In this gripping and deeply touching book, bestselling author Jon Katz tells the story of his lifetime dog, Orson: a beautiful border collie-intense, smart, crazy, and unforgettable. From the moment Katz and Orson meet, when the dog springs from his traveling crate at Newark airport and panics the baggage claim area, their relationship is deep, stormy, and loving. At two years old, Katz’s new companion is a great herder of school buses, a scholar of refrigerators, but a dud at herding sheep. Everything Katz attempts- obedience training, herding instruction, a new name, acupuncture, herb and alternative therapies-helps a little but not enough, and not for long. “Like all border collies and many dogs,” Katz writes, “he needed work. I didn’t realize for some time I was the work Orson would find.” While Katz is trying to help his dog, Orson is helping him, shepherding him toward a new life on a two-hundred-year-old hillside farm in upstate New York. There, aided by good neighbors and a tolerant wife, hip-deep in sheep, chickens, donkeys, and more dogs, the man and his canine companion explore meadows, woods, and even stars, wade through snow, bask by a roaring wood stove, and struggle to keep faith with each other. There, with deep love, each embraces his unfolding destiny.

No one brings to life the remarkable bond between humans and their dogs like New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz. He has warmed our spirits with enchanting tales and keen observations of his animal menagerie-the dogs, sheep, chickens, and other residents of Bedlam Farm. Now, Katz is back with what he does best in his first collection of short stories, Dancing Dogs. With his signature insight and gift for storytelling, Katz shares sixteen stories about one of life’s most unique relationships: In the title story, a housekeeper loses her job, but discovers her four-legged “children” have some toe-tapping talents that just may get the whole family back on its feet. In “Puppy Commando,” a shy grade-school outcast forges an instant connection with a beagle puppy she meets at a shelter-and risks everything to keep him. Gracie’s Last Walk” features a woman who must find a way to say goodbye to her beloved golden retriever-but ends up saying hello to someone unexpected. “The Dog Who Kept Men Away” shows that not all humans pass the “sniff” test when it comes to canines, who possess an excellent judge of character. And in “Guardian Angel,” a widower going through a painful transition finds the greatest comfort in the unlikeliest of sources-a funny-looking pug named Gus. Whether sitting, staying, and rolling over, in the barnyard, shelters, or home, sweet, home, the creatures in Dancing Dogs are genuinely inspiring and utterly memorable.

In Dog Days, Jon Katz, the squire of Bedlam Farm, allows us to live our dreams of leaving the city for the country, and shares the unpredictable adventure of farm life. The border collies, the sheep, the chickens, the cat, the ram, and one surprisingly sociable steer named Elvis all contribute to the hum (and occasional roar) of Bedlam. On timeless summer days and in punishing winter storms, Katz continues his meditation on what animals can selflessly teach us-and what we in turn owe to them. With good neighbors, a beautiful landscape, and tales of true love thrown in, Dog Days gives us not only marvelous animal stories but a rich portrait of the harmonious world that is Bedlam Farm.

In his many New York Times best-sellers, author Jon Katz has illustrated the cherished bond between humans and animals-especially the intense connection to pets. Now, in this moving and thoughtful book, Katz addresses the difficult but necessary process of saying goodbye to a devoted companion, and offers comfort, wisdom, and a way forward from sorrow to acceptance.

Jon Katz is the New York Times best-selling author of numerous nonfiction tales of man’s best friend. Here he presents the story of two dogs that profoundly affected his life and work. Skittish border collie Izzy pushes him into rewarding work with Hospice. And black lab Lenore’s gentle spirit helps remind him why he wanted to work with animals in the first place.

New York Times best-selling author Jon Katz has written a successful series of mystery novels, nonfiction works, and a popular fiction series based on his experiences with the dogs on his farm. In Rose in a Storm, Rose is a working dog devoted to keeping the sheep and other creatures at Bedlam Farm out of danger. But as the weather grows cold, Rose senses danger-a storm unlike any she’s seen. When an epic blizzard finally strikes, Rose needs all her courage to help her master save the farm.

When Jon Katz got a call from an animal control officer about Simon, a neglected donkey who had been found on a failing farm in upstate New York, he wasn’t expecting to add another animal to his already full life. But when he made the trek out to meet him, he couldn’t help falling in love with the skinny, mangy donkey who had already suffered so much, and he ended up taking him into his home. It was Simon who listened in the fields as Jon read to him and discussed philosophy. And it was Simon who forced Jon to confront the most difficult parts of life. And ultimately, it was Simon who brought Jon to a new understanding about mercy and compassion. In this heartwarming and heartrending memoir, Jon Katz plumbs the depths of the human-animal bond with his trademark grace, strength and skill. Jon Katz has written twenty-six books, including works of nonfiction, novels, short stories, and books for children. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, Rolling Stone, and the AKC Gazette, and has worked for CBS News, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and The Philadelphia Inquirer; he is also a photographer. He lives on Bedlam Farm, in upstate New York, with his wife, the artist Maria Wulf, and their dogs, donkeys, barn cats, sheep, and chickens.

With its endearing blend of humor, wisdom, and insight, Soul of a Dog by New York Times best-selling author Jon Katz illuminates the interaction between humans and animals. Although he features his ever-faithful border collie Rose, Katz also includes revealing observations about Mother the murderous barn cat, Elvis the doughnut-loving steer, and his other dogs-Izzy, Lenore, and Pearl.

New York Times bestselling author Jon Katz–“a Thoreau for modern times” (San Antonio Express-News)–offers us a deeper understanding of the inner lives of animals and teaches us how we can more effectively communicate with them, made real by his own remarkable experiences with a wide array of creatures great and small.

In Talking to Animals, journalist Jon Katz–who left his Manhattan life behind two decades ago for life on a farm where he is surrounded by dogs, cats, sheep, horses, cows, goats, and chickens–marshals his experience to offer us a deeper insight into animals and the tools needed for effectively communicating with them.

Devoting each chapter to a specific animal from his life, Katz tells funny and illuminating stories about his profound experiences with them, showing us how healthy engagement with animals falls into five key areas: Food, Movement, Visualization, Language, and Instincts. Along the way, we meet Simon the donkey who arrives at Katz’s farm near death and now serves as his Tai Chi partner. We meet Red the dog who started out antisocial and untrained and is now a therapy dog working with veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. And we meet Winston, the dignified and brave rooster who was injured defending his hens from a hawk and who has better interpersonal skills than most humans.

Thoughtful and intelligent, lively and powerful, this book will completely change the way you think about and interact with animals. Katz’s “honest, straightforward, and sometimes searing prose will speak to those who love animals, and might well convert some who do not” (Booklist).

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 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.