Dogged Pursuit: How a Rescue Dog Rescued Me

by Robert Rodi

Read Robert Rodi's posts on the Penguin Blog.

"A charming, hilarious look at a little-documented world." -- People

In dog years, Robert Rodi is 350. Age, however, couldn't possibly have prepared him for his experience with canine agility-the athletic cousin to best-of-breed shows. Rodi, an epicure and urban intellectual, picks up agility with aspirations for blue ribbons. His dreams of glory quickly fade when faced with the hearty Midwestern handlers and their ferociously fit pups, who annihilate scrawny, scruffy, Dusty, Rodi's rescue dog and would-be champ, in the ring. The duo is utterly lost in the agility circles, but as in the best human/pet stories, they forge an everlasting bond to carry them through.

Combining the wit of Christopher Guest's Best in Show and the charm of Marley & Me , Dogged Pursuit is an uproarious account of a neophyte's year in the dog show world that abounds in humor and warmth.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction, Animals, Biography, Memoir, Sports, Humor

271 pages, Paperback

First published June 11, 2009

About the author

Robert was born in Chicago in the conformist 1950s, grew up in the insurrectionist 1960s, came of age in the hedonist 1970s, and went to work in the elitist 1980s. This roller-coaster ride has left him with a distinct aversion to isms of any kind; it also gave him an ear for hypocrisy, cant, and platitudes that allowed him, in the 1990s, to become a much-lauded social satirist.

After seven acclaimed novels set in the gay milieu, Robert grew restless for new challenges — which he found in activities as wide-ranging as publishing nonfiction, writing comic books, launching a literary-criticism blog, and taking to the stage (as a spoken-word performer, jazz singer, and rock-and-roll front man).

In 2011, excited by the rise of digital e-books, he returned to his first love, publishing new fiction inspired by the work of Alfred Hitchcock. He also organized the republishing of his seminal gay novels under the banner Robert Rodi Essentials.

Robert still resides in Chicago, in a century-old Queen Anne house with his partner Jeffrey Smith and a constantly shifting number of dogs.
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German version: Robert Rodi wurde 1956 in einem Vorort von Chicago geboren. Im Alter von 22 schloss er sein Philosophie-Studium ab. Schon vorher beschäftigte er sich mit Comedy. Sein erster eigener Roman, "Fag Hag" aus dem Jahr 1991 war ein großer Erfolg. Es folgten mehrere andere komische Romane, zahlreiche Kurzgeschichten und Sketche. Robert lebt mit Partner und Hund in Chicago.

Reviews

[Melki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was, beyond doubt, the only sport I'd ever seen in which one member of the winning team congratulated the other by licking his face.

When my current dog entered my life, I was stunned at how easy he was to train. He was not only willing to do my bidding, he was eager! The thought of attempting dog agility competitions briefly crossed my mind. I pictured Randy leaping hurdles and weaving around posts. He would have been good at it. Unfortunately, taking part in the trials would have required too much time spent in the car - an activity enjoyed by neither my dog or myself.

Oh, yeah, and then there's the fact that I'm incredibly LAZY.

Robert Rodi had been competing in events with his Shetland sheepdog, Carmen, when she developed hip problems. After realizing he missed the excitement, not to mention the exercise involved in agility trials, he decided to try again with another dog - an odd-looking, rescued Sheltie named Dusty. His book recounts, from the beginning, all the ups and downs of their relationship with each other and with agility competitions.

Things do not always go well for the pair.

Dusty's so distracted on the course that we're whistled off after tackling just two obstacles. He won't look at me, won't listen to me, keeps running the perimeter of the ring and smiling at spectators, like a member of the royal family on walkabout. I actually have to pick him up and tote him off the course under my arm. We pass right by a big trash can, and, boy, am I tempted to lighten my load.

There's not a whole lot of meat to this book, and I wouldn't recommend it to non-dog lovers, but the author's breezy tone and self-deprecating comments make reading this one great fun. There are some terrific lines here, including this bit about what happens when Rodi sits down for a moment to read:

. . . when a woman sidles up to me and begins to talk.

I've always found this a bit irritating --- this assumption, which pretty much everyone in our postliterate society seems to make, that the act of reading is something we undertake only out of boredom and from which we are desperate to be rescued by any interruption whatsoever . . .

