Jon Katz’s A Dog Year: Twelve Months, Four Dogs, and Me covers the decline of his Labrador Retreivers and Katz’s initiation to life with Border Collies.  As a kid who grew up mezmerized by the sheep trials at Scottish festivals, I’ve always loved Border Collies, and I’ve needed someone to remind me why I shouldn’t have Border Collies here in suburbia.  Katz’s first Border Collie turns his life upside down, but also teaches Katz a lot about himself.

In The Dogs of Bedlam Farm, we find Katz much changed by his time with Border Collies.  Katz has sold his small mountain cabin to buy a farm in Upstate New York, on which to keep sheep–pets for his pet Border Collies to play with.  And–this is important to we dog lovers–Katz promises in the introduction that no dogs die during the course of the book.  Just as A Dog Year taught me not to give in and adopt Border Collies, Bedlam Farm reminds me that I really don’t have the time, energy, or money to have the sheep farm I think I want.  Katz is a good writer who is willing to admit when he’s an ass, and when he’s weak, and who helps him the most.  That is as important in a neophyte sheep farmer as it is in an autobiographer.  The dogs and donkeys and some of the sheep are great in this book (Katz, like many people who love sheep dogs, tends to disdain sheep just as his dogs do.  He admits his biases honestly.) 

Both of these books are great reads for dog lovers, but I also think they speak to the importance animals have in our lives.  The animals we keep comfort us and accept us willingly.  Katz admits his childhood suffering under an abusive father and the pain of his estrangement from his sister.  He loves his dogs in part because they help him love people better.  Some dog nuts may long for more dog time and less people time in these books.  I’ll take the books–and my dog–as is.

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