Follow my Lead—A book review

Follow my Lead: What training my dogs taught me about life, love and happiness, by Carol Quinn

This is a book that should be especially interesting to those who are involved in dog agility and anyone contemplating it.

The author, a single mother, has reached the time in her life when one son is in high school and the other is in college. On the one hand is the freedom of this time of her life; on the other hand is the need to be a nurturer.

Besides living with a demanding breed of dog, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, she is also running her own business, writing a novel, and enduring a sporadic relationship with a self-absorbed egotist. Her life is governed by a need to achieve.

When she first starts agility lessons, it is meant to be a hobby, a way to interact and have fun with the dogs, but gradually as the years go by, it becomes a way to learn about herself and the path she wants to follow.

Agility training becomes a metaphor for her life. What she learns from her agility trainer and her dogs carries over into all aspects of her existence.

The book is at its best when she is describing the interaction with her dogs and with the agility trainer. But at times I nodded off as she indulged in more introspection and self-examination than I was interested in reading.

The dogs, Nairobi and Sheila, although from the same breeder, are quite opposite. Rhodesian Ridgebacks are African hunting dogs. Although hounds as a breed are not as genetically suited for agility as, for instance, her trainer’s Border Collie, Nairobi slowly gets it.

But what Nairobi can learn in a month will take Sheila a year to master. Sheila, somewhat neurotic, is too easily distracted by her favorite pastime, chasing squirrels. Finally there is that magical day which is the culmination of all their efforts, when Sheila ignores the squirrel and attends to the business at hand.

What the author and the dogs learn in agility allows her to end a bad relationship and to focus on where she wants to go for the rest of her life. Zen and the art of dog agility.

Comments

[Heather]

Sounds like a good read.

[Jodi]

Thanks for the review Jan, did you like the book and would you recommend it?

[Big_Dave_T]

I still need to dig up a copy of Marley and Me to read. The author and I both graduated from Central Michigan, just not at the same time.

Your 49ers didn't have to do that do our Lions, did they?

[Jan]

Jodi is putting me on the spot. I should probably do a post on how I review books. I pretty much like all dog books, but instead of recommending them one way or another, I would rather tell the readers what the book is about and let them decide if it is a book they would like. I'm not into dog agility but I think anyone who is would really enjoy this book.

And gosh, Dave, you knew the Lions couldn't keep the streak going forever.

[cube]

We walk our dogs and throw stuff for them to chase. I'm not altogether sure I even know what dog agility is...

[Mary Jo and Hudson]

We always enjoy your book reviews !!! Thanks so much for posting great info.

[southern quebec]

Cube: Agility is a blast. You and your dog, run a set course of jumps, tunnels, A-frame, dogwalk, teeter totter and weave poles.

I started doing agility with my Lab who has endless energy. We love it. Great exercise and lots of fun. Take a look at this video from the Crufts Competition. Awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvdvSWxxlZQ

[jackie]

how come no one ever writes a book about training a cat?