Tails from the Barkside

These stories are great insights into dogs and their personalities. I admit, James Herriot is still my favorite author when it comes to telling a tale. Looking beyond the lack of narrative richness, it's still a great, easy read. I finished this book in two days. It was funny, heart-wrenching, educational, and highly entertaining.

The authors have done an excellent job of showing how diverse dogs can be AND how much they add to our lives.Any one who adores their dog/s would love to read this book! It would make a wonderful gift. That's how I got it, and I've been buying it for others. I'm always told it was a terrific gift!I couldn't put it down, it was THAT good!An added benefit, the authors train dogs. You can pick up some tips!

Want to hear what is wrong with this book? Easy...it's not long enough. That is about it. I guess it would have been nice to have some photos of some of the dogs mentioned, but oh well. Brian Kilcommons and Sarah Wilson, two well known dog trainers relate some of their experiences, both with client dogs and their own. The first story, involving a Jack Russell terrier that found a rather unique way to play with his tennis ball, had me laughing out loud. Brian's Rotweiler, Beau, conducting his own version of "chemical warfare" while waiting to go on at a talk show, the lady who was demonstrating to her dog how to go on the papers, Sarah dealing with a blizzard at their kennel, (Brian and Sarah are husband and wife as well as co-authors)while Brian is out of town. The terrier that was chasing a rabbit in an eighth floor apartment, the Maltese that finally bit off a little more than it could chew, every story is terrfic. Not all have happy endings, sadly, but every dog owner understands this. These two have several "must reads" for dog owners out, (with a new one coming soon)and also operate "GreatPets.com" which is rapidly becoming the most popular pet site on the web, if it is not already. There are two types of people who will like this book: Those who love dogs, and those who don't. If you fit in either of those categories, check it out I seriously doubt you will be disappointed.

Brian Kilcommons is one of my favorite trainers. He's amazing to watch and very practical in his training. What makes this book stand out is the collection of stories from his years of training dogs, and it's difficult to tell which is more entertaining; the dogs or their owners. Filled with touching stories and hilarious anecdotes, I was delighted with this book and sorry it wasn't longer. Anyone who has ever attempted to train a canine can understand, enjoy and even learn from this light read.

These true stories are very entertainning. Hilariously funny at times, then seroius, and sad at others. Spell binding and very well written. Many nights it was hard to close the book after hours of reading. In addition they provide good tips on how to handle many of the problems we encounter daily with our own dogs. I saw myself and my dogs reflected in many of the situations. I now see my dogs' behavior and mischiefs in a tottaly different light. This book has helped me understand them a lot better, andd enjoy trainning not only to attain well behaved dogs, but to make life more fun and enjoyable for my barking friends. Can't wait to read other books by this author.