Then there's this beautiful paragraph:

And that's when I start watching him, in a way I'm never able to when I'm running beside him. And yes it's true he's not a fast dog, nor is he poetry in motion or an unstoppable juggernaut or anything like that. He's a little wad of scruff with a scrap of determination, that's all. But there are times -- when he's right at the apex of a jump, with his forelegs stretched before him and his hind feet still recoiling from the launch; or when he's plunging through the tire, the velocity streaking the fur on his face and splaying his cheeks into a smile; or when he's loping across the dog walk, his head low and his tail erect -- that he seems suddenly beautiful, suddenly graceful, suddenly powerful. They're just split-second images, flashes, nothing more, but they have the startling effect of drop-kicking me into profound emotion. In this setting, I'm seeing him for the first time as separate from me - not just physically, in the sense that I'm not out there with him, but as an entirely separate entity. And it occurs to me that I really do love the little guy. For all his peculiarities and pathologies, he has such tremendous dignity. The blood of wolves runs in his veins, the race memory of primeval packs that took down mastodons, the pedigree of canine legions who sprinted alongside the armies of Alexander. I can see all this in him, and I'm aware as never before that as fiercely loyal as he may be, he doesn't disappear when I'm not there. In fact, outside my shadow he seems to grow larger -- as does his integrity, his honor.

If you have a dog, if you love a dog, I hope you someday get to experience a moment like this.


Dusty and his family

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rodi is completely crazy, but he does get a laugh every chapter or so. This is a good read for other crazy people who entertain the idea that your dog may like to get out and run an obstacle course every day or so. Also a good book for those with short attention spans or schedules broken into short segments. You can read to a laugh and put it down on a high note every couple pages. Keeps you coming back.

At the end, I was rooting for Dusty and Rodi as though they were relatives--that must be the "group-thing", or community, that Rodi talks about. It seems his insight is useful to all of us in our daily lives: "...acceptance isn't something you wait for--it's something you actively claim. And more importantly, something you give."

Whatever. I was belly-laughing by the end, and wishing I 1) had a dog, and 2) had an agility location near me. A relative of mine has a dog that is just the right size and temperament, and I've already started searching agility centers...I am not interested in competition, but the exercise and mental focus (for the pet) sounds like just the ticket.

[Miriam Hoffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the owner of two rescued Shelties, this book was especially close to my heart. My dog Lucy actually came from the Illinois Sheltie Rescue, the same place this dog came from. A wonderful quick read about what we do to our dogs thinking that they are more like us than they really are amd what we can learn once we get over that notion. The book made me want to enroll my dogs in agility classes and get another dog.

[Jess Van Dyne-Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

I woke up my husband. Twice. Snorting to myself, trying not to shake the bed so he'd wake up AGAIN.

This is FUNNY. If you liked Marley and Me (and by that I mean the BOOK) you'll really laugh at this. It's worth getting up in the middle of the night out of your warm bed to go downstairs and sit on the sofa with the dog for.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I love dog stories. But only the ones where the dog doesn't die. So this book had a boost for me just because of the subject. The writing was also witty, and the chapters were short, leading to that "just one more chapter" mentality that keeps me from doing other things that I should be doing (like going to sleep). The author's love for his dog shows through, and that was nice, but I was bugged by his constant need to show us, the readers, how he really doesn't fit in with his sweatshirt-wearing, sloppy joe-eating fellow agility competitors. Dude, I don't care what symphony you listened to on your way to the competition, or what gourmet lunch you took to eat in your car (because the ubiquitous sloppy joes make you queasy). I had to roll my eyes a lot whenever he described how he really didn't fit in with them, and I kept thinking, who do you think is going to pick up this book? Your fancy pants gourmand friends and fellow classical-music aficionados, or people who are into dog agility? Because I bet it's more of the latter than the former, and you have just insulted them. Again.
Dogs are my favorite, though, so I will always rate a good, non-dying dog story highly.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some good friends of mine have a Sheltie who's been a bit of an also-ran in agility competitions, so I was interested to read this memoir. It turns out to be incredibly funny, fascinating, and sweet - a real love letter to an underdog. Plus a bonus to animal lovers: this is one pet memoir where the pet does NOT die at the end!

[Chana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rob starts running Agility with his first Sheltie Carmen but when she starts having hip problems he adopts another Sheltie, a high-strung and neurotic dog, named Dusty. He starts training Dusty for Agility and this is the story of Rob and Dusty during their first year of competition. Rob is neurotic as well and so in some ways it is a good match but often they seem to acerbate each others anxiety and anti-social behaviors. When Rob seriously breaks his ankle he has to retire from Agility until it heals but he doesn't want to retire Dusty so he asks his partner Jeffrey to take over for him. He then suffers from feeling unnecessary and displaced, and guilty for his feelings, and he tells us all about it. This book is about Rob's neurosis as much as about Dusty's career in Agility. Another thing we hear about is the weather in Chicago in winter and how hard that can make getting to and participating in competition. I can totally see it. I wonder if he is now skipping winters in Chicago and instead running his dogs in Italy during the winter.
Funniest scene: the dog psychic Most disturbing scene: Magic time (can that even be true or did he just make it up?) Negativity is often expressed but there is a sense of humor and the love of the dogs comes through clearly. At the end it is clear that there is to be yet another neurotic dog in Rob's future which I am sure Rob will love and do his best to train for Agility.

[Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title of the book is somewhat misleading; Dusty, while having some challenges in competing in agility, is by no means the world's least likely agility dog. While he may be the product of poor breeding and a rescue, he is a sheltie, and from the descriptions throughout the book, seems quite competent at basic agility skills. The problem seems to lie more with the expectations of his handler, the author. We see that the author is aloof and a bit of a fish out of water when it comes to interacting with his training school compatriots and fellow competitors, and it becomes obvious that his own insecurities are the root of many of Dusty's issues. While I am not an expert in agility by any means, having worked my dogs in both obedience and rally and assisted in teaching, we know that the vast majority of problems are with the "big H" and not the "little D". The author's style and attitude unfortunately come across is a somewhat egocentric way, and what could be a heartfelt memoir on their ups and downs of training and competing comes across in a more negative fashion.

For someone looking for a primer on agility, I would suggest that you look elsewhere. This book glosses over the months of training necessary to safely and effectively train the team to compete. This book is more of a memoir about the author's experiences and some self discovery than about the sport itself.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another (dog related) book I had had high hopes for and just for some reason did not deliver. Actually, I know why this book didn't deliver. The author annoyed the HELL out of me. I pictured the protag as the (gay) guy partner on SMASH and while I like the character on tv a lot, this guy was just a high class ass. I am too high and mighty to congregate with the masses, so I'll sit in my car and eat my fancy salad. Leave the burgers and fries to the underlings. OH PAH-LEEEESE. Get off your high horse and participate or don't bother showing up. I wonder if the dog could sense this about the guy and that is why they didn't really do to well in agility? The dog did a lot better with his partner and it seemed like he participated in ALL ACTIVITIES more once the protag was out with an injury. Boohoo, I know I wasn't crying AT ALL. Things I did like: setting, outside agility and his relationship with his dog and why he got into agility. I can relate to this because my pup is very good at it and I think we'll start doing classes later in the year. The protag just totally ruined the story for me. Get off your high horse and join the masses. It's not as bad as you think.

[Misa212 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I suspect that the people out there (in here?) who do agility because their *dog* finds it as rewarding as they do will also have to set aside the many icky, clasping-head-in-anguish moments that this book describes. This book is not a how-to-train-your-dog book in any sense, which is a huge relief. I am disappointed that during the many instances of problems catalogued here that the author didn't stop and do serious re-examination of his relationship with his dog, and then re-approach the whole thing....far, far away from any Agility obstacles. That never happened, and my enjoyment in reading went from kinda low to nonexistent. Yikes.

[Cara Achterberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is pee-your-pants funny. I mean it. The writing is clever, the story is priceless, and the situation is probably familiar to so many of us who are blessed with an oddball rescue dog and oru own ambitions. You might learn a little about the world of agility training and competition, but mostly you will be entertained and your heart will be warmed by this wonderful, wickedly funny tale about a man and his dog and the lengths we will go to in the name of loyalty, determination, and love. Do yourself a favor and read it!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining, humorous, touching at times, but there were a couple things I didn't like. I'm no dog trainer, but it seemed like Dusty was being pushed too much to do something he didn't really want to do. And the author's snobbishness was a bit much. Maybe he was trying to point out that both he and Dusty were fishes out of water, but sometimes it just came off as condescension.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes, the author is a dear friend, but I consciously kept a distance. This book is a glorious read - even if you're not a dog freak. As much of a memoir of Rodi and Dusty, it's a coming-of-age of sorts for the very-adult author. It's wonderful to see his world open up in a way he never expected.

[Leota · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining and delightful reading, especially for a dog person like me. Dusty is a rescue dog who challenges Rodi at every turn. Rodi also gets a bit far afield on his efforts to understand his renegade.

