Dancing Dogs: Stories

by Jon Katz

No one brings to life the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs like New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz. He has warmed our spirits with enchanting tales and keen observations of his animal menagerie—the dogs, sheep, chickens, and other residents of Bedlam Farm. Now, Katz is back with what he does best in his first collection of short stories, Dancing Dogs.

With his signature insight and gift for storytelling, Katz shares sixteen stories about one of life’s most unique relationships: In the title story, a housekeeper loses her job, but discovers her four-legged “children” have some toe-tapping talents that just may get the whole family back on its feet. In “Puppy Commando,” a shy grade-school outcast forges an instant connection with a beagle puppy she meets at a shelter—and risks everything to keep him. “Gracie’s Last Walk” features a woman who must find a way to say goodbye to her beloved golden retriever—but ends up saying hello to someone unexpected. “The Dog Who Kept Men Away” shows that not all humans pass the “sniff” test when it comes to canines, who possess an excellent judge of character. And in “Guardian Angel,” a widower going through a painful transition finds the greatest comfort in the unlikeliest of sources—a funny-looking pug named Gus.

Whether sitting, staying, and rolling over, in the barnyard, shelters, or home, sweet, home, the creatures in Dancing Dogs are genuinely inspiring and utterly memorable.


Gracie's last walk
Yankee dog
Instinct test
Old dogs
Luther and Minnie in Heaven
Day in the life of Pearl and Joan
The surrender bay
Away to me
Guardian angel
Dancing dogs
Lucky's day
Puppy commando
Laura Passerby
The dog who kept men away
Barn cat
Ernie and the bottled-water contest

Genres: Short Stories, Animals, Dogs, Fiction, Contemporary, Cats

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 25, 2012

About the author

Jon Katz is an author, photographer, and children's book writer. He lives on Bedlam Farm with his wife, the artist Maria Wulf, his four dogs, Rose, Izzy, Lenore and Frieda, two donkeys, Lulu and Fanny, and two barn cats. His next book, "Rose In A Storm" will be published by Random House on October 5.
He is working on a collection of short stories and a book on animal grieving.

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Jon Katz' dog memoirs, and I was curious whether his short stories would read as well. They do; actually in some ways I think that these stories allow Katz to show off his talents as a writer in a way not possible with non-fiction. Here, the narrator is not restricted to Katz himself - in one story the narrator is an old farmer, in another a middle aged woman clerking in a big box store, and in another a dog, home alone and far from bored. The characters in Katz' stories are not only individualized in terms of gender, age, and even species, they are also believable. Katz loves dogs, his characters love dogs, his dogs sometimes loves cats, and his cats even befriend roosters. In Katz' stories, across all variation, a deep love for the animals who share our lives is manifest. And his sympathy for humans, despite many of our obvious limitations, is apparent throughout as well.

[Annie Z. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really I would give this book a 4.5 ⭐️ rating. The stories are soulful and heart wrenching. The very first story had me literally sobbing. I love the mix and variety of stories. The narrator did a really good job also.

[Melanie Brinkman]

There truly is no more loyal of a friend than a dog.

Dancing Dogs is a collection of short stories featuring dogs and the lives they touch. Each story is unique with the lives of dogs from all walks of life.

Dancing Dogs was kind of a mixed bag on the quality of each story. Some like Guardian Angel, and Dancing Dogs were heartwarmingly sweet. Some were some made me tear up with both happiness and sadness. Some left me questioning what I would do in these situations. And some left me thinking what the heck?

Jon Katz writes in very simplistic terms. His writing isn't extremely elegant, in fact it's lightly amateur. It's not a complete deterrence though because simplicity is almost a core value of these stories. These are stories driven by pure love to do the right thing wether it's told from the eyes of a human or animal.

This isn't a purely happy-go-lucky sort of dog book. It's realistic and there isn't a lot of fanfare to make the sad stories seemed happy and fluffy. There is truly a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly.


I would read more by this author.

