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Two Good Dogs
Susan Wilson, the bestselling author of One Good Dog delivers another powerful novel of loyalty and love.
Single mom Skye Mitchell has sunk her last dime into a dream, owning the venerable, if run-down LakeView Hotel in the Berkshire Hills. It’s here where she believes she’ll give her fourteen-year-old daughter Cody a better life. But being an innkeeper is more challenging than she imagined, and Cody still manages to fall in with the wrong crowd. In addition, Cody is keeping an earth-shattering secret that she’s terrified to reveal. The once loving, open girl has now become completely withdrawn, and Skye is both desperate and helpless to reach her.
When Adam March and his pit bull Chance check into the hotel, it becomes the first of many visits. Here in these peaceful mountains he finds an unexpected relief from his recent bereavement. He and the beleaguered innkeeper form a tentative friendship. Adam knows the struggles of raising a difficult teenager and Skye understands loneliness.
And then there is Mingo, a street kid with a pit bull dog of his own. When Cody discovers an overdosed Mingo, Adam takes the boy’s dog not just for safekeeping, but to foster and then rehome. But the dog isn’t the only one who needs saving. A makeshift family begins to form as four lost people learn to trust and rely on each other, with the help of two good dogs.
Single mom Skye Mitchell has sunk her last dime into a dream, owning the venerable, if run-down LakeView Hotel in the Berkshire Hills. It’s here where she believes she’ll give her fourteen-year-old daughter Cody a better life. But being an innkeeper is more challenging than she imagined, and Cody still manages to fall in with the wrong crowd. In addition, Cody is keeping an earth-shattering secret that she’s terrified to reveal. The once loving, open girl has now become completely withdrawn, and Skye is both desperate and helpless to reach her.
When Adam March and his pit bull Chance check into the hotel, it becomes the first of many visits. Here in these peaceful mountains he finds an unexpected relief from his recent bereavement. He and the beleaguered innkeeper form a tentative friendship. Adam knows the struggles of raising a difficult teenager and Skye understands loneliness.
And then there is Mingo, a street kid with a pit bull dog of his own. When Cody discovers an overdosed Mingo, Adam takes the boy’s dog not just for safekeeping, but to foster and then rehome. But the dog isn’t the only one who needs saving. A makeshift family begins to form as four lost people learn to trust and rely on each other, with the help of two good dogs.
342 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
139 people are currently reading
2186 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wilson
22 books570 followersBorn in Providence, RI, raised in Middlefield (Rockfall) Connecticut. Post High School Education, Middlesex Community College, Middletown, CT and Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, CT.
Married, two grown daughters and a granddaughter and two grandsons - plus four step grands.
Lives in Oak Bluffs, MA, on Martha's Vineyard.
Those are the stats. I am a novelist, ten published, one in progress. I frequently contribute to the on-line magazine, Stay Thirsty.
Married, two grown daughters and a granddaughter and two grandsons - plus four step grands.
Lives in Oak Bluffs, MA, on Martha's Vineyard.
Those are the stats. I am a novelist, ten published, one in progress. I frequently contribute to the on-line magazine, Stay Thirsty.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 321 reviews
May 27, 2017
Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson is a 2017 St. Martin’s Press publication.
As an animal lover, I was drawn to this book because of its title. Then the synopsis convinced me to take the plunge.
Skye, a widow, moves with her daughter, Cody, into an old hotel hoping to turn it into a profitable venture, something she has always dreamed of doing. However, fourteen year old Cody is carrying a heavy and terrifying burden, and this move has only compounded her stress levels.
Adam and his therapy dog, Chance, need a place to stay during a blinding rain storm which leads him to Skye’s establishment. At first it seemed like things were not going to work out because Skye had a strict ‘no pets’ policy.
Adam convinces her to make an exception, and continues to stick around for a while. Being the only guest, he soon finds himself embroiled in the mother/daughter drama between Skye and Cody, while he continues to work through his heartbreaking grief.
I really wanted to like this book, and although I have not read any of the author’s previous books, I picked up a vibe that tells me she has a dedicated fan base. However, other than Chance the pit bull’s inner thoughts, the rest of the book was disappointing.
The blurb could be partially to blame. The suggestion is that this story falls into either the romance or thriller category is pushing things a bit. There is a suspenseful element, since we know Cody is carrying a huge burden and that she has been threatened. The possibility that what she knows could put her danger, or that on any day the piper could come calling, did situate itself in the back of my mind, but the author did not utilize that to its fullest capacity. Instead, the book dealt more with the psychological consequences that Cody endures, which is responsible for her disturbing, and uncharacteristic behavior that baffled and frustrated her mother.
Adam’s arrival is fortuitous, only because he happened to bring Chance along. The chemistry between Skye and Adam was a letdown for me, as I am expecting a few fireworks, but mostly got friendship.
Adam’s struggles are deeper than his sorrow, but these issues are never fully explained or revealed, and we are forced to guess or fill in the blanks on our own. Was he a victim of abuse or the abuser, both, or none of the above? I’m sorry, but to me, unless the author intends to feature Adam’s story in a sequel or if this happens to be an ongoing saga, that’s just laziness, in my opinion.
Chance’s ‘first person narrative’ though, is the book’s saving grace. The author did do a very good job of voicing Chance’s thoughts, which was a very nice touch. I just wish the other characters, who were mostly bland were as developed or as interesting.
There were a couple of secondary threads running parallel, one of which was just a big mess, but the other introduces us to ‘good dog’ number two. I enjoyed this thread which added much needed depth to a story that was beginning to become predictable.
Overall, this book has some shining moments, which speaks to the role animals play in our overall enjoyment and well -being in life. They come to our rescue in times of trouble and need, are loyal and much more attuned to our feelings than we could possibly imagine. I wish we really could hear their thoughts. Service dogs are an absolute godsend for people. They really do saves lives and I love it when stories are centered these incredible dogs.
This aspect alone makes the book worth checking out if you are an animal or pet lover, but if you are looking for romance or suspense, in the usual terms, you might want to take a pass on this one.
Unfortunately, the story is not cohesive, had too many threads going on at once, and some aspects are simply left up to the reader to decipher on their own, with several open ended threads which left me feeling very frustrated. The characters are flat, except the dog, and the crime elements do not come into the picture until the very tail end of the book.
Overall, I’m afraid this one was a dud, in my opinion, although I appear to be in the minority on that one. However, since the author has such a stellar reputation, I'm sure this is not the best representation of her work, so, I will certainly be up for reading her back listed titles and giving her another chance in the future.
2 stars
As an animal lover, I was drawn to this book because of its title. Then the synopsis convinced me to take the plunge.
