10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me: Life Lessons from a Man's Best Friend [Hardcover]

Carlo De Vito (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2005

Poignant, funny tales about a man and his dog - and the lessons learned about responsibility and enduring friendship.

It is love at first sight when Carlo De Vito, an aspiring book editor, first meets Exley, the rambunctious, rescued German Shorthair Pointer he adopts and who becomes his faithful companion. In 10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me, De Vito writes about their experiences growing up together - and the life lessons that invariably result from their adventures. Ultimately, when his beloved friend is gone, De Vito discovers some thruths about love, loss, and lasting friendship.

"It had been Exley's job to raise me. All that time we had been having fun, going for walks, getting into trouble, being companions and friends in some great adventure. And I had spent so much time teaching him to sit, stay, lie down, roll over. But all along, he had been teaching me. It is the child that makes the man, and in this case it was a dog. All along it had been the dog doing the teaching, not me. How do you like that? And I love him for it to this day and will for the rest of my life."

Writing in the heartwarming, bestselling tradition of Pack of Two and My Dog Skip, De Vito captures the spirit of that tie in a way that will resonate with not only dog lovers, but all those who share their heart and home with a pet.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is the story of Exley, a dog who often must have thought that his name
was "Noooo...!" It is a true tale of how a dog brought warmth, love, chaos,
humor and eventually, insight, to a man and later to his family. It is an
amusing and gentle read for a snowy winter's evening or a lazy day in the sun.
--- Stanley Coren, author of THE INTELLIGENCE OF DOGS and HOW DOGS THINK

"Funny, illuminating, sleek as a shorhair's coat, '10 Secrets' offers 10 x 10 secrets of the dog-human partnership. Carlo and Exley model the capacity for a relationship to transform us, embarrass us, awaken us, and shake us up. Beautifully, thoughtfully written and a joy to read. If I had a tail, I would wag it for '10 Secrets.'" ---Susan Chernak McElroy, author of ANIMALS AS TEACHERS AND HEALERS

From the Author

There are any number of good books that offer terrific advice on what you can be teaching your dog, but much more rare--though just as important--is the good book telling us what our dogs may be teaching us. 10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me, as the title implies, is just one such book, letting us learn by his experiences as a dog companion. Carlo DeVito has learned his lesson well--a good student of a good teacher. - Terry Bain, author of You Are a Dog

10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me might well be subtitled, "The dog is father to the man." Carlo DeVito has written a charming memoir of his eduction at the paws of his rescued German Shorthair Pointer, Exley--charming and amusing up to the heartbreaking moment when he must put his boon companion down. All dog lovers have been there more times than we care to remember, but it never gets easier, and Carlo, to his credit, unveils the raw emotion of the moment. He's clearly a dog man, Exley's a dude, and Dominique's a saint for putting up with the both of them. Reading this book is like taking a long walk with an old friend. - Mark Derr author of A Dog's History of America

There can never be enough reports of up-close encounters with loveable aliens - here's one; warm, funny, and filled with insight into the 8th wonder of our planet: the dog's mind. Don't miss it! - Jeffrey Masson, Ph.D., autho of Dogs Never Lie About Love

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Rodale Books; ist edition (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1594861978
• ISBN-13: 978-1594861970
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #643,713 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Carlo DeVito is a long time wine lover, and author of books and magazine articles. He is the author of Wineries of the East Coast. He has traveled to wine regions in California, Canada, up and down the east coast, France, Spain and Chile. He was also a publisher at Running Press Book Publishers, where he published books from Wine Spectator, as well as books with Greg Moore (of Moore Bros.), Matt Kramer, Howard Goldberg, and many other wine writers. He is currently VP, Editorial Director of Sterling Epicure where his authors also include Kevin Zraly, Oz Clarke, Tom Stevenson, Terry Walters, The Fabulous Beekman Boys, and the Edible Communities cookbook program.

Mr. DeVito has also been the editor of many successful traditional trade books, including Strange Fruit by David Margolick, On the Shoulders of Giants by Stephen Hawking, and three titles by Malachy McCourt. Other authors include John and Mary Gribbin, Thomas Hoving, Philip Caputo, E. O. Wilson, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., John Edgar Wideman, Stanley Crouch, Dan Rather, Dee Brown, Susie Bright, and Eleanor Clift.

He is also the author of more than 15 books, including his highly acclaimed biographies of D. Wayne Lukas, Wellington Mara, Yogi Berra, and Phil Rizzuto.

He lives with his wife, pet publisher Dominique DeVito, and their two sons, on their farm, the Hudson-Chatham Winery in Ghent, NY.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me" Will Get Your Tail Wagging !!, October 20, 2005

By 

Francis Zuccarello "Curmudgeon" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me: Life Lessons from a Man's Best Friend (Hardcover)

You will see lots of dog stories out there. While some of them are good and some are not, "10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me" is absolutely delightful.

This story of NYC editor Carlo DeVito and his dog, the often neurotic, sometimes reckless, always loveable Exley warmed my heart and touched me in way I couldn't have imagined. You'll scratch your head - and perhaps behind your ear - wondering who really is whose pet.

The author, Mr DeVito, has given "10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me" the added dimension of training tips and thoughtful insights, which are balanced with life lessons learned from our relationships dogs, and how to apply these lessons to that truly difficult and untamed animal, the human.

If you haven't bought "10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me" you're barking up the wrong tree.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great lessons in a short book, December 12, 2005

By 

Em Kay - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me: Life Lessons from a Man's Best Friend (Hardcover)

As a dog lover, this book really hit the mark. It was short, entertaining, emotional, and provided life lessons (or reminders) to help each reader become a better person. I really enjoyed the story - I laughed and cried. A must read for dog lovers - particularly those strapped for time and tapped for patience.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Heartwarming Story, November 2, 2005

By 

Michelle Snyder "GSP 'Mom" (Merrimack, NH) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: 10 Secrets My Dog Taught Me: Life Lessons from a Man's Best Friend (Hardcover)

This book will touch your heart. It made me laugh out loud and also cry. So many of the anecdotes in the book reminded me of my dogs and my experiences with them. This is a must read for dog lovers and rescuers.