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Flawed Dogs: The Shocking Raid on Westminster
Pulitzer Prize-winning Berkeley Breathed's first illustrated novel! Sam the Lion is actually a priceless dachshund, bred to be a show dog. More important, he is Heidy's best friend—and she needs one like never before. Living with her reclusive uncle is hard, but Sam has a way of making her feel soft and whole. Until the day Sam is framed by the jealous poodle Cassius, and is cast out by Heidy's uncle, alone on the wild streets, where he is roughed up by a world he was not bred for. Sporting a soup ladle for a leg, Sam befriends other abandoned dogs and journeys all the way to the Westminster Dog Show, where his plan for revenge on Cassius takes an unexpected turn when he and Heidy spot each other after years of being apart. Pulitzer Prize winner and New York Times bestselling author Berkeley Breathed's first illustrated novel is a heartwarming and humorous ode to the unconditional and lasting love we and our pets share.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2003
76 people are currently reading
859 people want to read
About the author
Berkeley Breathed
91 books414 followersGuy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed is an American cartoonist, children's book author/illustrator, director, and screenwriter, best known for Bloom County, a 1980s cartoon-comic strip which dealt with socio-political issues as seen through the eyes of highly exaggerated characters (e.g. Bill the Cat and Opus the Penguin) and humorous analogies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
December 28, 2010
Allow me to set a scene for you, review reader. Picture a comfy couch covered in snuggly blankets where a reader is perched with two miniature dachshunds ready to read a book featuring another wiener dog. Picture the reader clutching the two dogs close as she reads the opening scene. Sam (the book's main character) has laid his long, broken, little body on the floor of a dog fighting ring. That, my friends, is how I read this book. I had to hope that Sam was going to make it and we were all going to stay on that couch until I found out.
Every time something heartbreaking happened to Sam we got upset and every time something hilarious happened we rejoiced. It really is a roller coaster ride filled with Breathed's brand of humor. I grew up with Opus being one of my favorite cartoon characters, so that probably says something about me. This is a book for animal lovers of nearly all ages (grades 5+ to Adult). Upper elementary and middle school readers should be the best fit, but dachshund enthusiasts of all ages will certainly want to read this.
Oh, and the artwork is a HUGE bonus. It is alternately heartbreaking and hilarious, as well.
Every time something heartbreaking happened to Sam we got upset and every time something hilarious happened we rejoiced. It really is a roller coaster ride filled with Breathed's brand of humor. I grew up with Opus being one of my favorite cartoon characters, so that probably says something about me. This is a book for animal lovers of nearly all ages (grades 5+ to Adult). Upper elementary and middle school readers should be the best fit, but dachshund enthusiasts of all ages will certainly want to read this.
Oh, and the artwork is a HUGE bonus. It is alternately heartbreaking and hilarious, as well.
December 4, 2010
I'm not the kind of mom who troubles herself too deeply about the contents of books or movies. My kids aren't watching the Saw series, but if they enjoy the Nightmare Before Christmas or find Futurama funny, so be it. We began reading Flawed Dogs to our five-year-old, and after the first few disturbing chapters I had to read ahead to make sure that this was a book we could finish reading to him.
This book broke my heart several times. I knew this was going to be a problem when the book opened in a dog fighting ring. I am, after all, a woman who gave up meat for six months after seeing feathers flying out of a chicken transport truck. This here is one dark story. For the first time in my parenting career I thought pretty hard about restricting access to something my kid enjoys -- I was afraid he is simply too young for it. Then I started thinking about many of the classic kid books, such as James and the Giant Peach, Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, even the Harry Potter series. Dark, dark, dark. Childhood is not the goodship lollipop. So, onwards, MacDuff, and we'll answer the hard questions as they may come.
I have loved anything that Berkeley Breathed has cared to put out there. I'm dissappointed in his recent turn towards children's literature, but only because I'm selfish and I want his work to be monolithic; War and Peace epic even. I ached for Sam the Lion. When you are dreading turning a page because you are afraid of what is going to happen next, you are in the midst of reading a good book.
Don't get me wrong. This book is also hysterical. I've recently been re-reading some of the Bloom County cartoons, and realized that much of my sense of humor came from my early exposure to Berkely Breathed. His characters are vivid, his voice is unique, his humor unparalleled, and I am an unabashed Breathed devoted fanatic. A book that has you crying and laughing at the same time is a great story, even if its cover does feature a dachshund with a ladle for a leg.
