The Dog Nobody Loved

by Jon Katz

“I had no idea that Frieda would enter my life and alter it in the most profound way, but that’s one of the beautiful things about animals. They change you, and you almost never see it coming.” When writer Jon Katz met Maria Wulf, a quiet, sensitive artist he felt a connection with her immediately, but a formidable obstacle stood in the Maria’s dog, Frieda. A rottweiler-shepherd mix who had been abandoned and living in the wild for several years, Frieda was ferociously protective. She roared and charged at almost anyone who came near. But to Maria, she was her sweet, loyal and devoted friend. Jon quickly realised that to win over Maria, he’d have to make friends with Frieda too. The Dog Nobody Loved is the heart-warming story of how one man and a dog discovered it's never too late to find love.Please note, The Dog Nobody Loved is the UK title for the book published in the US as The Second-Chance Dog.

Genres: Dogs, Animals

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2013

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

[Nic · Rating 1 out of 5]

The title is misleading and the book isn't about the dog

I hadn't read any of this authors other books or even knew who he was but I found the book to be repetitive, contradictory (he believes that dogs don't have souls but yet training a dog to him was a spiritual event? Dogs are merely instinctive and shouldn't be humanised yet frieda spoke to him in dreams) and full of very dodgy 'wisdom' on how best to train and share your life with dogs and ultimately was more a schmaltzy whinge fest of this man's late life crisis than it was about a dog. The dog in question, Frieda, wasn't a 'dog that nobody loved' as his partner Maria loved her very much and his tone the whole way through the book was more one of well the dog better shape up or ship out because he wanted Maria in his life whether Frieda ever came round to him or not (the not, being implied that she'd have to go elsewhere if she couldn't abide by his rules on his farm - like the rooster he shot on the spot for fighting with another rooster - something roosters are notorious for, which you'd think a man with a farm would know - but which the author decided he wouldn't tolerate. Really an unlikeable man who whilst being apparently on the verge of bankruptcy could still afford to pay for therapists to tell him why his life was falling apart.
I really liked the story of frieda, her sad history and how she survived alone in the woods for so long but the book wasn't really about her despite the blurb and her story could've been told in a few chapters without all the whiney crap about the author trying to woo his now wife.

[Tim · Rating 1 out of 5]

Going by the title was the reason I got this book expecting to read about a stray dog that finally got a loving home after so long defending itself on the streets. Instead the author was carrying on about his obsession with the owner of the dog with just the odd mention of the dog concerned. If any dogs were mentioned they were mainly his own. I eventually gave up on it as I was hoping to read about a dog that finally found a loving home instead it's more about an author acting like a lovesick puppy. This is why I didn't bother finishing this book. For a start the title had virtually nothing to do with the story. The few mentions of dogs were mainly his own rather then the dog Friedia that should have been the main focus So if your looking for a dog tale your barking up the wrong tree with this one

[Mrs Carol Spicer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like other reviews of this book, I found there was a bit too much about the author's problems and his relationship with Maria. Frieda was mentioned in the first few pages and then (apart from an occasional throw away reference to her) she didn't really reappear until the last 25% of the book.

When I read the introduction to a book that seems to be all about a dog, that is what I expect to read.

I also read a book about a marine whose dog 'saved him', but this was the same a paragraph or two about the dog to start and then a couple of pages at the end. He mainly talked about his life as a marine and how it affected him.

I also loved the happy ending, so I gave the book four stars. Jon Katz - more about the dog next time please.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love a doggy feelgood story? My only gripe with this is that Katz (hilarious name for a dog-writer) flits about a bit, it's vaguely chronological but there are inconsistencies which made it harder than it should have been.

[Perri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katz can be a curmudgeonly guy who wanders too often into querulous self absorption territory, but he's always scrumptiously honest especially about his own shortcomings. The Dog Nobody Loved is about Katz's relationship with Frieda, but equally about Frieda's owner, Maria, and Katz's growing relationship with her. I read books like these because I want to read a dog story, and this one was heading close to three stars, but I'm a sucker for good endings and this one had one.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book different from Katz' previous books in that this one was more about his philosophy of how to raise dogs. It was also quite repetitive going on and on about his relationship with Frieda's owner.

[Caitlyn Cannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed, I have read a couple of others books by Jon Katz which I enjoyed much more than this book. very repetitive. disagree with some of his theories on canine behaviour which ar mentioned many times.

[Kay Townsend · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, another good book by this author. It was so sad at times, nearly made me cry but it ended very well. I loved reading about Frieda and how she grew. Would definitely recommend it as a great read.

[Gwyn Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I really enjoyed reading as I am a dog lover

An excellent story that I could read again having had a pal
My border collie Bess for fifteen years three months and thirteen dads

[Chloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really cute. I liked it :)