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Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park
“Dog enthusiasts will flock to this entertaining account of an unlikely canine lover’s ascent into full-fledged member of the neighborhood dog park…"–Publishers Weekly
Off the Leash is a group portrait of dog people, specifically the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather at Amory Park, overlooking Boston near Fenway Park. And it’s about author Matthew Gilbert’s transformation, after much fear and loathing of dogs and social groups, into one of those dog people with fur on their jackets, squeaky toys in their hands, and biscuits in their pockets.
Gilbert, longtime TV critic at The Boston Globe, describes his reluctant trip into the dog park subculture, as the first-time owner of a stubbornly social Yellow Lab puppy named Toby. Like many Americans, he was happily accustomed to the safe distance of TV viewing and cell-phone web surfing, tethered to the digital leash. But the headstrong, play-obsessed Toby pulls him to Amory, and Amory becomes an exhilarating dose of presence for him. The joyous chaos of wrestling dogs and the park’s cast of offbeat dog owners – the “pack of freaks” – gradually draw him into the here and now. At the dog park, the dog owners go off the leash, too.
Dog-park life can be tense. When dogs fight, their owners – such as the reckless Charlotte – bare their teeth at each other, too. Amid the rollicking dog play, feelings tend to surface faster, unedited. But Gilbert shows how Amory is an idyllic microcosm, too, the home of enduring friendships and, as the droll but vulnerable Hayley knows, romantic crushes. Meeting daily, a gathering of dog owners can be like group therapy, or The Office, or a standup concert.
As a TV critic, Matthew Gilbert is well-known by his readership for his humorous and wry writing style. A charming narrative that will appeal to anyone who has ever enjoyed watching a puppy scamper through a park, Off the Leash is a paean to dog lovers and their pets everywhere, perfect for fans of Marley & Me and Merle's Door.
Off the Leash is a group portrait of dog people, specifically the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather at Amory Park, overlooking Boston near Fenway Park. And it’s about author Matthew Gilbert’s transformation, after much fear and loathing of dogs and social groups, into one of those dog people with fur on their jackets, squeaky toys in their hands, and biscuits in their pockets.
Gilbert, longtime TV critic at The Boston Globe, describes his reluctant trip into the dog park subculture, as the first-time owner of a stubbornly social Yellow Lab puppy named Toby. Like many Americans, he was happily accustomed to the safe distance of TV viewing and cell-phone web surfing, tethered to the digital leash. But the headstrong, play-obsessed Toby pulls him to Amory, and Amory becomes an exhilarating dose of presence for him. The joyous chaos of wrestling dogs and the park’s cast of offbeat dog owners – the “pack of freaks” – gradually draw him into the here and now. At the dog park, the dog owners go off the leash, too.
Dog-park life can be tense. When dogs fight, their owners – such as the reckless Charlotte – bare their teeth at each other, too. Amid the rollicking dog play, feelings tend to surface faster, unedited. But Gilbert shows how Amory is an idyllic microcosm, too, the home of enduring friendships and, as the droll but vulnerable Hayley knows, romantic crushes. Meeting daily, a gathering of dog owners can be like group therapy, or The Office, or a standup concert.
As a TV critic, Matthew Gilbert is well-known by his readership for his humorous and wry writing style. A charming narrative that will appeal to anyone who has ever enjoyed watching a puppy scamper through a park, Off the Leash is a paean to dog lovers and their pets everywhere, perfect for fans of Marley & Me and Merle's Door.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published May 13, 2014
16 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Gilbert
22 books19 followersMatthew Gilbert is the TV critic at the Boston Globe, where he also covered books and movies. He has written for Slate, served as the managing editor of Boston Review, and clerked at Harvard Book Store. He lives in Brookline, Mass., and “Off the Leash” is his first book.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
February 15, 2023
I picked this up when it was on a library display. Since I visit my local dog park 2 or 3 times a week, weather permitting, I thought it might appeal to me. I was right.