This book broke my heart several times. I knew this was going to be a problem when the book opened in a dog fighting ring. I am, after all, a woman who gave up meat for six months after seeing feathers flying out of a chicken transport truck. This here is one dark story. For the first time in my parenting career I thought pretty hard about restricting access to something my kid enjoys -- I was afraid he is simply too young for it. Then I started thinking about many of the classic kid books, such as James and the Giant Peach, Willa Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, even the Harry Potter series. Dark, dark, dark. Childhood is not the goodship lollipop. So, onwards, MacDuff, and we'll answer the hard questions as they may come.
I have loved anything that Berkeley Breathed has cared to put out there. I'm dissappointed in his recent turn towards children's literature, but only because I'm selfish and I want his work to be monolithic; War and Peace epic even. I ached for Sam the Lion. When you are dreading turning a page because you are afraid of what is going to happen next, you are in the midst of reading a good book.
Don't get me wrong. This book is also hysterical. I've recently been re-reading some of the Bloom County cartoons, and realized that much of my sense of humor came from my early exposure to Berkely Breathed. His characters are vivid, his voice is unique, his humor unparalleled, and I am an unabashed Breathed devoted fanatic. A book that has you crying and laughing at the same time is a great story, even if its cover does feature a dachshund with a ladle for a leg.
August 13, 2022
I found the book Flawed Dogs a bit flawed. The illustrations are interesting and worth picking the book up and looking at them, but then you might be tempted to want to read the book and wind up like me at the end of the book going, 'huh?'
I guess it is meant as a kids book. It has the feeling of a very looney tunes cartoon. The genius of Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed writing is there, but splatters all over the place and across some touchy bad dog areas as springboards for jokes, appropriating another person's dog, dog fighting, dog getting hit by a car, using dogs in laboratories, the longing for a forever home, and derogatory stereotyping a poodle into a villain. But it is all in good fun as long as you don't stop long enough to think about it.
Here is one passage to show Berke's random genius in writing (the picture helps, otherwise try to frame the image in your mind as you read it):
"On the weaving, bouncing electric cart, the dog spotted the girl peering at him through the car’s rear window ahead of him. Amidst the troublesome day where nothing made sense, the girls face was a lifeboat of familiarity. He leapt from the electric cart’s accelerator pedal, stopping it cold. The airliner behind it slammed on its brakes in front of Piggly Wiggly grocery store, which the passengers decided was the Piddleton Airport baggage claim.
The dachshund streaked up alongside Heidy’s car, leapt onto the running board and scrambled up the rear door, through the open window, and into Heidy’s open travel bag tucked next to her leg.
Panting hard, he looked up at the startled girl and said simply: “I love french fries.”
And one more interesting passage:
"The guard squinted and refused to believe what he thought he saw at the front of the phalanx of hopping, running, stumbling animals: Two beagles ran side by side, strapped across their backs a sort of missile launcher made of a half-curved aluminum rain gutter. Within this lay the now three-legged Sam, aimed and read to launch like a furry bullet in a hot dog bun. Stretched onto the dachshund’s nose was a human’s latex glove, its index finger filled with several ounces of Elmer’s glue hardened rock solid. The guard believed it was aimed directly at his nose."
My favorite thing was reading to my boys when they were little. I would put all the excitement into my voice, and use different voices to really make it fun. I can imagine doing it with this book, but I think think at the end of it then both of us would just be going 'huh?'
It was a quick read. If you really like big dramatic random silly you may enjoy the book with illustrations (many in color too!) than you may enjoy the book.
In parting, for those of you who have read the book, I only have one last thing to say, “Look! The Duüglitz tuft! THE DUÜGLITZ TUFT!
I guess it is meant as a kids book. It has the feeling of a very looney tunes cartoon. The genius of Guy Berkeley "Berke" Breathed writing is there, but splatters all over the place and across some touchy bad dog areas as springboards for jokes, appropriating another person's dog, dog fighting, dog getting hit by a car, using dogs in laboratories, the longing for a forever home, and derogatory stereotyping a poodle into a villain. But it is all in good fun as long as you don't stop long enough to think about it.
Here is one passage to show Berke's random genius in writing (the picture helps, otherwise try to frame the image in your mind as you read it):
"On the weaving, bouncing electric cart, the dog spotted the girl peering at him through the car’s rear window ahead of him. Amidst the troublesome day where nothing made sense, the girls face was a lifeboat of familiarity. He leapt from the electric cart’s accelerator pedal, stopping it cold. The airliner behind it slammed on its brakes in front of Piggly Wiggly grocery store, which the passengers decided was the Piddleton Airport baggage claim.
The dachshund streaked up alongside Heidy’s car, leapt onto the running board and scrambled up the rear door, through the open window, and into Heidy’s open travel bag tucked next to her leg.
Panting hard, he looked up at the startled girl and said simply: “I love french fries.”
