Tails from the Bark Side: True Stories from the Family Dog Files

by Brian Kilcommons, Sarah Wilson

A collection of humorous true stories features remarkable feats by dogs and poignant relationships with their human companions.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals

Audio Cassette

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[CindySR · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, great stories. I think you can garner more on how to train dogs and fix issues than most other books on training dogs. Some very unusual and surprising stories too.

I wish I was more of an elegant reviewer, but I can say I currently have 210 books about dogs and I rate this one near the top of my list for a collection of dog stories. I have their other book 'Good Owners, Great Dogs' but had not read it yet, so it will be next.

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorites--I reread it every year or two. It's not a how-to book, but it's still got a lot to teach. And the stories stick with me better than generalized training instructions; I've often thought of this book when dealing with my pets, or put it down mid-reread to try something new with my dog.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun. I loved the misadventures of the dog training world.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute, brief vignettes of different dogs; it's a quick read, especially if you love doggies!

[Ren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious at times and truly touching at others.

[Mhorg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Seriously, one of the most depressing books I've ever read. Just too many stories that really left me in a dark mood. I don't want to put any spoilers other than reader beware. Not an uplifting book.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book of true stories encountered by husband and wife dog trainers. The stories are hilarious, some sad, some you just shake your head at. This was a good fun read.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the short stories! From a trainer perspective I would love to have an extension added to the stories such as how some of the behaviors were resolved (what techniques were used,etc). I just love learning new things and seeing how other trainer do things!

[Sue J · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was Okay... but not compelling.

[J · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was actually a book that I had found at a consignment store and although it was good it is the type of book that normally just needs one reading, which wasn't due to the subject matter itself.

Instead the telling of the actual stories although they should have been heart-touching, sad, encouraging, sometimes comical, etc. came out as a bit dry. This is probably not intentional for the actual work but probably comes from the dog trainer career where the individual can look upon a situation and see it from a stand of neutrality so they can help the individuals that are involved in some pretty doggy situations. As the book states these are tales from the file....

What kept my interest the whole time were the dogs in their many situations. I found it interesting to see what the issue may be, to see how the owners interacted with the dog(s), the possible causes of some of the problems (almost all of them are human-based) and what a possible answer may be. In no place or situation is this book a dog-training guide for the person who may be facing some type of doggy disaster of their own.

At the same time the few chapter facing photos were adorable and quite realistic. Most were pretty good at matching one of the stories in that section although one seemed to be for the section that was before it. What I think would have been interesting was if the authors had co-worked with their clients to see if they could have gotten pictures of the actual dogs since there were many mixes I would have loved to see how they looked but also to give the personality of the actual dog. In the case of privacy where that may not be accomplished more illustrations would have been better strewn throughout the pages to break up the monotony.

All in all it was a decent book that allows you into dog-dom. You will find what can make some of them tick, how some of them have helped mankind, the traits that we love in them even when taken to the extreme and just how much of an influence we have on our dogs. Small crumbs of wisdom are shared throughout to dog owners but it is the actual pups who will always steal the show in the end.

[Lis Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short collection of cute stories about dogs that Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson have worked with over the years. For those hoping for insights into training and caring for their own dogs, there's really not much here.

The most significant bits for me was Kilcommons' story about his childhood dog, Irish, and his relationship with his father, and then story about working with another famous dog trainer, Barbara Woodhouse. I met Kilcommons several years ago, when I attended one of his seminars with my dog, Addy. I found him to be incredibly good with the dogs, but his people skills were not so much awful as simply non-existent. It turns out he knows this about himself. His father was so routinely physically and verbally abusive, with son Brian as his favored target, that as an adult, if he wasn't using mean words, he didn't think he was being mean no matter what his tone and body language was. One of the things that helped him realize there was a problem was working as an assistant to Woodhouse--another trainer famous for great dog skills and lousy people skills--when she was touring the US, acting as the buffer for her. Those two sections are well worth reading, or listening to.

Overall, it's pleasant light read, the literary equivalent of empty calories.

I borrowed this book from a friend.

[Debbie Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book of short stories is written by dog trainers who wrote a bestselling book about training dogs. I've learned bits and pieces that are valuable in training animals (and even kids!) but find it a bit boring because I don't think the writing is grabbing. However, reading a chapter here and there has been nice.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hardly remember reading this. I just know I did. Can't say much else besides that it wasn't too great. I think. I can't remember.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I actually read this twice. It is a quickquick read - short anecdotes from the authors lives as dog owners/trainers/friends. Often delightful.

[Cara Hinton · Rating 3 out of 5]

funny book and a good no brainer read

[Ginger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute stories.

[Phoebe223 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed. These short stories were made too long. They were boring and not enough to make a book.

I am glad others enjoyed this book.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

I always enjoy a book about dogs, but this one was just okay.