Dog lovers never have difficulty in choosing books at the store – just pick the volumes with photos of cute pooches on the cover.

BAD DOGS HAVE MORE FUN
Author: John Grogan
Publisher: Vanguard Press; 247 pages
(ISBN: 978-1593154684)

THERE were many books about misbehaving dogs before Marley & Me but not many reached its heights. What helps the book rise above others is former journalist John Grogan’s ability to make you laugh and cry with his witty prose, and how wonderfully he brought to life Marley’s irrepressible personality. It is therefore, not surprising that a “follow-up” book emerged in the wake of its success.

However, although the title and the picture on the cover may hint of more stories of canine mischief from Grogan, the book actually contains a compilation of his columns in The Philadelphia Inquirer. Only a small selection of it is about animals, and a fraction of that about dogs.

Grogan writes about “family, animals and life”, but being a big Marley & Me fan, I headed straight for the “Animals” section.

However, the stories of Grogan’s now-famous pooch are not as many as I would like. There’s “Saying farewell to a faithful pal” the pivotal article published on Jan 6, 2004, which elicited an avalanche of response from readers, and which inspired Grogan to write Marley & Me. Fans of the book should read “Celebrity & Me” where Grogan muses about life as a best-selling author.

But don’t let the limited number of Marley stories deter you from reading on. The other animal stories range from amusing to terribly disturbing, such as the time when Grogan visits a puppy mill (a business which uses dogs as puppy factories and keep them in inhumane conditions) or the animal shelter that betrays its edict to protect helpless strays by keeping them in deplorable conditions.

As a columnist, Grogan is more interested in exposing misdeeds and pushing for change and he is at his best then.

However, when he gets off that mode, some of his stories don’t quite work – they seem too maudlin or “touchy feely”.

In essence, Bad Dogs Have More Fun is trying to ride on the coat tails of the successful Marley & Me, hoping that those who fell in love with that book will read this one, too.

I’m not so sure if readers would be entirely satisfied with this book’s slant, however, especially since the book seems to advertise something else altogether (what with the title and the cute pooch on the cover).

Those curious about Grogan’s work before Marley & Me will be adequately educated and those who want to read amusing and thought-provoking articles will not be disappointed.

RESCUING SPRITE: A DOG LOVER’S STORY OF JOY AND ANGUISH
Author: Mark R. Levin
Publisher: Pocket Books;
216 pages
(ISBN: 978-1416559139)

FEW things in life have given me the kind of joy, and frankly, sorrow, as my relationships with my dogs,” writes American radio host and constitutional lawyer Mark R. Levin about the bittersweet relationship he has with his dog, Sprite, which he adopted from an animal shelter.

The first few weeks the Levins spent with Sprite were joyous: the dog assimilated beautifully into their family, and even became instant friends with the resident half-Border Collie, half-Cocker Spaniel Pepsi (amusingly, the family named their dogs after soft drinks).

Then, on Halloween night, Sprite suddenly collapsed. At the vet’s clinic, Levin found out that Sprite wasn’t three to six years old like he was led to believe – Sprite was probably over 10 and was suffering from a long list of medical problems.

Some may think that it’s the end of the road for Sprite and suggest that he be put down or returned to the pound, but the Levins stuck by Sprite, providing him the best medical care and lots of love. Thus followed a regiment of vet visits, medicine and waiting for the inevitable.

Levin, an American radio host and constitutional lawyer, takes an earnest and sincere stab in a genre fast becoming popular thanks to the best-selling Marley & Me.

It’s unfortunate, however, that his writing is the weakest point of the book: it lacks style and polish and is a great source of distraction.

At times I wondered if his simple prose was intentional, and that the book is actually aimed at children. Because of the flat storytelling, Sprite doesn’t seem to come alive at all.

However, what rescues this book is Levin’s honesty about a less-romantic side of pet ownership – how does one care for a dog during its twilight years? How does one deal with the emotional ramifications of having to put down one’s dog?

One thing I can give him credit for: he does wear his heart on his sleeve when he talks about his dogs and it’s hard not to feel for Levin and Sprite.

And while so many doggie biographies talk about the naughty things dogs do, Rescuing Sprite has very little of the episodes because of one good reason: Sprite was a veritable angel of a dog! Calm, gentle, beautiful and friendly, he was a dream dog that only occasionally indulged in his only naughty habit of rummaging through the garbage with his partner in crime, Pepsi.

Without many humorous anecdotes to balance the heavy nature of this book, Rescuing Sprite is weighed down by an air of inevitable tragedy.

As an owner of a 13-year-old dog with kidney and heart problems, I suffered along with Levin as he recounts his struggle to keep Sprite going and enjoy what little time he had left with the aging dog.

It is when Sprite’s health problems begin to deteriorate drastically, that the book reaches a turning point and the waterworks truly begin.

Levin’s account of a day most dog owners dread is heartbreaking and very difficult to read, especially for dog lovers who know that they will face the same day with their beloved pets. So frank and involving was Levin’s narration – weak writing or not – that I shed many tears while reading these chapters.

Because ours is a society where many consider grieving for dogs a silly and even indulgent thing, pet owners are often forced to keep their grief hidden.

There are few books that deal with this subject, and Levin’s personal account will be helpful to those grieving over their pets.

Levin explains it best: “...knowing that others understand what it’s like to mourn over the loss of a beloved companion was comforting.”