Nancy Ling is an Outreach Librarian at the
Morrill Memorial Library. Read the published version of Nancy Ling’s
column in the January 30, 2014 edition of the Norwood Transcript and Bulletin.
As with many children growing up in the seventies, I had a love of
dogs that began with one television show—Lassie. Didn’t every kid long
for heroic friend to push all the world’s bad guys into a well? While
Lassie took less than 30 minutes to solve her weekly drama, I’d wait on
the edge of my seat for the commercials to wrap up and a happy ending to occur.
Growing up I spent many a day plotting to bring a steadfast,
four-legged companion into my life. As an only child, I’d dreamed of
having an older brother to protect me. However, I decided a dog seemed
more practical. I’d grown up hearing stories of my father’s escapades
with his Cocker Spaniel, Skippy. Surely, he’d want those same memories
for his own child, right? Unfortunately, my father remembered the hard
work behind dog ownership, so he devised a plan. If I worked hard and
saved up enough money to purchase AND care for a dog, then I could go
ahead and pick out a puppy.
So I began saving. Then the day came to head off to the Farmington
Savings Bank. That’s when I opened my “Dog Account” with less than
twenty-five dollars. After that I headed to my local library to check
out several books on dogs. My favorite was a book called Dogs by Joan
Elliott (a 1978 copy is in the catalog). On its cover was a pooch that
looked like Benji. What a surprise I had that Christmas when I unwrapped
my very own copy. I sat for hours poring through pages of all the
different dog breeds. By the last page, I knew exactly what type of dog I
wanted—a miniature Rough Collie. I scribbled his name on my bank
account book that same day…“For Sherlock.”
Somehow months grew into years. My father observed me quietly—selling
pumpkins from our garden, mowing lawns and, as I grew older,
babysitting the neighborhood children. He knew, no matter what happened,
I was learning about hard work. I’m sure he also knew that the best of
dreams can be deferred, for that was exactly what was happening. Looking
back I realize it was the “idea” of owning a dog that intrigued me,
more than a dog itself.
By the time I entered college, the writing was on the wall. The
account that I’d worked so hard to develop paid for text books, college
meals, and extra expenses. My life was moving at full tilt and the
thought of caring for a dog was far beyond me. While the idea had
captured much of my childhood, my life was complete without a dog.
Maybe, just maybe, I wasn’t a dog person after all. And maybe, my father
had known this all along.
Still the appeal of a dog never disappeared completely. The topic
comes up now and then with my own children. Rather than suggesting a
“Dog Account,” I recommend dog-sitting. This way my girls get a taste of
dog ownership. One little Shih Tzu named Diana (Princess Diana, to be exact) took us
by surprise. We’d agreed to watch her while her parents were
vacationing for a week. We couldn’t help but fall in love with her. We
loved her playful romps in the snow and the way she fell asleep next to
her favorite toy turtle. Even our parakeet, Sunshine, enjoyed our
friendly visitor. At the week’s end, we were sad to see Diana go, but we
knew she wouldn’t be our last guest. We’d grown attached to our role as
dog-sitters.
Like my own experiences as a child, I also encouraged my girls to
discover dogs in books. Certainly, there’s a plethora of resources
available at our library for both dog owner and potential owner. One of
our family’s favorite DVD series is The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan
[Season 1-5]. We love watching Cesar’s “uncanny ability to rehabilitate
problem dogs.” The library also has several books by Cesar Millan,
including Cesar’s Rules: Your Way to Train a Well-Behaved Dog; A Member
of the Family; How to Raise the Perfect Dog; and Cesar’s Way: The
Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding & Correcting Common Dog
Problems.
For the true-blue dog lover out there, we have an amazing collection
of charming dog stories. One of the current favorites is Giant George:
Life with the World’s Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee.
George began his life as the smallest pup in the litter. Soon this
“baby” grew to be almost five feet tall to the top of his head, seven
feet long and 245 pounds. Sound like any friend of yours? In 2010,
George made his way into the Guinness World Records as the Tallest Dog
in the World.
Of course, there are other ways to celebrate our canine friends. If
you aren’t up to reading a whole story, June Cotner’s book Dog
Blessings: Poems, Prose, and Prayers Celebrating Our Relationship with
Dogs may be just your cup of tea. As Bernie S. Siegel, MD, writes:
“Since I love dogs and relish their company, I love this book and all
the wonderful poems and stories about one of God’s most complete
creations.” Organized into categories such as Puppies, Devotion and
Aging Gracefully, it’s the kind of book that you can savor for years to
come.
Or how about taking a camera’s eye view of dogs? I’d highly
recommend picking up William Wegman’s Dogs on Rocks. Wegman is famous
for photographing his Weimaraners in various costumes and poses. In Dogs
on Rocks, he uses the Maine coast to provide the backdrop for his photo
shoots. His collection includes “six dogs from four generations.” Most
were taken on Baker’s Island, for any of you Maineophiles, and all are
memorable.
Who knows? A dog might await you in the near future. As Tom Ryan
experienced in Following Atticus [Norwood Reads – One Book, One
Community], dogs have a way of taking us completely by surprise. And
maybe, just maybe, I will astonish myself and revisit my old bank
account with “For Sherlock” on its cover.