One Nation under Dog: America's Love Affair with Our Dogs Book

Not necessarily a page turner.

I saw this in the library and as a person who just adopted a puppy, I wanted to see what this "new world" was all about.

The last time there was a puppy in my house, I was 9 years old and was definitely NOT a financial contributor to my house. I also didn't buy anything for my dog, who was incredibly content with her hot pink squeaky newspaper toy (one that did not contain treats or bounce around all crazy like or help her anxiety or anything "new world" like that.)

Now I adopted a puppy at the age of 24, and now I am a major financial contributor to my household. We bought the pup a rope, a cow ear and a rawhide bone (he is teething.) His favorite toys? A strip of fleece that we tied knots in and a raccoon puppet that I had when I was younger and found when I moved out of my parents' house. Both of these toys were free hand-me-downs... and our pup could care less.

I thought the book was interesting, but the whole topic is pretty ridiculous. Maybe it is just beyond my comprehension how people spend their money on their pets. My dog will never get a massage - he would have WAY more fun at the dog park (which is free). My dog really likes fancier treats (cow tracheas, lamb lungs, salmon roll-ups), but he doesn't get them very often. I buy a better brand of food because it ends up being cheaper in the long run. My dog still gets his baths outside.

We decided to get a dog because we love dogs. One of the reasons I was so excited to get a dog was because I enjoy taking dogs on walks and there is no way I would pay someone to do this for me.

This book is just another example on how people are out of their minds when they spend their money.

"There might be a financial crisis worse than the Great Depression, but dammit, I need to hire someone to walk my dog around the block and pay my gym membership. Me? Walk my own dog? You have got to be nuts!"