A Third Tail


Young Adult - Adventure
213 Pages
Reviewed on 08/28/2026
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

I have been a writer my entire adult life, starting as a humorous greeting card writer for American Greetings, then writing books, articles for magazines and newspapers, etc. In the field of music I'm an award-winning producer, CD label owner, a publisher, and representative for composers and other publishers. As an expert on classic films, I have done commentaries for dozens of DVD and Blu-ray releases, and I'm a public speaker when the spirit moves me! I'm still trying to sell a few comedy screenplays, too!

I have had Scottish Terriers as pets since I was a little boy (my father and his father also had Scotties), and I have long been aware what a singular breed they are. Very stubborn. Very opinionated. But there's something special about the breed's personality (not to mention their unique physical appearance that makes them very appealing.

I became aware that the dogs know a lot more about their owners than their owners think they do, and humans are often unaware of just how much they affect their pets in any number of ways. So I wanted to write a book so pet owners would realize how much of a "connection" there really is between them and their animals, in the hopes that it would lead to a better relationship between humans and animals, as well as happier lives for these critters who bring so much joy into our lives.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite

A Third Tail by David Schecter is a delightful adventure story about two Scottish Terriers and their family. It's been a year since Piper and Mac last went to Grandma's. The two terriers live happily with their human mom, dad, and their twin children, Judy and James. Now, Mom and Dad are taking them on a road trip to Aunt Helen's, where her three-year-old West Highland White Terrier, Bentley, lives a luxurious life. As Aunt Helen is going on a two-month-long business trip to Europe, Mom and Dad must take care of Bentley until then. But Piper and Bentley don't really see eye to eye, and Judy has reservations about the Westie. At the motel, the cleaning lady accidentally lets the dogs out of the motel room. Afterward, they have an unexpected encounter with a momma fox and her pups.

A Third Tail is a children's novel packed with drama, adventure, and humor. David Schecter has crafted an absorbing narrative, showing the perspectives of the three terriers. I absolutely loved how the author captures the distinct personality of each dog. Mac, Piper, and Bentley will win your hearts in no time. The scenes featuring the three of them together on the page were some of my favorites in the book. Their everyday adventures will have you smiling and laughing all the way through. Personally, I really enjoyed Bentley's assimilation into the family and his unexpected friendship with the German Shepherd. Elena Adam's beautiful illustrations also add much charm to the story. All in all, this is a book that young and older readers can equally enjoy.

Людмила

Доброта и светлый юмор сквозят в каждой строчке текста и в каждой иллюстрации.

LitPik

A Third Tail, written by David Schecter and illustrated by Elena Adam, is a well-written book that did a great job of sharing the perspectives of both the human and canine family members. It's clear the author is both a dog owner and lover from how accurately he describes the behavior of the dogs and the reasoning behind it. While the book itself is fictional, it has a lot of non-fiction elements in the explanation of the behavior and choices of the dogs. I honestly feel like this would be a great book to read to children or with children, when a family is bringing in an additional canine into the family either temporarily or permanently. While reading the first book in the series would help the reader to know more about the personalities of Piper and Mac, it is quite easy to get into this book without having read the previous one, as any relevant bits from the first book are worked into this one as memories or experiences of Piper and Mac.

I really fell in love with Piper, Mac, and even the spoiled Bentley, as the author truly made them come alive on the pages for me by sharing their thoughts and feelings. The way the thoughts of the dogs were shared was perfect because the author did not share long, drawn-out thoughts, but rather short ones that a person could infer a dog would have based on their body language. For example, during the car trip, the dad took Piper out of the car briefly to walk her around the car to put her in the back instead; for this, the author wrote: "Piper wondered, what kind of walk was that?" The shenanigans the dogs get up to are all totally relatable to dog owners, like how the dogs manage to escape being gated in the kitchen, which the dogs considered to be a "kitchen-prison," or how Bentley gets into the toilet paper.

Overall, the book was a great read that was filled with adorable black and white illustrations that perfectly captured the personalities and actions of the dogs throughout the book. I particularly enjoyed the one of them escaping the "kitchen-prison" as it showed both the danger the dogs were in during their escape, but without it appearing to be scary. I really hope the author decides to make this series into a trilogy!

https://litpick.com/review/third-tail-review-sefinahawke

Goodreads

“A Third Tail is an excellent middle school chapter book that keeps all ages interested from beginning to end. The lovable Scottie Dog characters face challenges that keep you wondering what will happen next. I enjoyed how each chapter did something new and made you wanting to keep turning the pages . I highly recommend A Third Tail to middle school readers or a read aloud that parents will enjoy as well.”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/254535127-a-third-tail#CommunityReviews