Skye, a widow, moves with her daughter, Cody, into an old hotel hoping to turn it into a profitable venture, something she has always dreamed of doing. However, fourteen year old Cody is carrying a heavy and terrifying burden, and this move has only compounded her stress levels.
Adam and his therapy dog, Chance, need a place to stay during a blinding rain storm which leads him to Skye’s establishment. At first it seemed like things were not going to work out because Skye had a strict ‘no pets’ policy.
Adam convinces her to make an exception, and continues to stick around for a while. Being the only guest, he soon finds himself embroiled in the mother/daughter drama between Skye and Cody, while he continues to work through his heartbreaking grief.
I really wanted to like this book, and although I have not read any of the author’s previous books, I picked up a vibe that tells me she has a dedicated fan base. However, other than Chance the pit bull’s inner thoughts, the rest of the book was disappointing.
The blurb could be partially to blame. The suggestion is that this story falls into either the romance or thriller category is pushing things a bit. There is a suspenseful element, since we know Cody is carrying a huge burden and that she has been threatened. The possibility that what she knows could put her danger, or that on any day the piper could come calling, did situate itself in the back of my mind, but the author did not utilize that to its fullest capacity. Instead, the book dealt more with the psychological consequences that Cody endures, which is responsible for her disturbing, and uncharacteristic behavior that baffled and frustrated her mother.
Adam’s arrival is fortuitous, only because he happened to bring Chance along. The chemistry between Skye and Adam was a letdown for me, as I am expecting a few fireworks, but mostly got friendship.
Adam’s struggles are deeper than his sorrow, but these issues are never fully explained or revealed, and we are forced to guess or fill in the blanks on our own. Was he a victim of abuse or the abuser, both, or none of the above? I’m sorry, but to me, unless the author intends to feature Adam’s story in a sequel or if this happens to be an ongoing saga, that’s just laziness, in my opinion.
Chance’s ‘first person narrative’ though, is the book’s saving grace. The author did do a very good job of voicing Chance’s thoughts, which was a very nice touch. I just wish the other characters, who were mostly bland were as developed or as interesting.
There were a couple of secondary threads running parallel, one of which was just a big mess, but the other introduces us to ‘good dog’ number two. I enjoyed this thread which added much needed depth to a story that was beginning to become predictable.
Overall, this book has some shining moments, which speaks to the role animals play in our overall enjoyment and well -being in life. They come to our rescue in times of trouble and need, are loyal and much more attuned to our feelings than we could possibly imagine. I wish we really could hear their thoughts. Service dogs are an absolute godsend for people. They really do saves lives and I love it when stories are centered these incredible dogs.
This aspect alone makes the book worth checking out if you are an animal or pet lover, but if you are looking for romance or suspense, in the usual terms, you might want to take a pass on this one.
Unfortunately, the story is not cohesive, had too many threads going on at once, and some aspects are simply left up to the reader to decipher on their own, with several open ended threads which left me feeling very frustrated. The characters are flat, except the dog, and the crime elements do not come into the picture until the very tail end of the book.
Overall, I’m afraid this one was a dud, in my opinion, although I appear to be in the minority on that one. However, since the author has such a stellar reputation, I'm sure this is not the best representation of her work, so, I will certainly be up for reading her back listed titles and giving her another chance in the future.
2 stars
February 12, 2017
I've never written a book. Putting a few sentences down for these book reflections is hard enough, so I have nothing but respect for authors who manage to publish an entire novel.
Since I've been bailing out on several books this year I decided to stick with this one to the end. On the plus side, the book's plot highlights the deeply meaningful role animals can have as therapeutic healers for those who have experienced trauma or disease. I'll share my constructive criticisms directly with the publisher and simply note that this book will probably best be enjoyed by those who love "Lifetime" moves (note: I don't).
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Since I've been bailing out on several books this year I decided to stick with this one to the end. On the plus side, the book's plot highlights the deeply meaningful role animals can have as therapeutic healers for those who have experienced trauma or disease. I'll share my constructive criticisms directly with the publisher and simply note that this book will probably best be enjoyed by those who love "Lifetime" moves (note: I don't).
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2017
After Skye Mitchell's husband was murdered she chooses to move herself and her fourteen year old daughter, Cody, to a smaller town and try to make a go of it running their own hotel. Little does Skye know that her daughter witnessed the murder and is now scared to death that the killer will return so she has shut her mother out and gotten involved in all the wrong things.
Adam March finds himself looking for a place to stay one night with his pit bull Chance when he comes across Skye's place of business during a horrible storm. Pleading to not turn him away due to his dog being with him he convinces Skye to let him stay the night and in turn becomes a regular customer of the hotel.
Adam one night has Cody take Chance for a walk and when the pit bull gets away from Cody she finds herself coming across a young man who overdosed with his dog left alone. Luckily Cody is quick thinking and immediately takes action calling for help for Mingo and with Adam taking Mingo's dog Cody becomes determined to see the pair reunited.
Two Good Dogs is told from multiple points of view during the story from Adam, Skye, Cody and even the pit bull Chance tells his story. I actually thought involving Chance was a rather cute idea and enjoyed that part of the read but as for the rest of the characters I didn't really find them overly exciting. Skye and Adam seemed to just lack any personality that stood out to make them extremely likable and Cody seemed more the normal teenage angst and testing her mother even if that's explained as her witnessing a murder.
I was also sort of expecting some type of thriller or cozy mystery type of read with this story but was left wanting more in that area of the read. There is a lot of personal drama being dealt with all the characters that could be a bit entertaining so that I didn't completely dislike this read but I also felt myself wanting a bit more to pull me into it other than some teenage angst being dealt with which is why I'd wished there was more of a mystery/thriller edge to it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
Adam March finds himself looking for a place to stay one night with his pit bull Chance when he comes across Skye's place of business during a horrible storm. Pleading to not turn him away due to his dog being with him he convinces Skye to let him stay the night and in turn becomes a regular customer of the hotel.
Adam one night has Cody take Chance for a walk and when the pit bull gets away from Cody she finds herself coming across a young man who overdosed with his dog left alone. Luckily Cody is quick thinking and immediately takes action calling for help for Mingo and with Adam taking Mingo's dog Cody becomes determined to see the pair reunited.
Two Good Dogs is told from multiple points of view during the story from Adam, Skye, Cody and even the pit bull Chance tells his story. I actually thought involving Chance was a rather cute idea and enjoyed that part of the read but as for the rest of the characters I didn't really find them overly exciting. Skye and Adam seemed to just lack any personality that stood out to make them extremely likable and Cody seemed more the normal teenage angst and testing her mother even if that's explained as her witnessing a murder.
