by Marie Yates

The bond between Dani and her dog, Reggie is something that is very important to me as I continue with the second and third books in the trilogy. In the first book, Reggie is a fundamental part of Dani’s recovery and he supports her to move forward in a positive way. With the handsome hound being on the front cover, I have been asked a lot of questions about dogs, dog behaviour and the bond between humans and their canines. When I started writing, my passion for the subject came from personal experience with my own Reggie. To say that he has changed my life is a considerable understatement. However, despite doing my best for him, I quickly realised that I knew very little about all things canine.

I have made it my mission to change this and have begun an incredible journey of learning and discovery within the canine world. This is something else I can thank Reggie for! I started 2014 intuitively knowing that dogs have an incredible ability to change the lives of humans. I ended 2014 as a qualified dog trainer with a new business focused around the human-canine bond. When I find something I love, there’s no stopping me!

One real bonus of all the learning (other than being able to teach Reggie that coming back when I call him is a fun thing to do), is the incredible people I’ve met. Spending time with other people who have a genuine love of dogs has led to even more learning. The stories about how dogs have inspired them and changed lives have been a privilege to listen to.

The way in which Reggie is misunderstood in the book reflects Dani’s own experience as a survivor. Reggie experienced adversity and came through it to find a happy home while Dani’s experience led to her creating her own happiness once again. One story directly reflects the other. I’m learning from each and every person I’m meeting on this journey that they have their own story about how their dog has helped them. At times of abject sadness and grief, the dog has been the one who raised a smile. When getting out of bed has felt like too much to cope with, the dog has appeared holding their lead, wagging their tail and would not take ‘no’ for an answer. These amazing creatures have opened a door to a new world of opportunities for so many people.

For Dani, as she leaves secondary school and starts the next chapter of her life, Reggie is going to be an increasing source of comfort and inspiration. For me, I am grateful to be part of the Institute of Modern Dog Trainers (iMDT) where dogs are treated with the respect they deserve and the humans are pretty cool too. The importance of the human-canine bond can never be underestimated and Dani is going to be emphasising this as her story continues with the second book in the trilogy… coming in 2015!

Canine Perspective CIC – www.canine-perspective.com

Reggie & Me eBook  AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

Paperback  AMAZON US | AMAZON UK

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