Book Review
Dog Gone, by Howard Bronson
Review by: Kate Connick, July 2003

Howard Bronson's Dog Gone is a quirky sort of a book. At first glance, I expected it to be an insultingly simplistic mess. The font is exceptionally large, almost reminiscent of a children's book. The many brief chapters haphazardly mix straightforward composition with simple poetry. Numerous black-and-white sketches drawn by young children decorate the pages. It isn't what one expects of a book subtitled, "coping with the loss of your pet."

Bronson explores the life and demise of his Old English Sheepdog in a manner that is humorous, idiosyncratic, and remarkably heartfelt. His departure from more conventional approaches to pet loss - those that walk the reader through traditional stages of grief in a quasi-therapeutic manner approximating that of a psychotherapist or social worker - is surprisingly effective and evocative.

He begins by describing how he came to acquire his dog, salvaging the sickly animal from a metropolitan dog pound, just hours before the dog would have been euthanized.

The author then meanders about, giving one a sense of his dog, himself, and their bond. Although characterized as, "obnoxiously affectionate, like those elderly aunts who attempt to suffocate you with... an excessive hug," Grady the sheepdog is endearingly flawed. One can envision him scaring off Jehovah's witnesses, whining to the point of irritation, and clumsily bumping into things in his Elizabethan collar. The image of Bronson and his wife trying to remove a tick from their dog without being bitten is most entertaining. Throughout, it is clear that the dog had become an integral part of the family's life during his 14 years.

When the author describes the heroic measures he took to fend off kidney failure and prolong his failing, old dog's life, he doesn't need to explain the "why" of it. The reader understands the depth of his attachment. Similarly, one can empathize with his dread at the prospect of having to explain the dog's death to his two young children.

This is less an intellectual book that tries to explain grief or advise the reader on how to cope than it is an expression of the author's emotional experience. The reader must relate to this book on a gut level. That, depending on one's perspective, is either the book's greatest strength or it's greatest weakness.

I suppose what I find refreshing is the lack of pretense. The book feels more like the author's catharsis than anything else. As the reader peeks at this man's experience, it is easy to identify with the pain, anger, loss, confusion, and ultimately closure that he shares.

One might argue that a tighter structure and more focused writing style would make for a better book, but in this case, the author's technique works. It is his rambling, stream-of-thought manner - as well as his humor - which gives the book its punch. Nonetheless, there are bound to be readers who find the quirky style alienating.

Bronson's tribute to Grady the sheepdog is a moving testimonial. Anyone who has ever lost a dog is likely to relate to the depth of this man's heartbreak. This book is easily read in one sitting and makes a thoughtful gift.

Dog Gone by Howard Bronson.
Bestsell Publications, 1994. ISBN: 0961680784

Buy this book now at Amazon.com!

Buy this book now from Barnes & Noble!