Gilbert is a gay man who has always been afraid of dogs, til his new husband convinces him they need a puppy. Enter Toby, a seven week old yellow lab. He promptly falls in love, is told about a local dog park in Boston, the Amory. Only a few blocks away, he makes a tentative visit and after seeing how much Toby loves it, becomes a daily visitor. Soon, he's a regular, one of the "dog park freaks" and becomes friends with other daily users.
I recognized all the types he described here, because they exist in my dog park as well. The ones who refuse to pick up their dog's poo, the owners of aggressive dogs who refuse to acknowledge that fact, the ones who think their dogs are too good to join the mixed breeds and stand apart from the others. Then there are the regulars, who interact daily and have amazing conversations with each other, love each other's dogs, and look forward to the interaction. The fact that it's all casual, first names only, sometimes not even that, is part of the charm. As one friend put it "conversation without committment". Exactly! Not to mention letting your dog socialize, run around, and tire themselves out having fun.
The author is the television critic for The Boston Globe, and he thinks a dog park setting would make a great TV sitcom. I agree.
Gilbert is a gay man who has always been afraid of dogs, til his new husband convinces him they need a puppy. Enter Toby, a seven week old yellow lab. He promptly falls in love, is told about a local dog park in Boston, the Amory. Only a few blocks away, he makes a tentative visit and after seeing how much Toby loves it, becomes a daily visitor. Soon, he's a regular, one of the "dog park freaks" and becomes friends with other daily users.
I recognized all the types he described here, because they exist in my dog park as well. The ones who refuse to pick up their dog's poo, the owners of aggressive dogs who refuse to acknowledge that fact, the ones who think their dogs are too good to join the mixed breeds and stand apart from the others. Then there are the regulars, who interact daily and have amazing conversations with each other, love each other's dogs, and look forward to the interaction. The fact that it's all casual, first names only, sometimes not even that, is part of the charm. As one friend put it "conversation without committment". Exactly! Not to mention letting your dog socialize, run around, and tire themselves out having fun.
The author is the television critic for The Boston Globe, and he thinks a dog park setting would make a great TV sitcom. I agree.
July 28, 2014
The author manages to describe each character with brevity and humor that comes together at the end of the book to create a poignant lesson in the benefits of challenging oneself. The park location and canine characters is a wonderful vehicle for carrying a reader on the author's road to self-discovery. I highly recommend this enjoyable book!
May 20, 2014
As the owner of two dogs, both labradors, I was really looking forward to reading this book and expected it to be warm and entertaining. Unfortunately, it reads more like a monologue and is more the sort of read I would expect to find on the 'Philosophy' or 'Social Sciences' shelf.
I really tried to like it ... I was all prepared to be entertained but found it hard going. I feel I plodded through it with one eye on how soon I would get to the end which is not a good sign. We all have stories about our dogs and the people we meet whilst walking and exerising them but this one would have been better kept for the nearest and dearest. I'm afraid that for me, the words 'dull' and 'boring' are the best I could say. Perhaps it would be better received by someone considering adding a dog to the family as it may be new to them.
I really tried to like it ... I was all prepared to be entertained but found it hard going. I feel I plodded through it with one eye on how soon I would get to the end which is not a good sign. We all have stories about our dogs and the people we meet whilst walking and exerising them but this one would have been better kept for the nearest and dearest. I'm afraid that for me, the words 'dull' and 'boring' are the best I could say. Perhaps it would be better received by someone considering adding a dog to the family as it may be new to them.
May 21, 2014
Disclaimer: eBook recieved from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
I believe this is a book that would probably appeal more to dog lovers than it did for me. It was not a bad read, but not a particularly good read either, that sort of balance between "meh" and "I might as well finish it even though it doesn't seem to be leading anywhere in particular." It is, essentially, a collection of anecdotes written in a moderately dry language that makes it easy to read but not particularly emotive or engaging.
I suppose it loses out on the fact that there is not a lot of story here to tell - Toby the golden retriever has a good life, with loving "parents" and an open, friendly nature. Matthew has a good life too - certainly he seems to have had some rockier passages, and he was once fearful of dogs, but his boyfriend (now husband) and Toby have helped him overcome that phobia and turned him into a real dog person. Then Toby drags him along to the Amory dog park and he discovers that he can also be a people-person. There is no real conflict, excepting for, perhaps, Matthew's own internal struggles, and he writes about it in a flat, almost emotionless way.
