Review: Am I Boring My Dog?, by Edie Jarolim

Am I Boring My Dog? The question that Edie Jarolim asks is a good one, actually. We're so busy working and running around and doing what needs to be done that we don't spend enough time with our animals. For many hours each day, they are left to fend for themselves, often by themselves. And the time we do manage to spend with them tends to be devoted to the "must-do" activities, such as walking and feeding and grooming, rather than to more pleasureable--and even frivolous--pursuits. Are we really doing enough to keep them happy?

Ms. Jarolim answers that question, and 99 others, in a book that brilliantly spoon-feeds serious information in the guise of light-hearted fun. Her adorable terrier, Frankie, is her steadfast guide and fact checker, and the raison d'etre for this compilation.

When it comes to preventing boredom, for instance, the author has lots of creative suggestions, including audio-visual stimulation for stay-at-home-dogs, in the form of DVDs such as Bradley Joseph's While You Are Gone, featuring deer, ducks, geese, and wolves. But be sure to read the footnotes, in which Ms. Jarolim adds, "According to Wikipedia, performing with Yanni is one of Bradley Joseph's claims to fame. If you and/or your dog are allergic to New Age music, this may be irrelevant."

For more active canines, Edie offers a list of "organized activities," such as Canine ("Musical") Freestyle, and quips, "If Frankie was more coordinated, this is the competition I'd most want to try." But then she admits, "I can't afford to pay off everyone who knows the truth: Frankie has an adorable pranching gait, like a tiny Lippizzaner stallion, while I'm the big ol' klutz."

I like this woman's style.