Colter: The True Story of the Best Dog I Ever Had

I grew up in a house without a dog. 6 years ago my wife and I were given a puppy and my life was changed forever. This book truly draws out the emotions any one who has ever loved a dog feels about their "best friend". Rick Bass is a truly gifted writer (I have read another of his books)who has a tremendous ability to describe in detail the things that one's mind says to one's self. Those thoughts, reflections and feelings that we experience within our own soul are the true fabric of life that makes us human. Rick Bass has produced words that capture the essence of what it is to be bound to a dog (not own a dog--if anyone is doing the owning it is the dog). He describes so many things that every one who lives with a dog sees. Even the small details describing where Colter sleeps to the way his legs run when he is dreaming.The pasage on page 31 says it all:"When you live with a dog-when a dog is a member of your family-you learn soon enough to see the world at least partially through that dog's eyes: when to let it out, when to let it in, when to feed it, when it wants to play, when it is troubled....With a hunting dog, you learn to pursue what it pursues. Generations of mankind before you might have worked to sculpt this streamlined (yet fluid, and still developing) creature that is now in your life, and now, not in generations but in just a few short years, the dog turns around and sculpts you."

...This book is a love story, not an instructional guide. Bass'sfailings as a dog trainer and hunter are central to the story; they don't detract from it. As well, the very things that Evelyn says the book "could have been" (pride and bonding) are evident on every page. Bass writes, after one hunt, when Colter performs perfectly but Bass misses every bird: "My dog; I am so tired of letting him down." Beautiful story, beautifully written. Don't hesitate.

For anyone who has ever truly loved a dog (if you have, you know what I'm talking about), this is a must read. If you're a bird hunter, this book has special significance. But even if your not, there's much here for you. Rick Bass is uniquely open with his feelings for a goofy German Shorthaired Pointer (aren't they all goofy?) named Colter. As anyone who has ever and loved a great dog knows, these types of animals are not perfect. In fact, their greatness comes from that lack of perfection -- their unique personlities that sometimes make you just grin and shake your head. Colter is just that kind of a dog and the way Rick Bass tells his story (and the story of their time together) is quite touching and even hillariously funny at times.

This is a book about bird hunting and the author's partnership with a very special pointing dog. Being a non-hunter detracted not one bit from my appeciation of this exploration of the depths of the human-canine relationship. In fact, I have never encountered it done with such empathic insight. Rick Bass writes about emotions; his deep feelings for all living things, from turtles to ecosystems. But the focus is upon his intense love of dogs and of the intimate partnering with a dog that draws him to bird hunting. He confesses ambivalence about shooting birds, and does so mainly to reward Colter. He does quite a credible job of conveying to the reader the dog's side of the experience as well. If you love dogs of any breed, this is a "must read".

I love this book! I think that anyone who loves dogs as much as I do will appreciate the sentiments of Rick Bass when he describes his beloved hunting dog, Colter. Although I have never owned a hunting dog, the pure and simple emotion evident in this book is somehow heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Great for dog lovers, hunters, and nature lovers.