Pup Culture: Stories, Tips, and the Importance of Adopting a Dog

by Victoria Lily Shaffer

Prepare yourself for every step of the dog adoption process and make your new best friend’s life the happiest and healthiest it can be with these fostering and adoption tips and tales from dog-loving expert Victoria Schaffer.

Adopting a dog and making them the newest member of your family can sometimes feel like a daunting task. How do you know what dog is right for you? What do you need to know about the adoption process? And how do you make sure your new best friend has the best life possible while they’re settling into their new home? Pup Culture is here to help.

Pup Culture is a well-deserved ode to man’s best friend. Fostering-extraordinaire Victoria Lily Shaffer presents a wide-ranging collection of dog adoption and fostering tales, tips, handy checklists, heartwarming stories, and Q&A’s from both celebs—like Dan Levy, Glenn Close, and David Letterman—as well as everyday dog lovers.

These inspiring stories and lessons dig deep into the beloved relationships between dogs and humans, from exploring the harrowing journey of finding your perfect “fur-ever” companion to spotlighting the selfless, dedicated community of rescuers that help save and change lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Dogs

176 pages, Hardcover

Published November 16, 2021

Reviews

[Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book, which is part guide, part memoir, and 100% a love letter to adopted dogs everywhere. We just adopted our sixth (not all in our lives at once- rip) and I encourage anyone considering it to read this book. Then go out and do it!

This unbiased review is based on a complimentary copy provided by the publisher.

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a perfectly wonderful book. I am just unable to finish it, as my beloved furbaby passed away on the way to the vet this morning. I hope others will check it out if they have an interest, good information here. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Victoria Lily Shaffer, and the publisher.

[Dana K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pup Culture is a love letter to the canine world, Paul Shaffer's daughter tells us how she and her family acquired and fell in love with their rescue dogs. Part memoir, part self-help, part how-to and all love, Pup Culture encourages the reader to consider adopting a rescue or fostering a pup. Interspersed throughout are celebrity essays (David Letterman and Dan Levy to name a few!) to their beloved pooches and how their hearts were stolen. Shaffer provides tips for getting your adoption application noticed, how to choose the right dog for you, what supplies to have on hand and how to settle into a training and lifestyle with your new friend. I loved that there were frank discussions of your expectations of having a dog and the realities of less than ideal health or behavioral situations that are the truth of dog ownership.

Pup Culture is vibrant and easily readable and dripping with love for our four legged friends.

Thanks to Simon and Shuster for providing me with a copy.

[Emily Dubovsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the focus on ‘adopt don’t shop’ and the importance of rescuing dogs rather than going to a breeder. There are so many already existing dogs who deserve homes. I felt Victorias passion about dogs and it was quite infectious. Dogs truly are magical and special and we don’t deserve them.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Pup Culture is a heartwarming collection of dog adoption stories along with dog parenting tips and tricks curated and presented by Victoria Lily Shaffer. Due out 26th Oct 2021 from Simon & Schuster on their Tiller Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is an exuberant and chatty book. The author's enduring enthusiasm for rescue, adoption, and animal welfare shines throughout. She tells her own story of dog adoption (after wearing down her parents, a familiar story to most readers) and their family's life after adopting their dogs. Scattered throughout the biography and dog life stories are small DIY tutorials, checklists, and tips for making canine family life less stressful and more successful.

I really enjoyed reading the vignettes and stories related by friends and acquaintances of the author. Bob Letterman's (Dave's shepherd mix) adoption is related along with a cute Thanksgiving story as well as many stories of adoption and fostering by the author and her immediate family. All of the stories throughout the book are interspersed with highlighted text sidebars with facts and tips about dog ownership and the daily realities of being a dog-parent. I was unaware, for example, that most large pet supply stores will allow returns of opened food packages if the animal is allergic or refuses to eat the purchased food.

This is a quirky but engaging book and I enjoyed reading it and looking at all of the adorable dog pics. It would make a good choice for library acquisition, gifting to a dog lover, or for readers who enjoy slice-of-life animal stories. I would also recommend this selection for people contemplating pet adoption. The author doesn't shy away from discussing some of the difficulties as well as the joys of being a pet parent.

Four stars. Cute and enjoyable.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Victoria Shaffer loves dogs and it shows in Pup Culture, an informative collection of adoption stories, tips on providing for foster dogs and how to find your perfect rescue pup. Some stories are her own. She describes her and her brother’s longing for pets and how they managed to find their perfect matches. She writes about her own rescue dogs but doesn’t gloss over the physical work it takes to raise a rescue dog with stomach problems (laundry, vet bills, more laundry). That rescue dog who was supposed to be a perfect weight of 30 pounds now weighs 90!

The stories of rescue dog behavior are charming. My favorite is David Letterman’s Thanksgiving story about his dog Bob. The turkey was put on the kitchen table to thaw, adults went out and returned to find the turkey gone. They hoped a homeless, hungry person had taken it. Them while their replacement turkey was roasting, Bob came racing in, original bird in mouth, ready to add to the holiday dinner.

