Title
: Born to
Bark
Author
: Stanley
Coren
Genre
: Memoir
I love dogs.
I have two at home and I really love their company in my life. So, when I
stumbled upon this book at a bookstore, I knew that I must have it as one of my
collection. Coren embedded his own life experiences into this book and the way
he wrote his story can actually help the readers to visualise the story well.
It feels as if we are the one experiencing the events. In short, simple writing
and impactful stories are what make this book irresistible.
What makes
this book amazing? Let see… The story actually made me laughed and cried at the
same time. The book can be humorous at times and suddenly, it can really touch
your heart – maybe because I can relate to the story with my own experiences. I
share the same feelings like Coren; the bond between us and our dogs, the
happiness they bring into our life and the sadness of losing them. I have a dog
which I treasure so much (my first dog) and when I read this book, the memory
of her keeps on resurfacing. I can’t hold back my tears as I really missed her
so much! I am glad that I still have vivid memories about her. Coren’s book
reminded me that the memories with our dogs (or any other pets), are truly
unforgettable no matter how long they had disappear from our life!
Stanley Coren Biography
Stanley Coren (born 1942) is a psychology
professor and neuropsychological researcher who has become best known
to the general public for his best selling and award winning books
regarding the intelligence, mental abilities and history of dogs. Through television shows and media coverage that have been broadcast in Canada and the United States as well as overseas, he has become popular with dog owners, while continuing research and instruction in psychology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Coren is an aficionado of dogs, and has made a long career of research into dog behaviour that has led him to national television and into international media. He is an instructor with the Vancouver Dog Obedience Training Club, and has participated in numerous obedience trials and competitions
across Canada. In the process his dogs have earned numerous obedience
titles.n his career, Coren has produced research papers and published items in a
wide range of psychological areas including sensory processes (vision
and hearing), neuropsychology (handedness, sleep, birth stress effects
and behavior genetics) and cognition (information processing and
intelligence). He has published more than 400 papers and articles in
journals and his research has been recognized with numerous awards over the years.
It was the 1994 publication of The Intelligence of Dogs
that brought Coren to the public eye. A combination of Coren's
background in psychology and his long-lasting love of dogs, the book
became an international hit, and has gone through 16 printings to this
point. Since then, Coren has gone on to pen a number of other books on dog
intelligence, dog learning and thinking ability, the human canine bond
and its implications for people in modern society that have continued to make him a favourite among dog lovers.
Coren's books about dogs have garnered him a number of awards. His
books have also been well received internationally.
Awards and Honours
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
- Fellowship status by numerous professional societies including, the American Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science
- Canadian Psychiatric Association Research Award (1992)
- Robert E. Knox Master Teacher Award
- Honorary degree of Doctor of Science by the University of Guelph for his scientific and literary contributions
- His writing and his books have also received numerous honours:
i.
Maxwell Medal of Excellence from the Dog Writers
Association of America for 2011
ii.
Animal Behavior Society's Outstanding Children's
Book Award for 2007
iii.
Named
"Writer of the Year" by the International Positive Dog Training
Association
iv.
His book “Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses” was named
as one of the top 10 Canadian children’s books of 2006 by the Ontario Library
Association
v.
Red Cedar Book Award (2009) for best nonfiction
children’s book (sponsored by library associations in British Columbia)
vi.
His Canine
Corner informational blog on the Psychology Today Website was awarded a Medal
of Excellence as the best educational blog series from the Dog Writers Association
of America for 2014
[Source: Wikipedia]
Interesting Highlight
Before I
rambling too much about my own life, I would like to continue by highlighting
some of the interesting parts from this book. Below are some of the extracts
that I quoted directly from this book:
1. “For Christmas the woman who would become my wife bought me a dog – a
little terrier. The next year her Christmas gift to me was a shotgun. Most of
the people in my family believe that those two gifts were not unrelated.”
This sentence is what makes me interested to buy this book in the first
place. Coren’s wife, Joan, really hated Flint (the name of the terrier) because
he is noisy and naughty. For 13 years, they had been in cold war with each
other and it was up to Coren to make things better between the two of them. The
war between Flint and Joan and also, Coren’s efforts to make things worked
between the two of them are the main essences which make this book interesting.
Will Joan finally accepts Flint in her life or will she shots him in the head
with that shotgun? Anything can happen so it is up to you to explore this book
by yourself.
