The Power of Dog

I love dogs and chose this book because of the sweet cover, but was moved by the author’s memoir of loss, healing through the joy of bringing collie mix Flash into his life, mending a relationship with his mother, and then, ultimately, learning to say goodbye again. 5/5

Thanks to the author, RedDoor Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are fully mine.

#ThePowerOfDog #NetGalley

The Power of Dog follows on from Andrew Marshall's first book, My Mourning Year, which I read and reviewed a little while ago. Both are his diary entries from the time he lost his beloved Thom and the weeks, months and years that followed. Andrew, as I'm sure most people do when they lose someone so young, struggles with his grief and can't imagine a life without Thom. As these books prove though, things do slowly get easier and although Thom is never far from Andrew's mind, he does move on eventually. The Power of Dog is Andrew's account of how getting a puppy helped to heal his grieving heart. I have thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Andrew again and finding out how he got on as time moved on. This book is much more positive than the first as Andrew's puppy, Flash, makes such a big difference to his life. I know exactly how comforting and special being a dog owner is. My Bella is never far from my side and although she's a Shih Tzu and nowhere near as energetic as Flash, she is very much my dog and always likes to know where I am.
It was lovely to follow Andrew on his journey with Flash. I found many a moment highly amusing, especially through the puppy and adolescent phases! I totally empathise with Andrew's guilt when he has to leave Flash at home. You should see the look I get from Bella when she knows I'm going out and not taking her with me! Dogs are very much a part of the family and that's how it should be, in my opinion. As I write this we are on a weeks holiday in Wales and Bella is with us. Yes, it might restrict some of the things we could do, but so what. Our holiday is more special for bringing her with us and we're all having a lovely time. Of course, it helps that the weather is so glorious. Anyway, my point is that dogs enrich our lives and Andrew's life with Flash proves this beautifully. The obvious love and respect they have for each other pours from the pages and I have found the whole story heart-warming. I like Andrew, I think he's someone I would get on well with. Reading his books makes me feel like I know him already. They are a very intimate and honest account of the most distressing time of his life and how he manages to build a new life for himself. I think anyone suffering the grief of a loved on would relate to his story and I'm sure would find comfort in knowing there is hope for happiness. I know everyone grieves differently. There are no rules or time frames. Anyone who thinks there is has never lost anyone they truly love. Lucky them!
The latter part of The Power of Dog is devastating. I am dreading when this time comes for Bella and I know many, many people who will know how traumatising it is to have to say goodbye to a dog (or any beloved pet). My heart went out to Andrew. I remember how devastated I was when we lost my previous baby pooch, Lady, when I was 22 years old. She was only 11 years old. I was pregnant with my son, so my parents wouldn't let me go with her when we had to have her put to sleep, as they didn't want me getting in to a state so early on in pregnancy, but I have never forgiven myself for not being there for her.
I'm sorry for rambling on about my own pets, but I know exactly what Flash meant to Andrew and I'm sure he will be fondly remembered forever. I believe he was sent to Andrew for the very purpose of giving him a new lease of life. A dog will be the most loyal friend you will ever have, if you give them the life they deserve and Andrew certainly gave Flash a happy and fulfilled life. I have loved their story.
The Power of Dog is a heart-warming and thought provoking read. If you are a dog lover I'm sure you will relate to Andrew's story. Also, if you have lost a loved one.
If you are thinking about sharing your life with a dog, read this and I'm sure it will help you to decide. I can't imagine being without mine.
Many thanks to the author and publisher for my ARC. I am delighted to be a part of the blog tour :-)

I love reading these kinds of books about dogs. It’s clear owner and dog had a strong bond and it was lovely to read about their journey together.

I am an animal lover and love reading books about them. This book was well written and captured the author's journey from grief due to the loss of his partner to first time puppy owner to dog owner. I felt like I was with the author during these periods, as the writing was so vivid.

What a lovely book. Very heartfelt and uplifting. As auntie to a young German pointer I could empathise and take comfort from the exploits of the young Flash. When we look at our pup and think a big mistake was made as he digs up the garden , chews arms and pulls hair I will try to think that Andrew went through the same emotions and yet had his life enriched ! We may have to try very hard!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I always love a good dog story, so I was thrilled when I was accepted for this one on Netgalley. It's the story of Andrew and his first dog Flash, and what it's like for a man in his forties with a fear of wolves now owning his first puppy and all the delights that come with it. He has been withdrawn after the death of his partner Thom, who had also wanted to get a dog before becoming sick. Flash becomes Andrew's everything, and teaches him doggy life lessons along the way.

I did enjoy the story, although I didn't always like what I read (Flash eating cigarette butts and chocolate and Andrew's kind of like Eh) and all his babysitters. Anyway, I had to think this was the late 90's and early 2000's so between then and me now owning a dog was different. I admit to crying at the end (again, second book that's got me in a row) so you know what that means.

Another good dog story, I enjoyed it very much. Four stars.