I was also sort of expecting some type of thriller or cozy mystery type of read with this story but was left wanting more in that area of the read. There is a lot of personal drama being dealt with all the characters that could be a bit entertaining so that I didn't completely dislike this read but I also felt myself wanting a bit more to pull me into it other than some teenage angst being dealt with which is why I'd wished there was more of a mystery/thriller edge to it.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
February 18, 2017
This is the adorable story of Skye, who has just recently started managing a motel in the Berkshires, her sullen, rebellious 14-year-old daughter Cody, and Adam, who one day comes to stay at the motel with his pitbull, Chance. I thoroughly enjoyed it. ARC provided via giveaway by the publisher.
October 17, 2018
There was absolutely nothing that I didn't like about this book! The writing was great,and has relatable characters. I definitely recommend.
June 4, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. Didn't realize it was a sequel, so reading One Good Dog now.
September 25, 2019
This was kind of like a Hallmark Movie. I enjoyed it completely even tho it's very predictable. Maybe I enjoyed it so much simply BECAUSE it was comfortably predictable.
A good way into this book I began to wonder how, if this is about two good dogs, maybe there's a previous book about one good dog? Lol. I looked into it and indeed there is. I will need to read One Good Dog next.
A good way into this book I began to wonder how, if this is about two good dogs, maybe there's a previous book about one good dog? Lol. I looked into it and indeed there is. I will need to read One Good Dog next.
March 24, 2017
One good title. Both dogs live through the end of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2017
Two Rescue Dogs Come to the Aid of Their Owners
Cody hates the Berkshire Inn her mother bought. She hates her new school. She’s angry, has no friends, and only relates to the artists in the local art colony. Skye, Cody’s mother, is at her wits end. After Cody’s father’s murder, she turned into a troubled child rather than the happy loving person she had been.
The dilapidated inn is trying Skye’s resources. She has a policy of no pets, but one rainy night, Adam Marsh, a grieving widower, and his rescue dog, Chance, arrive. Reluctantly, she agrees to let them stay; after all the extra money will be welcome. One night turns into several more visits.
Although standoffish at first, Cody gradually warms up to Chance. When she and Chance help rescue another pit bull, she begins to relate to the dogs, but she still has a secret that drives her away from her mother. Perhaps the dogs can help her they way they helped Adam get over his grief.
The best character in this book is Chance. He opens the story with his discussion of how he studies human emotions. Throughout the book, Chance gives his take on what’s happening. It’s interesting to see how animals view their human friends.
The plot raises issues of bullying, love, fear, grief and loss. The issues are well addressed by the characters and commented on by Chance. However, I found the technique of shifting back and forth between Skye and Cody difficult to get used to. Cody’s action is told in the third person, for Skye the author uses first person. While that technique does separate the point of view of each character, it seems strained.
If you enjoy stories where animals have a major role, this is a good one.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
Cody hates the Berkshire Inn her mother bought. She hates her new school. She’s angry, has no friends, and only relates to the artists in the local art colony. Skye, Cody’s mother, is at her wits end. After Cody’s father’s murder, she turned into a troubled child rather than the happy loving person she had been.
The dilapidated inn is trying Skye’s resources. She has a policy of no pets, but one rainy night, Adam Marsh, a grieving widower, and his rescue dog, Chance, arrive. Reluctantly, she agrees to let them stay; after all the extra money will be welcome. One night turns into several more visits.
Although standoffish at first, Cody gradually warms up to Chance. When she and Chance help rescue another pit bull, she begins to relate to the dogs, but she still has a secret that drives her away from her mother. Perhaps the dogs can help her they way they helped Adam get over his grief.
The best character in this book is Chance. He opens the story with his discussion of how he studies human emotions. Throughout the book, Chance gives his take on what’s happening. It’s interesting to see how animals view their human friends.
The plot raises issues of bullying, love, fear, grief and loss. The issues are well addressed by the characters and commented on by Chance. However, I found the technique of shifting back and forth between Skye and Cody difficult to get used to. Cody’s action is told in the third person, for Skye the author uses first person. While that technique does separate the point of view of each character, it seems strained.
If you enjoy stories where animals have a major role, this is a good one.
I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
December 20, 2021
I liked the first book, One Good Dog more, but enjoyed this book. Liked spending more time with the guy and dog again, but tough on the wife. Not as tough on the dogs this time.
New characters are nice. The author is great at working with emotions so everything feels very real.
New characters are nice. The author is great at working with emotions so everything feels very real.
February 23, 2017
Two Good Dogs by Susan Wilson
Two good dogs – and they were definitely sweeties – is an interesting tale.
Fourteen year old Cody Mitchell is a mess. She has seen a murder and been threatened. She has cut herself off and become a loner who is badly treated at school. She is an artist. She is filled with anger, fear and teenage angst. She is on the outs with her mom for a number of reasons including the fact that her mom has moved her away from all that she knew. She is not very likable but I do understand her.
Skye Mitchell is Cody’s mom. Her dream is to own a bed and breakfast so she bought one BUT owning it is a lot of work, requires budgeting and then add in a daughter with problems and her life is not the greatest.
Adam March is a grieving widow and rescuer of dogs and sometimes people. He is on the road a lot and happens to stop at Skye’s B&B. Over a period of time he begins to visit more and finds solace in the Berkshires.
Mingo Ayala is a troubled young man who has had a hard life. I enjoyed his story and wouldn’t mind reading more about how he eventually turns out.
The story includes a lot of heavy topics: bullying, loss, rescue, abuse, fear, second chances, lies, bad choices, making amends, etc.
This book is hard for me to rate with stars. Why? Because I liked the story, for the most part, but I did not like the style it was written in. I had trouble knowing whose point of view I was reading till I had read into the paragraph a bit and the point of view changed often. I wanted to know more about Adam and his background – what he did that was so horrible and cost him so much. I wanted to know more about Skye before she bought the B&B and also wondered how she could be so clueless. I felt sorry for Cody BUT also felt the choices she made were hard to understand at times. In some ways I wished for an epilogue to let me know how everyone is doing a few years down the road.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Story: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 3 or less stars
Overall: 4 Stars
Two good dogs – and they were definitely sweeties – is an interesting tale.
Fourteen year old Cody Mitchell is a mess. She has seen a murder and been threatened. She has cut herself off and become a loner who is badly treated at school. She is an artist. She is filled with anger, fear and teenage angst. She is on the outs with her mom for a number of reasons including the fact that her mom has moved her away from all that she knew. She is not very likable but I do understand her.
Skye Mitchell is Cody’s mom. Her dream is to own a bed and breakfast so she bought one BUT owning it is a lot of work, requires budgeting and then add in a daughter with problems and her life is not the greatest.
