3.5 stars (rating shown may vary depending on site).

This book was one I picked up at a book sale when I needed a few more to fill the bag. It was more interesting than I thought but also contained a few more twists than I'd realized--most of those related to the humans.

I was glad there was a happy ending. ( )

One of the best comments about AA. For someone who is not interested in dogs it was not too bad

Berninpaimenkoiran isäntä joutuu elämänmuutoksen eteen ja päättää opettaa koiransa Kunnon koirakansalainen -testiin saadakseen sen suoritettua. Amerikkalaiset systeemit poikkeavat toki suomalaisista, mutta osa koirankoulutuksesta on ihan samaa ympäristöstä riippumatta. Ihan mukavaa luettavaa. ( )

Have you seen the TV shows about how training dogs helps prisoners gain a sense of self-worth, responsibility and joy? This book, Bad Dog by Martin Kihn shows how developing a routine of training and unconditional love
have helped him pull away from the abyss of alcoholism.
It is not so much a story about Hola, a Bernese Mountain dog as a man’s struggle with alcoholism,the destruction of a marriage and the difficult road back.

Dog training can become an obsession, in this case, a good obsession.Martin’s wife had wanted a dog,she didn’t even recognize at the time what she really wanted was for Martin to stop drinking and so that they could rebuild their marriage. She thought a dog would make her happy.

They picked a dog from a breeder and named the dog Hola. Hola was not the typical Bernese Mountain Dog. She was unusually intelligent, gorgeous, exuberantly affectionate and extremely active. Because Hola was different from others of this breed, it made the task of training Hola much more difficult. Marti had never trained a dog before.

I really liked this book. I am a sucker for books about dogs but this definitely had a twist to it.
There is a lot of humor and hope in this book as the author goes on his journey away from alcoholism and towards better human relationships and loving dog relationship.

Since I was curious about the AKA, this breed and different kinds of training I enjoyed it even more but some may not.

I was hooked early in the book and it was difficult to lay it down. ( )

Rather than a true animal tale, this book is more a story of Martin Kihn's battle with alcoholism, his life falling apart, then the process of putting it back together. In the midst of this, he and his wife buy Hola, a Bernese mountain dog. Kihn's inexperience as a dog owner, combined with the terminal state of his marriage, is a recipe for disaster for both Hola and Kiln.

While the focus leans more toward a personal memoir, Hola plays a large role in Kiln's recovery. The writing is humorous and entertaining, though I could have done without all the minute details and history of AKC skills testing. Overall, a good read.