The Bad Dog's Diary by Martin Howard

This extraordinary diary lifts the dustbin lid on a year in the life of Blake - a very bad boy indeed - and spreads its contents all over the kitchen floor. A maverick hound with an eye for the bitches and a flair for strategy, Blake is on a mission to become the Top Dog of his neighbourhood while avoiding any hint of obedience to the owner. Day by day he gives us insight into the canine world from a self-professed "dog's dog", including what it means to be pack leader, living with the threat of castration, what dogs really think about tinned food, the joys of leg humping, and, of course, the political and social injustices of the traditional human-dog relationship. Backed up by a host of friends, including Scottie, a geriatric, sex-mad Westie and Constable, a dim-witted, best-of-breed TV personality, Blake's plans take unexpected turns as the year progresses.

A dog who will be instantly familiar to anyone who has ever found a favourite shoe in slobbery tatters or fended off complaints from their neighbours, Blake is hilarious, wise and often touching. He delves deeply into questions of loyalty, love, war and scooting and along the way shows us exactly why there will always be a place in the human world for dogs.

This is a hilarious outlook on the world from a dog's point of view. The author has done a great job at getting into a dog's mind and there's some hilarious insights into what dogs must think of our everyday activites.

Blake makes some interesting observations about his owner, like "he started some playful wrestling with Samantha, during which their clothes fell off. Me, Ella and Coleridge joined in the fight, but they seemed to lose all their enthusiasm when we did." which had me giggling for quite some time.

I read this book in public which could have given me a name for being insane, since it constantly had me smiling and laughing out loud. A nice quick read that was a great pick me up and a nice filler while waiting for my wishlist books to arrive. And it has a sequel which I'm looking forward to reading.

Rating
3.5/5


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