Adam March is a grieving widow and rescuer of dogs and sometimes people. He is on the road a lot and happens to stop at Skye’s B&B. Over a period of time he begins to visit more and finds solace in the Berkshires.
Mingo Ayala is a troubled young man who has had a hard life. I enjoyed his story and wouldn’t mind reading more about how he eventually turns out.
The story includes a lot of heavy topics: bullying, loss, rescue, abuse, fear, second chances, lies, bad choices, making amends, etc.
This book is hard for me to rate with stars. Why? Because I liked the story, for the most part, but I did not like the style it was written in. I had trouble knowing whose point of view I was reading till I had read into the paragraph a bit and the point of view changed often. I wanted to know more about Adam and his background – what he did that was so horrible and cost him so much. I wanted to know more about Skye before she bought the B&B and also wondered how she could be so clueless. I felt sorry for Cody BUT also felt the choices she made were hard to understand at times. In some ways I wished for an epilogue to let me know how everyone is doing a few years down the road.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. This is my honest review.
Story: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 3 or less stars
Overall: 4 Stars
February 5, 2019
The only thing I liked about this story was the setting. I lived in western Massachusetts for the first 45 years of my life. This book jogged lots of memories just by mentioning certain towns, museums and even the mall. Other than that I was not impressed with the writing style, the dialog or even the dog's thoughts, and I love dogs!
I mean seriously, if your young daughter witnessed her drug dealing father murdered, wouldn't you find her a good therapist instead of moving her to a new school and making her clean motel rooms?
I mean seriously, if your young daughter witnessed her drug dealing father murdered, wouldn't you find her a good therapist instead of moving her to a new school and making her clean motel rooms?
November 25, 2019
Skye Mitchell has bought a small hotel, the Lakeview, in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, and moved her daughter, Cody, there from Holyoke. It wasn't planned that way, but events so develop that they make the move almost immediately after Randy Mitchell, Cody's father and Skye's ex-husband, is shot dead in a back alley.
It's six months later, and the Lakeview has turned out to be a money pit. A money pit with real potential, but a money pit. Skye is barely making ends meet while repairs and upgrades proceed slowly. And Cody, previously an open and loving girl, has become cold and withdrawn and increasingly hostile. Is it just an especially awful case of teenager-hood? No. In fact, Cody is keeping a terrible secret she has no idea how to cope with, and doesn't dare share with her mother.
Then on a cold, rainy, awful night for driving, Adam March, a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations, arrives in the Lakeview's reception area. He had planned to continue on to the Holiday Inn, where he had reservations, but the driving on the curving country roads in the storm is just too bad to make it worth the risk. The Lakeview has entirely too many empty rooms, but Adam has his dog Chance with him, a pit bull he describes as his "therapy dog." We'll come back to that description later. Now, no decent hotelier who can't be fired by someone higher up would refuse shelter to a person traveling with a well-behaved, quiet dog in a frightening storm like the one Adam arrives in, but Skye tries. She really, really tries. But it's obviously an inhumane thing to do, and Adam is happy to accept the worst room in the nearly-empty hotel, and pay a $50 "cleaning fee" surcharge for it. Skye folds, because she needs the business.
You can probably tell I didn't start out liking Skye, although we are clearly supposed to. I did warm up to some over the course of the story, though.
The story is told in four voices: Skye, Cody, Adam, and Chance. Skye and Chance's sections are in first person; Cody and Adam's are in third person.
Adam is there to help get a fundraising plan started for the Art Center, the one good thing Cody has found in this area. She has no friends, all the kids in her class have been friends since first grade, and where she spends an awful lot of time working in the hotel as chambermaid and general dogsbody. But at the Art Center, the artists tolerate her and she's able, a little bit, to develop her art. Adam is a grieving widower, his wife dead only three months at the start of this book.
Over the next several months, Adam becomes a regular guest at the Lakeview, and gradually learns that Cody is spending far more time at the Art Center than her mother is aware of, and trading chores and posing for art lessons from the head of the center, Mosley Finch. Chance keeps his main focus on his own human, Adam, as is only appropriate, but he senses Cody's sadness and tries to comfort her, too. At school, Cody makes a sort-of friend called "Black Molly" (because she dresses in all black, all the time), who turns out to be bad news. Yet a kid who is being bullied by everyone that matters in school doesn't easily turn away even a poor choice of friend, especially when she doesn't feel she can open up to her mother. (Cody's high school experiences remind me all too much of my own in junior high. However, my parents were imperfect, they were a lot more available than Skye often is, and I didn't have a traumatic secret to keep. That may be what protected me from potential "friends" such as Molly.)
And then one day at the Art Center, Adam asks Cody to take Chance out for a potty break. Outside, Chance hears a dog in great distress. He runs off in that direction, and Cody follows.
They find a crack house, with an older boy unconscious from OD'ing, and a dog chained to the wall. Cody does the sensible thing, calling both 911 and Adam.
Everyone in this book has problems, and they all struggle with them. Chance and the dog in the crack house are both dogs who were previously fought. Adam and Mingo, the boy who overdosed, but survived due to Cody and Chance's timely arrival, each rescued their dogs, and really ought to recognize their kindred spirits faster than they do. I like the character development, yes, even Skye, who does learn, and it's an involving and in the end satisfying story.
I said we'd talk about that description of Chance as a "therapy dog." That's the description most often used, though Adam sometimes refers to him as a service dog, and we're told that Chance has a service dog vest that he wears when Adam will be taking him to places where it's needed to avoid unnecessary hassles. "Therapy dog" and "service dog" don't mean the same thing. A therapy dog and its handler help other people. Often they visit hospitals, nursing homes, old age centers. Some participate in school or library programs for children with reading difficulties. Some are trained to participate in Animal Assisted Therapy with professional therapists to help their patients. Some are "comfort dogs" who are brought to people under stress, such as after a traumatic event.
Therapy dogs are wonderful dogs.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs, and don't have the public access rights of service dogs.
Service dogs are trained to help their handler, their person, cope with a variety of otherwise-disabling or dangerous problems. Guide dogs and mobility assistance dogs are service dogs. Dogs who alert to low or high blood sugar in diabetics are service dogs, as are hearing assistance dogs for the deaf. The dogs trained to assist returned combat veterans with PTSD are service dogs. Without going through every permutation of medical service dog, the kind most relevant here are the dogs trained to help people with significant emotional and psychiatric problems.
We're both told and shown over the course of this book that Chance helps Adam manage his rage and reactivity, so that he can function reasonably in public. He couldn't do his job without Chance to help keep him balanced and functional, and Chance needs to be with him to do that.
