Robert Rodi

"Hilarious and heartwarming ... a track-and-field cousin to Marley and Me."

Augusten Burroughs, author of Running With Scissors

The most difficult “agility circuit” in this book is the hilarious and twisting road upon which Robert Rodi has embarked in his determination to train a recalcitrant Sheltie. It's one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. But then, to a dog, it's probably seven times funnier

—Cathie Pelletier, author of The Funeral Makers and Running the Bulls

Dogged Pursuit:

My Year of Competing Dusty, the World's Least Likely Agility Dog

The uproarious misadventures of an unlikely duo—an overeducated urbanite and a surly rescue Sheltie—as they grope for glory on the canine agility circuit.

Combining the wit of Best in Show and the heart-warming charm of the best dog-owner memoirs, Dogged Pursuit is a raucous recounting of a year in the dog show world, filled with outsize personalities, knee-slapping laughs, and the unforgettable bond that’s forged between one man and his unlikely, but ultimately loveable, teammate.

Editor's Choice:

Robert Rodi is a self-deprecating and ironic, yet somehow open and genuine guide through the world of competitive canine agility.

Rodi's rapacious appetite for food, politics, all things Italian and his generosity about the dog world and its people make this a funny and charming book.

—Elizabeth Taylor, Chicago Tribune Literary Editor