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Follow My Lead is the story of how two rambunctious dogs and a tough Russian dog trainer named Irina taught Carol Quinn everything she needed to know about life, love, and happiness. It all begins when the author decides—somewhat naively—to enroll her two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Nairobi and Sheila, into dog agility training. Unhappy with her failing love affair, her stagnant career, and even herself, she’s hoping to find a hobby and straighten out her unruly but affectionate pets. She soon discovers that dog agility is not a lazy game of fetch—it’s a highly competitive sport that requires owners to move their dogs through a timed obstacle course using only voice and hand signals. What follows is a life-changing experience: a learning process that teaches her not only about her dogs, but also about herself. As she continues, the training, and even the obstacle course itself, becomes a metaphor for her life.
With humor and candor, Quinn shares the parallel story of how, with Irina’s guidance and wisdom, she and her dogs develop a deep bond of love and trust, and learn to navigate the course obstacles with grace and skill; and how she, too, overcomes life’s obstacles by accepting her flaws and finding the inner strength to move forward—away from her doomed love affair, fears, and anxieties—and become the alpha dog” of her own life.
Funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, Follow My Lead is a story full of useful life lessons and homespun wisdom that will entertain and inspire readers of all sensibilities, whether they are dog lovers or not.
Mentors come in many sizes, shapes, and, according to this thoughtful new book, also breeds. Carol Quinn's Follow My Lead pays lively tribute to two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Nairobi and Sheila, and a tough-minded Russian dog trainer named Irina. What began as an escape from a dormant career and a disastrous love affair turned into a tutorial on life obstacle courses that not just canines must confront. A paperback original.
An advertising executive and screenwriter sets out on a path to self-discovery and personal fulfillment by participating in dog agility training.
Throughout the challenges of being a single mother, starting her own business and negotiating a rocky romance, Quinn has had one constant: her love for dogs. When she decided to introduce her Rhodesian ridgebacks, Nairobi and Sheila, to the demanding world of agility training, however, she received much more than she expected, including scathing reprimands from her Eastern European trainer, Irina, and humbling encounters with failure, both on and off the field. As she trained Nairobi and Sheila to turn, run and jump at her command, she also reevaluated her own well-worn responses to stress and chose instead to live in the moment with the same contentment that her dogs exuded. Much of the book has a kind of "Zen and the Art of Dog Training" vibe, which will likely appeal most to readers who enjoy inspirational literature—whether they love dogs or not—but Quinn's enthusiasm for the prosaic subject matter (detailed depictions of dog-walking abound) elevates her memoir above the realm of saccharine self-help. Her tone conveys a sincere desire to share her new outlook with others, especially those who "have a tentative connection with life" rather than feeling fully connected to it. Many readers will empathize with her struggle to end a self-destructive relationship with her boyfriend, as well as find comfort in the commandments listed in the chapter titled "The Way of the Dog." Lively photographs of the ridgebacks on the training course punctuate the text, while a supplementary list of resources devoted to agility training will prove useful for canine enthusiasts as they explore the possibility of engaging their own pets in this sport.
Despite some repetitive moments, this uplifting memoir encourages reflection and goal-setting, all within the ever-popular narrative framework of the human-dog bond.
Anonymous
Posted August 15, 2011
Follow My Lead is an exceptionally good story about a woman's personal growth through her relationship with her beloved dogs. I found it fascinating how Carol, the author, used the agility training to apply the skills she was teaching her dogs to navigate her own life more successfully. The book is funny, touching, and full of tips on how to organize one's day and subsequently one's life. It was very inspiring for me to read how Carol learns to stand up for herself, feel comfortable with herself, and extract herself from a negative relationship. Buy this book and share it with your friends!
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Posted August 16, 2011
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Overview
Follow My Lead is the story of how two rambunctious dogs and a tough Russian dog trainer named Irina taught Carol Quinn everything she needed to know about life, love, and happiness. It all begins when the author decides—somewhat naively—to enroll her two Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Nairobi and Sheila, into dog agility training. Unhappy with her failing love affair, her stagnant career, and even herself, she’s hoping to find a hobby and straighten out her unruly but affectionate pets. She soon discovers that dog ...