The lists of what you’ll need for a foster or rescue puppy are detailed and invaluable. Shaffer makes sure her readers know that rescuing a dog takes patience and hard work but the result is beyond satisfying. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tiller Press and Victoria Lily Shaffer for this ARC.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Pup Culture: Stories, Tips, and the Importance of Adopting a Dog
Author: Victoria Lily Shaffer
Narrated by: Victoria Lily Shaffer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Length: Approximately 4 hours and 01 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!

Pup Culture is an ode to dogs and all those who love dogs. I’ve got two dogs myself, one is a full blood Beagle (Daisy) and the other is a muttly adopted dog of indeterminate origin (Spot). I love the stories in this book about the adoption process, tips for taking care of your dog, and stories from a variety of people including David Letterman, Dan Levy, etc. on the adoption of their dog.

Author Victoria Lily Shaffer is the daughter of Paul Schaffer from the Letterman show. I enjoyed that she was the narrator of the audiobook. She has a true passion for helping out dogs and I loved her personal stories.

I found this book to be inspiring and uplifting. It both made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes. This was the perfect audiobook to listen to when I had some stressful times at work.

This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2022...

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very visually appealing hard-cover book delving into the importance of adopting a dog, backed up by many stories, tips and helpful hints that are included. The cover is very lovely, with bright primary colors, and captures the reader’s eye immediately! Regrettably, the interior of the book is quite disappointing, not at all due to the content, but rather due to the unfortunate choice of extremely small font/print used throughout the book. It’s usefulness as a reference is limited due to the feeling that way too much was crammed into most of the pages. The message the author was trying to convey would have been much more easily read if there was a better choice of spacing, larger font size, and better paragraph use. It is truly regrettable that this work would have been greatly enhanced had it been expanded to even a slightly larger size (it is approximately 5” x 9”). The reader is left wondering if this was meant to be a hand-held guide, not a reference/resource book (?). Despite good illustrations, great cover, and so on, the interior content, although valuable was formatted in a disappointing way for most readers

[Jes Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve moved most of my book review talk over to my personal account, but I think you can guess why I’d mention this one here. 🥰 #pupculture by Victoria Lily Shaffer is a book full of cute stories and adventures in fostering rescue dogs. Victoria uses personal experience to encourage the curious to see how they can help local rescue services, gives tips to those new to pup parenting, and even has some special guest stories from the likes of Dan Levy and Glenn Close! The book comes out this October and can be pre-ordered now. The one thing that I would like to note, which the author does an okay (but admittedly not as well as I’d like, at least initially) job of saying, is that there is a level of privilege involved in being able to foster. She absolutely recognised that it’s both tough and rewarding— but I think having access to a job with flexibility at the very least, is not something everyone can have. 💜

Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
As a dog mom to special needs dogs, I'm a big advocate for adopting and rescuing dogs. So I was interested in this book just from the cover. I liked this book although I feel like it focused too much on puppies and not enough on the importance of adopting adult and senior dogs. But the author has a lot of experience with puppies so I understand why she chose to write mostly about them.
This book does offer some good advice on fostering and adopting dogs along with cute pictures, recipes for dog treats, and a few stories from other dog adopters. And the information about the rescue Mutt Scouts is inspiring.

[Belmont Kirch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informational and entertaining stories about dogs and the way how they enrich the lives of families.This is great book for family who are aspiring to be dog owners with useful tips and like the cute pictures.

[Andrea Trenary · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like skimmed and read parts of really.
Was a goodreads win.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adored this book. It was charming, the pictures throughout were beautiful. Victoria is clearly passionate about what she does, working tirelessly, and going above and beyond for every dog in need. Pup Culture is stuffed to the brim with incredible tips. Everything from applying for your first rescue (there's a reason you haven't heard back on your application form), to bonding new dogs with existing dogs in the household. If you're getting a new pup, Victoria has you covered with a Puppy Necessity List which I could have used before spending $1000 on Amazon last year. Shaffer's list is realistic, budget friendly, and the items can be found anywhere. She'll tell you how to repurpose old toys, and even how to create your own. The outcome of Pup Culture will be a brain filled with puppy knowledge and dozens of questions and answers on whether you're you're ready to take the leap into owning a dog or not. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, as will any dog lover, or anyone who is considering a dog.

[Dara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pup Culture was a wonderful read which reminded me why I chose to foster dogs even when it is difficult. “Dogs warm us inside with their loyalty, kindness, and love.”⁣ This book features stories of fostering, adoption, and dog rescue including interviews with a vet and stories from celebrities including David Letterman and Dan Levy, among others. Victoria has her own three rescue dogs and fosters puppies to get them ready for adoption. She recently opened her own rescue as well. This book would make a great gift!⁣