To Be a Duke is
the story of a Border Collie cross named Duke. Duke began life being taken away
from his mother early, much to his shock. A couple of homes and owners later,
and Duke wasn’t really getting the love, training, and attention he needed. His
previous owners just didn’t know how to handle him so their reaction was either
to pass him on, or tie him up in the yard and ignore him. He developed bad
chewing habits, was never house trained, was never properly leash trained and,
to the outside person, was a handful. He cowered when threatened, having been
beaten in the past. His behaviour didn’t live up to his name, Duke. Life was
full of sadness and confusion, and hunger … Until the day a kind lady noticed
him, noticed his scabs and thin appearance, and bought him from the man who
couldn’t care less about him. But this kind lady was only temporary. Life,
miraculously, got even better. From this warm, loving home where Duke found
that he was not scolded, beaten or starved, Duke finally went to a Fur-Ever Home,
one where everyone seemed to love him, want him, and spent the time and energy
to get his behaviour right in a fun and happy way. He ‘unlearned’ fear and
confusion, and learned how to be a dog, how to play with a ball, how to catch
treats, and how to be confident. He learned that he was needed by every single
member of his new family in some way, some mysterious and special way that only
he could offer. They were all ‘friends forever.’ Even more mysterious, the
spirit of Misty, the previous family dog, still lingered, appearing in his
dreams, and Misty was there to guide Duke in his new, happy life. Duke learned
to cope with the ups and downs of family life, and discovered he had a very
special talent!
Sadly, Duke’s
story is nothing new. People get a puppy that starts out cute, and ends up
uncontrollable. With the proper chew toys, potty training, leash training, and
the ability to respond to obedience commands, a dog knows where it is in life;
it knows what the owner expects and everyone is happy. Author Emily-Jane HillsOrford knows dogs and it comes out so clearly in the text. What I really loved
about this story is how the author gets right into Duke’s head, showing readers
how a young dog can become easily afraid, easily cowed by not being taught properly
and thus annoying the owner who doesn’t understand that a dog, like a child,
needs to be taught. A dog is not psychic, and it responds badly to what it
perceives as anger, violence, and other negative emotions. The author has an
amazing gift for being able to portray life from the dog’s perspective and it
certainly showed me how my two (much pampered) little pooches could
misinterpret my moods and action. The author does not dwell overly long on
Duke’s sad past, something that soft hearted animal lovers will prefer, and
this makes the book suitable for older children. Instead she focuses on Duke’s
new beginnings, his progress of learning how to fit into his new life, and the
role he plays in the family’s life. This is also good for new owners and
youngsters to read because training is just that—training. A dog does not come
with an instruction manual in its head to tell it not to chew something that
looks deliciously chewy (shoes, perhaps?). The author subtly highlights how
getting a new dog, especially a puppy, involves input and time from the owner.
However, the words of warning are there in the beginning of this story, and all
too often dogs, so loving, so eager to please, are shuttled around from home to
home, finally ending up dumped or at a shelter. Duke is one of the very lucky
ones. This is a delightful book for animal lovers, animal owners, and
youngsters to enjoy. A heart warming, five-star story for the whole family!
