Today I reread most of a book I stopped reading some years ago—Jon Katz’s The Dogs of Bedlam Farm: An Adventure with Sixteen Sheep, Three Dogs, Two Donkeys, and Me. The author’s approach with animals had made me uncomfortable. (Apparently, I’m not the only dog lover or reader who felt that way.) Because I need to cull some more books—need the space, thinking ahead to the next move—this one seemed a good prospect for “release.” Of course, I felt compelled to finish it before saying goodbye to it. Here’s my favorite passage, uttered by trainer Carolyn Wilki when she reprimanded Katz for his behavior with his Border Collie:
“Face it: if you want to have a better dog, you will just have to be a better goddamned human.”
Ain’t that the truth—no matter the animal?
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