2. “Rex (Coren’s first dog) dived at a snake and caught it in the middle of
its body, but it swung around and bit him on the face…Rex was pretty sick and
his face swelled up, but he pulled through…Here was a dog who had loved me so
much that he had nearly given his life for me, and I had no memory of him…just
a couple of small, faded black-and-white photos.”
I feel
really sad when I read this because it is very common for us to forget about
what our dogs have done for us. For Coren, this incident happened when he was
very young so we can’t blame him for forgetting about Rex. But, how about us
who are matured enough to know about the world and still didn’t have the
compassion and love for animals? They always sacrifice themselves for us
without asking for anything in return but did we do anything to repay their
kindness? Honestly, I doubt that. In Malaysia, it is very common to see people
who tied their dogs on a poll or locked them in a cage so that they will always
guard the house. There are also people who love to torture their pets by
kicking them or even forgetting to feed them. The cruelty of people towards
animals really saddened me so much. I hope that through books like this, we can
instil more love for animals in people’s heart.
After his brief introduction about a few dogs which present in his life when he was young, he continued with the main character of the story, Flint, a grey Cairn terrier which changed his life forever. Flint’s wild behaviour, Coren’s efforts to train him and Joan’s (Coren’s wife) frustration while handling Flint are the things that make this story amazing. Will Flint finally behave or he will stay the same after the trainings? I will give you a chance to find the answers by yourself.
“When I looked down and back, Flint had seized
the fringed edge of the skirt and as he walked around the woman, he was
unwrapping her.”
“At obedience competitions, the difficult tasks
for him were the group sit-stay and down-stay exercises. ..Flint tended to
fidget and eventually stand up and move across the room to me or try to
socialize with other dogs.”
“Flint had extracted a ball of yarn from her
(Joan) knitting bag and when she tried to retrieve it (by running after him
rather than calling him to her), he had decided that this was a great game and
had run around the house until the ball of yarn had unravelled.”
However,
happiness with our pets is not long-lasting as they will eventually be gone/
died someday. We cannot expect to be with them forever. The separation between
Flint and Coren really makes me tear up inside as I remembered my own pain of
losing my first dog. No matter how many times I read this book, again and
again, I still cry. I am childish, undeniably, but the way Coren had written
his book really delivers his sadness, pain and anguish of losing Flint. I would
love to quote the words said by Coren in this book, which has inspired me so
much and I believe that this quote will stay with me until the end of time. He
teaches me that, no matter how painful we feel when we loss something we love
so dearly, especially our special companion, our pets, but we must have faith
that they are in a better place now, together with God. I just pray that I will
be able to get to heaven as well because I believe that they are waiting for me
on the other side.
“I have sometimes thought of the final cause of
dogs having such short lives and I am quite satisfied it is in compassion to
the human race: for if we suffer so much in losing a dog after an acquaintance
of ten or twelve years, what would it be if they were to live double that
time?” – Sir Walter
Scott, as quoted in Born to Bark by
Stanley Coren.
This is
truly a good book to be kept as one of your collection. Both entertaining and
inspiring, Born to Bark by Stanley
Coren can melt the heart of anyone who reads it, especially animal lovers. Do
grab a copy and start indulging yourself with Coren’s unforgettable experience
with his amazing dog, Flint, the great grey warrior.
What others have to
say about this book?
“It’s the
story of an underdog – the one who should have failed. A heartwarming read
proving that there is no such thing as impossible.” – Toronto Star
“Internationally
recognized dog expert…writes about one of his own extraordinary dogs.
Charming…blends Coren’s personal history into the story of his much loved Cairn
terrier, with lots of insightful information” – The Vancouver Sun
“If you
like animal stories that give you a chuckle or make your eyes well up, pick up
psychologist Stanley Coren’s new book about the dogs he has known who have
brought warmth, love, and humour to his life…His relationship with Flint became
the stuff of legend. Delightful.” – The Free Lance – Star (Fredericksburg, Va.)
“Coren’s
sharp insight into the species and man’s relationship to it is magnificent in
this first – person story of true grit that ranges from perceptive narrative to
tough realism. In the process, Coren serves up plenty of doggy escapades,
accented with spot – on behavioural tips and why they work. Through the
journey, Coren delivers humour, angst, perception, and correction.” –
SeattleKennelClub.com
“A deeply
thoughtful yet lighthearted, fun read, this book had me alternately laughing
and crying, and reflecting on my relationship with my own dog. I recommend this
book to anyone who has ever loved a dog or tried to train one.” – Stacey
O’Brien, author of Wesley the Owl
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