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A Dog Called Perth
‘Perth was a dog larger than life. She bought us adventure, drama and joy. She changed us forever.’ This is the moving story of a dog called Perth through the twenty-one years of her life beginning in the woods and lakes of up state New York in the mid sixties to the mid west and Florida and then to the countryside of England. This is a wonderful story as much about Perth’s owners as about Perth herself. Beautifully written it will bring tears to the eyes of dog lovers everywhere.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
26 people are currently reading
84 people want to read
About the author
Peter Martin
11 books7 followersPeter Martin is a graduate of and current Professor of English at Principia College, and a former garden historian for Colonial Williamsburg. He has written several books on historical and biographical topics, including: Samuel Johnson, James Boswell, Edmond Malone, and gardens and gardening in Williamsburg since 1600.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 7, 2012
Well written book, would have been a really enjoyable read worth 5 stars had the author been a likeable character. Gorgeous sounding dog, selfish owner full of his own self-importance.
March 31, 2009
I will start by saying that I would not usually pick this type of book.
The story itself was quite good but it was more a family story than one that should be shared - I personally don't think that the dog did anything particularly outstanding, although she was clearly a clever dog.
Also, I think that the narrator was very pompus and arrogant. I believe that the way he wrote conversations was not how people really speak, it didn't flow. Additionally, he seemed to try to include as many poetic references as possible, as though he was trying too hard to impress the reader.
The story itself was quite good but it was more a family story than one that should be shared - I personally don't think that the dog did anything particularly outstanding, although she was clearly a clever dog.
Also, I think that the narrator was very pompus and arrogant. I believe that the way he wrote conversations was not how people really speak, it didn't flow. Additionally, he seemed to try to include as many poetic references as possible, as though he was trying too hard to impress the reader.
April 9, 2015
A Dog Called Perth: The True Story of a Beagle, by Peter Martin (Arcade, 2001, 206 pages, $21.95)
An Understated Story with an Understated Title
The year was 1965. You just know something tragic is going to happen but the suspense lies in the how plus exactly what it will be. Will it be in New York, Vermont, England? You sense the tragedy and almost put the book down but you have nothing better to do and it is a small book and you wonder why a book nearly 15 years old is still in the bookstore and library. So you read on and it only gets better.
The year was 1965 and dogs were different back then. Many, including Perth, had the run of the land and were not on a leash very much if at all. Rather like some cats today, Perth would take off right after breakfast, come back if she needed a drink of water, and then you might not see her again until suppertime.
Unfortunately, Perth’s family moved from idyllic upstate New York to a faculty position in an Ohio university. But not for long. They next landed in Florida which was better for dogs than Ohio but with not as much freedom as New York afforded.
How on earth does one train a dog to never cross the road anyway? Or did Perth train herself?
Devoted to You
She was so devoted to her family that she became almost aggressive to nearly all outsiders, to the point of biting them. So, when the family took a sabbatical to England for the summer, they searched and searched for the right spot for Perth, finally finding a girls’ camp in Vermont. But not for long. She did not suffer fools gladly.
What happened next is actually the climax of Perth’s story but is only the middle of the book. It makes me want a Beagle with loving brown eyes.
Quarantine, devotion (both directions), chains, heartbreak, running into a St. Bernard – literally! Perth lived it all and loved to bark about it (or howl).
Enigma
Perth was unique. Author Peter Martin says it best: “…a life of courage, stamina, adventure, freedom, and survival. . .She had not been everyone’s favorite. But she was a genius among dogs.”
Perth “often flirted with danger, almost as if she were testing her own invincibility.”
Style: yes, part of this book takes place in England but, fortunately, had very few British words I didn’t know (not sure what a heath is, or a moor, or the downs, though). And if you were an English major, the references woven into the story from the bards of British literature will delight you. Though it is a dog book, we don’t quite get to know Perth but we do understand the devotion of Perth’s family.
A Dog Called Perth would make a wonderful family movie, complete with suspense, adventure, and blood-pressure-raising ups and downs.
