My Dog Tulip

I had heard that this was an excellent dog book, written by a man who loved his dog. I'm not sorry that I read it to satisfy my curiosity. However, I wouldn't recommend it and I certainly won't listen to it again. Ackerley seemed completely fixated on Tulip's elimination and reproductive functions. I know those things are part of owning a dog and can be amusing. They were quite funny in this book the first several times he described them. However, there are many other things that go into a person's relationship with their dog, and the book barely addressed them. Ackerley clearly loved Tulip, but I found myself shouting,

Ralph Cosham convincingly spoke in Ackerley's voice. I probably wouldn't have finished the book in print form. The narration improved the experience.

My Dog Tulip was made into an animated movie. I watched it before reading the book and thought they did an excellent job. It was actually more entertaining than the book. I had hoped for more depth from the book, but unfortunately I got only more vivid descriptions of Tulip's bladder and bowel issues along with her sexual frustration.

Save your time and watch the movie.

As a dog lover and trainer, this was a pleasant listen. It did not hold up to "The Art of Racing in the Rain" or "A Dog Named Christmas" for overall excellence of writing or involvement in the story or the life of the dog. But it did a very nice job of portraying a man and his dog, and the relationship between the 2 species. I will listen to it again.

I love dogs and dog stories and have listened to many. This one was not one of the more emotionally compelling ones, but the writing was good (although a bit challenging to get used to) and I learned a lot of "dog stuff" I didn't know. The owner's love for his dog is clearly and touchingly described. Worth a listen.

If you have a dog of your own, then you already know this story. His dog is special, unique, responds best to the author. His dog has issues that the owner finds endearing, yet others abhor. Nice read, nice story, but nothing new or nothing revealing here. If you want to read about someone else's dog ownership experience, it may be a good book, But you might be better served to just go out and get your own dog! This book is nothing special!

I loved this book. I laughed out loud about every few minutes all the way through it. I love the Englishman's discription of the world and it's dogs! If you need a good laugh do buy this book!!!!!

Written in the mid-1950s, this beautifully realized little book documents in strangely absorbing detail the perils of living in a small London apartment with a high-strung female German shepherd who comes into heat three times a year and, in her one experience as a mother, delivers eight rambunctious pups. The author, a distinguished British editor in his day, trains his writerly skills on his dog Tulip's posterior, charting exactly what happens there when she goes into heat and delving into the mechanics of sex with one of her many beleagured suitors. Unlike any dog memoir I've read, it's both a love story and a treatise on the sacrifices and pleasures experienced by both dog owners and their pets.

I would recommend this for someone who is a true dog lover. The author is a little weird in his obsession with having his dog Tulip mated.

The proper British accent and attitude.

No, we know enough about Tulip.

There were a few amusing and/or heartfelt moments in this book, but the emphasis on scatalogical detail was gross. There is only so much I wish to hear about a dog's gastrointestinal and reproductive systems. Whole chapters are devoted to these matters in My Dog Tulip.

Not necessarily. I love animal stories, man/woman's best friend etc.

Probably not

Disappointment. And, I was very surprised that it had been rated so highly by other listeners. Audible listener reviews are usually a very reliable guide ofr me.

I didn't even make it half way through this story, which is very unusual for me. I've listened to hundreds of books over the past 6 or 7 years, and there have only been two or three that I've abandoned without finishing.