[Victoria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Short stories have never been my favorite medium, but dogs are among my favorite characters in fiction, so I hoped that this would be a fun collection - perfect to take along with me for a weekend at the lake house. Unfortunately, this is only the perfect collection to accompany a box of tissues and a private room - well, unless you are a pretty crier and don’t mind when people keep asking you what’s wrong! From the very first story, “Gracie’s Last Walk,” Katz opens with - as the title suggests - loss. This theme of loss and death appears directly or in passing within several of the other stories (“Yankee Dog”, “Old Dogs,” “Guardian Angel”). One positive attribute that is featured in nearly every story is the importance of animal shelters. Though many purebred dogs are mentioned here, it is shelters and rescue organizations that are highlighted (in nearly every single story) - and their uphill battle makes dog-lovers want to go and adopt another dog after some of the stories (“The Surrender Bay”, “Puppy Commando,” “Laura Passerby”). And though the collection focuses on dogs - other animals are featured, too (“Barn Cat,” “). Katz also plays with point-of-view in several stories and sets them in rather unusual locations (“Day in the Life of Pearl and Joan,” “Luther and Minnie in Heaven”). The theme that surprised me the most, and really added to the overall depressing nature of the collection was the mention of economics. Like the importance of shelters, almost every story had a character out of work, or in financial trouble, or made mention of how much more difficult it is to pay for a pet after what Katz consistently terms, the “Great Recession of 2008”. While I do think that it is important to realize just how deeply affected our country has been, I just wasn’t expecting this from a collection of stories titled, DANCING DOGS. I expected a lot more joy and whimsy, and a lot less tears and hardship.

[Sharyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book of short stories. Took me awhile, as it is my bedtime reading if I am not trying to finish a book. I try to limit myself to one story, but that doesn't always work well.I have not read any of the other books by this author, but I may as I have to have dogs in my life vicariously, as my little dog died and my husband does not want another. Oh well. My favorite story was "Day in the life of Pearl and Joan" and I won't spoil it by telling why. This is just a lovely little book with a great cover.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read many books by Jon Katz. this one is a fictional short stories. all have a dog in them. Some are amusing. Some sad. others just sweet. A woman who takes her dog for a last walk. A girl who does not have friends who wants to adopt the beagle at the local humane society. A woman who wants to rescue a dog she sees chained to a tree when she drives to work. There are many other stories. All good ones. I would give this a 4.5. I have always enjoyed Jon Katz's books. Most of them are non- fiction about the animals he has at Bedlam Farms. this one is fictional. he is good at writing about animals. I liked this one quite a bit.

[Ali Faustino · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a dog-lover, this was a perfect book for me. Each story was inspirational & heartwarming. Each chapter was about another dog and owner and most brought “happy tears” to my eyes. Dogs truly can make life better!

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

15 different short stories about dogs & 1 short story about a cat. At times, some of the stories were sad but ended up being heart warming. A couple were downright funny!
What’s not to love when it comes to cats and dogs?!

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this ARC prior to its publication as a "Goodreads Giveaway" and at first glance I thought it might be silly or boring, but boy, was I wrong! I loved most of the stories, starting with "Gracie's Last Walk". This book has a good mix of happy, sad, funny and thoughtful stories. One is about what a dog does when his owners leave the house. If you've got a dog that stays alone while you work then you'll really get a kick out of this narrative from the dog's perspective. I have a miniature pincher and now I appreciate him even more for the unconditional love he gives me. If you're a dog lover then this collection of stories is for you. Oh yeah, there's even a cat story for feline fans!

[Julie Salinas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dancing Dogs is a collection of dog stories and also of the people in their lives. This is not James Harriet kind of writing which was stories about a vet and the animals and people encountered. This is more like peeking over the hedges into the dog park. Some of the stories are from the dogs perspectives. Others are from the people perspective almost in a Flannery O'Conner kind of way. Any dog owner/lover will identify with many of the stories, but bring tissues. Some stories will make you chuckle, some "aw", but you will find a story that will make you cry. I won this book on goodreads, but would have bought it anyway.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any short story collection, I liked some of the stories more than others. For me personally, I couldn't read this book straight through as the stories seemed to have the same tone, but with different messages. What is nice is that I could read from this book at different intervals to take a break from my other readings. Some of the stories really resonated with me (the suitcase on the subway - oh my!), but a few felt like filler. Any dog lover will enjoy this collection. I have read most of Jon Katz's books and he has wonderful messages in his writings about the bond between humans and dogs. Katz breathes life into these fictional dogs!

[Eva-Marie Nevarez]

I didn't plan to and I normally wouldn't rate each story in a collection like this but something is telling me to so I will. The overall rating will be for the entire collection together.
Short stories in order:

1. "Gracie's Last Walk" (5 stars) - This is the first story and it's a good one. The narrator is really good with the exception of the vet assistants (Brazilian?) accent and the story is both heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time.
I could totally 100% relate to Caroline and what she experienced with Gracie.
"Yankee Dog" - This is the second story. Listening now....

"Instinct Test" -

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a first reads free giveaway. Received it in the mail yesterday. Looking forward to reading it. Thank you for my copy.
I really enjoyed the book. Inspiring collection of short stories about the lives of humans and dogs. There are a lot of sad parts that dogs could be treated that way.My favorite stories were Guardian Angel, Dancing Dogs, Lucky's Day, Puppy Commando and The Dog who kept Men Away. They were all good stories but I enjoyed those the best. Great job Mr.Katz on showing what dogs think and how they interact with humans. Thanks again for my copy of the book.

