Book picks similar to
The Book of Barkley: Love and Life Through the Eyes of a Labrador Retriever by L.B. Johnson
animals
fiction
dogs
true-stories
A Marriage in Dog Years
Nancy Balbirer - 2018
She and her husband had gotten Ira as a puppy—a wedding gift to each other, and their first foray into “parenthood.” Now, her dog is terminal, her marriage is on life support, and Nancy is desperate to save them both (whether they want it or not). In a single year, she loses her two best friends, but Nancy’s life is about to take yet another unexpected turn.With humor and heart, Nancy Balbirer shares her story of relationships, loss, and canine friendship in this illuminating memoir about the lengths people will go to keep love alive…and the power of finally letting go.
Connected Souls A Dog Story
Dana Landers - 2012
But when an unusual event happens, they learn there is another dog out there who is counting on them.Based on true events that happened in the author's life, this short story tells the tale of two very different dogs that loved their way into the heart of one family and how, through both life and death, they each formed a bond that would be cherished forever
A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets
James Bowen - 2012
The moving, uplifting true story of an unlikely friendship between a man on the streets and the ginger cat who adopts him and helps him heal his life.
Lost & Found
Jacqueline Sheehan - 2007
. . with the help of one not-so-little dogRocky's husband Bob was just forty-two when she discovered him lying cold and lifeless on the bathroom floor . . . and Rocky's world changed forever. Quitting her job, chopping off all her hair, she leaves Massachusetts—reinventing her past and taking a job as Animal Control Warden on Peak's Island, a tiny speck off the coast of Maine and a million miles away from everything she's lost. She leaves her career as a psychologist behind, only to find friendship with a woman whose brain misfires in the most wonderful way and a young girl who is trying to disappear. Rocky, a quirky and fallible character, discovers the healing process to be agonizingly slow.But then she meets Lloyd.A large black Labrador retriever, Lloyd enters Rocky's world with a primitive arrow sticking out of his shoulder. And so begins a remarkable friendship between a wounded woman and a wounded, lovable beast. As the unraveling mystery of Lloyd's accident and missing owner leads Rocky to an archery instructor who draws her in even as she finds every reason to mistrust him, she discovers the life-altering revelation that grief can be transformed . . . and joy does exist in unexpected places.
The Puppy That Came for Christmas: How a Dog Brought One Family the Gift of Joy
Megan Rix - 2010
All Megan Rix ever wanted was a baby. Yet, month after month, Megan's dreams were dashed. Would her life ever feel complete? Megan and her husband, Ian, found a surprising answer when they began training golden retriever pups to become service dogs for people with disabilities. But opening their homes and hearts up to Emma, and then Freddy--only to have each move on after six months--eventually took its own toll. Megan and Ian didn't know if they could continue. Then, one Christmas, little Traffy came along and stayed...An instant international bestseller, The Puppy That Came for Christmas is a heartwarming and inspirational story that will captivate dog lovers everywhere.Perfect for: - White elephant gifts - Animal lover gifts - Dog gifts - Gifts for dog lovers - Christmas gifts
The Boy Who Talked to Dogs
Martin McKenna - 2014
He finally escaped by running away from home at thirteen, and eventually adopted—or was adopted by—an unconditionally supportive pack of six street dogs.Camping out in barns, escaping from farmers, and learning to fend for himself by caring for his new friends, Martin discovered a different kind of language, strict laws of behavior, and strange customs that defined the world of dogs. More importantly, his canine companions helped him understand the vital importance of family, courage, and self-respect.The Boy Who Talked to Dogs is more than an inspirational, unique, and fascinating look into canine behavior. It shows how modern life has conditioned dogs to act around humans, in some ways helpful, but in other ways unnatural to their true instincts, and how everyone can benefit from learning to “talk dog.” Known as the “Dog Man” in Australia, where he now lives, McKenna dispenses his hard-earned and priceless wisdom to dog owners and dog lovers who are sometimes baffled by what their four-legged friends are trying to tell them.
Eminent Dogs, Dangerous Men: Searching through Scotland for a Border Collie
Donald McCaig - 1991
McCaig delves into the mysterious pact between dog and man, which involves trust and deep communication. Traveling from town to town, to competitions and farms, meeting shepherds and trainers, McCaig introduces us to unforgettable animal and human characters.
Please Tell Me I'm On Mute
Romi Brenner - 2012
Maintaining her sense of humor amid bathtime hysteria, birthday cake pop carnage and botched early morning conference calls, Brenner takes her readers through a series of hilarious adventures in modern parenting and family life. Join Brenner and find out why she won't let her husband go couch shopping on his own, why she is looking into buying stock in salt water taffy and how she lost her mind to motherhood, but why she doesn't mind at all.
I'm Listening With a Broken Ear
Vicky Kaseorg - 2011
A concomitant story of faith, persistence, and love unfolds as both she and her young daughter struggled to help Honeybun overcome severe issues of compromised health, aggression and fear. Untrained to deal with the overwhelming behavior, Vicky then tried to give her up.... unsuccessfully.Refusing to relinquish her to Animal Control who would undoubtedly euthanize Honeybun,Vicky tripped upon a small rescue organization who offered to help rehabilitate Honeybun for free. During the many months of heartache and struggle, and multiple near deadly attacks on Vicky's other dog, she discovered a modern day parable of the truth that nothing is truly irredeemable. Each victory with the little rescue dog taught personal lessons in redemption and grace, patience and perseverance, and the power of transforming love to spread through a community in most unexpected and unlikely ways. There were multiple failures, and repeated surrenders to hopelessness.Each time, her weakness was thwarted and overcome by unexpected help and miracles. In the process, Vicky came face to snout with the harsh reality that real compassion involved action and responsibility. If she wanted to save the dog, ultimately it was up to her.It is a story of redemption, physically and spiritually in a very small corner of the world, told through the story of a discarded dog that no one wanted and no one thought could be saved.
