelve-Months-Four/product-reviews/0812966902/ref=cm_rdphist_1?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&filterBy=addOneStar

A few quotes:

He is making money from the misery his own dog ownership is imposing. Consider that purchasing his books will encourage him to spread tales of his poor actions and decisions.

... the epitome of the stupid, narcississtic dog buyer whose actions fiill our shelters with "broken" or "not quite right for me" dogs.

Rest in peace, Julius and Stanley. Too bad your master couldn't have shown you the loyalty you showed him in your old age.

I despise him for pretending his dog was a service dog (ok, the author even doesn't know the difference between service and therapy dog) in order to "take him places".

This book is a self-interested rambling mess.

He created an industry out of his dogs and has no idea what it means to be a responsible dog owner.

He still around? thought he disappeared or was indicted or something

he switched gears, got a new wife, a new farm, new dogs, etc...

He usually switches gears when he is sufficiently called out in one area...

FWIW, before he stumbled into dogs he was emailing back and forth with an Afghan teenager Afghan email story

WHACK JOB!!!! Jon Katz not Tanith.

After reading "A Good Dog" I would never read another one of his books. You are absolutely right! He did set this dog up to fail over and over again. I could not believe how this book ended.