Most of my reading is training books. But I also read other dog non-fiction. One Dog at a Time by Pen Farthing is about the author’s time in Afghanistan and his interactions with the dogs there.
And the interesting part is the timing. Over the last week, in many different ways, the topic of time, money, and rescue animals has come up. Sometimes we can’t help, but we also can’t -not- help.
The author couldn’t not help some of the dogs he met. With incredibly little resources, time, and energy he did make a difference in the lives of many dogs. And since the events in the book, a ton more people and animals have been helped with the organization he started: Nowzad Dogs
The second great point I got from the book is just how important dogs are for us as companions. Pen Farthing made a difference to the dogs, but they also made a difference to him and the others in his military group.
I would pass this on to what types of people…? People who like stories more than training how-to. People who like dog stories. People who support animal rescue (…and have the time to read.)
Will I re-read this? No, probably not. But I will keep an eye out for his other book about his rescue organization and I will check the website.
Favorite part? The author couldn’t -not- help the dogs. And one decision to go ahead and stop the abuse of one dog resulted in improved quality of life for many dogs, and eventually the rescue/welfare/education facility.
Least favorite part: It’s easy to forget or not realize the abuse to animals that goes on, especially in other parts of the world with incredibly different cultures. Some of the scenarios are really horrible, but again, I’m from a very different perspective and I can’t say I would have made different choices. The descriptions aren’t detailed by any means, don’t let this keep you from reading!
More training books soon….one that I’m almost done with has me very excited!