You can find A Dog Called Perth in book superstores or at your public library.
Story – I give it an A
Style – I give it a B, surprisingly since it was written by an English professor
Note: You may come across two copies of this book - with different publishers, different front covers, etc. This sometimes happens with books. Both books are essentially the same.
An Understated Story with an Understated Title
The year was 1965. You just know something tragic is going to happen but the suspense lies in the how plus exactly what it will be. Will it be in New York, Vermont, England? You sense the tragedy and almost put the book down but you have nothing better to do and it is a small book and you wonder why a book nearly 15 years old is still in the bookstore and library. So you read on and it only gets better.
The year was 1965 and dogs were different back then. Many, including Perth, had the run of the land and were not on a leash very much if at all. Rather like some cats today, Perth would take off right after breakfast, come back if she needed a drink of water, and then you might not see her again until suppertime.
Unfortunately, Perth’s family moved from idyllic upstate New York to a faculty position in an Ohio university. But not for long. They next landed in Florida which was better for dogs than Ohio but with not as much freedom as New York afforded.
How on earth does one train a dog to never cross the road anyway? Or did Perth train herself?
Devoted to You
She was so devoted to her family that she became almost aggressive to nearly all outsiders, to the point of biting them. So, when the family took a sabbatical to England for the summer, they searched and searched for the right spot for Perth, finally finding a girls’ camp in Vermont. But not for long. She did not suffer fools gladly.
What happened next is actually the climax of Perth’s story but is only the middle of the book. It makes me want a Beagle with loving brown eyes.
Quarantine, devotion (both directions), chains, heartbreak, running into a St. Bernard – literally! Perth lived it all and loved to bark about it (or howl).
Enigma
Perth was unique. Author Peter Martin says it best: “…a life of courage, stamina, adventure, freedom, and survival. . .She had not been everyone’s favorite. But she was a genius among dogs.”
Perth “often flirted with danger, almost as if she were testing her own invincibility.”
Style: yes, part of this book takes place in England but, fortunately, had very few British words I didn’t know (not sure what a heath is, or a moor, or the downs, though). And if you were an English major, the references woven into the story from the bards of British literature will delight you. Though it is a dog book, we don’t quite get to know Perth but we do understand the devotion of Perth’s family.
A Dog Called Perth would make a wonderful family movie, complete with suspense, adventure, and blood-pressure-raising ups and downs.
You can find A Dog Called Perth in book superstores or at your public library.
Story – I give it an A
Style – I give it a B, surprisingly since it was written by an English professor
Note: You may come across two copies of this book - with different publishers, different front covers, etc. This sometimes happens with books. Both books are essentially the same.
August 12, 2012
Both my husband and I are huge beagle lovers, and are 'owned by' a gorgeous 6 yr old sweet and gentle beagle. This book was about a wonderful beagle, and a man who didn't deserve to own such an amazing dog. He didn't do her any favours in bringing her up as such a 'wild and free' dog - it meant she just wasn't very social with humans. And the number of times he put his own career and 'happiness' above that of the dog that he supposedly adored was appalling! If you love your dog, especially a beagle, as much as Peter Martin said he did, you don't go off and leave them for months at a time - and the fact that he left her for such a long time in her senior years horrified us. We quite often found ourselves yelling at this man, and saying that he really didn't deserve Perth. Perth had a lot of the characteristics of all beagles we know - but her upbringing as a 'free roaming' beagle made her lose that most wonderful aspect of the beagle nature, their friendliness and harmlessness. We were so surprised that Perth was so quick to bite people and was also so possessive over food - I don't know of any beagles like that at all.
All in all, I'd say I loved Perth, but hated the selfishness of the author. You may find yourself frustrated by his treatment of a dog he supposedly loved - I'm not sure if I recommend this book or not. It isn't a warm hearted book about the love between a man and his beagle - it mainly shows the self centred nature of this man (and his wife in fact - not once did they consider one of them staying behind to be with Perth when the issue of travel arose) The fact he's willing to write about this means he doesn't see any fault in his behaviour whatsoever. It isn't until late in the book that anybody actually tells him that he was largely wrong in the way in which he and his wife raised Perth.
