The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout

An instructive and marvelously entertaining chronicle of a puppy's first year, by the executive editor of The New York Times

One sparkling summer day, Jill Abramson brought home a nine-week-old golden retriever named Scout. Over the following year, as she and her husband raised their adorable new puppy, Abramson wrote a hugely popular column for The New York Times's website about the joys and challenges of training this rambunctious addition to their family. Dog-lovers from across the country inundated her with e-mails and letters, and the photos they sent in of their own dogs became the most visited photo album on the Times's site in 2009.

Now Abramson has gone far beyond the material in her column and written a detailed and deeply personal account of Scout's first year. Part memoir, part manual, part investigative report, The Puppy Diaries continues Abramson's intrepid reporting on all things canine. Along the way, she weighs in on such issues as breeders or shelters, adoption or rescue, raw diet or vegan, pack-leader gurus like Cesar Millan or positive-reinforcement advocates like Karen Pryor.

What should you expect when a new puppy enters your life? With utterly winning stories and a wealth of practical information, The Puppy Diaries provides an essential road map for navigating the first year of your dog's life.

In The Puppy Diaries, Jill Abramson perfectly captures the experience of having a balanced and fulfilling relationship with her canine friends--Buddy and Scout. She tells her story of life-time companionship in such a meaningful and emotional way that we all come to know them. Throughout her journey we experience the laughter and the difficulties of a young puppy, as Jill describes in intimate and relatable details the impact of Scout on her home, her family and herself. Through her insight into the canine human bond, Jill’s story illuminates the role that a dog can play in helping us to rediscover who we are, no matter our stage in life.

Jill weaves her personal story of the emotional rollercoaster of bringing a new puppy into the home with informative investigations of the practicalities. Like many of my clients, Jill is an incredibly accomplished professional in her working life, who struggles to maintain that authority and be a pack leader when faced with the big brown eyes of young Scout. The Puppy Diaries chronicles her attempts to control Scout as easily as she manages the newsroom at the New York Times. Jill applies her investigative journalism skills to research various training methods, which are discussed and examined through trial and error. Internationally renowned dog behaviorists (including myself!) are consulted throughout Jill’s quest to raise the perfect puppy. Jill also takes her wry eye to the many services available for proud puppy parents in bustling New York. I cheered when Scout visited the local dog pool for some much needed exercise in the city, and laughed at prices for pet hotels and day cares.

This book is for anyone who has ever known the pain of saying goodbye to their beloved best friend and the joys of eventually welcoming a new one into their lives.

Cesar Millan is the host of National Geographic's Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.