Book Review! Dog-ma the Zen of Slobber

For dog lovers everywhere…….Barbara’s vivid and dramatic stories, told with a wicked sense of humor, will make you laugh out loud. She definitely gets what living with rescued dogs (nine of them!) is all about. This book will inspire you with the couple’s unstinting love, devotion, and respect for dogs as family members. You’ll be glad to include it in your treasured collection of great dog books.

When Barbara meets her future husband, Ray, it is love-and dog-at first sight. Over the course of thirty-two years, seventeen relocations, and nine dogs, their mutual love of dogs guides them on their unconventional path. The love that Barbara and Ray get in return is literally lifesaving, with one dog attacking a lethal intruder and another discovering Barbara’s cancer. Her own survival story underscores the story of how her dogs become survivors themselves.  

Each new dog adds its own dynamic to the family, sometimes upending it. From Turbo (whose Spock-like ears may have provided superpowers), Barbara learns about the will to live; Lexington demonstrates incredible patience and inexplicable love of golf; Madison teaches that laughter is truly the best medicine and that the whole “nine lives thing” is not reserved just for cats; Morgan should be sainted for tolerating Izzy, who is as cute as she is bad. Barbara is certain that somewhere in doggie heaven there is a poster that says “If you are sick, injured, or in need of really expensive medical care, FIND THESE HUMANS!” 

MY REVIEW:  

If you are a dog lover, then you should really consider reading this book.  Dog-ma was a nice departure from the fiction books I usually read.

The stories that Barbara tells of her many dogs and their antics made me laugh out loud some times, tear up during others.  As I was reading the book, I felt like I was sitting with Barbara and she was telling me all of these memorable stories.

Each of her dogs had a distinct personality or trait, yet their dispositions were wonderful.  I feel that is a true sign of great rearing by their owners.  Dog-ma captures all aspects of owning a dog – the funny, the not so funny, the laugh out loud times and the super sad times.  It’s so hard to lose a dog as they become a part of the family.  When my bichon, Petey, passed away I was a true mess.  He was the first dog that was “mine” – I rescued him, cleaned him up, loved him so much!  He went with me almost everywhere – like Kashi did with Barbara.  When I had to put him to sleep it was one of the worst days of my life, and the hardest decision.  I too, now have great stories to tell, as Barbara has in Dog-ma, to keep Petey’s memory alive.

Read this book…you won’t be disappointed.

About Barbara Boswell Brunner Barbara
grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania with her parents, sister and
always a dog, or two or three. She graduated Summa Cum Laude from a
small women’s college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Meeting her husband in
Washington, DC, they continued together on a journey as self-proclaimed
dog addicts. In the ensuing years, she founded three successful
businesses in the Pacific Northwest and is a prolific fundraiser for
breast cancer research. She and her husband are retired and now reside
in Southwest Florida with two dogs and copious amounts of dog fur. She
is currently working on indulging her well known flip flop addiction.  Buy the book from ….Author’s WebsiteAmazon.comAmazon.co.ukBarnes and Noble

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.