A Dog's Purpose

"All Dogs go to heaven...unless they have unfinished business here on earth." A Dog's Purpose chronicles the journey of one dog's search for his purpose over the course of several lifetimes. Subtitled A Novel for Humans, the book is written from the dog's point of view. We first meet the protagonist during a short life as a mutt named Toby who was rescued from the streets and ends up in a shelter. His life ends much too soon, as does his quest for his purpose. Much to his own surprise, he finds himself reborn as a Golden Retriever puppy and finds a home with a young boy named Ethan, who christens him Bailey. It's the beginning of the classic "boy and his dog" relationship, and we follow Ethan and Bailey through countless adventures. Bailey joyfully discovers how to be a good dog, and he thinks he may have found his purpose. But life as a cherished family pet is not the end of Bailey's journey. He is reborn as a female German Shepherd puppy, and becomes a search and rescue dog named Ellie. However, despite many heroic rescues, he still hasn't found his true purpose - it doesn't become clear until his next incarnation in which he starts out as a mistreated black Lab named Buddy. Dog books tend to not be the kinds of books that you can't put down, but I'd caution any reader to start this book without having a good chunk of uninterrupted reading time available. This heartwarming, insightful and often laugh-out-loud funny book is not just the emotional and moving story of one dog's many lives, it also examines life from a dog's point of view in ways that will make you look at your own canine companion with a fresh eye. Additionally, it presents a unique observation of human relationships and the bond between dogs and humans from a dog's perspective. This is more than just another dog story. Beautifully written with great sensitivity, this touching novel will delight all animal lovers, especially fans of Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain or Ted Kerasotes Merle's Door. This wonderful story shows us that love is eternal, our beloved animal companions are always with us, and every living being has a purpose.

I must share my dog story. It's cathartic and necessary therapy for me after reading this book. The day we moved into our home we adopted a five year old Doberman mix named Mari. He was all Doberman at heart. Wise, very protective, powerful, unquestionably loyal. I had two young children and a stressful career as he began his decline into old age. To this day I deeply regret my lack of patience with him through those months. After a particularly difficult day for Mari my husband and I made THE DECISION and made a final call to the vet. On a Wednesday morning in November of 2000 we put ol' faithful Mari to sleep. Here's haunting parts I and II. Part I. The Tuesday night before we put Mari down my seven year old daughter and I were sitting at the kitchen table. We were discussing what was going to happen tomorrow and that it was his time. It wasn't without tears. Mari was in his bed, next to the kitchen table. A few minutes into our discussion he suddenly sat up from his bed, looked me in the eyes and began barking...at me. Not a low woof for a moment, but two full minutes of barking that sounded like demands or pleading or both. What was he telling me? OMG. What are you saying Mari? Are you forgiving me for not being a more patient caregiver or telling me to move the pack on without you? Are you angry or scared? Do you know what's going to happen tomorrow morning? I draped myself around and him and sobbed. Part II. The Thursday night after we'd "done the deed" my five year old son informs me there's a dog outside that wants to come in. It's a raw, rainy night. I look outside and see a Golden Retriever trot by the window. Look again a minute later and don't see him. I inform my son that I was sure he had a home and was on his way back (truth be told I just couldn't deal with any more pet drama). Next morning, I get ready for work, grab the car keys, open the door to leave and see a golden head and a wildly wagging tail at the breezeway door. I open the door and in bounds the golden, through the breezeway, into the kitchen, up the back staircase and into my sleeping daughters room. Soon the house is awake staring stunned at this beautiful, exuberant animal. Every bone in his body was asking us the question "Why aren't you guys psyched I'm home? This is totally awesome!" The kids cried, quite frightened by the drama unfolding. My husband and I stood, mouths ajar. I went to work and my husband called the dog officer. We were all certain there was some desperate family looking for him. Ten days later the dog officer called. No one had claimed this gorgeous, healthy six month old full-bred Golden Retriever. Did we want him? We celebrated Thanksgiving with our new puppy that my son named Lucky. Lucky left us as abruptly as he came seven years later. He had his annual checkup and the vet congratulated us on getting his weight down. Three weeks later an ER vet would tell me he had leukemia, everywhere. Our family was shattered, gutted actually. The vet waited so we could all be together and we put him to sleep that night. This was four years ago and I still cry as I write this story. I suppose I'll never recover from loosing my "third child". I have never loved an animal (and I've had many, many dozens) as thoroughly as I loved and still love my gentle, playful, wise, kind, faithful Lucky. He gave us such joy. He fulfilled his purpose and never burdened me with the challenges of his old age. For obvious reasons I'll never, ever forget this book. It left me breathless. Did Mr. Cameron have a Mari-Lucky in his life too? On a happier note, two rescue "characters" that were shipped together in the same cage from Puerto Rico now complete our family. :-)

Ive just got the book! Thank u so much.