And one more interesting passage:
"The guard squinted and refused to believe what he thought he saw at the front of the phalanx of hopping, running, stumbling animals: Two beagles ran side by side, strapped across their backs a sort of missile launcher made of a half-curved aluminum rain gutter. Within this lay the now three-legged Sam, aimed and read to launch like a furry bullet in a hot dog bun. Stretched onto the dachshund’s nose was a human’s latex glove, its index finger filled with several ounces of Elmer’s glue hardened rock solid. The guard believed it was aimed directly at his nose."
My favorite thing was reading to my boys when they were little. I would put all the excitement into my voice, and use different voices to really make it fun. I can imagine doing it with this book, but I think think at the end of it then both of us would just be going 'huh?'
It was a quick read. If you really like big dramatic random silly you may enjoy the book with illustrations (many in color too!) than you may enjoy the book.
In parting, for those of you who have read the book, I only have one last thing to say, “Look! The Duüglitz tuft! THE DUÜGLITZ TUFT!
October 11, 2009
You’ve heard the saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover”...well that certainly applies to this book. Why? The cover gives the prospective reader the impression that the “read” will be a delightful romp with man’s best friend, but Flawed Dogs is anything but that.
Being a huge animal lover myself, I bought this book hoping to be entertained, and I was not. The first chapter has Sam, the main dog (character) and dachshund, being placed in the ring to fight a pit bull. When he realizes why he has been placed there, he lies down to die and remember his life. From there, the reader is taken on a journey of Sam’s very unhappy experiences in his short life, from being “framed” by an evil poodle for kidnapping a baby, being placed in the Last-Ditch Dog Depository, and living with a down-on-his-luck gentleman the one who puts Sam in the dog fight). The only redeeming factor for this book is Sam and the flawed dogs with which he becomes friends.
Being a huge animal lover myself, I bought this book hoping to be entertained, and I was not. The first chapter has Sam, the main dog (character) and dachshund, being placed in the ring to fight a pit bull. When he realizes why he has been placed there, he lies down to die and remember his life. From there, the reader is taken on a journey of Sam’s very unhappy experiences in his short life, from being “framed” by an evil poodle for kidnapping a baby, being placed in the Last-Ditch Dog Depository, and living with a down-on-his-luck gentleman the one who puts Sam in the dog fight). The only redeeming factor for this book is Sam and the flawed dogs with which he becomes friends.
March 17, 2020
Sam the Lion and his pack of flawed dogs finally get the love they deserve in the end, but it's sad and harrowing road they must travel to get there. Alternatively hysterically funny and brutally sad, this one had me cheering and wiping away happy tears at the end.
March 3, 2012
Sam once had it all. He was a perfect purebred with an elusive tuft of hair that entranced show judges. But more importantly, he had the love of his owner, Heidy. But Sam's winning ways and his bond with young Heidy drive Cassius, the pompous poodle of the housekeeper, to plan his demise. Sam lives, but he's now flawed...and even worse, separated from Heidy. He undergoes unspeakable horrors for three years, meeting an interesting band of misfit dogs along the way. With these "underdogs," Sam sets out for Westminster to wreck havoc on "the others" (the perfect dogs), and exact revenge on Cassius.
I love dogs. And, I chose this book because I love the picture book on which it is based. However, as a dog lover, I found it hard to get through. Throughout the book, Sam is shot, has his leg caught in a beaver trap, is used for medical testing, and is entered into a dog fight. I understand that there should have been some explanation of how he went from perfection to a mess, but for me, it was too much. Yes, the ending makes up for it all, but getting there is painful.
I love dogs. And, I chose this book because I love the picture book on which it is based. However, as a dog lover, I found it hard to get through. Throughout the book, Sam is shot, has his leg caught in a beaver trap, is used for medical testing, and is entered into a dog fight. I understand that there should have been some explanation of how he went from perfection to a mess, but for me, it was too much. Yes, the ending makes up for it all, but getting there is painful.
October 7, 2009
I really love Bloom County. This book just sat wrong with me for some reason. I heard Berk Breathed speak, and he said that he believes that kids' books should take one into the valley of hard emotions so that one can climb out again. I agree that kids don't need to be coddled or shielded from negative emotions. But this book started off with a dachshund being flung into a fighting dog pit and lying down to die in despair. I've got a soft spot for animals, and I had a hard time with that one. I also don't seem to have much of a funny bone for written humor- visual works better for me- maybe because written humor takes so much set-up and I get bored. So the written humor of this book didn't do it for me as much as Breathed's comics do.