Chance is a service dog. Federal law, specifically the ADA, guarantees the right of a disabled person to bring their service dog with them essentially everywhere. I've had my service dog with me in the hospital during hospital stays.
When Adam arrives at the Lakeview Hotel and Skye tried to deny him a room based on her No Pets policy, had Adam spoken up clearly and more precisely, saying that Chance was his service dog, she might have realized that the ADA meant she couldn't refuse him a room based on the dog. In a perfect world, I'd have recommended that he put Chance's service dog vest on, even though it's not legally required, because it tends to make life easier. It's all about clear communication, often. The fact that Wilson has Adam mostly refer to Chance as a therapy dog and never has him explain Chance's importance to his ability to function normally, really makes me wonder if she knows any of this.
It's perhaps also important to note that a service dog must behave appropriately. You can't be told to remove your service dog from the premises because someone else objects to the dog, but you can be required to remove your service dog if it behaves inappropriately. If it barks excessively, or harasses other people, or pees or poops in a place where it's not allowed. My first stop on getting out of the car with my service dog is a spot where she can potty before we go into any business--even Petco or Petsmart, which are equipped to cope with potty mistakes and won't freak and throw us out. It's just proper behavior, for any dog whom you bring in anywhere. If your dog can't handle this, your dog is not yet adequately trained to be a service dog.
At no point do we see chance doing anything inappropriate for a service dog.
Anyway, I did really enjoy this book, and you may enjoy it even more than I did, if the distinctions between therapy dogs and service dogs seem like minor details to you. (Which, admittedly, they probably do, if you aren't dependent on a service dog to be able to function normally!
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
It's six months later, and the Lakeview has turned out to be a money pit. A money pit with real potential, but a money pit. Skye is barely making ends meet while repairs and upgrades proceed slowly. And Cody, previously an open and loving girl, has become cold and withdrawn and increasingly hostile. Is it just an especially awful case of teenager-hood? No. In fact, Cody is keeping a terrible secret she has no idea how to cope with, and doesn't dare share with her mother.
Then on a cold, rainy, awful night for driving, Adam March, a fundraiser for nonprofit organizations, arrives in the Lakeview's reception area. He had planned to continue on to the Holiday Inn, where he had reservations, but the driving on the curving country roads in the storm is just too bad to make it worth the risk. The Lakeview has entirely too many empty rooms, but Adam has his dog Chance with him, a pit bull he describes as his "therapy dog." We'll come back to that description later. Now, no decent hotelier who can't be fired by someone higher up would refuse shelter to a person traveling with a well-behaved, quiet dog in a frightening storm like the one Adam arrives in, but Skye tries. She really, really tries. But it's obviously an inhumane thing to do, and Adam is happy to accept the worst room in the nearly-empty hotel, and pay a $50 "cleaning fee" surcharge for it. Skye folds, because she needs the business.
You can probably tell I didn't start out liking Skye, although we are clearly supposed to. I did warm up to some over the course of the story, though.
The story is told in four voices: Skye, Cody, Adam, and Chance. Skye and Chance's sections are in first person; Cody and Adam's are in third person.
Adam is there to help get a fundraising plan started for the Art Center, the one good thing Cody has found in this area. She has no friends, all the kids in her class have been friends since first grade, and where she spends an awful lot of time working in the hotel as chambermaid and general dogsbody. But at the Art Center, the artists tolerate her and she's able, a little bit, to develop her art. Adam is a grieving widower, his wife dead only three months at the start of this book.
Over the next several months, Adam becomes a regular guest at the Lakeview, and gradually learns that Cody is spending far more time at the Art Center than her mother is aware of, and trading chores and posing for art lessons from the head of the center, Mosley Finch. Chance keeps his main focus on his own human, Adam, as is only appropriate, but he senses Cody's sadness and tries to comfort her, too. At school, Cody makes a sort-of friend called "Black Molly" (because she dresses in all black, all the time), who turns out to be bad news. Yet a kid who is being bullied by everyone that matters in school doesn't easily turn away even a poor choice of friend, especially when she doesn't feel she can open up to her mother. (Cody's high school experiences remind me all too much of my own in junior high. However, my parents were imperfect, they were a lot more available than Skye often is, and I didn't have a traumatic secret to keep. That may be what protected me from potential "friends" such as Molly.)
And then one day at the Art Center, Adam asks Cody to take Chance out for a potty break. Outside, Chance hears a dog in great distress. He runs off in that direction, and Cody follows.
They find a crack house, with an older boy unconscious from OD'ing, and a dog chained to the wall. Cody does the sensible thing, calling both 911 and Adam.
Everyone in this book has problems, and they all struggle with them. Chance and the dog in the crack house are both dogs who were previously fought. Adam and Mingo, the boy who overdosed, but survived due to Cody and Chance's timely arrival, each rescued their dogs, and really ought to recognize their kindred spirits faster than they do. I like the character development, yes, even Skye, who does learn, and it's an involving and in the end satisfying story.
I said we'd talk about that description of Chance as a "therapy dog." That's the description most often used, though Adam sometimes refers to him as a service dog, and we're told that Chance has a service dog vest that he wears when Adam will be taking him to places where it's needed to avoid unnecessary hassles. "Therapy dog" and "service dog" don't mean the same thing. A therapy dog and its handler help other people. Often they visit hospitals, nursing homes, old age centers. Some participate in school or library programs for children with reading difficulties. Some are trained to participate in Animal Assisted Therapy with professional therapists to help their patients. Some are "comfort dogs" who are brought to people under stress, such as after a traumatic event.
Therapy dogs are wonderful dogs.
Therapy dogs are not service dogs, and don't have the public access rights of service dogs.
Service dogs are trained to help their handler, their person, cope with a variety of otherwise-disabling or dangerous problems. Guide dogs and mobility assistance dogs are service dogs. Dogs who alert to low or high blood sugar in diabetics are service dogs, as are hearing assistance dogs for the deaf. The dogs trained to assist returned combat veterans with PTSD are service dogs. Without going through every permutation of medical service dog, the kind most relevant here are the dogs trained to help people with significant emotional and psychiatric problems.
We're both told and shown over the course of this book that Chance helps Adam manage his rage and reactivity, so that he can function reasonably in public. He couldn't do his job without Chance to help keep him balanced and functional, and Chance needs to be with him to do that.
Chance is a service dog. Federal law, specifically the ADA, guarantees the right of a disabled person to bring their service dog with them essentially everywhere. I've had my service dog with me in the hospital during hospital stays.