Mycket fint book

I've never owned a dog myself, but I like them and have often thought about getting one as a pet myself, which is why I decided to read this book. It touched me deeply. After finishing the book I really got the impression that it gave me a very truthful insight into a dog's mind. I even regard dogs differently now, after reading this particular book. I find it's an absolute must-read for animal- or dog lovers. Apart from giving new insights it does what any good book should do; it makes you laugh out loud sometimes and share funny passages with the people around you as well as sometimes it moves you to tears. And it leaves you thinking afterwards... It's a faithful and honest book, just like its hero - a dog!

Bruce Cameron:A Dog's Purpose This is a moving & thought provoking book. It tells the story from a dog's perspective. The dog is Bailey; his master and companion is the boy Ethan, whose family rescue Bailey when he is still a feral puppy, born to a retriever type mother, and temporarily kept in a dog pound until he escapes, and nearly dies. As Bailey and Ethan grow up together, they are involved in a number of incidents in which Bailey intervenes and saves Ethan's life. These are narrated dramatically by the author, and are convincing and credible. I know from personal experience what loyal dogs are capable of in protecting their loved ones. Another strength of his story is in showing how humans can be so inconsistent, stupid and unable to read situations as dogs can. Because we humans lack a dog's highly developed sensory apparatus, and dogs learn lessons that humans never intended to teach them. Bruce Cameron reminds us through the story, how we should try to careful and consistent around our dogs, and try to view things from their perspective. The real twist in the story comes when Bailey grows older, and dies, only to be reborn as another dog, with vestigial memories of his former life with Ethan. A series of lives of this reborn dog are described, all very different, and some of them quite distressing. In each life "Bailey" or whatever name is used, remembers Ethan and is almost searching for him, or at least trying to re-create the relationship he had with the boy. The distressing parts are when he is a neglected yard dog, who is given little human contact and affection, and no opportunities to be stimulated, exercised and engaged in an interesting life. This effected me particularly because I see so many yard dogs like this in Thailand. They belong to lazy owners who never take responsibility for their dogs, and have little or no interaction with them. These dogs are never walked in their entire lives. My seven dogs are "walked"(run and swum is more accurate) twice a day, usually off lead in open country. Our morning jaunt is usually two hours or more. A few training tasks or exercises are added, but nothing too exacting. We encounter something new every day. I make a point of rotating locations in the countryside. We don't so much "go walks" as have adventures. This is something I learned as a child 50 years ago with my first dogs; a border collie and sheltie. In addition my lead dog now, a GSD, and at least one other from the pack also come with me to visit friends, see my family in the market, and run errands. I have always made sure that my dogs lead full lives. When I was working, my two dogs came to the University with me every day. I don't believe in leaving dogs bored and under-stimulated, leading lives without purpose. Dogs have been selectively bred from wolves to be, first our helpers, and then companions. A close bond or even symbiotic relationship is genetically programmed into both dogs and humans. If we take responsibility for dogs, I don't believe we have the right to abuse or exploit them,or deprive their lives of meaning and purpose. We should not destroy that bond. Getting back to "Bailey"; one of his lives is as Ellie, a trained search and rescue GSD bitch. A clever and reliable search dog, who continues to serve her woman police officer handler/owner, and rescues people after she has to be retired when her scenting skills were impaired when she was searching for survivors after an earthquake in Central America. This is a model of the dog human /relationship and how it should be. Ellie tracks a kidnapper, rescues the little girl he has abducted, and apprehends the offender. (SPOILER ALERT) In his final life "Bailey", now Coaly is a stray again. A chance encounter in a park with the daughter of Ethan's childhood sweetheart and her dog, reminds Bailey/Coaly of his "true master" and he cleverly befriends them, so he can track Ethan to his home. By now Ethan is an old man, still carrying the injury dating back to the fire from which Bailey rescued him. Bailey/ Coaly knows he is home. Ethan, of course doesn't recognise this strange dog, but is intrigued that the dog seems to know him. Coaly rummages in a closet and recovers the long forgotten toy which Ethan made for him, 60 years previously. Ethan is puzzled but knows he is never going to be separated from this dog. Barbara, A moderator of the Goodreads Group, ALL ABOUT ANIMALS, asks some interesting questions about the book.: 1. Have you ever had a special dog who seemed to understand you? 2. Which of the dog's lives resonated most with you? Why? 3. This dog understands the people in his