April 4, 2017
I have to say I was really surprised and a little disappointed when I read other reviews on this book. The part about the dog arena was brought up more than once. I thought that this part was very important to the story as it showed how this little dog learned strength and confidence. It was written well without going over the top. I did not find it offensive at all. Having said that , I must add that this little dog really won my heart. The love and heartache was so real. The struggle to understand and the strive to be obedient and devoted regardless of the cost. I loved this dog and his devotion to a child who held his heart in her hands.
May 25, 2025
Just like its title, Flawed Dogs does indeed come with its own set of flaws. The story, at times, can be hard to follow, and you wish you could spend more time with each of those lovable misfit dogs that we meet. But at the end of the day, I still love this book for the same reasons my elementary school self loved it. It's all about the relationship of a dog and his girl and how special that bond is. It is also a love letter to us misfits, in all our many forms.
"... meet their human visitors - just as varied and imperfect and splendidly flawed as the dogs were - and he knew that here, love would have a better chance to find its way, as it usually does with dogs." (Page 216)
May you find your own commando who is as imperfect and flawed as you.
"... meet their human visitors - just as varied and imperfect and splendidly flawed as the dogs were - and he knew that here, love would have a better chance to find its way, as it usually does with dogs." (Page 216)
May you find your own commando who is as imperfect and flawed as you.
May 24, 2019
This was an adorably dark book that made me tear up more than once. A little dachshund with a ladle for a leg is being put in a dog fighting ring. He sees what he's up against and just lays down to die.
This is how we start the book!
We flashback to how Sam the Lion wiener dog is actually bought and paid for by Mrs. Nutbush for the sole purpose of winning the Westminster Dog Show. Fortunately for Sam, he spies an girl, Heidy, who looks like she should be his human. Heidy is an orphan, going to live with her uncle. Sam escapes Nutbush and ends up chasing down Heidy, who keeps him. Because, who wouldn't?
In Heidy's new home, there is Cassius, a French Poodle who is evil (aren't they all?) and Cassius wants Sam gone so he can have Heidy's love for himself. Cassius actually crafts a plan to be rid of Sam, that results in Sam being shot and left for dead.
Sam survives and ends up at the National Last-Ditch Dog Depository with other flawed and misfit dogs. Sam is scarred up, missing a leg, and has been through hell. We come back to the dog fight and Sam's story continues from there.
Sam and his misfit friends are adorable, sad, and awesome. The drawings in the book just emphasize the crazy that this book is but they are heartbreaking too. Sam comes out on top, flawed as he is.
Perfection is overrated.
This is how we start the book!
We flashback to how Sam the Lion wiener dog is actually bought and paid for by Mrs. Nutbush for the sole purpose of winning the Westminster Dog Show. Fortunately for Sam, he spies an girl, Heidy, who looks like she should be his human. Heidy is an orphan, going to live with her uncle. Sam escapes Nutbush and ends up chasing down Heidy, who keeps him. Because, who wouldn't?
In Heidy's new home, there is Cassius, a French Poodle who is evil (aren't they all?) and Cassius wants Sam gone so he can have Heidy's love for himself. Cassius actually crafts a plan to be rid of Sam, that results in Sam being shot and left for dead.
Sam survives and ends up at the National Last-Ditch Dog Depository with other flawed and misfit dogs. Sam is scarred up, missing a leg, and has been through hell. We come back to the dog fight and Sam's story continues from there.
Sam and his misfit friends are adorable, sad, and awesome. The drawings in the book just emphasize the crazy that this book is but they are heartbreaking too. Sam comes out on top, flawed as he is.
Perfection is overrated.
March 6, 2020
3.5 Stars
September 24, 2009
Flawed Dogs by Berkeley Breathed
A fairy tale illustrating that everyone or every dog should have it’s day. That regardless of size, shape or breed overweening ambition can corrupt and unconditional love can console. A perfect dachshund becomes flawed, despondent, abandoned and maligned. He conquers all and returns in triumph. It is a story of acceptance and redemption.
You may not recall Opus the penguin or Billy and the Boingers but Berkeley Breathed has been around for quite awhile. I admit to being a fan and having reveled in his skewed look at politics, computers and society in general. I lust for a Banana 2009 computer. The illustrations were classic Breathed and added to the flavor of the book. I enjoyed the characterizations and the anthropomorphic nature of the characters. The cover may lure parents into thinking it is for young children. I don’t feel it is appropriate for young kids. It has a dark side that may be more revealing and intense for any kid under 10. I am giving the book to my 11 year old grandson, who I feel is age appropriate for the story. I will make sure that I am available to discuss it as it has things that lead to discussion. Regardless of it being labeled for young readers, I enjoyed it. I am sure my grandson will as well with oversight.
I recommend the book.