When Adam arrives at the Lakeview Hotel and Skye tried to deny him a room based on her No Pets policy, had Adam spoken up clearly and more precisely, saying that Chance was his service dog, she might have realized that the ADA meant she couldn't refuse him a room based on the dog. In a perfect world, I'd have recommended that he put Chance's service dog vest on, even though it's not legally required, because it tends to make life easier. It's all about clear communication, often. The fact that Wilson has Adam mostly refer to Chance as a therapy dog and never has him explain Chance's importance to his ability to function normally, really makes me wonder if she knows any of this.
It's perhaps also important to note that a service dog must behave appropriately. You can't be told to remove your service dog from the premises because someone else objects to the dog, but you can be required to remove your service dog if it behaves inappropriately. If it barks excessively, or harasses other people, or pees or poops in a place where it's not allowed. My first stop on getting out of the car with my service dog is a spot where she can potty before we go into any business--even Petco or Petsmart, which are equipped to cope with potty mistakes and won't freak and throw us out. It's just proper behavior, for any dog whom you bring in anywhere. If your dog can't handle this, your dog is not yet adequately trained to be a service dog.
At no point do we see chance doing anything inappropriate for a service dog.
Anyway, I did really enjoy this book, and you may enjoy it even more than I did, if the distinctions between therapy dogs and service dogs seem like minor details to you. (Which, admittedly, they probably do, if you aren't dependent on a service dog to be able to function normally!
Recommended.
I bought this audiobook.
April 7, 2021
Again, I can't rate past one star. This book really grabs you right away and pulls you in. I loved it from start to finish. I definitely recommend you read it. 5 stars
April 24, 2024
2.5 stars. Tbh I did not have very high expectations for this book, but in the end I liked it better than I thought I would, if not by much. Occasionally the writing was distractingly, even insufferably bad -- I couldn't STAND the sections from Chance's pov, I'm sorry to say, and some idiosyncrasies like the overuse of "scrim" or the bafflingly spelled "Web site" (seriously, what decade is it?) really ground my gears -- but on the whole was simply inoffensively bland. The plot, on the other hand, was almost lurid, which at least made it interesting. I seriously thought this poor kid was going to be diagnosed with cancer, a la what's-her-name's mom from The Room.
This is a terrible review, it makes the book sound much worse than it really was. Oops. Or maybe it's fair, I don't know. Let's try again:
This book was reasonably enjoyable light reading, and whatever faults it may have had, they were redeemed by the fact that it featured, as promised, Two (2) Good Dogs. What more could you want?
This is a terrible review, it makes the book sound much worse than it really was. Oops. Or maybe it's fair, I don't know. Let's try again:
This book was reasonably enjoyable light reading, and whatever faults it may have had, they were redeemed by the fact that it featured, as promised, Two (2) Good Dogs. What more could you want?
March 14, 2020
I loved that Chance, one of the dogs of the title, was a main character and got to narrate his own chapters. A captivating story with an uplifting ending. I think it's okay in this case to say there is a happy ending because I know some people (like myself) don't like to read books about animals that are sad.
I have put the prequel, One Good Dog, on my TBR list. Highly recommended, especially for dog persons.
I have put the prequel, One Good Dog, on my TBR list. Highly recommended, especially for dog persons.
May 6, 2017
This wasn't one of my favorites by Wilson, but it was a good book. I liked the characters, Adam, Sky and Cody, but Chance was the star. He was a great dog! The storyline was interesting and kept my attention. This one tackles some tough subjects.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
March 10, 2017
Two Good Dogs is the newest book by Susan Wilson (author of One Good Dog). Skye Mitchell and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Cody have moved to the Berkshire Hills. Skye has purchased the LakeView Motel and is hoping this is a new start for the two of them. Cody’s personality has taken a three hundred and sixty degree turn since the death of her father, Randy six months earlier (not that he was every around much). She is no longer the happy sunny girl. Cody is rebellious, sullen, and keeps to herself. Calls from the high school principal have become a regular occurrence. Skye does not know what is wrong with Cody, and Cody refuses to talk to with her mother. The LakeView Motel is not quite what Skye expected. It needs many repairs, and Skye does not have the money to get them completed (income is low at this time). One night there is a heavy rainstorm and Adam March cannot continue on to his destination. He sees the sign for the LakeView Motel and pulls in. Skye is happy for a guest (the guest’s money), but Adam has a buddy with him that she does not want to allow in her motel. Adam travels with his dog, Chance. Chance is a pit bull rescue that is a certified therapy dog. Skye reluctantly allows Adam to stay for the night (and charges him an extra fee for the dog). Chance can tell that Cody has a lot of anger in her and needs comforting. It turns out that Cody has a secret that she cannot share. She is afraid and will not let anyone get close to her. Cody is interested in art and spends time at the local Artists Cooperative in North Adams. It turns out that Adam is in the area to do some work for the Artists Cooperative. Adam’s one night at the LakeView Motel turns into a regular occurrence (Adam is grieving the loss of his wife). Adam works to convince Skye to make changes to the motel (make it pet friendly), and they slowly get to know each other. These three people and Chance are on a journey. Another troubled soul will soon join them. The road will be bumpy and twisty, but, hopefully, they will all make it to the end.
Two Good Dogs is told from different point-of-views. It is told in the third person for Cody and Adam. In the first person for Skye and Chance. As the story plays out, it changes from one person to the next. I found this confusing. One minute we are hearing from Cody and then it changes. You have to read a little bit and then you finally figure out which person it has changed to. I wish the author had just told the story from a third person perspective (instead of each character). I found Chance’s sections to be a little too sophisticated for a dog (if they had been more humorous, it would have helped lighten this story). The dog cannot understand human speak, but he has very mature thoughts. I know my dog, Doozy has one main thought—food. His main concern is how to con more treats out of me (or find a way to steal them). The pace of the book is leisurely (a nice way to say slow) and the segments choppy. I give Two Good Dogs 2.5 out of 5 stars. I did not like Cody. She dominates the story (of course) with her teenage rebellious acts, because she will not share her secret. I felt the author shoved in as many awful teenage acts as she could into the store. It made the book very unpalatable. Two Good Dogs contains foul language, drugs, thieving and inappropriate situations (an art teacher with an underage, underdressed model). The ending was abrupt and the epilogue unsatisfactory. There was one odd sentence. Cody does not put on perfume that she does not own (stole or borrowed from a guest) because her mother “has a nose like a hound”. But Cody can smoke pot and her mother does not notice? This is an oxymoron. Two Good Dogs had very little mystery or suspense in it. I wish the author had played up this angle more and less on the teenage drama.
