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Just a Dog and the Musings of his Pet by Randy Cribbs OCRS, Inc.
book review by Karolina Blaha-Black
"Murphy had a Ph.D. in touching. His touch was like a magic wand. It soothed, reassured, gave comfort."
The quote above refers to Murphy, a German shorthaired pointer, who shared his life with the author, a retired army officer, for many years. The book is a heartfelt account of Murphy's life and all the lessons that the author learned from this very special dog and his antics. Murphy was referred to by Cribbs as the Murphy dog. Readers will cry and laugh as they read about him and what lessons he taught his human buddy.
This little book is full of dog anecdotes (eating the drywall), dog philosophies and rules (don't sweat the small stuff, and everything is small stuff), the importance of hunting frogs and lizards, and many other things that dogs and dog lovers the world over will understand and appreciate. Funny Murphy anecdotes will have readers in stitches; for example when Murphy encounters another dog on one of his city strolls, who is dressed in a derby hat and sunglasses. On the other hand, readers will hold their tears back when the author describes his sadness when Murphy dies, and how he coped with the loss of his best bud.
Cribbs' writing style is easy to read, compassionate, and down to earth. However, many short and incomplete sentences occasionally slow the flow of the book, making it more difficult to read. Overall, the book is a great account of the many things that us, humans, can learn from our animal companions, and this is what the author so masterfully highlights in his work.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review