“Dog’s Diary” Author Q&A with Nat Segaloff
Dog’s Diary is an e-book and audiobook about Louie, the Italian greyhound who came to live with BearManor author Nat Segaloff just as Covid-19 sequestering was beginning. Louie is Nat’s first dog, but Nat is Louie’s third human (he had two previous owners). The diary begins on March 19, 2020 and ends on April 3, 2021. What happens between those dates is the story of two lonely creatures getting to know and love each other. The e-book also has photos. For this Q&A, Louie gave Nat permission to speak for them both.
Question: What makes this dog book different from all the other dog books out there?
Segaloff: Before Louie and I wrote it, I looked at a lot of other books written by dog owners. These were non-fiction (not novels like A Dog of Flanders, Sounder, or Greyfriars Bobby) and tended to be sentimental memoirs about a the process of building a friendship
Question: What story does it tell?
Segaloff: It’s not a narrative, it’s a journal of day-to-day incidents, observations, and notes that occur to Louie while he and Nat are going about their business over the course of roughly a year. It’s about how two strangers—one human and one canine—are thrown together and get to know each other. The entries range from complaints about living conditions to funny incidents to social commentary. A lot of it, though, is about poop.
Question: Did you say poop?
Segaloff: Why not? A dog’s main job is eating, drinking, sleeping, barking, peeing, and pooping. Let’s get real.
Question: Is it safe for kids?
Segaloff: No and yes. The e-book contains a number of cuss words, but I cut out the really bad words when I read it in case children are in the car.
Question: Why did you feel compelled to write—or co-write—Dog’s Diary?
Segaloff: Louie is my only dog. Not “first dog,” for there shall be no other dogs after him. You see, I always wanted a dog but my family lived in apartments where all pets were banned that didn’t live in a bowl. When I moved into a house, I adopted Louie.
Question: “Adopted”? You mean, he was a rescue?
Segaloff: He’d lived with two sets of friends who—he wasn’t mistreated, only ignored, so let’s just say they didn’t treat him as well as I now do.
Question: Does he appreciate it?
Segaloff: They don’t call Italian greyhounds “Velcro dogs” for nothing.
Question: Does he do any tricks?
Segaloff: Isn’t writing a book enough? He doesn’t play fetch, but neither do I, so we’re even.
Question: Is this a self-indulgent book or can others benefit from it?
Segaloff: It’s a book for anyone who has a dog, who knows anyone who has a dog, or who is thinking about getting a dog. It has laughs, tears, and sighs. But the main beneficiary is the Perfect Paws Pet Ministry of the All Saints Episcopal Church of the North Shore in Danvers, Massachusetts where my dear friend Fran Weil is a grief counselor for people whose pets have passed. Louie and I are donating all of our royalties to them.
Question: Thanks, Nat.
Segaloff: You’re welcome. Now do I get a treat?
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Order the e-book and audiobook of Dog’s Diary from BearManor Media using this link:
Order CDs of the Dog’s Diary audiobook from Blackstone Audio using this link: