More and more in our world I think about listening. All around me, I heard rigid and dogmatic people spouting absolute truths, often in anger and perpetual outrage. You must be on the left. Or on the right, as if there are only two ways to think about life in our world. In the animals world, this polarized sense of truth is epidemic. One way of getting a dog. One way of training a dog. I see that my own ideas of training come from a conscious and unconscious rejection of dogma and theory. I want my own way, my own left, my own right. People seem drawn to labels, yet I reject labels. They are prone to outrage and argument, when I am less certain all the time of what is absolutely right and absolutely wrong. I worked hard on fear and anger, and will continue to do so. I will work hard on learning to listen, even if it sometimes seems that nobody can hear.
Red and Simon have had some ups and downs. Simon went after Red when he first saw him, tried to drive him out of the pasture and away from the sheep. They had some exciting chase and circle scenes together. When we came to the new farm, Red and Rocky the pony attached to one another, and Red seemed to act as Rocky’s seeing eye dog, guiding him around the pasture. Since Rocky left, Red and Simon have been working it out.
Red is good around Simon, he is calm and projects a workmanlike, easy manner. With his body, he signals that he wants no conflict. Simon comes up to him, sniffs him and increasingly, stands by him. I have encouraged Red to be still, to stay and also reinforced Simon with cookies and praise for being still. Now, they are often side-by-side in the pasture, a connection is developing. Listening to dogs has also taught me to listen to other animals, including some people.
I’m very happy to announce that my 26th book, an e-book original, “Listening To Dogs: How To Be Your Own Training Guru,” is now on sale on Amazon, Bn.com, and Ibooks. It is also available on smartphones, computers, Ipads, Nooks and Kobos. The book costs $2.99, a sticker price that reflects the new world of digital publishing, the new writer’s life. I will be talking about this subject and the new book all week here on the blog and in my podcasts and on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and other social. media.
I invite you to get this book, read it, and discuss it with me and other people, something else the new world of publishing and our new technologies make possible. The new book is published by Roadswell Editions, in conjunction with my agent, Christopher Schelling of Selectric Artists in New York City. My next paper and e-book combination “Second Chance Dog: A Love Story” will be published by Random House this November.
“Listening To Dogs: How To Be Your Own Training Guru” is not a training manual, it does not promise the perfect dog in six easy steps. It encourages you and challenges you to be your own training guru, to become empowered and make the meaningful decision to empower yourself to learn how to train your dog yourself, as people have been doing for thousands of years before the corporate marketing of training books taught people that they were not smart or knowing enough to train their dogs themselves. In the dog world, the search for gurus is intense, and despite all of the big and expensive training books, there are very well-trained dogs out there.
I have made some dreadful mistakes training my dogs and learned a lot about it while researching, living and writing my non-fiction books, novels and short story collections about living with dogs. Please come and share this experience with me. In this new world of e-book publishing, we have to make our own noise about our books – we can no longer rely on reviews, book tours, bookstores, and publicity to promote and sell our work. So if you choose to buy this book – it is roughly 25,000 words and filled with my photos, anecdotes, ideas and observations – please make some noise about it. You can share it, like it, review it. And please come onto my blog and social media pages and discuss it with me and others. I mean it to be a helpful, book and I also know some of my ideas are provocative and different. Those of you who have been following my blog know they have worked for me, I have the most wonderful dogs and we communicate beyond my imagination.
I have been thinking about training dogs for a very long time. Time to share what I’ve seen and learned in an accessible form. Can’t wait to hear the feedback.
The low price reflects our belief that this book should be available to everyone and we want to lower some of the usual barriers to book-buying and reading. “The Story Of Rose: A Man And His Dog” my New York Times bestselling e-book debut last summer, is also available everywhere digital books are sold for $2.99.
“Listening To Dogs” debuted this morning at number 49 on the dog and training list. I intend to get that good and impressive number moving quickly. Thanks.
