Taught by Dogs, a book that brought unexpected comfort to a reviewer who recently lost her beloved pet dog...
Posted by Lydia Unwin on
When my old BSAS - British Society of Animal Science colleague and friend Colin Whittemore contacted me late last year to ask if he could send me a copy of his latest book - an autobiographical story of all the dogs he's known and loved throughout his life - I was delighted. Being a self-confessed crazy dog lady, it sounded right up my street.
Little did I know that before the book could arrive on my doorstep, I'd have to unexpectedly say goodbye to my own four-legged soulmate, Rufus (I've shared a photo because everyone deserves to see how handsome he was). Heartbroken, I couldn't face opening Colin's book, and it sat unread on my bookshelf until earlier this week when the little dog on the cover, coincidentally also called Rufus, caught my eye.
It's been so lovely getting lost in Colin's (often very funny) stories of growing up on a livestock farm in Cheshire, where he and his family lived and worked alongside a sizeable number of pooches, each with their own role to play on the farm and in the family.
The book looks at how dogs have always been a vital part of the countryside, and how that role has changed in recent decades. Perhaps most importantly for me, it talks about love and loss, and the impact these little creatures have on our lives long after theirs have ended.
Whether you're a fan of dogs or not, I can't recommend this book enough as a funny tale of life on a family farm surrounded by some very eccentric characters - human and dog alike. You want to get a copy for the crazy dog person in your life.
Taught by Dogs by Colin Whittemore (£14.00) available online, or from your local bookshop who stock or can order in any book: https://merlinunwin.co.uk/products/what-our-dogs-teach-us
Photo credit: Caroline Stocks, agricultural journalist, of Rufus the dog.
