Wednesday, March 8, 2017

Sunshine and Sherlock

I've been reading all I can about Patricia McConnell's new book, The Education of Will, because it's only out in hardback so far and I'm waiting for the paperback next year...the other alternative is to ask the library to order it...According to Julie Hecht's Dog Spies:
Centering on themes of trauma, recovery, shame, fear, setbacks, and healing, The Education of Will is captivating, a page-turner in fact. McConnell’s honest, beautiful writing carries readers along. She shares insights from science and personal stories, and as always, welcomes us into her love affair with nature... Warmth and compassion are continually present despite setbacks—for herself and others—that require another dose of patience and courage....McConnell approaches the complexity of fear and trauma in dogs and people with compassion and understanding, something she learns to do for herself and her past. “One of the points I want to make and spread around the world with this book is that dogs who have serious behavior problems need support," she adds. "They need compassion, they need understanding…. 
I'm fortunate in that Nobunaga and Claire provide a lot of support and gentle role models to help Sherlock calm down...he's such a sunny little boy in some ways, just not used to expressing the frenzied excitement of happiness in any other way than barking like a gladiator.

If recovery and calming down is a process, it's reading supportive books and articles, blogposts in the community that give me the strength to reset, see things afresh, try out new approaches, maybe old things in a different way. Or just laugh things off. As adopting older or end of life dogs is becoming more popular, according to a Washington Post article by Karen Brulliard, I hope this blog too can offer some support and encouragement for people coping with rescues and the issues surrounding them. Just see the beauty! Glorious!

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