life. Did anything in the book help you understand your dog better? Here are my responses: 1) One of reasons the book resonates so powerfully with me, is that recognition of a special dog who definitely understands me. I have had four such dogs: a Sheltie bitch, a Tibetan Terrier bitch, an Irish Setter (male) and a German Shepherd Dog (male). I have often felt that the strong similarity between the two males is extraordinary. I sometimes feel I am with the same dog. One is my powerful Irish Setter called Paddy, who I rescued in 1980, the other is the leader of my current pack, Pepsi, a German Shepherd, who I adopted from my Thai family. They are separated by 35 years and 6,000 miles, and are a completely different breed. But the similarities are uncanny. I have described this phenomenon before reading Bruce Cameron's book, in telling their stories in my own book: [ASIN:B00E3BVTSE Of Mice and Zen: Animal Encounters in the Life of a Wandering Buddhist]. Their "personalities" are so strikingly similar that I sometimes find myself calling Pepsi, Paddy. Both are powerful natural leaders. Both protect my family and have used their brains and communication skills to save my daughters from danger. These incidents are described in their respective stories in my book. One could say that this is hardly surprising. Both are strong pack leaders with an amazingly gentle attitude towards those younger and weaker, both human and other animals. They have both been trained by me were/are an integral part of my life, so their personalities have partly been shaped by mine. But I must say that I first encountered both as adults, not puppies, and the bond was virtually immediate, preceded in both cases by a sense that this dog was something special. I have been proved right many times. 2) Barbara's second question about which lives resonated most; naturally Bailey at the beginning and Coaly at the end, and Ellie the police search and rescue dog in the middle. All three are heroes in their own way. Bailey saves the Ethan several times, Ellie saves those lost and injured as part of her job, but goes over and beyond the call of duty and her training, to save the abducted little girl; and Coaly saves Ethan in an emotional sense, from his sense of loss, and from a lonely old age. I shall not spoil the ending any further than that. 3) Barbara's third question about whether anything in the book has helped you understand your dog better. Probably not directly, as I spend much of my life interacting with, and caring for my dogs and many others anyway; but it has reminded me just how complex the bond between dogs and humans is, and how important it is to my life. It also reminded me how easy it is to misread dogs and make mistakes in their training, and make contradictory demands on them. Dogs are so tuned into us, by their genetics and conditioning, that they can often read our moods and intentions. If a strong bond is there, they can also be very forgiving of our mistakes, but we owe it to them to try to view the world as they see it, to be consistent, and not make contradictory demands on them. This book also makes us think about re-birth and the possibility of connected lives through that, even if only in an imagined , fictional sense. To Hindus and Buddhists such notions are familiar. The Jataka stories of Buddhism are the stories of The Buddha's previous lives. Some of these lives were as animals, always noble, compassionate and self-sacrificing. More about them and two of the animal based Jataka Stories are narrated and explained in my book:[ASIN:B00CHOOICI Buddhism, Skillfulness and Mastering Life: Dharma Stories Ancient and Modern]. The difference in Buddhism is that it is only advanced spiritual beings nearing Buddhahood in fact who can consciously re call their previous lives and those of others. But now that even some ethologists are starting to recognise altruistic behaviour amongst higher mammals; who is to say that an animal cannot be spirituality advanced? Personally, though I am a Buddhist, I am open minded on re-birth, and I am not spiritually advanced enough to have verified it for myself. Some Hindus and Buddhists cite re-birth and inter-species connectedness, to support the case for not killing animals and for not eating meat. The folk version of this argument takes the form of saying that you don't want to be killing and eating your own relatives, who have previously died, and been reborn as cows etc. Since I know that all living beings are connected anyway, regardless of whether they were relatives in the past. I don't need to cite rebirth or the possibility of eating relatives, in order to support non killing and vegetarianism. To me, killing any living being damages the killer psychically, emotionally and karmically, even more than it damages the victim. That of course is also a Buddhist value. So well done and thankyou Bruce Cameron for raising these issues in such a fascinating way, and for telling such a great story. Well done whichever ALL ABOUT ANIMALS group member proposed the book for discussion, and others who have contributed, and well done Barbara for stimulating the discussion of such a fine book.

Ok, i love dogs,, it helps a lot. But, thanks to that book I know how much sensitive I can get ! This book is well written, funny and emotional. Ready in about two days after work. Just great