If you're looking for a warm hearted look at the love between a man and his dog, I'd recommend Lucky For Me as a much better book.
All in all, I'd say I loved Perth, but hated the selfishness of the author. You may find yourself frustrated by his treatment of a dog he supposedly loved - I'm not sure if I recommend this book or not. It isn't a warm hearted book about the love between a man and his beagle - it mainly shows the self centred nature of this man (and his wife in fact - not once did they consider one of them staying behind to be with Perth when the issue of travel arose) The fact he's willing to write about this means he doesn't see any fault in his behaviour whatsoever. It isn't until late in the book that anybody actually tells him that he was largely wrong in the way in which he and his wife raised Perth.
If you're looking for a warm hearted look at the love between a man and his dog, I'd recommend Lucky For Me as a much better book.
October 24, 2014
didn't like this book much. I've read other animal stories where the owners took better care of their pets.
Read
January 10, 2012was a very good book, even if you don't like dogs I think you would enjoy it!!
September 10, 2018
While the story was well written. I found it heartbreaking that anyone would treat their dog as Peter did Perth.
December 31, 2021
I had to stop reading halfway through the book, I was so angry at the selfish owners. They should never have owned a dog.
July 24, 2025
When I first started reading this book, a few chapters in, I read some reviews and was surprised to find so many negative comments about how the owners raised Perth. As I read further, I understand why there were so many negative comments.
Perth is an intelligent and well trained dog but it seems more like she trained her owners. Perth was adamant about her freedom to go wherever she pleased and whenever she pleased. I don't know if that was normalised back then in the many places they lived but nowadays, where I live, if your dog is found wandering about without a tag or microchip, they will be taken to the vet and then likely the SPCA where it will be near impossible to get them back. It is common, if you see a dog wandering alone, to pick them up and try to find the owner as letting your dog roam unattended is seen as negligence.
The owners tried to keep Perth in the house when they were gone but stopped when she made a mess, broke and damaged things. However, I believe Perth would eventually grow out of it when trained properly.
Additionally, the owner had a job that required him to work overseas occasionally, meaning him and his wife would have to leave Perth with strangers for months at a time and consciously neglected to inform them of her bad behaviors including biting people and running away. This lead to Perth causing other people serious injuries and even resulted in her going missing for 3 months.
Her owners may have loved her very much, but to me, it is an odd kind of love. They let her dissappear throughout the day not worrying about where she went or what she did. And often took jobs overseas, abandoning her for months, even at an old age where she didn't have much time left.
It just seemed that her owners should've had a cat rather than a dog or maybe no pets at all with them often moving overseas for work.
Note: I thought them smuggling Perth into the hospital on many occasions was very cute (and loving). I can only imagine how much trouble they would be in if the hospital staff wasn't so kind.
Perth is an intelligent and well trained dog but it seems more like she trained her owners. Perth was adamant about her freedom to go wherever she pleased and whenever she pleased. I don't know if that was normalised back then in the many places they lived but nowadays, where I live, if your dog is found wandering about without a tag or microchip, they will be taken to the vet and then likely the SPCA where it will be near impossible to get them back. It is common, if you see a dog wandering alone, to pick them up and try to find the owner as letting your dog roam unattended is seen as negligence.
The owners tried to keep Perth in the house when they were gone but stopped when she made a mess, broke and damaged things. However, I believe Perth would eventually grow out of it when trained properly.
Additionally, the owner had a job that required him to work overseas occasionally, meaning him and his wife would have to leave Perth with strangers for months at a time and consciously neglected to inform them of her bad behaviors including biting people and running away. This lead to Perth causing other people serious injuries and even resulted in her going missing for 3 months.
Her owners may have loved her very much, but to me, it is an odd kind of love. They let her dissappear throughout the day not worrying about where she went or what she did. And often took jobs overseas, abandoning her for months, even at an old age where she didn't have much time left.
