Cold Noses and Warm Hearts: Beloved Dog Stories by Great Authors

by Laurie Morrow (Compiler)

When originally published in 1959, this marvelous collection of dog stories compiled by the late humorist Corey Ford was an immediate bestseller. For this edition, Ford selected pieces written by his friends and peers whose names appeared on the mastheads of The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Life, and Colliers, including such greats as Thurber, Benchley, Wodehouse, White, Woollcott, and Marquis. Ford also provided balance with stories from Steinbeck, Lardner, Lawrence and others, including his own superbly poignant, original version of his classic short, The Road to Tinkhamtown. All the stories in Cold Noses and Warm Hearts share the same theme, whether underscored by humor or deep the strong, enigmatic bond between dog and master. Laurie Morrow is the official biographer of Dartmouth College, Corey Ford Archives, and is a frequent contributor to many national dog and sporting magazines.

Genres: Dogs, Anthologies, Animals

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1958

Reviews

[Jan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Anthology of dog stories from authors such as O'Henry, Teddy Roosevelt, D.H. Lawrence, and John Steinbeck. No female writers, sadly. Many of the stories had to do with hunting, and I did not enjoy those. My favorite story was by Alexander Woollcott about Verdun Belle, a "shabby, lonesome dog" who befriends a company of soldiers during the Battle of Verdun in World War I. I also enjoyed a story by D.H. Lawrence about raising a naughty terrier puppy named Rex.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up on my dad's recommendation. I was excited about some of the contributors, like Wodehouse and Thurber, and came away with a few new authors to admire. I liked the humorous stories more than the hunting stories, although I still appreciated the writing style in some of those. Here's the list of stories, which include fiction and nonfiction, some of them excerpts from longer works:

Parapups , by Corey Ford
5 stars-Loved this story about dogs living on air bases during World War 2
Random thoughts on Random Dogs , by John Steinbeck
4 stars-pretty short, but I really liked certain turns of phrase, like this one.

I have owned some astonishing dogs. One I remember with pleasure was a very large English setter. He saw things unknowable.

Dogs , by Ring Lardner
3 stars-I liked it OK.
How to Name a Dog , by James Thurber
5 stars-I got a lot of laughs reading this one.
The Fighting Strain , by Albert Payson Terhune
3.5 stars-Some of these older stories pretty casually refer to drowning puppies, and I have a hard time getting past that. There was one standout line when the main character Trent, who on his way home from a stint in prison, rescues a dog who is being beaten, and finds the men who framed him squatting in his house. They attack him and he fights back. Once the dog Buff joins the fray, I love this line describing the end of the battle.

The rest was conquest.

The Care and Training of a Dog , by E.B. White
4.5 stars-Short sweet and well-written
Robin , by Jim Corbett
3.5 stars-The big game hunting stories aren't my favorites, but I was moved by Corbett's affection for his dog.
Your boy and his Dog , by Robert Benchley
4 stars-short and funny
Being a Public Character , by Don Marquis
5 stars-this ties with the Wodehouse story for favorite-love the voice of this accidental hero
A Very Shy Gentleman , by P.G. Wodehouse
5 stars-Hilarious-I would expect nothing less from Wodehouse.
Ulysses and the Dogman , by O. Henry
3 stars-It was OK. Not every story can be The Gift of the Magi.
Buffalo Hunt , by J.A. Hunter
3 stars-Another big game hunting one. Meh.
Verdun Belle , by Alexander Woollcott
3 stars-another wartime story, this time in World War 1. Didn't like this one as much as Parapups.
Some Dogs , by E.C. Keith
3 stars-more hunting blah blah blah-I liked the way he described his dogs, though.
With the Cougar Hounds , by Theodore Roosevelt
4 stars-for some reason this had a bunch of typos, but I really liked the way he wrote about the nature that surrounded him on this hunting trip in Colorado, and I especially liked his descriptions of the different dogs and their characters.
Rex , by D.H. Lawrence
3 stars-Didn't really like this story from his childhood, especially the way the dog was treated.
The Road to Tinkhamtown , by Corey Ford
5 stars-Beautiful sad story-it will make you cry, but not for the reason you might expect

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although originally published in 1959, most of these stories were published much earlier, sometimes decades earlier. This shows in a lot of the stories, not just from descriptions of daily life, the sexism and complete lack of belief in the existence of people who are not white. It also shows in the generally accepted practice of letting dogs roam free, drowning unwanted puppies and the acceptance of beating dogs and kids alike.

I had to take each story in context: this story was written in 1922 with the sensibility of the times. The stories are for the most part as forward thinking as any popular writing of the given era. And some, as progressive as today.

However, what is timeless is the love that each of these authors has for dogs. One author describes spending an entire cruise evading the evil kennel tender who would have his dog spend the voyage in a cage. In another, the story is written from the dog's point of view, expressing his tolerance for his boy's stupidity.

At least half the articles could have been published today with minimal change. One exception is, surprisingly, E.B. White's tale. The author of such beautiful animal stories as Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little is horrific in its insensitivity to the suffering of animals. He asserts that people who let their dogs inside are idiots, dogs should be beaten regularly, etc., practices that, while more accepted then, would still be considered cruel even in his day by a doting dog owner.

Overall the majority of the writings in this book withstand the test of time. Considering how difficult I find it to read books from long ago because of the issues I mention above, the fact that I had trouble putting this time is a testment to the quality of the writing.

[Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of dog stories by many distinguished authors including some personal favorites: Steinbeck, Ford, Roosevelt.

This collection runs the gamut. There are hunting stories, stories about dogs in the armed services, funny stories, and sad ones too.

The book closes with a story that always hits home, the inimitable The Road to Tinkhamtown by Corey Ford; quite possibly the best dog story I've read. That the story features a dear departed Setter makes it especially bittersweet.

A couple stories that stood out = Buffalo Hunt ~ J.A. Hunter, Random Thoughts on Dogs ~ Steinbeck, Your Boy and His Dog ~ Robert Benchley, With the Cougar Hounds ~ Theodore Roosevelt, Parapups ~ Corey Ford.

A wonderful collection for any dog lover.

[Andrew Wayment · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the most part, this is not a hunting book, but it contains one of the greatest hunting stories ever written, Corey Ford's, "The Road To Tinkhamtown." This alone makes the book worth the price of admission!

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warm fuzzy, just like the characters!