Two Good Dogs is told from different point-of-views. It is told in the third person for Cody and Adam. In the first person for Skye and Chance. As the story plays out, it changes from one person to the next. I found this confusing. One minute we are hearing from Cody and then it changes. You have to read a little bit and then you finally figure out which person it has changed to. I wish the author had just told the story from a third person perspective (instead of each character). I found Chance’s sections to be a little too sophisticated for a dog (if they had been more humorous, it would have helped lighten this story). The dog cannot understand human speak, but he has very mature thoughts. I know my dog, Doozy has one main thought—food. His main concern is how to con more treats out of me (or find a way to steal them). The pace of the book is leisurely (a nice way to say slow) and the segments choppy. I give Two Good Dogs 2.5 out of 5 stars. I did not like Cody. She dominates the story (of course) with her teenage rebellious acts, because she will not share her secret. I felt the author shoved in as many awful teenage acts as she could into the store. It made the book very unpalatable. Two Good Dogs contains foul language, drugs, thieving and inappropriate situations (an art teacher with an underage, underdressed model). The ending was abrupt and the epilogue unsatisfactory. There was one odd sentence. Cody does not put on perfume that she does not own (stole or borrowed from a guest) because her mother “has a nose like a hound”. But Cody can smoke pot and her mother does not notice? This is an oxymoron. Two Good Dogs had very little mystery or suspense in it. I wish the author had played up this angle more and less on the teenage drama.
March 15, 2021
Beautiful writing. But...
> The change in POVs was a bit challenging to keep up with. Perhaps labeling who's head were in or perspective we're getting would have helped
>I CANNOT with disrespectful teens. I know that's more preference, but for me, almost a deal breaker (I just wanted to see if the kid redeemed herself and what happened to vMingo)
>Some things seemed a bit stereotypical (like homey, thug, drug dealer) and not in a good way (but that's just my preference)
>The ending seemed rushed to me. Like not fully resolved
Other than that, cute story line. Extremely beautiful prose. Just be careful with some of the points mentioned above.
> The change in POVs was a bit challenging to keep up with. Perhaps labeling who's head were in or perspective we're getting would have helped
>I CANNOT with disrespectful teens. I know that's more preference, but for me, almost a deal breaker (I just wanted to see if the kid redeemed herself and what happened to vMingo)
>Some things seemed a bit stereotypical (like homey, thug, drug dealer) and not in a good way (but that's just my preference)
>The ending seemed rushed to me. Like not fully resolved
Other than that, cute story line. Extremely beautiful prose. Just be careful with some of the points mentioned above.
January 17, 2020
It’s been a few years since I read One Good Dog so I don’t remember too much of Adam’s story. I’m not usually a person that likes stories with multiple storylines that get back and forth from the main person’s perspective, but this story flowed nicely so it wasn’t off putting. Dogs are such amazing creatures with how they can calm us just by being present. I don’t want to give anything away in this book so I’m just going to leave this review as it is well worth the read if you liked One Good Dog.
Read
October 5, 2018I'm going to preface this review to tell you that I started writing it, then set it aside, then went out of town, then came back for a few days, and then remembered I'd never finished the review. And now unfortunately so much time has passed that I don't remember what else I wanted to say. So, my review is gonna be short and end abruptly!
This book started out as a bit of a challenge for me, and I considered DNFing it pretty quickly. The prologue is in first person, italicized, from the point of view of Chance, one of the two good dogs. Chapter one introduces us to Cody, with the narrative in third person, present tense. Ugh, my least favorite tense, but it's fine, I can deal with it. Then a few pages later, we meet Cody's mother, Skye, and the narrative changes to first person, past tense. Ok, we're going to be alternating. Fine, I can deal with it. Then chapter two, Adam is introduced, and the narrative changes to third person, past tense. Um, ok, so each of the main characters gets their own distinctive voice. And then on the next page Adam meets Skye, and the narrative suddenly shifts back to present tense, and then on the next page back to past tense. At this point I was only on page 20 and the narrative had changed four times. Just pick a style already!
Despite the specific narration for each of the main characters, there were several times when I wasn't sure for a few seconds who the focus had shifted to. Fortunately,the story was compelling enough that I stuck with it, and I enjoyed it.
And then looking at the author's other books, I realized this is a sequel to ONE GOOD DOG, which I have in my TBR pile, so I'm gonna have to pull it out to read soon, but not too soon.
This book started out as a bit of a challenge for me, and I considered DNFing it pretty quickly. The prologue is in first person, italicized, from the point of view of Chance, one of the two good dogs. Chapter one introduces us to Cody, with the narrative in third person, present tense. Ugh, my least favorite tense, but it's fine, I can deal with it. Then a few pages later, we meet Cody's mother, Skye, and the narrative changes to first person, past tense. Ok, we're going to be alternating. Fine, I can deal with it. Then chapter two, Adam is introduced, and the narrative changes to third person, past tense. Um, ok, so each of the main characters gets their own distinctive voice. And then on the next page Adam meets Skye, and the narrative suddenly shifts back to present tense, and then on the next page back to past tense. At this point I was only on page 20 and the narrative had changed four times. Just pick a style already!
Despite the specific narration for each of the main characters, there were several times when I wasn't sure for a few seconds who the focus had shifted to. Fortunately,the story was compelling enough that I stuck with it, and I enjoyed it.
And then looking at the author's other books, I realized this is a sequel to ONE GOOD DOG, which I have in my TBR pile, so I'm gonna have to pull it out to read soon, but not too soon.
Read
March 10, 2018I love love Susan Wilson. Probably because l love dogs but she always pulls me in with such heartwarming stories about love and redemption between a dog and a human. Excellent read!!
October 1, 2020
This is not at all a great book by any means. The writing is mediocre and generally it’s not doing that much. BUT I love a good pitbull hero story and I could not put it down
August 28, 2025
3.5 stars
May 16, 2019
Good book though I wish there was more to the ending for a couple of characters.
November 22, 2019
A great story about the love between humans and their dogs
January 12, 2025
Another good book that features dogs as major characters in the story. I liked "One Good Dog" better, but this was almost as good.
July 17, 2019
The only thing I didn't like about this book was the way it was written. Characters switched back and forth really quick so often times I had to remind myself whose point of view we were in.
May 5, 2017
Having only read the prologue I would give it four stars. Three stars for the body of the prologue and the additional star for the surprise.
Just finished. This was a really great book. The pace moves just perfectly allowing the reader to have a moment to sit back and smile now and then. There is always The Secret, though, and the tornado steadily builds.
As the tale nears it's end, black clouds move in and the pressure fiercely increases. In the depths of the battle, I find myself right there in the middle and I shiver.
Something I appreciate about this book is that there are not introducing dozens of characters. Trying to keep whoseits and whatsits of a lot of characters, and I know most often, they are all vital to the story, is difficult and distracting.