Adventures in Veterinary Medicine: What Working in Veterinary Hospitals Taught Me About Life, Love and Myself
Ingrid King - 2013
The book provides insight into what makes veterinary medicine such a rewarding profession through a series of heartwarming stories.Praise for Adventures in Veterinary Medicine:“As a ‘veteran veterinarian’ with more than 30 years in practice, I found myself nodding in recognition throughout Ingrid King’s heartwarming book. Take a look behind the scenes at my beloved profession, and the people and pets who make veterinary medicine a rewarding adventure. You won’t regret it, I promise.” - Dr. Marty Becker, “America’s Veterinarian” and resident veterinarian for “Good Morning America“Ingrid King offers a unique glimpse beyond the waiting-room door into the inner workings of a veterinary hospital. This collection of essays–each spotlighting a special animal friend from her past–shares smiles and poignant lessons learned from her years working in the profession. From the emergency vet care “dance” to respectfully performed “poop-duty,” this purr-fectly charming book will make you appreciate your pets’ clinic caretakers even more. Highly recommended!” - Amy Shojai, award winning author of 26 pet care and behavior books
Miracle Dogs: Rescue Stories
Liz Stavrinides - 2014
These are the lucky ones. Five to seven million companion animals enter shelters every year, and more than half are euthanized due to the lack of space. Miracle Dogs celebrates and honors the rescuers and the dogs whose lives they've saved. It features wonderful stories and photographs of dog rescuers, dog trainers, and rescue organizations such as The Gentle Barn and Tamar Geller's Operation Heroes and Hounds, along with celebrity pet owners such as Chevy Chase, Hoda Kotb, Bob Einstein, Amanda Hearst, Jamie Lynn Siegler, and Lance Bass. Each story includes portraits of the dog and its new family, followed by a concise, compelling narrative detailing the dog's journey to its new home.A professional pet photographer, Liz Stavrinides spends much of her time on projects related to animal rescue. Miracle Dogs was born out of her desire to collect and share the stories of the dogs she's met over the years, showcasing the incredible bravery and compassion of both canines and owners. Readers will be moved by stories like that of Wyatt, an assistance dog who helped a young boy with autism communicate with the outside world, or Fiona, who was found blind and starving and is now in a loving family. All of them have finally found their furever homes. Stavrinides' portraits are heartwarming—a loving and poignant tribute to man's best friend.
How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain
Gregory Berns - 2013
Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him: What is my dog thinking? After his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, Berns decided that there was only one way to answer that question—use an MRI machine to scan the dog’s brain. His colleagues dismissed the idea. Everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. But if the military could train dogs to operate calmly in some of the most challenging environments, surely there must be a way to train dogs to sit in an MRI scanner. With this radical conviction, Berns and his dog would embark on a remarkable journey and be the first to glimpse the inner workings of the canine brain. Painstakingly, the two worked together to overcome the many technical, legal, and behavioral hurdles. Berns’s research offers surprising results on how dogs empathize with human emotions, how they love us, and why dogs and humans share one of the most remarkable friendships in the animal kingdom. How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.
Lessons from a Sheep Dog: A True Story of Transforming Love
W. Phillip Keller - 1982
Woven just under the surface of this simple parable, Keller presents profound spiritual truth. It is the story of Lass, a worthless animal thought to be untrainable, who becomes a magnificent and valuable sheepdog - not terribly unlike how God's love can transform our worst characteristics into blessings that serve to further His Kingdom. Allow yourself to see Biblical truth in this classic tale of what can happen when you yield to the Master.
Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou
Steve Duno - 2010
On the winter day that the ailing, tick-infested feral pup was rescued by Steve Duno, neither dog nor man had a clue as to what they were getting into, or where the relationship would lead.Last Dog on the Hill tells the story of an indigent young Rottweiler mix who, after abandoning his pack and the hills of his birth, went on to change the lives of hundreds of people and dogs, including the author's, whose career as a behaviorist and writer was made possible through Lou's extraordinary intelligence and heart. Lou won the respect of gang members, foiled an armed robbery, caught a rapist, fought coyotes and kidnappers, comforted elderly war veterans and Alzheimer patients in their final days, taught ASL to kids, learned scores of unique behaviors and tricks, amassed a vocabulary of nearly 200 words, helped rehabilitate hundreds of aggressive dogs and saved them from euthanasia. He was also a clown, consummate performer and Steve's best friend for sixteen years. His story will make readers laugh and cry in equal measures.
Bad to the Bone: Memoir of a Rebel Doggie Blogger
Bo Hoefinger - 2005
I'm 1'10" and weigh 63 lbs, and although I'm a mutt on the outside, I'm a purebred on the inside. My good nature comes from the Golden Retriever side of the family, while my stubbornness is clearly from my Chowchow bloodlines. I've got Rastafarian ears, a black tongue for licking, and paws that should be on a dog twice my size. I type 60 words a minute. My name is Bo, and this is my story.From shelter dog reject to beloved pet and popular doggie blogger, Bo Hoefinger's life has been anything but ordinary. Join this incorrigible canine as he welcomes us into his life, complete with his wacky "parents," a constipated feline housemate, and chipmunk warfare.