The Education of Will: A Mutual Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog
Written by Patricia B. McConnell
Narrated by Ellen Archer
5/5
()
About this audiobook
World-renowned as a source of science and soul, Patricia McConnell combines brilliant insights into canine behavior with heartwarming stories of her own dogs and their life on the farm. Now, she reveals that it wasn’t just the dogs who had serious problems. For decades Dr. McConnell secretly grappled with her own guilt and fear, which were rooted in the harrowing traumas of her youth.
Patricia is forced to face her past by her love for a young Border Collie named Will, whose frequent, unpredictable outbreaks of fear and fury shake Patricia to her core. In order to save Will from this dangerous behavior, she must find her own will to heal, and along the way learn that will power by itself is not enough.
Interweaving enlightening stories of her clients’ dogs with tales of her deepening bond with Will, this is a “compassionate account of the reclamation of the author's life from abuse and shame. An uplifting story of hope about how both dogs and humans need "a sense that they are not helpless victims" (Kirkus Reviews).
Patricia B. McConnell
Patricia McConnell, PhD, CAAB is an Ethologist and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist who has consulted with cat and dog lovers for over twenty years. Her nationally syndicated radio show, Calling All Pets, has played in more than 110 cities for fourteen years. She is the behavior columnist for The Bark magazine and a Consulting Editor for the Journal of Comparative Psychology. She has retired from her position as Adjunct Associate Professor in Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is the author of ten books on training and behavioral problems, as well as the critically acclaimed books, The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend, and Tales of Two Species.
Related to The Education of Will
Related audiobooks
Pukka's Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Talking to Animals: How You Can Understand Animals and They Can Understand You Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5My Life Among the Underdogs: A Memoir Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Pound for Pound: A Story of One Woman's Recovery and the Shelter Dogs Who Loved Her Back to Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bones Would Rain from the Sky: Deepening Our Relationships with Dogs Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Canine Confidential: Why Dogs Do What They Do Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Our Dogs, Ourselves: The Story of a Singular Bond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Work Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Power of Positive Dog Training Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Social, Civil, and Savvy: Training and Socializing Puppies to Become the Best Possible Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Being a Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Meet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fired Up, Frantic, and Freaked Out: Training the Crazy Dog from Over-the-Top to Under Control Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Animals Make Us Human: Creating the Best Life for Animals Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dog Training: Curing Dog Separation Anxiety: Get ready to end Bad Dog Habits Forever Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Learn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Why Is My Dog So Reactive, Volume 1: A Concise Guide To The Main Causes Behind The Behaviour Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Dogs Think: What the World Looks Like to Them and Why They Act the Way They Do Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5As a Dog Thinketh: Daily Words of Wisdom for Dog People Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Story of Your Dog: A Straightforward Guide to a Complicated Animal Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Dogs For You
Lucky Dog Lessons: Train Your Dog in 7 Days Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Marley & Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Your Dog Is Your Mirror: The Emotional Capacity of Our Dogs and Ourselves Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Old Yeller Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Forever Dog: Surprising New Science to Help Your Canine Companion Live Younger, Healthier, and Longer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Art of Raising a Puppy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How To Speak Dog: Mastering the Art of Dog-Human Communication Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Dogs Learn Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend: A Training Manual for Dog owners Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I Am Bunny: How a ""Talking"" Dog Taught Me Everything I Need to Know About Being Human Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Power of Positive Dog Training Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/530 Days to a Well-Mannered Dog: The Loved Dog Method Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5From Fearful to Fear Free: A Positive Program to Free Your Dog from Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Decoding Your Cat: The Ultimate Experts Explain Common Cat Behaviors and Reveal How to Prevent or Change Unwanted Ones Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMeet Your Dog: The Game-Changing Guide to Understanding Your Dog's Behavior Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Be More Sausage: Lifelong lessons from a small but mighty dog Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dog Is Love: Why and How Your Dog Loves You Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for The Education of Will
24 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The author describes herself as a skittish and fearful, but this book is an act of great bravery and grace. I suspect that almost any woman will recognize her own traumas and fears in these words, and take comfort in hearing that a path can be built, one arduous step at a time, from shame and silence to triumphant openness and powerful vulnerability.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A simply beautiful story of life, love and forgiveness. Excellent!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I always enjoy Patricia McConnell's take on animal behavior and how she describes her cases and how she helps give a voice to dogs. I admire her courage in being able to share her own trauma, and in doing so was able to heal herself, while still helping Willie's healing and progress with his fears and behavior.