Maybe it is because I read more fiction, but I did not find anything particularly gripping about this book, people came and went, wafting in and out without really touching me as much as they touched the narrator, dogs came and went. Toby continued on, bounding along, tongue lolling in a canine grin, tail wagging with innocent exuberance, he displays no growth (except physical) and feels more like a phantom than a major protagonist. He's just kind of... there.
There is an entire chapter pretty much devoted to discussions of dog excreta. And another to humping.
I didn't hate it, and I did finish it so I must have kinda liked it, but it is certainly not something I would be recommending to my friends - even those that do love their "fur babies".
It has failed to convince me of the merits of pet ownership.
I believe this is a book that would probably appeal more to dog lovers than it did for me. It was not a bad read, but not a particularly good read either, that sort of balance between "meh" and "I might as well finish it even though it doesn't seem to be leading anywhere in particular." It is, essentially, a collection of anecdotes written in a moderately dry language that makes it easy to read but not particularly emotive or engaging.
I suppose it loses out on the fact that there is not a lot of story here to tell - Toby the golden retriever has a good life, with loving "parents" and an open, friendly nature. Matthew has a good life too - certainly he seems to have had some rockier passages, and he was once fearful of dogs, but his boyfriend (now husband) and Toby have helped him overcome that phobia and turned him into a real dog person. Then Toby drags him along to the Amory dog park and he discovers that he can also be a people-person. There is no real conflict, excepting for, perhaps, Matthew's own internal struggles, and he writes about it in a flat, almost emotionless way.
Maybe it is because I read more fiction, but I did not find anything particularly gripping about this book, people came and went, wafting in and out without really touching me as much as they touched the narrator, dogs came and went. Toby continued on, bounding along, tongue lolling in a canine grin, tail wagging with innocent exuberance, he displays no growth (except physical) and feels more like a phantom than a major protagonist. He's just kind of... there.
There is an entire chapter pretty much devoted to discussions of dog excreta. And another to humping.
I didn't hate it, and I did finish it so I must have kinda liked it, but it is certainly not something I would be recommending to my friends - even those that do love their "fur babies".
It has failed to convince me of the merits of pet ownership.
August 26, 2014
Let me preface my review by confessing I suffer from an acute case of caninus envious (dog envy). I'm the guy who stands outside the dog park wishing I had a furry friend to let me in. I don't know many people in my apartment building, but I know their dogs. Isn't the the Jack Russell from the 7th floor? Haven't seen Max the Bulldog recently; hope he's OK. I even recognize dogs by their toys - Orange Ball Guy, etc.
That being the case, this book was a true joy to read. It affirmed my love of dogs for all the right reasons and did a wonderful job of bridging the human/canine gap - I thought I was the only one who considered them four-legged people. The writing was picture perfect - I was in the Armory Park with Toby (even snuck him a treat when no one was looking).
The true sign of a great book is its ability to get inside one's head and allow the reader to think and experience something outside themselves. "Off the Leash" did that and more. Thanks for writing such a fantastic book! Now maybe I'll get that dog and see life on the other side of the fence!
That being the case, this book was a true joy to read. It affirmed my love of dogs for all the right reasons and did a wonderful job of bridging the human/canine gap - I thought I was the only one who considered them four-legged people. The writing was picture perfect - I was in the Armory Park with Toby (even snuck him a treat when no one was looking).
The true sign of a great book is its ability to get inside one's head and allow the reader to think and experience something outside themselves. "Off the Leash" did that and more. Thanks for writing such a fantastic book! Now maybe I'll get that dog and see life on the other side of the fence!
November 25, 2014
OFF THE LEASH chronicles a new dog owner's look into the quirky personalities at his local dog park and the evolution of his attachment to his dog, with a little psychology and philosophy thrown in. As a dog-lover, I found this delightful.
