Praise for Understanding Sassie by Helen A. Bemis
What a delightful book! The story line was
clever, the characters interesting, and it held my interest. The big surprise
came when I discovered I had received a subtle education about the language of
dogs. Definitely a ‘feel good’ book which I’ve read a few times, to make sure I
learned all my lessons! Looking forward to a sequel. Peg Gifford, former sales executive and current business
owner
Understanding
Sassie is a wonderful story for young and old. The tale is spun from a
dog’s perspective and how they perceive humans, interpret their actions and how
they respond to human love and kindness. The story unfolds when a dog, about to
have puppies, escapes from the pound. The adventure begins once the pups are
born and their exposure to the world in the “wild” and their survival.
Following the adventures of each dog is heartwarming and enlightening. I highly
recommend this wonderful story for all ages. Sandy Manclire, special
education, animal rescue, pet care business owner
My wife and I enjoyed this new book by Helen
Bemis. We have loved our 13-year-old Bichon since she was a puppy. We have
observed many behaviors and voices. Thanks to this creative, endearing, and
very readable book by Helen, we now understand better her personality and enjoy
her more. Our thanks to Helen for writing a helpful and interesting volume on
dogs. Rev. Jeffrey Stratton, Trinity United
Methodist Church of Wilton, NY
DEDICATION
To
all the people who train with “tools of love.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A special thanks to my husband and best
friend, Bruce: his encouragement during this process was invaluable.
To my daughter, April: a big thank-you, for
her wisdom and talents. She helped me make this book come alive.
To my editor/coach, Douglas Winslow Cooper,
PhD (douglas@tingandi.com): a big thank-you for all your time and expertise.
You were instrumental in helping me create a good story that teaches dog
communication.
To my long-time
friend, Gary: thank you for all your helpful ideas.
To Michelle Roskiewicz (loveddogsart@gmail.
com): your talent in dog art is awesome and much appreciated.
To those that proofread my early attempts at
this story–Peg, Sandy, Jennifer, Judy, Donna, and so many others (you know who
you are): I appreciate all the wisdom and input you shared with me.
In conclusion, I’d
also like to thank you, the reader, for accepting Sassie as your teacher of the
language of dogs.
PREFACE
In my many years of teaching dog obedience, I
have discovered that not all humans understand what the dog is trying to tell
them. Although I’ve enjoyed my opportunities to teach classes on dog
communication (the body language of dogs), my goal has always been to reach a
wider audience. In writing this book, my hope is that it will also teach safety
around dogs.
I’ve always enjoyed telling stories. I have
discovered that stories can help us to remember and learn valuable information.
Learning what the
dog is trying to tell you, I believe, is the path to safety. I have used an
expert of the dog language, the Golden-Retriever-mix puppy named Sassie, to
teach us what the dog’s body language is telling us.
I believe if you can understand what someone
is saying, any fear or confusion can be illuminated. We can listen to them and
feel comfortable in recognizing what they are saying to us.
I also believe that if fear and confusion are
eliminated, we are more inclined to listen and respect someone’s (or some
dog’s) communication.
Helen
PROLOGUE
My name is Ruth. In my youth I
lived on a 200-acre dairy farm. I love the memories of this time in my life. The
smell of the freshly cut hay in the fields and the scent of apples as they
turned into Mom’s pies or her secret recipe for applesauce were a few of my
favorite memories. Whenever I saw a Collie I would think of my summertime best
friend.
A typical summer day might begin
with a review of my Collie’s training. “Sit!” I would watch my Collie react to
my firm but pleasant request and when I added the word “stay,” I would walk
away. As I walked to the near-by fence, I noticed the multicolored flowers Mom
had planted around our home. She loved planting many floral varieties, but her
favorite was that lilac bush at the farmhouse entryway. The scent of lilacs
would always remind me of Mom. I stopped at the fence and debated about hiding
behind that lilac bush. I thought that the fragrant lilac perfume might hide
my scent. Yet, as I looked back at my Collie, he was watching me and studying
my every move. I decided it would be more fun to watch him run, so instead of
hiding, I called, “Come!”
As soon as he heard that magical
word, he leaped at the invitation to join me. My Collie’s muscles made his
multi-colors of brown, red, and white wave in a majesty that somehow reminded
me of a flag. Maybe this was because he looked to be flying in his eagerness to
come to me. I delighted in his joy of our companionship.
However, my joy ended when my
Collie developed a deadly skin disease. The veterinarian recommended that he be
put out of his misery. I was devastated. I would not accept this loss of my
best friend. It hurt too much. I slammed shut the door to my feelings and
announced, “I will never love anyone or anything again!”
Little did I know how my life would
change when I met the golden-haired dog named Sassie.