A fairy tale illustrating that everyone or every dog should have it’s day. That regardless of size, shape or breed overweening ambition can corrupt and unconditional love can console. A perfect dachshund becomes flawed, despondent, abandoned and maligned. He conquers all and returns in triumph. It is a story of acceptance and redemption.
You may not recall Opus the penguin or Billy and the Boingers but Berkeley Breathed has been around for quite awhile. I admit to being a fan and having reveled in his skewed look at politics, computers and society in general. I lust for a Banana 2009 computer. The illustrations were classic Breathed and added to the flavor of the book. I enjoyed the characterizations and the anthropomorphic nature of the characters. The cover may lure parents into thinking it is for young children. I don’t feel it is appropriate for young kids. It has a dark side that may be more revealing and intense for any kid under 10. I am giving the book to my 11 year old grandson, who I feel is age appropriate for the story. I will make sure that I am available to discuss it as it has things that lead to discussion. Regardless of it being labeled for young readers, I enjoyed it. I am sure my grandson will as well with oversight.
I recommend the book.
January 18, 2010
This is the story of Sam, a pedigreed dachshund with a rare Duuglitz tuft. Meant to be a show dog, he soon escapes the clutches of the overbearing Mrs. Nutbush and elects to follow an orphan named Heidy who is going to live with her uncle. But when Sam steals the attention away from the champion standard poodle Cassius, Cassius will get his revenge. What ensues is a wild and wacky adventure as the flawed dogs decide to claim what is rightfully theirs.
This book read just like an animated feature. It's both funny and tragic. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I ended up not wanting to put it down. I'm still not quite sure which kids I would hand it to, but SLJ says grades 3-6.
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/201...
This book read just like an animated feature. It's both funny and tragic. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I ended up not wanting to put it down. I'm still not quite sure which kids I would hand it to, but SLJ says grades 3-6.
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/201...
February 20, 2012
So, you won't often see me give 5 stars, especially not to a juvenile novel, but this one deserved it. Berkeley Breathed's "Flawed Dogs: The Novel" was fantastic! Based on his picture book, "Flawed Dogs: The Year-End Leftovers at the Piddleton Last Chance Dog Pound," the book follows Sam the Lion as he becomes a flawed dog and then learns that heart matters more than those flaws. It's a must read for dog lovers, but will bring a smile to your heart, regardless.
"Sam watched his commandos meet their human visitors - just as varied and imperfect and splendidly flawed as the dogs were - and he knew that here, love would have a better chance to find its way, as it usually does with dogs."
"Sam watched his commandos meet their human visitors - just as varied and imperfect and splendidly flawed as the dogs were - and he knew that here, love would have a better chance to find its way, as it usually does with dogs."
November 16, 2015
It was a great book with ups and downs. It had a good storyboard and is a heartwarming story of friendship and love. Although you sometimes get lost, it was a great book everyone should read.
November 25, 2018
I've really enjoyed Breathed's comics, and this book, recommended by a young friend whom I love, turned out to be very engaging. My favorite character was the dog Tusk.
January 22, 2021
I read this in elementary school and think about it all the time (I’m 20 now). It is phenomenal *chefs kiss*
November 14, 2021
YVES JUST REMINDED ME THIS BOOK EXISTS. THE NUMBER OF ITMES HTIS BOOK MADE ME CRY AS A KID. IT WAS MAYBE MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND. JESUS CHRIST
November 26, 2025
Childhood favorite, never disappoints
November 4, 2012
I read Flawed Dogs a couple years ago. I bought it, in fact, at a book fair because everyone was saying how amazing it looked. But, in fact, I hated it.
SUMMARY A group of dogs with flaws (hence the title) set out to show the world that they're better than pedigreed dogs.
COVER Okay, the cover is what gives it its one star. It's the best thing about this book. And I'm not even a huge fan of it.
PLOT The plot was a bit dull, and I remember that I put down the book to even go do my HOMEWORK.
CHARACTERS I know the characters are supposed to be loveable and flawed, but I just found them annoying. You don't have to be perfect, but you shouldn't whine about what your flaws are.
ENDING I wasn't a huge fan. It just wasn't climatic enough.
OTHER I don't mean any offense to the author, I just wanted my opinion out there. I know that reading bad reviews is hard, but it's just a fact in a writer's career. I hate writing bad reviews, I really do, and I'm sorry for it. But it's sort of my "job" as a Goodreads member.
FAVORITE PART Um... Finishing it? The time before I started it?
LEAST FAVORITE PART The whole thing! =D
SUMMARY A group of dogs with flaws (hence the title) set out to show the world that they're better than pedigreed dogs.
COVER Okay, the cover is what gives it its one star. It's the best thing about this book. And I'm not even a huge fan of it.
