My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As a dog lover, I really liked this book. The book follows the author's journey with, as the title suggests, a dog named slugger. The author has cerebral palsy, and she gets slugger as a working dog to assist her. We learn how the author decides to get the dog, and how the bond with Slugger grows and grows throughout the relationship. The book not only serves as a reaffirmation to me of the great companionship one can receive from a dog, but also highlights how that companionship can make one into a better person. In addition, the story also amazes at how intelligent working dogs can be, and how worthy of a purpose they serve and how much good they create in our world. There are stories that will definitely make the dog owner laugh, strengthen their own bond with their own dog, as well as cry. A great read for any one who loves dogs.
The above was my review of the book from Goodreads, which I often cross post on my blog. But I wanted to reflect more here about a particular part of the book. Throughout the book, it becomes obvious to the reader, and eventually to the author herself, how much more confidence (as well as a loss of excessive self-consciousness) she gains from having Slugger around. This struct a chord with me, as I thought about our dog Ellie, and the ways she has improved me - made me a better person, at least in my own eyes. It is directly related to being less self-conscious, specifically with how I interact and talk to Ellie.
In the past, I have always found it incredibly difficult to interact with young children - an ever present fear as Jackie and I continue our journey to hopefully have children of our own some day. I would always note that others seemed to so easily talk, in what I deem a "baby voice" when they talk to a baby, infant, and so on. I never really seemed to be able to do it naturally, partly because I would be so extremely self-conscious about what I was saying and how I was acting. Getting Ellie really changed that for me. I talk to her in a certain voice; I lose my worries about self-consciousness and just enjoy the moment and the interaction. From that, I have found recently that I have improved my comfortability factor when interacting with infants and young kids, having interactions I would have never thought possible. Its a small thing, and for many I'm sure it seems pretty insignificant, but growing up and having very rarely being around infants, its interesting for me to step back and realize the progress I've made in that regard. And I truly do believe it has to do with Ellie....I mean, I hardly even call her by her full name unless I am directing or commanding her someplace - its always Ell-Bell, Sweetie, Sweetie-pie....for someone who has a problem with taking himself too seriously as I often do, being able to lighten up and enjoy these moments have been great experiences.
I always feel that relationships should be about pushing you forward, making you a better person and making you desire to be that better person. As I continue to believe that companionship with a dog is a worthy relationship, the fact that I can see how I myself have become a better person because of my relationship with our dog reinforces this truth for me.
Thanks Ell-Bell...
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