###
My name is Sassie.
I’ve been told that I am a blond-haired beauty. Some men have said that they
like to run their fingers through my long silky hair. Do you enjoy the
outdoors? I’m a lover of the outdoors and my favorite outdoor activity is the
sport of hunting. The reward of eating what I have caught
is
always an undescribed pleasure. I enjoy eating. I do not share my food. I will
gobble my meal, am a sloppy eater, and proud to say that I have no table
manners. Maybe that is why no one wants to come near me during my mealtime. Do you wish for some
things? My greatest wish is that more people would understand me when I try to
communicate with them. My wish came true when I met Ruth.
1
RUTH
"No! My dog, Sassie, has done nothing! You don’t understand! Please let her go. She's done nothing wrong!” Ruth was
begging the policeman to listen to her. The policeman continued to ignore Ruth, and he tugged on Sassie’s leash.
As Ruth looked at Sassie, she saw
the confusion in Sassie’s eyes mirror her own frustration.
Could this policeman
be dragging her dog to a possible death sentence? Why could he not understand
that Sassie was considered a service animal. She was doing her job as a
diabetic alert dog. Sassie would alert Mom when her blood sugar was too high.
Someone misunderstood Sassie’s alert and called the police.
I wished there was some way to
quickly explain my life-long knowledge of dogs, their emotions, and the
valuable work that they can do. All my attempts to talk to this policeman
seemed to fall on deaf ears.
In my frustration,
I collapsed on a nearby bench. A shower of tears flooded my shaking hands. I
knew I was not thinking clearly. If there was any way to help Sassie, I would
need to calm down.
It was time to use my personal
meditation! I discovered this technique when I was a very small child and had
those childhood fears. I always had warm and happy farm memories, so I decided
to meditate on those happy farm thoughts. This relaxation process always
created mental smiles. My icy fears would melt away. This meditation created a
soothing calm. My insurmountable fears would shrink to microscopic irritations.
So, I began my personal meditation
and thought about my parents’ dairy farm. I loved to walk those 200 acres and
listen to the songs of the farm. There was the sharp call of the blue jays and
the chic-adee-dee chorus of musical joy.
On a blistering hot day, the
locusts would buzz in complaint. The feel of a cool breeze that would tickle
the trees was always a welcome relief on those scorching days. I loved the
taste of the air after a rainfall. There was a trout stream on the other side
of the hill near our home. It sang a special melody as the water kissed the
rocks and caressed the fallen tree branches. Fish often made a quick splashing
sound, and the frogs seemed to harmonize as if in response to nature’s music.
The forest that bordered the hay
fields with Christmas-like pines reminded me of the fun we had
finding that
special Christmas tree within the snow-covered greenery. The strong wind could
sting the skin or ruin a fresh hairstyle. Each day brought joy and laughter. If
I could walk ever so quietly, not an easy task, I could see the various
creatures as they lived and worked in the farm environment.
There were the
rabbits and deer that would either bolt away or freeze to blend into their
surroundings. The black and white dairy cows speckled the fields. At milking
time these cows would give their deep voice call as they announced their
pilgrimage to the barn. The rooster was our morning alarm clock and the dog’s
alert was a no-nonsense bark that intruders respected.
As a teenager I used to enjoy
thinking about my adventures with my Collie. This enjoyment died when he
developed a deadly skin disease. This was a painful time, and I did not like
the emotions it created. My decision to shut out this sad feeling was my method
of running away from reality. So, this was now an area I would avoid during
meditation.
As I looked down at my watch, I
realized that several hours had elapsed since I had collapsed on the bench.
Jumping up, I decided I would go to the Riverview Animal Shelter. The policeman
probably had taken Sassie there.
This was the shelter that Judge
Thomas had sentenced me to do my community service. It was his ruling in my
assault case. Was it only a year ago? So much has happened in that time. I
returned to the farm to live with my parents. Pop died. Mom had those feelings
of being watched. At that time, I was unsure if Mom’s fears were real or
imagined. However, there were those mysterious calls with riddles that were
confusing. Her stress and insulin irregularity placed her in the county
hospital.
I quickened my pace. My involuntary
cry was filled with the sound of despair, “Why do all these horrible things
keep happening to me?”
The only reply to my question was
the sound of my hurried footsteps.
###
With her permission, I will be serializing a chapter a week, on this blog, the material from this novel by Helen A. Bemis, published by Outskirts Press and available through amazon.com:
https://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Sassie-Novel-Human-Communication/dp/1977206093/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=Understanding+Sassie&qid=1559053238&s=books&sr=1-2
As her editor and coach, I aided Helen through my WriteYourBookWithMe.com endeavor.
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