Finally Home: Lessons On Life From A Free Spirited Dog

Dear Readers,

I've had people tell me that they don't read dog stories, as they get too emotional at the end. I was happy to report that at the time when I wrote Finally Home, Buddy was sitting right next to me. I wanted Finally Home to be the first of its kind in that respect, and it was, as far as I know.

It didn't have a sad ending. Like so many readers, I don't like sad endings either. Buddy was there with me the moment I started typing away and there the moment I received my first proof in the mail, and published my book. I had his paw print to autograph my first copy.

My goal in writing that book was twofold, or perhaps, threefold. Primarily, he had so many quirks, I knew his story would make people smile-especially those who have owned a dog as rambunctious as Buddy. Secondly, I wanted to donate a portion of the profits to animal rescue. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, I wanted to correct the misconception that shelter dogs or rescue dogs are less adequate than dogs bought from a puppy store or breeder.

I think I accomplished that. Although Buddy was a handful when we adopted him, we learned from him, he learned from us, and together, we created a soulful bond that formed our family.

Life is all about learning lessons. The first time you try anything on your own, it's a blessing if you succeed. Training Buddy was no different. At first, we thought we'd get our answers out of a training manual, so we read several. If I could think back far enough, I'd bet that Buddy probably chewed through them anyway. No, it's safe to say our lessons were ones that couldn't be learned from a book. They couldn't be learned from any particular trainer. They had to be learned by looking directly at the source, seeing the gentle giant for who he was, realizing that Buddy was an individual with a big heart and his own agenda. Once we understood that, we understood Buddy.

As many dog owners will tell you, each dog has its own unique personality. Specific rules don't apply to all.

I feel that if just one dog gets saved, then all of the hard work was worth it. After all, you can't put a price tag on a life.

Like I said earlier, life is all about learning lessons. Why not learn them from a free-spirited dog?

Thanks for reading.

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