PLOT The plot was a bit dull, and I remember that I put down the book to even go do my HOMEWORK.
CHARACTERS I know the characters are supposed to be loveable and flawed, but I just found them annoying. You don't have to be perfect, but you shouldn't whine about what your flaws are.
ENDING I wasn't a huge fan. It just wasn't climatic enough.
OTHER I don't mean any offense to the author, I just wanted my opinion out there. I know that reading bad reviews is hard, but it's just a fact in a writer's career. I hate writing bad reviews, I really do, and I'm sorry for it. But it's sort of my "job" as a Goodreads member.
FAVORITE PART Um... Finishing it? The time before I started it?
LEAST FAVORITE PART The whole thing! =D
June 1, 2025
I loved this book.
Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County comic strip dealing with socio-political issues with sarcasm and humour was near and dear to my heart in the 80s. Breathed poured his same passion into Flawed Dogs, a middle school novel about abused dogs who band together for another chance at love.
Breathed was inspired by a 2008 photo of one of the dogs rescued from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's dogfighting ring that had been taken to a shelter seeking to rehabilitate the traumatized animals.
Flawed Dogs begins with Sam the Lion, a once-priceless dachshund bred to be a show dog, brought to a dog fight where he is expected to be easy prey and perhaps make a few bucks for his owner.
The material could easily be way too intense for young readers, but Breathed, who wrote and illustrated an earlier children's book about dogs in a pound, is able to straddle the emotional parts with humour and sarcasm.
I knew I might be in for a few tears when I read the dedication page:
All animals dream. But only dogs dream of us.
Did I mention I loved this?
Please note that I found this book in a little free library, because OF COURSE that's where it would be
Berkeley Breathed's Bloom County comic strip dealing with socio-political issues with sarcasm and humour was near and dear to my heart in the 80s. Breathed poured his same passion into Flawed Dogs, a middle school novel about abused dogs who band together for another chance at love.
Breathed was inspired by a 2008 photo of one of the dogs rescued from NFL quarterback Michael Vick's dogfighting ring that had been taken to a shelter seeking to rehabilitate the traumatized animals.
Flawed Dogs begins with Sam the Lion, a once-priceless dachshund bred to be a show dog, brought to a dog fight where he is expected to be easy prey and perhaps make a few bucks for his owner.
The material could easily be way too intense for young readers, but Breathed, who wrote and illustrated an earlier children's book about dogs in a pound, is able to straddle the emotional parts with humour and sarcasm.
I knew I might be in for a few tears when I read the dedication page:
All animals dream. But only dogs dream of us.
Did I mention I loved this?
Please note that I found this book in a little free library, because OF COURSE that's where it would be
August 8, 2010
There is a lot to like about this book. Sam the lion, a daschund, is particularly funny and the other flawed dogs had great personalities. What kept me from rating this book higher was the amount of cruelty that is shown rather than told. It was a little disturbing. When Sam is taken from his person, Heidy, he decides to get revenge against the Westminster dog that framed him. He has allies, a set of unwanted dogs waiting in vain for adoption. Sam may be small but he's creative and doesn't let anything slow him down.
March 30, 2013
I would like to give this book a little higher rating but I found the content pretty deep and a little depressing for the age rang this book is aimed at. The life of this dog is plagued with all kinds of heartbreak including being in a dog fighting ring, spending time in an animal testing facility, and bieng in a dog pound for dogs which will never be adopted because of their flaws. With that said, the book does pick up at the end and is quite enjoyable. The reading would depending on the readers maturity level and how they are affected by the content.
November 16, 2015
I loved this book! I was so worried that Sam had actually died when he feel of the thingy with Cassius. I was very happy with all the details that the author gave and I also loved how she titled the chapters (If you like authors that do that you should check out When You Reach Me). My favorite part was when all sam did was jump and lay down when the pit bull tried to kill him. My ALL TIME favorite part was when the pit bull actually helped Sam out on the rook and also when sam and his new 'friend' slid down the wire on his laddle (used as a leg).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2021
This book was not at all what I expected. As an animal lover it had too much cruelty and sadness. I have two dachshunds and from the cover thought it would be a cute little story about dogs. I am also a teacher and bought the book for my class library. After reading the book. It is not appropriate for young kids. I was going to give it one star but have it two because the ending was not all bad.
October 24, 2014
I would rate this book at about 4 stars. It is very sad because the owner's beloved dog goes through all this pain. I have empathy for
August 19, 2016
5 stars for the illustrations but only 3 for the very sad story. Though Sam and friends get their love in the end, it is truly a heartbreaking and brutal journey.