June 23, 2014
I enjoyed the mix of commentary on the other visitors to the dog park and the narrator's own adoration of his dog.
April 21, 2021
I'm a sucker for a dog book.
Matthew Gilbert used to be absolutely terrified of dogs, but after marrying his husband, Tom, they decided it was time for him to conquer that fear. But Matty didn't know what he was getting himself into. He began frequenting Amory, a dog park with a wide variety of dogs and their humans.
We all know that feeling when we're taking our pup to a new dog park. There's the regulars who know everyone and never want to welcome newcomers. There's the people who absolutely talk your ear off and the people who want absolutely nothing to do with you. There's the people who only take their dog to the park out of necessity and the people who would love to spend all day there.
Matthew and his pup, Toby quickly began regulars at Amory. Toby made friends fairly quickly, but he also made a few enemies too. As for Toby's human, Matthew needed to warm up to some of the characters at the park. He grew to love Margo, Hayley, Nash, Drew, and even Cell Phone Lady. These people really became Matthew's support system, not just within the park's fences, but in life. They discussed television, jobs, colleges, moves, life, death, and even the minuscule things like disposing of dog poop or when it's acceptable to tell another owner that his dog is humping yours.
It amazes me what we do for our dogs. Even if it means standing in single digit weather while our dogs roll around in the snow, mud, and rain. There is literally nothing I wouldn't do for my pup, Sophie. I've tackled the dog parks, the long walks, even puppy birthday parties. And I'd do it all again with one blink of her puppy dogs eyes.
This review and so, so, SO MANY other dog book reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
Matthew Gilbert used to be absolutely terrified of dogs, but after marrying his husband, Tom, they decided it was time for him to conquer that fear. But Matty didn't know what he was getting himself into. He began frequenting Amory, a dog park with a wide variety of dogs and their humans.
We all know that feeling when we're taking our pup to a new dog park. There's the regulars who know everyone and never want to welcome newcomers. There's the people who absolutely talk your ear off and the people who want absolutely nothing to do with you. There's the people who only take their dog to the park out of necessity and the people who would love to spend all day there.
Matthew and his pup, Toby quickly began regulars at Amory. Toby made friends fairly quickly, but he also made a few enemies too. As for Toby's human, Matthew needed to warm up to some of the characters at the park. He grew to love Margo, Hayley, Nash, Drew, and even Cell Phone Lady. These people really became Matthew's support system, not just within the park's fences, but in life. They discussed television, jobs, colleges, moves, life, death, and even the minuscule things like disposing of dog poop or when it's acceptable to tell another owner that his dog is humping yours.
It amazes me what we do for our dogs. Even if it means standing in single digit weather while our dogs roll around in the snow, mud, and rain. There is literally nothing I wouldn't do for my pup, Sophie. I've tackled the dog parks, the long walks, even puppy birthday parties. And I'd do it all again with one blink of her puppy dogs eyes.
This review and so, so, SO MANY other dog book reviews can be found at A Reader's Diary!
December 5, 2016
I just could not get into this book. (5/29/14)
I received an ARC from NetGalley! (5/28/14)
I received an ARC from NetGalley! (5/28/14)
March 25, 2021
If you don't go to the dog park I'm not sure what you would think of this book but as someone who went to the dog park every day for years I can say it was a very enjoyable read. I couldn't believe how similar Matthew's dog park life was to my own. The people, the dogs, the interactions, even his thoughts and opinions on the concept of a dog park and what that entails were almost identical to mine. When I was going to the dog park I remember thinking how unique and at times how bizarre the experience is and now after reading this book I understand that the dynamics from dog park to dog park are probably very similar but with different characters. Now that I've thought about it this much I realize that this book may be even more interesting to people who don't go to the dog park.
I started reading this book a few months after my dog passed away and it reminded me how important the dog park was in my life and how so important my dog was in my life and I'm grateful to Matthew Gilbert for writing it.
I started reading this book a few months after my dog passed away and it reminded me how important the dog park was in my life and how so important my dog was in my life and I'm grateful to Matthew Gilbert for writing it.
