by Mike LingenfellerRead March 2009
Mary, the woman who brings Sadie, the Golden Retreiver to the library for Paws to Read, recommended this book. We were talking about animal companions and how they can help to heal mind, body and spirit.
This book is about Mike Lingenfeller's struggles with heart disease and the dog who saved his life. Lingenfeller was ready to give up and die when someone suggested he get a dog. Dakota came into his life. Dakota was a puppy who needed to be rescued as well.
Dakota could sense when Mike was going to have an episode. Mike found this out by accident. As he learned more about Dakota's abilities and learned to trust Dakota, he started back to work and started becoming an advocate for therapy dogs and rights of disabled people.
I loved this book. I truly belive that animals - dogs in particular - are highly sensitive and can act as "guardian angels" for us. However, I was a little disappointed in the animal communicator who told Mike Lingenfeller that Dakota was a spirit guide in dog form. I didn't want Dakota to be something else in dog form. I wanted him to be all dog. I believe dogs have that special ability to "love" and care for their human companions. I didn't need to be convinced that Dakota was special because he was some sentient being in a dog's body. But, if what Lingenfeller says is true, I believe that the animal communicator actually did communicate with Dakota. She was able to tell Mike things that she could never have known otherwise.
All in all, in spite of my reluctance to accept Dakota's spirit guide self, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
This book is about Mike Lingenfeller's struggles with heart disease and the dog who saved his life. Lingenfeller was ready to give up and die when someone suggested he get a dog. Dakota came into his life. Dakota was a puppy who needed to be rescued as well.
Dakota could sense when Mike was going to have an episode. Mike found this out by accident. As he learned more about Dakota's abilities and learned to trust Dakota, he started back to work and started becoming an advocate for therapy dogs and rights of disabled people.
I loved this book. I truly belive that animals - dogs in particular - are highly sensitive and can act as "guardian angels" for us. However, I was a little disappointed in the animal communicator who told Mike Lingenfeller that Dakota was a spirit guide in dog form. I didn't want Dakota to be something else in dog form. I wanted him to be all dog. I believe dogs have that special ability to "love" and care for their human companions. I didn't need to be convinced that Dakota was special because he was some sentient being in a dog's body. But, if what Lingenfeller says is true, I believe that the animal communicator actually did communicate with Dakota. She was able to tell Mike things that she could never have known otherwise.
All in all, in spite of my reluctance to accept Dakota's spirit guide self, I enjoyed this book quite a bit.
1 comment:
I also enjoyed this book very much. I too didn't want Dakota to be something else other than a dog. I was annoyed by that part but I do believe that the communicator believes she communicates. And it helped Lingenfeller so only good came of it. It started out slow until the first real "guardian angel" part where Dakota got up on the 98 year old womans bed and lay beside her. She smiled and then died. That made me teary eyed. The funny thing to me was how much Lingenfeller kept saying "I had no reason to live until Dakota" "I had nothing to live for until Dakota". I'm sure his wife knew what he meant but I bet his wife thought "Thanks alot!" Still I loved the book. --Julie
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