August 7, 2024
I had no idea that Berkeley Breathed, famed writer and illustrator of one of my favorite comic strips, Bloom County, had written a book. Admittedly, it's a youth "chapter" book, but still . . . This one time, at the library, I must have been looking for an on-shelf hold in the youth department. As I perused the shelf, looking for a book whose title I can no longer remember, I saw the name "Berkeley Breathed" on the spine of a book.
My brain went, "Whaaa???"
I pulled it off the shelf, took one look at it, and immediately checked it out.
As the story begins, a man is carrying a damaged dachshund into a dog fighting ring. The dachshund thinks its time has come and has no desire to fight the dog across the ring from it. As it lays down to die (so it believes) it has a flashback to a former time. And then we get the whole story of Sam and his life.
As the story begins, Sam is at the airport, in a crate, along with other dogs, awaiting pickup by his owner, one Mrs. Nutbush. As she looks at him, she notices a tuft of fur that sticks up on his head. The Duuglitz Tuft!! This, detail, she believes, will win her the coveted championship at the Westminster Dog Show!
Well, for 216 pages, much hilarity ensues, as we follow the unlikely tale of Sam and his exploits. And the end result is utter chaos at the aforementioned Westminster Dog Show. Mr. Breathed does not disappoint in this tale, and it is so reminiscent of the days of Bloom County, down to the final scenes, as Heidy (we meet her at that same airport, too) carries Sam, who is holding a dandelion in his mouth. Who doesn't remember the beloved dandelion breaks that so often frequented our heroes of Bloom County?
I'll share a couple of quotes from the book, to give the reader an idea of the hilarity and wackiness of the story.
P. 148: "Sam let go of the wall and the three-legged dachshund and frazzled, doggy dust mop slid down the rain-soaked cable below a silver soup spoon, down into the driving storm, down toward the flooded street that led away from town and away from trouble and directly into far, far more."
P. 170: "As the small curly-haired dog tried to regain traction, he slid around toward the rear, giving the full appearance to the observing crowd that below the coat, Mrs. Nutbush's let bosom had gone rogue and begun a migration to better shores."
Of course, in both of those instances, one must read the context in order to get the full effect.
I recommend this book to fans of Bloom County, regardless of age. Perhaps fans of dog shows might enjoy it as well, especially if you find the blatant pretentiousness of such shows to be quite over-the-top.
My brain went, "Whaaa???"
I pulled it off the shelf, took one look at it, and immediately checked it out.
As the story begins, a man is carrying a damaged dachshund into a dog fighting ring. The dachshund thinks its time has come and has no desire to fight the dog across the ring from it. As it lays down to die (so it believes) it has a flashback to a former time. And then we get the whole story of Sam and his life.
As the story begins, Sam is at the airport, in a crate, along with other dogs, awaiting pickup by his owner, one Mrs. Nutbush. As she looks at him, she notices a tuft of fur that sticks up on his head. The Duuglitz Tuft!! This, detail, she believes, will win her the coveted championship at the Westminster Dog Show!
Well, for 216 pages, much hilarity ensues, as we follow the unlikely tale of Sam and his exploits. And the end result is utter chaos at the aforementioned Westminster Dog Show. Mr. Breathed does not disappoint in this tale, and it is so reminiscent of the days of Bloom County, down to the final scenes, as Heidy (we meet her at that same airport, too) carries Sam, who is holding a dandelion in his mouth. Who doesn't remember the beloved dandelion breaks that so often frequented our heroes of Bloom County?
I'll share a couple of quotes from the book, to give the reader an idea of the hilarity and wackiness of the story.
P. 148: "Sam let go of the wall and the three-legged dachshund and frazzled, doggy dust mop slid down the rain-soaked cable below a silver soup spoon, down into the driving storm, down toward the flooded street that led away from town and away from trouble and directly into far, far more."
P. 170: "As the small curly-haired dog tried to regain traction, he slid around toward the rear, giving the full appearance to the observing crowd that below the coat, Mrs. Nutbush's let bosom had gone rogue and begun a migration to better shores."
Of course, in both of those instances, one must read the context in order to get the full effect.
I recommend this book to fans of Bloom County, regardless of age. Perhaps fans of dog shows might enjoy it as well, especially if you find the blatant pretentiousness of such shows to be quite over-the-top.
February 2, 2019
Originally published in 2009.
I am a big fan of Berkeley Breathed and have been for 35+ years. I have multiple volumes of his Bloom County books, I enjoyed his movie Mars Needs Moms so much that I went out and bought it after I had rented it. I love his children's book Pete and Pickles .
This book, however, is a rare misfire.