[Jami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, don't I feel like an idiot!?!? I got several stories into the book before I realized that this was fiction!!!! I was thinking that they were all true short stories at the outset. Not that I am complaining - I love fiction and this certainly did not take away from my enjoyment of this book!!! I enjoyed all of the stories; although I liked some more than others, I liked each and every story in the book. One word of caution: this is not a "read-in-public" book, as I found myself reaching for the tissues a few times!!!!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was pleasantly surprised upon winning a copy on Goodreads. I enjoyed the short stories by Katz. A great light read that will inevitably have dog-owners relating to these stories. It was great that a handful of the stories involved animal shelters since so many pets are in need of adoption. One theme that was a little overdone was of death--in both losing owners and dogs. I will be passing the book along to some of my animal-loving friends.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dancing  With Dogs is a charming book of short stories that is sure to please any dog lover.  The 16 stories range from heart warming to heart breaking and explore our relationship with our pets and nature in general.   While I had my favorites all of the stories were enjoyable reads.  This is a quick read that is apt to give you a few laughs and is likely to bring on the tears as well.   It would make a great gift for a pet lover and I definitely recommend the book

[Rachel Carr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of short stories. I received this book from a goodreads giveaway. I loved the way the tales didn't always end the way I thought they would. Some were very poignant, others very uplifting and all were delightful in their own way. If you are a dog lover, you'll like this book. I've not read anything else by this author, but I enjoyed his writing style enough that I'll certainly seek out something else by him.

[Joyce Ferrante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won Dancing Dogs by Jon Katz through Goodreads!!Ismiled,laughed and cried as I read the delightful short stories about dog's lives!! She is an amazing author and I plan to read more of her books. Looking at life through the eyes of a dog is quite interesting. I highly recommend this book to all animal lovers, not just those of dogs. Now I wonder what Monte, my black lab is thinking all the time and what his life is like when noone is looking...???!!

[Ilona Mustafin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive this book because I adore dogs. It was a good book filled with short stories. I know I don't fully understand dogs and I wish we humans would. Dogs are amazing animals and these stories show us a good peek into their existence. This book is for any dog lover. I do recommend.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful collection of dog (and cat and donkey...) stories told from the both the owner and the Pete's perspective. Jon Katz has a slew of border collie books -- and of course I own and love one -- and he has a unique understanding of how animals relate to their people families. The stories are fun, entertaining and touching.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this collection of short stories. Many of them had me laughing out loud as I could relate my experiences with dogs that have passed through my life. And I shed a few tears, too. I recommend this to anyone who loves dogs as much as I do! I received this as an Advanced Reader's Edition!

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mix of stories about dogs. And one about a cat, to break things up. Many stories told from the POV of the dog. Not your fruffy, fluffy, feel-good animal stories. But, for those of us who love our canine family, it is great to read stories that were written by someone who feels the same.

[Karen & Gerard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing Dogs by Jon Katz has 16 short fiction stories all centered around dogs. Most of the stories are really, really good! I loved it! If you are a dog lover, I think you will love it too!
(Gerard's review)

[Kristy Browning]

Great collection of stories. I was worried about reading this because I am very sensitive about animals suffering, but there were only a few sad stories, and even the sad stories had hopeful endings. A must read for animal lovers!

[Jevelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun read for dog lovers, or any one who wants to look at the world differently

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories. Some made me bawl my head off.

[Vangie Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

even though DANCING DOGS had a few sad parts in it, it was definitely an awesome read and worth every tear!! I loved it & I would recommed it to anyone who loves dogs!!

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

It had a few good stories. Alot of them weren't very deep - seemed kind of juvenile, like a kids book.

[Cynthia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I abandoned this book halfway through. The first story that contained a trick ending - i.e. you thought you were reading one thing but were actually reading something else - irritated me but I thought well, okay, maybe some people like that. I went back and looked again and I feel he played rather fast and loose with pronouns. The reader has the right to assume a pronoun refers to the last noun mentioned so I called shennanigans on that but the writing is good and sprightly and it's about dogs. I love dogs. So I kept on. But then the second time he pulled a fast one - the old switcheroo, one might say - I lost interest. I can't trust him. If I can't trust the author I'm not interested in the book. So good dog stories, tricky sneaky author. If you like that kind of thing, then this is the kind of thing that you will like.

[Khanh · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have read most of Jon Katz's works and love them. However, this was both terrible and super boring for me. I wasn't at all moved by any of the dogs and characters, the writing was just mediocre, and I found myself spacing out on most of the stories. Yes, part of it is I am just not a huge short stories person, but I do try and give collections ago from time to time. I have actually enjoyed some of them, but this was not one of those. Yuck.