October 29, 2014
Off The Leash: A Year at the Dog Park, by Matthew Gilbert (Thomas Dunne Books of St. Martin’s Press, 2014, 227 pages, $24.99)
What is a Dog Park?
Who of us hasn't taken a dog to the dog park at least once? Or wanted to? Or has a friend who frequents the dog park (with or without said canine)?
It is well-known that this reviewer is a yellow lab and golden lover so imagine my delight to find a book cover with both my breeds! I simply couldn’t resist! Not only are these two dogs in the cover photo but each has a tennis ball in his mouth on a great expanse of green green grass with trees and skyscrapers in the background.
Dog parks are urban patches of green, often fenced-in, where dogs can romp with each other off-leash and run to their heart’s content, cheered on by proud humans.
Question
TV critic Matthew Gilbert asks (and answers) the question: how does a non-dog-person such as himself become enamored of the canine species and fall in love with “everything dog”?
Answer
In short, fall in love with a dog-person! And start with an adorable lab puppy.
A Year in the Life of a Dog Park
Off the Leash chronicles Gilbert’s first year with his dog, a yellow lab pup named Toby, and their canine and human friends, characters all, in the subculture of a Boston dog park. Of course, it is also about the growing relationship between man and dog for Gilberts works at home and can flex his work time to allow for dog park excursions – lucky human! And lucky dog!daily
A dog park, like few other locations, is one where people run into and befriend people they may not come into contact with or meet in other places – a hodge-podge of people whose one common denominator is dogs. Other than that, they are students, senior citizens, writers, lawyers, housewives. They are also loners, joiners, party-people and gossipers. Some are complainers and others fall in love. A true microcosm of the world at large in a little square postage stamp of nature peopled with dogs and their people.
Meet Charlotte, one of a kind who probably frequents every dog park in the country. Meet the college girl with a crush on the handsome stud of a guy who has no time for her but they both have dogs they love. Meet Gilbert’s best friends at the dog park: meet Toby’s best friends, which include a golden retriever who teaches the pup how to play and do just about everything else, with golden patience.
Starting in the fall with four essays and going through winter (seven), growing into spring (six) and finally into summer (five), Off the Leash has two unforgettable “chapterettes” with a discourse on poop and how people take care of it or don’t, and on balls of the tennis kind. Off the Leash is a book also about beginning and endings as people come and go with their dogs and college students move on with their lives elsewhere.
Dog park members will love this little book and will recognize all their dog park friends in it. For novices, it will service as an introduction to the people-kinds one might expect to interact with at the dog park. Fortunately, the author soon gave up his ‘alpha’ role in relationship to his dog and embraced a gentle way of training Toby! These little essays may take several day to wade through but the cover is worth it!
(Caveat: This title was sent to me by the publisher for review.)
What is a Dog Park?
Who of us hasn't taken a dog to the dog park at least once? Or wanted to? Or has a friend who frequents the dog park (with or without said canine)?
It is well-known that this reviewer is a yellow lab and golden lover so imagine my delight to find a book cover with both my breeds! I simply couldn’t resist! Not only are these two dogs in the cover photo but each has a tennis ball in his mouth on a great expanse of green green grass with trees and skyscrapers in the background.
Dog parks are urban patches of green, often fenced-in, where dogs can romp with each other off-leash and run to their heart’s content, cheered on by proud humans.
Question
TV critic Matthew Gilbert asks (and answers) the question: how does a non-dog-person such as himself become enamored of the canine species and fall in love with “everything dog”?
Answer
In short, fall in love with a dog-person! And start with an adorable lab puppy.
A Year in the Life of a Dog Park
Off the Leash chronicles Gilbert’s first year with his dog, a yellow lab pup named Toby, and their canine and human friends, characters all, in the subculture of a Boston dog park. Of course, it is also about the growing relationship between man and dog for Gilberts works at home and can flex his work time to allow for dog park excursions – lucky human! And lucky dog!daily
A dog park, like few other locations, is one where people run into and befriend people they may not come into contact with or meet in other places – a hodge-podge of people whose one common denominator is dogs. Other than that, they are students, senior citizens, writers, lawyers, housewives. They are also loners, joiners, party-people and gossipers. Some are complainers and others fall in love. A true microcosm of the world at large in a little square postage stamp of nature peopled with dogs and their people.