[Khanh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5. I love books like these because they are more about the individual person and dog's journey than the dog mastering agility. I wasn't looking for a neat story with a clean ending wherein the dog learns agility successfully. I've learned that that's not what dog/human relationships are always about. Sometimes you set out to do something and it doesn't turn out the way you plan.
I have no interest in participating in agility myself, though I have attended a couple of agility events and seen the agility equipment. I enjoy learning about the mechanics behind it but more than anything, I love learning about each team's successes, failures, and lessons learned... in any sport or human/dog endeavor.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every year I watch the dog agility displays at Crufts, laughing with cuties like Olly and Kratu, and marvelling at the athleticism of the more serious competitors. Last year I was inspired to seek out fiction books about agility, and this time I've plumped for a memoir. It was a very easy read, and laugh-out-loud funny in places, and of course what could be sweeter than witnessing the bond between a guy and his dog.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and most importantly: all dogs survive the whole book! Yay!
Second, this book is delightfully witty with a punch of humility. Rodi's approach to finding community is relatable and honest. I picked the book up because I needed to know Dusty, but pleasantly found some great insight for not giving up to find your tribe.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned about agility training and competitions for dogs and enjoyed the self-depreciating humor throughout. This talks about the partnership between the handler and the dog and how if the handler has baggage, the dog will know it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excuse my language - effing hilarious. This book is what is inspiring me to compete my novice dog this year in agility. Witty, shocking, and relatable, I have been recommending this book to all my dog-loving friends.

[Mary Pagones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, gossamer-light, but great stuff about agility only someone deep in the world could know, and written with wry affection for the crazy people and dog’s who do it. Especially in freezing Chicago.

[Lex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprise ending, but I liked it!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a great story about one man finding his community in doing dog sports.

[Clare · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Least likely agility dog" brings to mind a three-legged, 14 year old deafblind basset hound. Instead, Dusty, the canine focus of this book, is a spry Sheltie. Not exactly a rarity in the agility ring. He is a rescue, and comes with some aloofness and anxiety, but that's not even the focus of the book. No, the author chooses to barely mention the training process he goes through with Dusty and instead writes about the mundane details of his- the author's-- life. Including things like: tripping, dog vomit, and traffic. If there aren't more words in this book discussing the drives to agility trials than the actual trials, it comes very close.

If this was a story of an average dog with an average handler meeting average levels of success in the agility ring, I'd probably give it a 3, because hey, there really aren't many books written about dog agility and I'd probably enjoy it. But nope, this is a book about the mundane daily life of an average handler with an average dog meeting average levels of success.

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author successfully competed in numerous agility courses with his first border collie. Unfortunately, the dog comes to a poitn where she can no longer compete. So, the author finds an "unadoptable" border collie ("ugly" with lots of issues) and knows this is the dog for him, believing he can change the dog with lots of love and a job. The dog has other thoughts, however. This dog is difficult to train and is somewhat of an embarassment to the author as he already gained notariety with his first dog. But, he perseveres, thankfully, for the dog's sake.
The most hilarious part of the book comes during the author's darkest time. It is the dead of winter, freezing. The pair go to a competition anyway despite neither one really wanting to go. The event ring is almost as cold, Dusty's water even freezes. As the author attempts to leave the building, he is hit in the face with the door, prompting a bloody nose. He is then forced to compete with the bloody nose, which is ok since the blood froze. After another awful display by Dusty, he packs the car to leave. The car is stuck on a patch of ice, so the author gets out to fix it. He attempts to kick dirt on the ice and hurts his toe. As he leans on the car to rub his toe, the car lurches forward as it was still in gear. The car takes off with Dusty casually hanging out the window. The car comes to a halt when it sideswipes a tree. This event leads to the temporary halt of competition as well. Due to surgery for the broken ankle surgery, the author's companion takes over the agility runs. Defeat is inevitable, however, Jeffrey is having a good time and becomes enthralled. Dusty is his usual self and while the author is having a hard time dealing with the hand-off of Dusty, the dog proves his dedication (while being mostly stand-offish) by running to him DURING one of the agility runs. This invokes do or die for the author and he completely turns over the running of Dusty to his partner...and then he gets another dog!
This book is diffficult to become fully engaged in. The last several chapters were the most entertaining but not to the point of recommendation.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a sheltie and belong to several FB sheltie pages. One day a few months ago I read that Dusty the sheltie had crossed the rainbow bridge. As I sometimes do, I went to the owner's page, hoping to learn more about him and his dog. Turns out Robert Rodi, Dusty's owner, is a writer and had written a book about the two of them chasing the agility champion's dream.

I couldn't NOT go read the book.

The writing is fabulous, and I laughed out loud at some of it, would have even if I didn't have a sheltie and hadn't tried a bit of agility myself. Poor Dusty, he was a rescued sheltie with a sad past and he was a bit overwhelmed in the ring,yet a bit independent, and well, just a sheltie overall.