"Skye, you're doing a fine job. Stick to your guns and don't fall into the trap of trying to make up for what Cody thinks are your deficiencies. They aren't. They're about being a good parent." Some very wise advice that I think most parents should take into account. I think it's mostly the guilt that consumes parents, especially mothers who choose or must to work and raise a child. They try to be the kids best friend. Kids have plenty of friends, usually. What they need are parents. Then there are so many parents that actually avoid parenting by giving their children everything they want whether it's material things or a pass on bad behavior. It's so easy to be a bad parent and so hard, so much work to be a good parent. I have a rather weird comparison. When you are a dog owner, you must take charge. If you do not fill the alpha dog role, your dog is very anxious and becomes unpredictable and overprotective. When your dog has a defined leader it is secure in the safety of the pack, even if it's only a pack of two.
I feel that Ms Wilson has not lost a spouse. If she had, she would know that three months is like yesterday and you don't feel waves of grief you are tossed about and drowning in an ocean of it. I am actually very angry at Susan Wilson. She states, not suggests but states, that losing a spouse is harder on a man because no one is there to take care of him. When you lose a spouse you lose your entire way of life. You have no idea how much your spouse does until he/she is gone. And so much more than that. There's the smiles and the greeting when you or your loved one comes home. There's the good-night peck and the person that helps you make all the decisions. A million and one little things around the house are so much easier with your mates help. The one at your side at get-togethers and across from you at the restaurant table and sitting beside you watching your favorite TV show. So, so much more. Your world simply disappears leaving you… I can't even describe it. It's so much more than alone.
Referencing Lady and Jester the two greyhounds "devoted to each other." I saw this in person, with two brothers. They would actually kind of intertwine their necks and one would lay his head on the others back. Always in physical contact. Could this be extraordinary physical affection be particular to greyhounds?
I'm pretty sure that anyone who reads this book is a complete lover of dogs so, I'm preaching to the choir here. But please excuse me. Anyone who keeps their dog outside, in the cellar or in a kennel are seriously abusing that dog. You are breaking his heart every day. If your dog is a barker and jumper and seems out-of-control, keeping him away from you intensifies that very behavior. If you don't wish to train your dog; if you don't have the patience to train your dog manners, then please, give him to someone who will welcome him into their household and train him appropriately.
If you know of a dog in the situation, please follow Adam's example and do your very best to rescue this dog from a life of boredom, neglect and loneliness.
Truly amazing how many people lack the good sense to walk, and teach their children to walk, facing oncoming traffic, specially in this day and age of phoning and texting while driving.
If you've read this far, you understand that I don't write "book reports." (Enough of that in school!) I share views and insights that I gain. I do the same with my progress reports… if you're interested.
Just finished. This was a really great book. The pace moves just perfectly allowing the reader to have a moment to sit back and smile now and then. There is always The Secret, though, and the tornado steadily builds.
As the tale nears it's end, black clouds move in and the pressure fiercely increases. In the depths of the battle, I find myself right there in the middle and I shiver.
Something I appreciate about this book is that there are not introducing dozens of characters. Trying to keep whoseits and whatsits of a lot of characters, and I know most often, they are all vital to the story, is difficult and distracting.
"Skye, you're doing a fine job. Stick to your guns and don't fall into the trap of trying to make up for what Cody thinks are your deficiencies. They aren't. They're about being a good parent." Some very wise advice that I think most parents should take into account. I think it's mostly the guilt that consumes parents, especially mothers who choose or must to work and raise a child. They try to be the kids best friend. Kids have plenty of friends, usually. What they need are parents. Then there are so many parents that actually avoid parenting by giving their children everything they want whether it's material things or a pass on bad behavior. It's so easy to be a bad parent and so hard, so much work to be a good parent. I have a rather weird comparison. When you are a dog owner, you must take charge. If you do not fill the alpha dog role, your dog is very anxious and becomes unpredictable and overprotective. When your dog has a defined leader it is secure in the safety of the pack, even if it's only a pack of two.
I feel that Ms Wilson has not lost a spouse. If she had, she would know that three months is like yesterday and you don't feel waves of grief you are tossed about and drowning in an ocean of it. I am actually very angry at Susan Wilson. She states, not suggests but states, that losing a spouse is harder on a man because no one is there to take care of him. When you lose a spouse you lose your entire way of life. You have no idea how much your spouse does until he/she is gone. And so much more than that. There's the smiles and the greeting when you or your loved one comes home. There's the good-night peck and the person that helps you make all the decisions. A million and one little things around the house are so much easier with your mates help. The one at your side at get-togethers and across from you at the restaurant table and sitting beside you watching your favorite TV show. So, so much more. Your world simply disappears leaving you… I can't even describe it. It's so much more than alone.
Referencing Lady and Jester the two greyhounds "devoted to each other." I saw this in person, with two brothers. They would actually kind of intertwine their necks and one would lay his head on the others back. Always in physical contact. Could this be extraordinary physical affection be particular to greyhounds?
I'm pretty sure that anyone who reads this book is a complete lover of dogs so, I'm preaching to the choir here. But please excuse me. Anyone who keeps their dog outside, in the cellar or in a kennel are seriously abusing that dog. You are breaking his heart every day. If your dog is a barker and jumper and seems out-of-control, keeping him away from you intensifies that very behavior. If you don't wish to train your dog; if you don't have the patience to train your dog manners, then please, give him to someone who will welcome him into their household and train him appropriately.
If you know of a dog in the situation, please follow Adam's example and do your very best to rescue this dog from a life of boredom, neglect and loneliness.
Truly amazing how many people lack the good sense to walk, and teach their children to walk, facing oncoming traffic, specially in this day and age of phoning and texting while driving.
If you've read this far, you understand that I don't write "book reports." (Enough of that in school!) I share views and insights that I gain. I do the same with my progress reports… if you're interested.
March 5, 2019
I just finished TWO GOOD DOGS and it was nothing like what I was expecting! One part of this book that I thoroughly enjoyed was that parts of the book were written from the dogs perspective. Super cute addition! However, my one vent for this book was the F bomb was dropped about 200 pages in. And then continually dropped thereafter. I HATE that, but against my better judgement, I kept reading. I had to know what was going to happen to Cody!! I found out about ONE GOOD DOG about 75 pages in and I got really mad at myself that I was reading them out of order. But then I found out that ONE GOOD DOG is just the backstory of a character Adam, who shows up in TWO GOOD DOGS for the majority of the story. Now that’s on my list so I can learn about Adam. All in all, this is a story about a young girl who basically loses herself because of a secret she has to keep. A lot of the time she’s a typical teenager with the attitude and the sass but only because she’s terrified. She comes out of her shell, begins to trust those around her, and builds up a lasting relationship with her mom. Great emotion and storyline.
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