The Education of Will: A Mutual Memoir of a Woman and Her Dog

McConnell secretly grappled with her own guilt and fear, which were rooted in the harrowing traumas of her youth. Patricia McConnell recounts for the first time the compelling story of her dark past, memories of which are triggered by a troubled dog named Will. Hopeful and inspiring, the redemptive message of her journey is that while trauma changes our brains and the past casts a long shadow, healing, for both people and dogs, is possible through hard work, compassion, and mutual devotion.. In this powerful, soul-searching memoir, beautifully written in the vein of A Pack of Two and

Extraordinary, intellectual, and yet a real page-turner Book Reviewer 2009 This turned out to be an extraordinary book, a true page-turner. The author writes very well, and her true story just flows along like the most well-written novel: personal, relatable, believable, and vivid. Several of her nature descriptions (and she keeps them succinct and infrequent) approach poetry. Her insights on human nature and what trauma does to the mind are deeply perceptive. In addition, she is very erudite and well-read; she alludes to many related concepts concerning dogs, companionship, stress, trauma, and healing from across the humanities and sciences, which makes for a deep. Finding her wings What moved me most about The Education of Will was a gaining a new understanding of people suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Instead of the world feeling safe and predictable, victims of PTSD live in a constant state of fear and agitation. It’s amazing that McConnell became an internationally recognized expert in canine behavior, built a successful dog training and behavior consulting business, wrote many books and taught a much-loved undergraduate class at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, all the time living in a state of fear. The strength to “keep it together&. decade ago and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Most of my understanding of dog behavior Andrew Ross Loomis I read “The Other End of the Leash” about a decade ago and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Most of my understanding of dog behavior mostly came from television and casual conversation, and that meant it was heavy “leadership” and often poorly articulated pack theory. Sadly, my dog was paying the price. Dr. McConnell’s book explained, in clear, grounded detail, how humans and canines live and communicate differently and how we can best bridge the differences between us.But it’s her willingness to share her own experiences makes her writing so