Meet Charlotte, one of a kind who probably frequents every dog park in the country. Meet the college girl with a crush on the handsome stud of a guy who has no time for her but they both have dogs they love. Meet Gilbert’s best friends at the dog park: meet Toby’s best friends, which include a golden retriever who teaches the pup how to play and do just about everything else, with golden patience.
Starting in the fall with four essays and going through winter (seven), growing into spring (six) and finally into summer (five), Off the Leash has two unforgettable “chapterettes” with a discourse on poop and how people take care of it or don’t, and on balls of the tennis kind. Off the Leash is a book also about beginning and endings as people come and go with their dogs and college students move on with their lives elsewhere.
Dog park members will love this little book and will recognize all their dog park friends in it. For novices, it will service as an introduction to the people-kinds one might expect to interact with at the dog park. Fortunately, the author soon gave up his ‘alpha’ role in relationship to his dog and embraced a gentle way of training Toby! These little essays may take several day to wade through but the cover is worth it!
(Caveat: This title was sent to me by the publisher for review.)
July 5, 2020
This is a book that tells about a man and his adventures taking his dog to the dog park in Boston. I enjoyed the book throughout. It is by no means a page turner but the enjoyment is in the lighthearted telling of funny dogs and their owners together and what happens when the dogs are not on a leash. We have two dogs so I understood the book well. Seeing dogs get together and interact without being restrained is a great thing and it becomes evident that it is good for the dogs too. Of course there are conflicts and human nature and its faults but it is all told in a humorous manner. Matthew Gilbert is a pro too as he is a TV show critic for a newspaper which he iterates in the book.
February 24, 2018
The idea behind this book, writing about the intimate group of lunatics known as dog lovers, could have been a great story if it were written in a more interesting way. However it was not, and I found myself dreading picking up the book because it was so brilliantly boring. As an avid lover of nonfiction and memoirs, this book was thoroughly disappointing.
Disclaimer, I read most of this book, but alas life is too short and there are too many great books waiting to be read. Perhaps the ending is better than the first 70%.
Disclaimer, I read most of this book, but alas life is too short and there are too many great books waiting to be read. Perhaps the ending is better than the first 70%.
September 27, 2014
I was going for a wonderful book filed with lots of tales from the dog park. I have read similar books all which captivated me. This book, however, never got a flow to it. The chapter would be given a title that only reflected one story out of the several being told. Some stories didn't even have a point in being told.
January 1, 2018
Such an enjoyable read. Who would have known such drama goes on at the local dog park... The bullies, and the hangers-on...
What really struck me was reading when a bag of toys had been left on the picnic table, and it dawned on the visitors to the that someone's pet had died and toys needed to be vanquished from their residence...,and the realization that that fate awaited everyone...
What really struck me was reading when a bag of toys had been left on the picnic table, and it dawned on the visitors to the that someone's pet had died and toys needed to be vanquished from their residence...,and the realization that that fate awaited everyone...
September 24, 2014
Couldn't get into it.
January 4, 2016
Very insightful look at all the personalities, both human and canine, that make up the dog park. Fun read!
November 5, 2015
loved the book....I take my dog to the dog park all the time and it was funny to read about the same types of characters I run into there
June 8, 2021
Very Good book. Different chapters around some topics including one on poop. Little things added up to a great book for me.
December 28, 2017
What a great read for the dog owner! A highly entertaining and well-written portrait of a community of people who bring their dogs to the park. Dogs are indeed a gateway to conversations with people whom you would never normally speak with, and Gilbert does an excellent job of chronicling his initial reluctance to engage with the “pack of freaks” to ultimately admiring them and even becoming one of them!
“Dogs, those gusts of spirit, bring us into our own hearts, but they are also a bridge to other people” (5).
