How to Have an Obedient Dog Book

Actual rating: 3.5 stars.

A Goodreads friend recommended I read this book, and I must say I'm glad I did. Written by a professional writer and dog-lover, A Small Furry Prayer recounts the work of a husband and wife team of dog rescuers, a couple who adopt dogs slated for death at animal shelters in order to give them a last chance at rehabilitation and adoption, or at the very minimum a happy and loving home during their last months of life.

Interestingly, I recently finished The Evolution of Bruno Littlemore, a novel about what it means to be human, as opposed to a "lesser animal," where the thrust was that humans are not nearly as special as they like to think they are. Steven Kotler has the same outlook on animals and humanity. He sees, in his pack of dogs, empathy, altruism, grief, homosexuality, imitative behavior, moral behavior, intelligence, abstract intelligence, language skills, laughter, even evidence of a belief in god. Between chapters recounting his troubles setting up a dog haven ranch in northern New Mexico, and his adventures with his ever-changing pack of dogs, he devotes chapters to each of the human-like traits listed above, quoting the works of philosophers, psychiatrists, and scientists who study human and animal behavior.

I've always thought of my dog as a person; so do most of us who love dogs. If I have a soul, so does my dog. I need no convincing. Nevertheless, this is a beautifully-written book, and it puts meat on the bones of the argument that we are all one. This is one of the best dog books I've read, and it belongs on every dog-lover's shelf.