This is the story of author Andrew Marshall and his collie cross dog called Flash. Andrew was left devastated after the loss of his partner Thom and decided to get his first-ever puppy, something he had dreamt of since a child.

Andrew had read the training manuals but had little hands-on experience of the chaos a new puppy can bring. However, Andrew soon learns that knowing the correct training techniques and putting them into practice are two very different things!

Life opened up for Andrew, neighbours he hardly knew stopped to fuss the puppy and everyone had well-meaning but conflicting advice on dog ownership. Andrew soon found out that training a boisterous and mischievous collie cross puppy was not going to be easy.

Andrew recalls his first weeks with Flash in minute detail, something I must admit has always passed me by in a sleep-deprived fog. If asked about my first weeks with a new pup I usually recall being permanently attached to a mop, with a croaky voice from repeating mostly ignored instructions, and worn out by the late nights and early mornings. Many times I have scared the neighbours by standing in the middle of my lawn in my pyjamas at 2am, repeating ‘be quick’ and nearly catching my death of cold. It was nice to be reminded by Andrew of some of the more humourous side of puppy ownership that I had long forgotten!

Sadly, Andrew also describes the devastation he felt at the end of Flash’s life, a raw and heartbreaking time for all dog lovers, By this time Andrew had a partner, Ignacio, who shared Andrew’s grief at the loss of Flash. I’m glad they went on to give a home to a new puppy together who they named Pumpkin.

At the end of the book, Andrew quotes one of my favourite poems by Rudyard Kipling. I actually wrote a blog post about the poem last year and it can be read here

I have talked at length about the loss of my own dog Alfie who we sadly lost very suddenly in 2017. It was the overwhelming feeling of emptiness and loneliness of losing Alfie which lead me to start writing this blog, and in fact, it is dedicated to his memory.

An insightful, funny often moving account of the relationship between a man and his dog.

I would like to thank RedDoor Publishing and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Power Of Dog’ written by Andrew Marshall, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Andrew Marshall is suffering from depression following the death of his partner Thom. He remembers that as a child he was afraid of wolves yet desperately wanted his parents to get him a dog. With the desire to change his life for the better, and after a great deal of thought and advice obtained from dog books, he goes to visit the remaining two from a litter of cross-bred Border Collie/Brittany Spaniel puppies and instantly falls in love the male puppy who he names Flash.
This novel is an amusing account of the ups and downs of training a lively and intelligent puppy, the mischief Flash gets into, and the love he gives and receives from his canine friend. We also learn about Andrew’s family and childhood, the death of Thom, and his new love Ignacio.
Parts of the novel made me laugh out loud but parts made me cry and I was grateful for the box of tissues close to hand. ‘The Power Of Dog’ has been well-written with compassion and thoughtfulness, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I rarely read memoirs and to be honest it was the cover image of the dog that caught my attention. Having recently acquired a furry ‘niece’ and presently toying with the idea of dog ownership, I really enjoyed the story of Andrew and Flash.. Obviously it’s a story of a man and his puppy but it’s about love and relationships. Maybe I need to follow Mr Marshall’s example and set my New Year’s resolution as ‘to become a dog owner’ . His story definitely inspires me to make the commitment.

I was attracted by the lovely dog on the cover. This book is fantastic. It's moving and heartwarming, well written and full of love.
A very enjoyable read.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to RedDoor Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

The Power of Dog is a lovely memoir of loss and healing by adopting a love of a dog. As a dog lover myself, I know all too well the way that dogs can heal a wounded heart. This book is a moving tale of growth and moving on because of the joy of one dog, Flash.

The author’s partner dies after a long illness and is left grief-stricken. He spends a couple of years simply sleep walking through life, not being able to move on. He finally decides to fulfill a dream of dog ownership, which was the plan with his partner, until he became sick. The author takes his responsibility of dog dad seriously and adopts a wonderful puppy.

Good writing that depicts the puppy, Flash, and the special bond that eventually heals the author’s heart, this is a book that you simply don’t want to put down. It’s the perfect book for dog lovers, something that holds your interest and not too dense. I was so sorry when it ended.

This is a five star book that deserves to be read by those who love dogs, experiencing grief or simply want a heart warming read. Anyone who is a dog lover already knows how much emotional support a dog can provide. Five stars. Don’t hesitate to buy this one.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for a pre-publication ebook in exchange for an honest review.



#ThePowerOfDog #NetGalley

A very heartwarming story of the love between man and dog. A lovely and inspiring tale, truly thought provoking. One for animal lovers and anyone seeking hope. Thanks to Net Galley for my copy. Reviews on Amazon, Facebook and Goodreads.

I am a dog lover but don't usually read books about them as they can be over sentimental. Andrew Marshall tells the story of how a little dog, Flash, helped to bring him back into the wider world after the death of his partner. He was honest about the ups (most of the time) and downs (occasionally) of adapting to life as a dog owner. After all the warnings that a dog was a tie and demanding he found out just how rewarding it could be , and how it opens all sorts of doors you never even thought to knock. It was heartwarming and ultimately heartbreaking, and yes, I did cry at the end.