Obedience Class Led To Novel Approach

When most of us take our dogs to obedience class, we’re happy to walk away from the experience with a well-trained companion.

Susan Conant not only did that, she also launched a successful career as the nation’s preeminent writer of canine mysteries.

“Natasha (a malamute) and I were in ‘novice’ at one corner of the building. The advanced group was in another,” Conant said in a recent telephone interview from her Massachusetts home. “The people in the advanced group put their dogs on a down-stay, then left the building. All came back in a few minutes except for this one guy. He didn’t come back for quite a while.

“While I was wondering what could have happened to him, the idea came to me - I would write a series of mysteries about dogs and dog people.”

Conant started writing the very next day. Amazingly, of all the mystery series available by the late 1980s, none was about dogs. Berkeley Publishing Corp. bought the concept and gave Conant a contract for four books after seeing the first 60 pages she wrote.

The incident of the missing dog owner at obedience class became her first book, “A New Leash on Death,” published in 1990.

Since then, Conant has written nine other books: “Bloodlines,” “Ruffly Speaking,” “Gone to the Dogs,” “Paws Before Dying,” “A Bite of Death,” “Dead and Doggone,” “Black Ribbon,” “Stud Rites” - and “Animal Appetites,” her newest book, which arrives in bookstores this month.

“The crucial vocational event in my life, I know now, was my mother brought home Nancy Drew books. I think all women mystery writers started as fans of Nancy Drew when they were girls,” she said.

But Conant didn’t start her professional career as a mystery writer.

After earning an undergraduate degree in social relations (a combination of clinical psychology, social anthropology and sociology) from Radcliffe, she earned a doctorate in human development from Harvard.

Next came 10 years of researching and writing about special education. She wrote a book about childhood language intervention.

“It’s very dry and academic,” she said.

Then Conant became sick; so sick she stopped working. For 14 months she had a fever and felt constantly tired.

The illness was never diagnosed. When it disappeared as mysteriously as it had appeared, Conant wrote a book about living with what she believed she had - chronic fatigue syndrome.

“I had this young malamute, Natasha, to help me through the sickness,” Conant said. “By the time I was better, I had a large, untrained dog. As anyone who has a malamute can appreciate, we immediately enrolled in obedience class.”

The main character in Conant’s mystery series is a free-lance dog writer named Holly Winter. Holly has malamutes, dates a veterinarian named Steve Delaney, lives in Cambridge, Mass., and solves mysteries involving everything from puppy mills to dog shows to hearing-ear dogs to mixed-breed geniuses.

“I had a background in all this incredibly dull academic writing. It made for a lot of suppressed fun,” Conant said. “I realized I’d rather write about my dogs.”

There is a definite agenda in Conant’s books. Although they are very entertaining, she takes seriously the opportunity to encourage responsible dog ownership - things like daily exercise, daily affection and interaction, humane training, making the dog a part of the family, keeping the dog its entire life.

“I preach unabashedly about proper dog care and I try very hard to tell the truth about dogs,” Conant said. “Dogs have been a central part of my life since the beginning and I owe a great debt to them.”

When she’s not working on her latest canine mystery, Conant is involved in malamute rescue. In fact, she just wrote the text to a new coloring book about dogs, proceeds from which will go to a rescue group.

“I think my books give readers validation of their own relationships with dogs,” Conant said. “Someone once remarked to me that when dog people read my books, they finally feel normal.”

Award update

In January, I wrote that this column was nominated for a Best Dog Column Award by the Dog Writers’ Association of America. The winner was announced Feb. 9 in New York City. Although About Dogs didn’t win, I received a beautiful certificate of nomination.

The many letters of encouragement and story ideas I’ve received since starting this column 1-1/2 years ago helped make About Dogs good enough for such prestigious consideration. Thanks.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: About Dogs appears the first Sunday of each month. Mary Sagal is a member of the Dog Writers’ Association of America.

This sidebar appeared with the story: DOG CALENDAR All Breed Dog Shows and Obedience Trials - March 8-9. Centralia, Wash. Sponsored by Timberland Valley Dog Fanciers Association. Information: 924-1089. All Breed Obedience and Conformation Fun Match - March 9. Spokane County Fair Grounds. Sponsored by Lilac City Dog Training Club. Free admission for spectators. Information: 483-6048 or 468-9778. First Aid for Pets - March 18. 7-9 p.m. Manito Veterinary Clinic. Sponsored by Spokane Parks and Recreation Dept. Information: 625-6200. Dog Training Classes - Diamonds in the Ruff. Beginning level classes (puppy pre-school, headstart, prep school) and Advanced level classes (finishing school and Choose to Heel) beginning each month. Register for March and April classes now. Classes offered at the Ruff House and Fairwood Animal Hospital. $50 per dog. Pre-register by voicemail at 325-RUFF(7833). Dog Training Classes - Spokane Dog Training Club. Registration March 19, 7 p.m. at 6905 E. Trent. $45 for 9-week class. Bring proof of vaccination to registration. NO DOGS at registration. Information: 922-2645. Dog Training Classes - Lilac City Dog Training Club. Registration March 24, 7 p.m. at 1612 E. Houston. $40 for 8-week class. Puppy through advanced classes available. Bring proof of vaccination to registration. NO DOGS at registration. Information: 487-9542. Bad Behavior and the Veterinarian - dog behavior seminar. April 2. Portland; and April 4, in Seattle. Sponsored by the Center for Applied Animal Behavior. Information: (510) 658-8588. All Breed Dog Shows and Obedience Trials - April 12-13. Grant County Fairgrounds in Moses Lake. Sponsored by Ephrata-Moses Lake Kennel Club. Information: 924-1089. Lewiston Spring Minicluster Dog Shows - April 19-20. Entries close April 2. Nez Perce County Fairgrounds in Lewiston. Sponsored by Palouse Hills Dog Fanciers, Inc. and Lewis-Clark Kennel Club, Inc. Information: 924-1089. Win free behavior seminar registration - Dog behavior seminar sponsor seeks video tapes of problem dogs. Tapes due March 15. Information: (707) 745-4237.

If you’d like an event published in this calendar, send it by the 15th of month preceding the event to: Mary Sagal, Features Department, Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.