It just seemed that her owners should've had a cat rather than a dog or maybe no pets at all with them often moving overseas for work.
Note: I thought them smuggling Perth into the hospital on many occasions was very cute (and loving). I can only imagine how much trouble they would be in if the hospital staff wasn't so kind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2024
I had a lot of mixed feelings about this book. Many of the characteristics of beagles were what I thought to be incorrect. I also thought the author was a poor dog parent, having let his beagle run wild. I can understand that he didn't want to chain the dog up. I don't believe in that, either, which is why we have a fence all the way around our yard, with 2 doggie doors so our beagle can go in and out and has lots of area to run, play and bark. He gets to be totally a beagle, but not be in danger of traffic or other larger dogs (he's scared of them). Every now and then, we take him out in the country and he can run through a field, but he stays close to us. We don't worry about him being gone for weeks or even months at a time, which often happened to the dog in the story.
August 16, 2020
This is the story of a Beagle puppy purchased in the mid-1960s by a newly married American couple who decided at the outset they would never leash or fence their dog. As a result, the dog developed some dangerous habits—dangerous to itself and anyone other than her immediate family. The “never confined” dog consequently encountered serious issues when the couple decided to travel to England for lengthy stays, or back to America. In so many ways, the decisions of the owners greatly troubled me, a dog person for over four decades. As for the quality of the writing, it is engaging. Regarding the people who purchased the puppy, I just have to shake my head.
June 13, 2023
Incredible beagle with unparalleled loyalty. Had to stop reading almost at the end of the book as I had enough of the authors "American" selfishness. They did not deserve this dog. What goes around, comes around. When health is falling or the author is in need, I would not be surprised if he is left aside as the author did to Perth for his "need to exceed".
January 3, 2026
My first thought when I read the dog should never be tied up was that these people should not own a dog. Then I realized this actually was in the 60s when lots of dogs were kept in a box in the backyard and not given much attention. I still don't like how Perth was raised and would never let any beagle run free, it was a cute story
September 10, 2018
A Dog Story
This is quite a good book about an unusual dog. The story is tender and suspensful; this dog had many adventures. The animal lover so i truly love it. It is worth reading.
This is quite a good book about an unusual dog. The story is tender and suspensful; this dog had many adventures. The animal lover so i truly love it. It is worth reading.
December 10, 2018
I got really mad at the dog owners in this book because on the one hand they treated the dog as they would a human being but on the other hand they repeatedly left the dog with others even when they knew that it was prone to bite. Dont really recommend.
October 31, 2019
This is an enjoyable book for anyone who has ever loved a dog.
March 19, 2023
I throughly enjoyed the book, but can’t imagine letting a dog run wild like that! Perth, lived for 21 years which is so incredible, it didn’t hurt her!
June 27, 2023
A book about a selfish owner and his relationship with a rescue beagle. I liked the story but couldn’t get past the owner. A great book to gift beagle owners or dog lovers with aforementioned caveat.
April 13, 2025
The author said it himself, of himself, that “Perth” could have had better owners !! AGREED!!!
August 19, 2025
Perth is a wonderful dog, better than her human.
April 11, 2012
A dog called Perth by Peter Martin is a heartwarmingly beautiful story about the magical relationship between man and his best friend, told through the eyes of a delightful Beagle. This book is one that many dog lovers will enjoy and easily relate to, being thus able to empathize with the main character; his thoughts and feelings on owning and looking after/ caring for a dog. This little book is one that both young and old will love equally and is something that is simplistic in its design and storyline (man owning a dog), but that creates a drematic effect by being completely moving and enchanting. I fell in love with 'Perth' almost instantly and was captivated by his playful and often wilfull character that made him so endearing and loveable. It not only heightened the breed and made Beagles more popular and interesting as a dog breed (they are less well known or well reconized to others), but also advertised the advantages of having and keeping a dog as a pet. It also explained and informed the reader on the disadvantages of keeping a dog, and which was emphasised through Perth's behaviour and antics. As a dog owner one has to be completely dedicated to their animal(s) as keeping a pet is something that one should take seriously; it is a big commitment that is for life (and not just for Christmas). Time is what dogs need most and a lot of time that you will have to fit in & around your daily schedule; such as not leaving a dog on their own for too long. It is a tie and a responsability that not only the reader comes to understand but also the main character too. This was a tale that had its ups and downs, hardships and fun & one that told the story of our relationships with our dogs and for any animal lover this has to be at the very top of your list. I spent most of the time in agreement with the character's situation and thoughts that as a dog owner myself i could completely understand and relate to and i was thus able to empathise with him completely, as some of the scenarios were things that i also had encountered with my own dog(s). This book was interesting and gripping from the very first page right through to the very end, with the momentumn and action and drama all following throughout. It was exciting and i was whisked along on a journey of descovery with the main character and his dogs, to new locations and setting that contained new people and lots of drama. A thoroughtly enjoyable read that i would love to read again.
January 2, 2024
Wow, the Martins really didn’t deserve this dog.
The author is really irritating in the way he tries to insert literary references on every page or when he goes on about England through his rose tinted glasses and puts his native America down with undisguised disgust and disdain.
The Martins irresponsible behaviour in owing a dog knows no bounds, from trying to get a camp to accept Perth (a dog with a bite history and food aggression ) while they go to England and being shocked when they discover that yes, she snapped at the girls and that she had run away. The author really annoyed me when at the quarantine kennels in England he tries to lift Perth over the wall so she can escape - erm that’s a great way for introducing rabies into the country you complete moron.
The selfishness and arrogance of the Martins, who feel that leashes are for other dogs and theirs is ‘wild’ who should bound about the countryside terrorising local wildlife, really starts to grate.
The author is really irritating in the way he tries to insert literary references on every page or when he goes on about England through his rose tinted glasses and puts his native America down with undisguised disgust and disdain.
The Martins irresponsible behaviour in owing a dog knows no bounds, from trying to get a camp to accept Perth (a dog with a bite history and food aggression ) while they go to England and being shocked when they discover that yes, she snapped at the girls and that she had run away. The author really annoyed me when at the quarantine kennels in England he tries to lift Perth over the wall so she can escape - erm that’s a great way for introducing rabies into the country you complete moron.
The selfishness and arrogance of the Martins, who feel that leashes are for other dogs and theirs is ‘wild’ who should bound about the countryside terrorising local wildlife, really starts to grate.
January 9, 2013
One of the first pet memoirs I ever read - I'm not sure if it will stand up to a reread, but for now I'll keep my original rating. I remember being enraged by the idea that they would jetset abroad when their dog was so old they weren't sure she'd be alive when they were reunited (time to re-evalute your career priorities), but other than that, I really liked reading about Perth.
February 3, 2015
Utter tripe! Selfish owners! Clearly had no clue about dog training and thought the biting was never the dog's fault. Thought it was ok to leave a dog in the car for hours! Really? It was a miracle the dog lived as long and not shot for worrying livestock. A dismal read which said more about well meaning nutters who humanise animals!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 16, 2014
Wasn't my favorite dog book since it was more about their time apart than the time together. That being said, I read it on vacation when I was missing my fur babies terribly so it may have skewed my viewpoint.
February 5, 2021
This was a wonderful book. I love all kinds of animal stories. I didn't like that poor Perth had to be kennels when her peeps had to leave the country to fly back and forth. But I loved the way she could tree down and still came home. I love all our dogs would do that..🐩🐾🐾🐾🤔
February 19, 2008
Of course I had to have it when I saw it was about a beagle! It reminded me a lot of Marley and Me. I enjoyed reading it!
Read
June 15, 2008What an exciting journey these people took. How they were so driven by they love of a dog and yet their careers ... breathless.
Peace ~ Out
Teresa
Peace ~ Out
Teresa
January 1, 2013
Loved it..The beagle lives to the ripe old age of 21!
January 29, 2016
One of my favorite dog stories. We used to have a beagle named "Hokie" back in the 60's and 70's. He was named after the Va.Tech Hokies and we still miss him.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews