Life on the Leash A novel

Reviewed By  Grasshopper2       December 14, 2018

 

Author  Victoria Schade

Distributor:      Allen and Unwin
ISBN:                 9781760529840
Publisher:         Allen and Unwin
Release Date:   December 2018  

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With the long hot days of summer holidays approaching, this is the ideal book to read. Light and interesting, it takes us into the world of a dog trainer. Cora has always had a passion for animals and after a successful career in IT, she has decided to follow her love and help dog owners with their problem pets. The fact that she is a young attractive and gentle woman gets her into some predicaments, but as always, her first consideration is the animals around her.

 Cora has established a client base which keeps her busy, and word of her successes has spread, so she is constantly booking new clients. The interesting diversity of people and dogs, and their problems, needs all of Cora’s learning and skills to stay on top of the issues. She is always gentle and patient though, and often it is the human owners who have the most learning to do. As Cora is single, and only works in raggy jeans and holey unicorn socks, the relationship she is looking for with a man, seems unlikely.

Along with her daily challenges, the dog trainer has a disgust of a television dog handler, Boris Ershovich, who is rough, and uses choke collars and shock collars to train dogs. At this stage, Cora is invited to audition for a dog handling segment on TV. Her methods would be directly opposite those of Boris and her patience and love (and treats) would change the dynamics of dog obedience. Many people think that Boris’ methods of mastering and controlling animals by fear is appropriate.

The young woman has such a lot on her plate. Relationships with dogs as well as their owners takes time, and sometimes signals are misread. A couple of romantic liaisons occur, and after having been in a difficult relationship in the past, Cora is not sure of the sincerity of either man. Her dynamic flatmate Maggie is a great help and has sage advice while keeping up the spirits of her friend and their two dogs.

As the author is a dog trainer and speaker, this lends an air of authenticity to the story and shows a wide range of issues which could face a worker in this industry. She has many simple tricks to pass on but the most overriding necessity is for the dog owner to want and love their pet.