“There’s a surprising amount of satisfaction in watching two dogs at play, I’ve learned that over the years; but this was my first taste of that giddiness, of viewing the choreography of dog pleasure so very closely that you feel it yourself” (79).
“With her casual manner, she would inadvertently remind me that lost things do return, if in a different form. The dogs run in great circles, and so do we” (141).
“Tugging on Toby’s ears, kissing his snout like a kiss-crazy fool while he tolerated my attentions, I’d have that feeling of unhindered love and mushiness coupled with doom, the sense of having gained something unimaginably sweet and losing it at the very same moment . . . I’d look Toby straight in his root beer brown eyes and well up with love and loss, the two sentiments bound to each other like a cluster of molecules, then feel a little guilty about imagining his end right in front of his innocent, fuzzy baby face, before his life had truly begun” (164).
“To poop it forward: When you happen upon a stray bowel movement and pick it up, you are an especially Good Samaritan. You are investing in your karma. Bagging your own baby’s fresh poop is easy, but grabbing the cold, weighty, crusty artifact of a mysterious dog is gagworthy” (223).
A hilarious and philosophically insightful read for the dog lover!
“Dogs, those gusts of spirit, bring us into our own hearts, but they are also a bridge to other people” (5).
“There’s a surprising amount of satisfaction in watching two dogs at play, I’ve learned that over the years; but this was my first taste of that giddiness, of viewing the choreography of dog pleasure so very closely that you feel it yourself” (79).
“With her casual manner, she would inadvertently remind me that lost things do return, if in a different form. The dogs run in great circles, and so do we” (141).
“Tugging on Toby’s ears, kissing his snout like a kiss-crazy fool while he tolerated my attentions, I’d have that feeling of unhindered love and mushiness coupled with doom, the sense of having gained something unimaginably sweet and losing it at the very same moment . . . I’d look Toby straight in his root beer brown eyes and well up with love and loss, the two sentiments bound to each other like a cluster of molecules, then feel a little guilty about imagining his end right in front of his innocent, fuzzy baby face, before his life had truly begun” (164).
“To poop it forward: When you happen upon a stray bowel movement and pick it up, you are an especially Good Samaritan. You are investing in your karma. Bagging your own baby’s fresh poop is easy, but grabbing the cold, weighty, crusty artifact of a mysterious dog is gagworthy” (223).
A hilarious and philosophically insightful read for the dog lover!
August 24, 2018
Matthew Gilbert's story about his first year at a dog park with his first dog is a fascinating trip into the psychology and actions of his dog-owning neighbors. It is a microcosm of society at large, filled with dog lovers, fanatics, introverts, extroverts, those with dementia, the self-absorbed, the self-righteous, the empathetic, the withdrawn, the social, the distracted, the neurotic... take your pick! You can probably find yourself in there.
Gilbert's handling of the social scene of the dog park smoothly transports the reader from the regular world into this quirky, closed universe with personalities and people with agendas, issues, and points of view that we can gasp and laugh at together. You marvel at these amalgamations of people he met as he does; you are shocked at the ones with social issues affecting other dog owners that are never remedied, just avoided; you see why some people, or aspects of some people, are lovable, even when they don't behave lovably. (Especially if they have a lovable dog!) You start to see how attending the dog park helped Gilbert to grow, build self-confidence, and figure out how to socialize with a wild sampling of your not-quite-average neighbors. You have already met these people - now you can know them, and perhaps yourself, a bit better, too.
Some of Gilbert's turns of phrase about himself, his dog, or others populating this little world are laugh-out-loud brilliant. His command of language is artful, his observations of human behavior insightful. Read it.
Gilbert's handling of the social scene of the dog park smoothly transports the reader from the regular world into this quirky, closed universe with personalities and people with agendas, issues, and points of view that we can gasp and laugh at together. You marvel at these amalgamations of people he met as he does; you are shocked at the ones with social issues affecting other dog owners that are never remedied, just avoided; you see why some people, or aspects of some people, are lovable, even when they don't behave lovably. (Especially if they have a lovable dog!) You start to see how attending the dog park helped Gilbert to grow, build self-confidence, and figure out how to socialize with a wild sampling of your not-quite-average neighbors. You have already met these people - now you can know them, and perhaps yourself, a bit better, too.
