Last Dog on the Hill by Steve Duno

It is not often the star of a book is a dog probably off the pot fields of Mendocino County and a dog that changes the life of the man who rescues him. Lou was one of the many Rottweiler/Shepherd mixes that seem to abound around here. My dog Joplin is one which is probably why the minute I saw the cover of this book and found a good review, I ordered it.

Lou leads his person Steve into dog training. Lou helps. I was watching our local dog trainer, Sallie Palmer and her dog Skete last evening and this reminded me of Lou. Sallie was teaching a puppy class. Some 8 puppies from 2 to 4 months, from 5 to 35 lbs. Skete was right there when play turned to squabble.

Steve used Lou in much the same way when rehabilitating dog aggressive dogs.
The ones who missed out on a calming influence from an older dog when they were puppies. Dogs learn from the pack as Cesar Millan says. I agree having had some 350 foster dogs myself over the last 15 years. It is my dogs who teach them how to interact with dogs as Skete did with the puppies and as Lou did at the Academy of Canine Behavior as a last resort.

We all have the dog of our heart. The one who made us a better person.
This is Lou and Steve's story of love and redemption.

Eliza