Come Back, Como: Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Dog

No, this is not a Marley and Me imitation. This is a very personal story about an adopted dog with a damaged psyche and a story with lots of twists and turns and trials and tribulations. Steven Winn is an excellent writer. He is able to take you to place and time without being overly verbose. The story is touching and funny all at the same time. The story is compulsively readable - you'll find yourself reading longer than you plan, as you journey into the world of Como and the family that loves him. It is a story that I was able to relate to even more because I am the owner of an adopted, damaged dog of my own and, just like Como, my dog ultimately brought joy to our household. I highly recommend this story.

I confess I have a rescue dog of my own that has had many challenges. Mr. Winn writes of the rough early days of living with a rescued dog with the sort of knowing candor that made me wince. The rewards, as time passes are many with a rescued dog and I think Mr. Winn is a gifted writer who let many in on that wonderful secret. He writes about Como in a vivid, endearing and yet not sappy way. My whole family loved this book.

This amazing story is like a braid, woven of three parts. The first is Como, an unlikely family dog who hates confinement and loves his freedom so much that he risks his life on a regular basis. The second lock of the braid is about the Winn family, a warmhearted and very principled group of three, itself with a challenge, that of continuing responsibility and even love for what quickly turns into a maniacal little creature who destroys crates or cages, carpet, baby gates, and anything else that hampers his freedom. And the third strand of the woven braid is the story of what it really MEANS to bestow familyship upon a trying little dog. The author gets a double whammy by realizing that Como, probably due to some experience when he was a stray, hates men. Steven is not spared. As Como comes to love Steven's wife Sally and their daughter Phoebe, he refuses in the first months to have anything to do with Steven. Finally, it happens, and Como escapes, running in front of a car, and though it's only afterwards, when we know Como has survived some serious surgery and recoup time, we are left with an enduring (and endearing) picture of the author, tearing wildly down the San Francisco streets in his bathrobe. By the time an almost lifeless dog is scooped up in Steven's arms and rushed to the vet, there is more blood, from survival bites, on the author than on the dog. The escape is the result of workmen in the house not closing a door, but the guilt the author piles on himself is heart wrenching. For anyone who has ever loved a dog, or loved a child who loved a dog, this book deserves a good spot on a prominent shelf. If you don't have to wipe at some tears, you may not be getting it. But on a higher note, you will be rewarded with smiles and sudden cries of laughter that you will remember for some time.

It's impossible not to compare this w/Me & Marley. If you enjoyed that book, you'll love this one, too. The main difference, I think, is that the author and his family play a larger role in this book (which is just fine). He explains their (the parents') family history with dogs, and there are a lot of emotional/psychological issues involved before the dog even turns up. Then, the author really struggles with the fact that the dog prefers (by far) his wife and daughter, and his attempts to lure the dog to the leash by sitting on the toilet in helpless mode are quite amusing. All of the human beings in this book receive much more air time than the folks in Me & Marley (I read that one recently and can't recall much about the family; yet I am unlikely to forget this engaging family of three any time soon). His descriptions are great; you can really imagine the Australian savior at the vet and the unnamed heros who help him catch the dog. You can feel his mixed sadness as his daughter blossoms from a tween to a full-blown teenager any parent would be proud of. You can picture the neighborhood and smell the tacos his wife brings home for lunch. The writing really invites readers in. It's an easy, memorable read, and I would definitely recommend this to all. (And I'd recommend saving a shelter pet, too. Hard work but worth every minute!) Share this one with your friends.

I followed Winn's adventures with Como when they ran (in a much abbreviated form) in the San Francisco Chronicle, so I have been waiting for this book, so I could learn more. Why? Because Como is a great dog and because Winn's efforts to win him over show a dedication to his family and a stubbornness worthy of a terrier. Choosing to get a pet is a big decision, choosing to adopt an adult shelter dog, who was abused and who lived on the street, is taking on lots. But that's what the Winn family does and that's the story chronicled in the book. Como may be more challenging than many pets, but you will see yourself and your pets in the book. Dog who hates to be confined? Check. Huge vet bills? Check. The dog as escape artist? Check With wit and love and great style, Winn tells the story of a wonderful dog. The book was worth the wait.