Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn

by Conor Yang on January 16, 2012

Find Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn at Amazon

There’s no doubt that stage 4 cancer is one of the most horrid things that may take place to anyone, however, there have been contradictory articles in regards to the life expectancy of a cancer at such an modern stage. As a result, this article has been written to spell out, for once and for all, the facts regarding this issue.

Before I begin, let’s get one thing straight. People who are suffering from any type of stage 4 cancer have very low 5-year survival rates. This is unluckily a fact of life as the humane race has still not come up with a heal for cancer. Despite this, you ought to never lose hope as there have been persons who pulled through a stage 4 cancer and lived to tell the tale. It is highly commended that you read their tales and draw strength and inspiration from them.

I will now go through a concise analysis of the life expectancy of 3 types of cancer.

Lung Cancer

Statistics show that persons with stage 4 lung cancer have a 32% prospect of living for one year while only 2% live longer than 5 years. This shouldn’t be a cause for concern as that 2% means that there is still hope that you may take pleasure in a good deal of more years with your loved ones.

Colon Cancer

Unfortunately, there have been very few cases of humans who have lived more than 5 years with stage 4 of this disease. However, with improvements in chemotherapy you may control the sensations or changes and prolong the life of a sufferer which could mean so much for them and their loved ones.

Bone Cancer

The good news regarding stage 4 bone cancer is that the 5-year survival rate is among 19 and 49 percent. That may seem furthering but keep in mind that it depends on whether the cancer is benign or malignant.

Don’t ever forget that your prospects of beating cancer or increasing stage 4 cancer life expectancy is strongly dependent on your determination and attitude throughout.


Review”Martin Kihn is just too talented—I still don’t know how a writer may be that laugh-out-loud amusive while chronicling a major life crisis—and his story is just too good to miss. (And of course the soulful pictures of Hola, his lovely Bernese mountain dog, don’t injure either.)”
—Marjorie Kehe, Christian Science Monitor

“It’s the special kinship amongst man and animal that form the heart of the memoir. . . Any dog lover is bound to tear up over the love and trust that may subsist amongst a person and their dog, which Kihn captures perfectly with a blend of earnest aroused catharsis and wry humor.”
—Katie Stroh, The Daily Texan

“Not a snug Marley and Me duplicate or Cesar Millan–type training book (though readers will learn a lot regarding the value of suitable training from someone who’s been there), this sharply written, darkly funny memoir–cum–dog story–cum–recovery tale is a quick, absorbing read that will serve a wide audience well.”
—Barbara Hoffert, Library Journal (Starred Review)

“This wry essay of the human-dog bond is one that eschews the popular treacly sentimentality in favor of a raw, deeply sincere, and self-aware homage to this powerful bond.”
Publishers Weekly (Starred review)

“Hola, surprise, surprise, grows enormous, while also growing out of control, ignoring commands, sprawling, immovable, all over the bed. Add to this rowdy mix the fact that Kihn drinks way too much and that his wife, Gloria, is on the verge of leaving him, and you have a recipe for a surefire heartbreaking bestseller along the lines of Marley and Me.”
—Laurie Hertzel, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“This tale of a man who forgot he was a man and the dog who at long last reminded him is the most touching, introductory buddy story I’ve come throughout in ages. Sit. Stay. Read.”
—Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air
 
“A progressed masterwork that captures the dark side of K9 love.”
—Julia Szabo, Dogster.com
 
“Martin Kihn’s agile wit is showcased in this essay of addiction, recovery, and the highs and lows of canine and humane behavior.  Despite it is compact form, Bad Dog carries a surprising amount of weight, and when you’re not looking, it will knock you over and charm you, all while licking your face.”
—Charles Yu, author of How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe
 
“A bittersweet tale of renewal . . . An endearing read full of hope, humor and humility.”
Kirkus Reviews

Review“This tale of a man who forgot he was a man and the dog who ultimately reminded him is the most touching, primary buddy story I’ve come all over in ages. Sit. Stay. Read.”
       —Walter Kirn, author of Up in the Air (Walter Kirn )

About the AuthorMartin Kihn is an Emmy Award–nominated former writer for MTV’s Pop-Up Video and the author of House of Lies and A$$hole. He has worked at Spy, Forbes, and New York, and his articles have appeared in The New York Times, GQ, Details, and Cosmopolitan. He lives in Minneapolis.

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn Picture

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn Photo

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn

Bad Dog Story Martin Kihn Pic


Most helpful customer reviews

47 of 47 people found the following review helpful.
4This is not another Marley and Me
By E. Jacobs
When I selected this book from the Vine program, I was a little hesitant because of the onslaught of dog books precipitated by the success John Groban’s Marley and Me. I did enjoy that book very much, but some of the later books modeled on that one failed to live up to their predecessor. However, with Bad Dog, Martin Kihn creates a unique book that has more in common with memoirs like Mary Karr’s Lit: A Memoir (P.S.) than with general “I Love My Dog” books.

The story is not centered so much around the titular Bad Dog, named Hola, but rather around Kihn’s struggle with alcoholism and recovery. He is on the verge of losing it all, and his inability to maintain control over his dog is an excellent metaphor for his inability to maintain control over his life. This metaphor is carried through the book as Kihn attempts to sober up and focuses his attention on his new addiction–training his dog. Hola is a representation of the struggles that Kihn himself is experiencing. Will they be redeemed? Read it to find out.

