From New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz comes a wise, uplifting, and poignant memoir of finding love against all odds, and the power of second chances for both people and dogs. “I had no idea that Frieda would enter my life and alter it in the most profound way, but that’s one of the beautiful things about animals. They change you, and you almost never see it coming.” In 2007, a few … coming.”
In 2007, a few years after purchasing Bedlam Farm in upstate New York, Jon Katz met Maria Wulf, a quiet, sensitive artist hoping to rekindle her creative spark. Jon, like her, was introspective yet restless, a writer struggling to find his purpose. He felt a connection with her immediately, but a formidable obstacle stood in the way: Maria’s dog, Frieda.
A rottweiler-shepherd mix who had been abandoned by her previous owner in the Adirondacks, where she lived in the wild for several years, Frieda was ferociously protective and barely tamed. She roared and charged at almost anyone who came near. But to Maria, Frieda was sweet and loyal, her beloved guard dog and devoted friend. And so Jon quickly realized that to win over Maria, he’d have to gain Frieda’s affection as well.
While he and Maria grew closer, Jon was having a tougher time charming Frieda to his side. Even after many days spent on Bedlam Farm, Frieda still lunged at the other animals, ran off into the woods, and would not let Jon come near her, even to hook on her leash. Yet armed with a singular determination, unlimited patience, and five hundred dollars’ worth of beef jerky, Jon refused to give up on Frieda—or on his chance with Maria.
Written with stunning emotional clarity and full of warm yet practical wisdom, The Second-Chance Dog is a testament to how animals can make us better people, and how it’s never too late to find love.
Praise for The Second-Chance Dog
“No one speaks the language of a dog like best-selling author Jon Katz. His latest heartwarming memoir about finding love after struggling through a broken relationship . . . gives testament to how dogs can make us better human beings.”—The Free Lance–Star
“[An] intimate story of falling in love with a woman and her extremely protective pet dog . . . Bittersweet in its telling, Katz reminds readers of the importance of human and animal connections.”—Kirkus Reviews
“In this heartwarming story of love and redemption . . . dogs and humans alike get second chances at life, love, and growth. . . . This moving work is recommended for readers who want a true-life love story, for dog lovers seeking a book with a happy ending (the dog doesn’t die!), for seniors who think that receiving a Medicare card means that love is out of the question, and for dog trainers who want to learn more about Katz’s philosophy of dog training.”—Library Journal
“The story [Katz] tells gives hope that no animal is beyond help, as long as enough love and patience are thrown in.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
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I love Jon Katz’s books and this one did not disappoint!
Wonderful true story
This is a heartwarming story. In 2007, Jon Katz met Maria Wulf. John felt a connection with her immediately, but a formidable obstacle stood in the way: Maria’s dog, Frieda.
Freida was a rottweiler-shepherd mix who had been abandoned by her previous owner in the Adirondacks, where she lived in the wild for several years, Frieda was ferociously protective and barely tamed. Jon realized that to win over Maria, he’d have to gain Frieda’s affection as well.
Finding out what Freida went through prior to her adoption by Maria brought tears to my eyes. If you are a sensitive dog lover, this might happen to you as well. But, by delving into Freida’s past, Jon came to understand Freida so well that he was able to incorporate her into his pack.
Narssisistic.
Heartwarming. For animal lovers who appreciate the uniqueness of their companionship.
A self-indulgent bit of narcissism that bored me to death. The dog was the only interesting part of it, and he was a minor character. I suppose women into morose romance are the market for this book.
I learned a lot while reading this book. It gave new insight and perspective to dogs that have been abused and how they can recover. It was so heartening to see this man’s commitment to helping a dog find its way.
If you are an animal lover, Jon’s story of winning over Frieda is so compelling. The love story between Jon and Maria is also worth your time.
I wanted to like this book but I didn’t. I read the entire book hoping for redemption.
I love animals but I have no tolerance for mean dogs. That dog was a menace. I’m also not a big fan of families breaking up even though this was explained as inevitable.
I wanted this to be good, I really did. I was disappointed.
I loved this book. First of all I’m a dog lover, I also loved the characters in this book, partially I suppose because I’m in the same age group and a romantic.
I was amazed by the authors success at retraining this dog!
Enjoyed this story but it was a little too realistic about the fate of pets and wildlife for my taste.
I love dogs and good dog stories!
Great book for animal lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book and Jon Katz.
Excellent depiction of a dog that had been abused and neglected yet becoming a wonderful companion. A little too much talk about personal issues not directly pertaining to the redemption of Frieda.
It’s Jon Katz. He rights interesting stories about the regular normal things and life that we see everyday.
Easy to read but so much about the story was cliches
Unusual sort of inspirational dog story. The dog is the incredible one though the author inserts much of his own life and dog training philosophies.
As a lifelong animal lover and owner of pigs, horses, cows, chickens, cats, dogs, goats, parrots, rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, hamsters — this story about a single abused-in-the-past dog kept me interested.
I loved this book! It is a wonderful story about never giving up, on love or with dogs. Frieda was an unforgettable dog..brave, loyal beyond loyal. Jon is incredible with the persistance needed to get through to the inner soul of Frieda. I’m not sure there would be many people willing to do that but he did have his love of Maria to spur him on. I also want to say the book has a happy ending because I know that I would have been so fearful of a tragic ending that I might not have read the book except for a review I read that said: “the dog doesn’t die in the end.” It’s a beautiful story of finding love amidst incredible odds. I highly recommend It.