To begin with, the book assumes that you read an earlier childrens book called Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound . This book is like a catalog of dogs that no one will adopt because of their flaws. The dogs from the first book are thrown into the Flawed Dogs: The Novel with little or no introduction - just a pack of dogs with names and skills and oddities that the reader had better remember. No character development, no real chance to get to know any of them. There was a whole dog that I had no idea was even in the book until he was shown in an illustration.
The main character of the book is a dachshund named Sam. Sam loves his human, a girl named Heidy who doesn't like dogs because her parents were killed by dogs in some sort of horrible accident that the book was never quite clear about. Sam is slated to participate in the Westminster dog show, but another dog is so jealous that he mutilates himself and sets Sam up so that it looks like he attacked a human baby. Heidy's uncle shoots Sam. But, Sam doesn't die. Instead, he ends up at the "Last Chance" Pound. That is the first half of the book.
Spoiler alert************
The second half of the book is very rushed and features Sam getting ...
Read more at: https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2019...
I am a big fan of Berkeley Breathed and have been for 35+ years. I have multiple volumes of his Bloom County books, I enjoyed his movie Mars Needs Moms so much that I went out and bought it after I had rented it. I love his children's book Pete and Pickles .
This book, however, is a rare misfire.
To begin with, the book assumes that you read an earlier childrens book called Flawed Dogs: The Year End Leftovers at the Piddleton "Last Chance" Dog Pound . This book is like a catalog of dogs that no one will adopt because of their flaws. The dogs from the first book are thrown into the Flawed Dogs: The Novel with little or no introduction - just a pack of dogs with names and skills and oddities that the reader had better remember. No character development, no real chance to get to know any of them. There was a whole dog that I had no idea was even in the book until he was shown in an illustration.
The main character of the book is a dachshund named Sam. Sam loves his human, a girl named Heidy who doesn't like dogs because her parents were killed by dogs in some sort of horrible accident that the book was never quite clear about. Sam is slated to participate in the Westminster dog show, but another dog is so jealous that he mutilates himself and sets Sam up so that it looks like he attacked a human baby. Heidy's uncle shoots Sam. But, Sam doesn't die. Instead, he ends up at the "Last Chance" Pound. That is the first half of the book.
Spoiler alert************
The second half of the book is very rushed and features Sam getting ...
Read more at: https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2019...
January 26, 2020
First things first, grab your dog (gently now) and place on your lap. I’m hoping it’s a rescued dog because really that’s the only way to go. It’s really better for you to keep your dog, or cat, or ferret or guinea pig, really anything soft & fuzzy will do on your lap for the entirety of this book. Don’t worry about having to get up to eat or hit the loo or anything as this is such a captivating read you’ll want to devour it in one fell swoop.
Now let me repeat, read this book with your dog (or any of the above animals mentioned) on your lap and a box of Kleenex within reach. You might not necessarily cry but better to be prepared right?
Our very very brave Sam the Lion goes through more than any dog, much less any living thing should ever have to go through just to reach a happy ending.
He experiences the very worst of human nature, with the very occasional but unfortunately short-lived bright spot, to FINALLY reach his ultimate epiphany and reach his happily ever after.
I loved this book so much even though it depressed the hell outta me. Too many of the terrible, horrible, really horrendous things that happened to Sam and his friends are for real things that are happening to dogs & cats & primates & rabbits right now even as I type these words. It breaks my heart and it will break yours too.
Hopefully this book will be a gateway to a broader understanding of the indescribable cruelty of puppy mills, kill shelters, purebred breeding, dogfighting and who knows what other horrors you don’t even know about.
Berkeley Breathed has the most remarkable talent in educating you while simultaneously entertaining & engaging you.
OPUS LIVES and happily so does Sam the Lion.
Now let me repeat, read this book with your dog (or any of the above animals mentioned) on your lap and a box of Kleenex within reach. You might not necessarily cry but better to be prepared right?
Our very very brave Sam the Lion goes through more than any dog, much less any living thing should ever have to go through just to reach a happy ending.
He experiences the very worst of human nature, with the very occasional but unfortunately short-lived bright spot, to FINALLY reach his ultimate epiphany and reach his happily ever after.
I loved this book so much even though it depressed the hell outta me. Too many of the terrible, horrible, really horrendous things that happened to Sam and his friends are for real things that are happening to dogs & cats & primates & rabbits right now even as I type these words. It breaks my heart and it will break yours too.
Hopefully this book will be a gateway to a broader understanding of the indescribable cruelty of puppy mills, kill shelters, purebred breeding, dogfighting and who knows what other horrors you don’t even know about.
Berkeley Breathed has the most remarkable talent in educating you while simultaneously entertaining & engaging you.
OPUS LIVES and happily so does Sam the Lion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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