Here's a description of one of his runs, held in a frigid pole barn in the middle of a Chicago winter:

"We finished out yesterday with more refusals than a Catholic girls' school on prom night. Dusty bailed on the teeter, balked at the tire, shirked the A-frame, ducked the jumps, fled the weave poles, snubbed the table, and dodged the dog walk. The only thing he did, and did consistently, was the tunnel. Maybe it was warmer in there."

If you've ever loved a dog despite it's shortcomings, if you've ever realized those shortcomings were your fault, not the dog's, if you've ever loved a dog period, you'll enjoy this book.

[Emily-Jane Orford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dusty is not the only one who's on a learning curve. He's taking his owner/handler, Rodi, along with him. It's amazing how much a dog ressembles its owner. Dusty is shy/Rodi is shy; Dusty doesn't like noise and crowds/neither does Rodi; Dusty has several insecurities due to his previous homes and owners; Rodi mirrors these insecurities but for other reasons. It's not until Rodi steps back (or perhaps I should say, forced back due to some unforeseen circumstances) that he sees his dog, he sees Dusty, as a vision of energy and enthusiasm just waiting to burst forth and, through this, Rodi sees himself. In fact, Rodi discovers his inner essence through his rescued mutt. Dusty may have been the rescued dog; but he certainly rescued Rodi.

"Dogged Pursuit" is a humorous and heartwarming tale of rescued love, compassion, and the pursuit of excellence through the bonding with one's dog and the joys and frustrations of following the dog agility circuit. This book is highly recommended by award winning author, and fellow dog-lover, Emily-Jane Hills Orford.

[Tracy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really struggled with this book and actually read it twice just to make sure that I felt what I felt.

Rodi comes off rude to his fellow competitors. Maybe we was thinking that his market was the "Marley & Me" market who would like to hear about how strange all those agility people were? But instead, as a dog sport competitor, I felt that he was demeaning.

Also - who was your agility coach? Because they should have said to you that you dog did NOT want to play the game. It was embarrassing and sad to keep reading about how uncomfortable and unhappy this poor dog was doing agility. Robert, you should have fond what SHE liked to do best and done that. even if it was sitting on the couch.


For those of you how think we're all like the author, we aren't. I have a dog that does one sport but not another because he doesn't like to do that sport. I have another dog that does neither of those sports and prefers a third. It's all about what the dog wants to do and loves to do.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I frequently laughed out loud while reading this book. Robert Rodi can truly turn a phrase and he painted some great self-deprecating pictures. I own a Sheltie and have run agility with her so Dusty's "Sheltieness" was familiar and ofttimes humorous. Unlike Dusty, my Sheltie is very talented and enthusiastic in agility. I have had to struggle to keep up with her so my situation was nothing like the author's. I think that if my dog seemed as uncomfortable as Dusty seemed to be and if my dog shutdown and rarely completed a course I would consider a different bonding activity. Mr. Rodi readily admits that although at first he was looking to give Dusty a job to do, agility competition evolved into a search for personal "glory". Agility did not harm Dusty, but it did not seem to be very rewarding for him or for the author. Reading this book, however, was rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I was sorry to come to the last page. Mr. Rodi is a very good and entertaining writer. I will be looking for his other titles.

[Samantha Shelby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book for 50 cents at a rumage sale because I love dogs and thought it looked interesting. It isn't. Fortunately, it was a quick read, and I got through it in one slow day at work. But unlike People Magazine's claim that it was 'hilarious', I didn't find it at all so. The author was a total snob, repeatedly mentioning his 'cultured' tastes in music, food, etc. at the expense of everyone else around him; his better-than-thou view of his familiar city setting in comparison to the suburban areas he considered 'the boonies' was annoying. The ending was also very unsatisfying, and though the canine in the story was adorable, I spent a lot of time rolling my eyes at the author's tedious attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor while trying to make himself sound as clever as he obviously considers himself. Too bad there was so much of that, and not more about the dog.
All that to say: I wouldn't read it again, and will probably donate my 50-cent copy.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who is a current dog owner. I've never gone beyond basic training for my pooch. This book by Robert Rodi gives us a glimpse into what it takes to own a competitive show dog (agility tryouts). Or does it?

This book dwells on the life of Dusty, a Sheltie the author picks up from the dog shelter and attempts to train in agility contests, much like he did with his other dog, Carmen. Follow them as they go from contest to contest and see how Dusty is "king of the home" but once competing is as shy and tmid as can be.

In the end, Roti learns what he needs to do to succeed in a hilarious book of what it takes to be a show-dog owner.

This is a must-read for anyone who loved John Grogan's "Marley".