Overall, I liked the unflinching honesty of this book. I thought the use of Hola as metaphor was interesting. And there was some humor thrown in there, too. For me, some of the detail about the dog training process and certifications grew a little dull, but the the story is much more than that. Definitely worth a read.

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful.
5Top Ten Things That are Great About “Bad Dog: A Love Story”
By E. Burian-Mohr
If you’re looking for a warm fuzzy dog tale, this isn’t it. Well, it is… kind of. It’s the story of a recovering alcoholic (Marty, the author) and a recovering bad dog (Hola), and how they face obstacles and hurdles together. And while there doesn’t appear to be a 12-step program for Bernese Mountain Dogs, perhaps Hola’s steps toward her GCG (Good Canine Citizen) qualify, making her a friend of the canine Bill W.

Briefly, Marty and his wife adopt an adorable puppy – a Bernese mountain dog who’s missed the obedience train. As Marty’s drinking escalates, he pays less attention to the dog, whose behavior deteriorates until, ultimately, Gloria leaves both of them.

The book is Marty’s struggle for sobriety, reconciliation, and a dog who doesn’t attack strangers, inhale unattended dinners, and drag humans behind her in the pursuit of a squirrel.

That being said, here are the top ten things about “Bad Dog (A Love Story)”

10. I always look for new bodies of information in anything I read, fiction included. “Bad Dog” is jammed with information about dog training, obedience, GCG, methods of training, breeds, trainers, and everything canine. At times it gets pretty technical, but you’ll survive.

9. Marty is a huge fan, of Susan Conant’s Holly Winter books, as am I. (Well, I’m a fan, though, unlike Marty, I don’t put her in my Top Ten Authors List.) He pulls certain bits of philosophy from her book — things we learn from dogs and the lessons they teach us. It a perfect teaser for Conant’s books, and brings us some of her best philosophical moments and quotes. A favorite, re: Holly Winter’s malamute is that “He doesn’t necessarily do anything more than take my opinions under advisement.”

8. It’s a dog story. Who doesn’t love a dog story?

7. Kihn writes good characters, from his seemingly put-together sponsor to the dog ladies with their sweatshirts (“You had me at woof”), to the trainers who treat dog training as a religion, to the doorman. Each is unique and masterfully described.

6. Kihn writes good dog characters, too. Besides Hola, you’ll meet the teacher’s pet, the kiss-up dog, the perfect dog… There are as many types of dog personalities as human personalities.

5. Doggie insights. The book is full of them, and you’ll learn a lot about your dog (and how your dog manipulates you for the greater canine good.) For example, a trainer points out that Hola, who is a pretty dog, has trained Marty. By batting her eyes and turning on the charm, she gets Marty’s attention. He rubs her belly, he sweet-talks her. The book can make us more aware of behaviors we may have unwittingly encouraged.

4. Dog training insights. (See 6) Different trainers have vastly different philosophies of how to train a dog, and Mart samples many of these. You’ll encounter many points of view. The moral? There’s no one right way. The right way is the one that works for the dog/human combination. And a great piece of advice for those who wish to achieve dominance over their dog? “Ignoring attention-seeking behaviors is the highest form of dominance.” (Now stop yelling at the dog when he barks at the mailman.)

3. Dog dialog. Marty talks to Hola, and Hola talks to Marty. Admit it. You do it, too. You probably have a special voice your dog uses when answering you. Marty (en route to his estranged wife, with Hola in tow):
Marty: Hola… what if Mommy doesn’t want to see us?
Hola: She’ll want to see me. Everyone loves me.
Marty: Don’t count on it, girlfriend.
Hola: Do you think she made crab cakes?

2. It’s a powerful story of addiction and the struggle for sobriety. The author writes clearly and painfully about the steps, the slips, the obstacles, the support, the fellowship of AA, and more. It’s realistic. It’s harsh. It’s inspiring. It’s more than a little scary. We see that recovery is always fragile. You’ll hear tales of bottoming out that will make you cringe. You’ll see people struggling forward and feel huge amounts of admiration.

1. Marty tells an inspiring story of recovery, about regaining trust that has eroded away over years, through the love of a human and a dog.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
3Who’s the bad dog?
By Rebekah Sue Harris
Martin Kihn tried too hard to be funny in Bad Dog: A Love Story.

However, he did a great job combining an “untrainable” Bernese mountain dog named Hola, the ins and outs of the American Kennel Club and of dog training, and his alcoholism. It really seems like the bad dog is Kihn, actually.

This isn’t a cute-and-fuzzy dog story, but the irreverent Hola makes the reader fall in love with her. The reader also feels for Gloria, Kihn’s wife who just couldn’t take it (either the dog or the husband, but probably the husband). Kihn portrays himself as a guy who doesn’t need pity or sympathy, just support, because of his screwups with his life and with training his dog.

Kihn is actually a likable character, despite his shortcomings. He frankly told his story.

I’m not nuts about books told in the present-tense, nor do I think that Alcoholics ANONYMOUS meetings and members should be discussed without consent of everyone involved (for all I know, there was consent, but there’s no cute little blurb in the front of the book saying so).

That said, this is a good book. I’d give it a B+, and I’d share it not only with dog lovers or people in The Program, but also with teens. It’s not raunchy or full of vampires (nothing against vampires but they are SO overdone) but it’s full of honesty and love.

Totes.

See all 62 customer reviews…

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