Some of Gilbert's turns of phrase about himself, his dog, or others populating this little world are laugh-out-loud brilliant. His command of language is artful, his observations of human behavior insightful. Read it.
September 7, 2022
The author, a television critic for the Boston Globe and an avowed dog avoider, decides to get a puppy with his husband who is a dog lover. Their golden retriever puppy Toby makes the use of a local dog park a necessity and the author slowly becomes a dog park regular.
The book curates not only what he learns about life and love from his dog, but from his fellow park visitors. The author wonderfully describes other dog owners based on how they interact with their dogs and with the other humans in the dog park. Along the way, there are dog fights, the death of dogs and owners, fights with those who share the park but don’t share a love of dogs, and interactions with local law enforcement.
The author makes interesting and accurate parallels about relationships and how they progress and mature. He shares his fear of the death of Toby and his anxiety about dog dominance (i.e. humping).
It’s a great book with writing that makes you laugh, cry, and get angry. I am not a big fan of dog parks but this book is about so much more than that.
The book curates not only what he learns about life and love from his dog, but from his fellow park visitors. The author wonderfully describes other dog owners based on how they interact with their dogs and with the other humans in the dog park. Along the way, there are dog fights, the death of dogs and owners, fights with those who share the park but don’t share a love of dogs, and interactions with local law enforcement.
The author makes interesting and accurate parallels about relationships and how they progress and mature. He shares his fear of the death of Toby and his anxiety about dog dominance (i.e. humping).
It’s a great book with writing that makes you laugh, cry, and get angry. I am not a big fan of dog parks but this book is about so much more than that.
April 11, 2019
Another Dollar Store SCORE! Being a dog lover, I thought this might be a fun read. I did not expect to be more than entertained. "Why get a dog when it's life will end, probably before yours? Because it's worth the pain of loss. A year in, I could see clearer than ever that all cliches were true. Once you loved a dog, once you knew the depth of love you could have for an animal, once you loved a dog while understanding that he or she would probably leave before you, you were a richer person for the rest of your life."
November 16, 2024
I read this after doing dog sitting for a few months, first time. If I had not looked after Bobbin there is no way I would have enjoyed this book. But I found a lot to relate to emotionally with both human interest and doggy interest. I've always called myself a cat person more than a dog person and like Mathew had an old sense of fear of dogs and isolationism from the general crowd. But if you open your heart to a dog and allow yourself to be curious about people your heart will open to them too.
December 26, 2017
Book for the serious dog-lover, especially anyone who frequents a dog-park. For me it was an interesting peek into the world of living in the city with a dog. The best parts were the romance between the writer and his dog, they rang so true and it was heart-warming to see a non-dog person become a dog-hearted one.
April 18, 2018
If you own a dog or wished that you owned a dog , this book is for you. A year in seasons with the new dog owner . Matthew Gilbert was afraid of dogs as a child and as an adult learn to love and learn with his dog Toby. He gives names to the different personalities in the dog park. I really enjoyed this book
May 31, 2018
I liked best the descriptions of the author's dog. his love for this exuberant creature spilled out of the pages. i also loved his acceptance of the fact that he turned into those he had once judged, and i loved his devotion to this community.
September 23, 2019
This book was ok. I was hoping for something more, but it was literally just how the author would go to the dog park and about the people he met and started to feel familiar with. I guess I was expecting something different.
June 21, 2021
This is a good portrait of daily life at the local dog park. The characters and their dogs are well portrayed and I did enjoy it. Not a great book but worth the read especially if you own a dog who goes to the dog park.
June 13, 2023
Such a touching, happy, and wonderful book.
Reading this felt good for the soul! The stories, individuals, dogs, and experiences were joyful to read and I am so pleased I picked up a copy to read. Loved every page!
Reading this felt good for the soul! The stories, individuals, dogs, and experiences were joyful to read and I am so pleased I picked up a copy to read. Loved every page!
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