Gifts for dog lovers

I'm a huge fan of Sci-Fi movies and TV shows.  I enjoy reading scary horror stories written by Stephen King and Dean Koontz.  And I can secretly watch those sweet, sentimental Christmas movies every night from Thanksgiving until Christmas Day with all the enthusiasm of a true fanatic.  But my favorite subject for books and movies has always been dogs, which if you are reading this, is probably yours as well.  So with December 25th fast approaching, I thought it would be a great time to do another book and movie review for dog lovers.

This time of year we are reminded to treat each other with love and kindness.  Dogs don't need the Christmas season to remember to show us how they feel.  No matter our failings, our dogs love us anyway,  Which is why humans have been writing stories and books that feature our best friends for centuries.  If you are looking for a gift for a dog lover, these books or movies might be the perfect gift.

Watchers by Dean Koontz

This is one of my favorite books, I must have read it a dozen times.  It is considered a horror novel, but one of the main characters is a beautiful golden retriever named Einstein.  The dog escapes a lab where he was being experimented on by scientists, and runs into Travis, a man considering ending his life.  Not only does Einstein save Travis, he changes his life and the lives of others.

A Dog's Life, The Autobiography of a Stray by Ann Martin

This is another favorite of mine that I have read countless times.  While it is classified as young adult fiction, it has appeal for people of any age.  This book is about a dog named Squirrel, a stray, who faces heartbreak and many hardships during her years as an unwanted, homeless dog.  This book is written from Squirrel's perspective.  It has the power to move the reader to tears, but it is equal parts heart wrenching and heartwarming.

The Christmas Collie by Ted Paul

This children's book is simply beautiful.  The artwork is charming and the story is written in poetic verse.  Any child who enjoys dog stories will love this book, and adults will also be enchanted as well.  As a collie lover, the story always brings a tear (or two) to my eyes, and it remains a favorite each Christmas season.  If you are looking for a sweet children's book, this one will be sure to delight both you and your child.  But you don't have to take my word for it, you can view the illustrations and listen to the story right here:

And last, I wanted to include a favorite movie.  It is one of the Lassie movies, but it isn't as well known as others.  "Lassie, Best Friends are Forever," was released in 1994.  In this movie, Lassie the collie, finds a family who needs her, and intuitively helps them adjust to a new life in the country.  Lassie bonds with the son, helps him make new friends and will have you hugging your own dog close.  It is a perfect movie to watch while curled up on the couch on a cold, Winter's day.  So if you don't have this movie yet, you may want to add it to your video collection or buy it as a gift for a dog lover this holiday season.

Books and movies for dog lovers...

Do you have favorite dog books or movies?  We have many, and thought it might be fun to share a few with you each month.  Since we love collies, our first post features books and movies about collies, which shouldn't be a surprise.

The first book we want to mention is Gray Dawn, written by Albert Payson Terhune.  If you read our recent post about Sunnybank then you know Terhune's collies really existed, and lived at Sunnybank.  (If you haven't read about Sunnybank, click on this Link.) This book was written in 1927, and like many of Terhune's books, the writing and opinions are a product of that time period.  But even though some of the notions are not politically correct, I love the characters in this book.  The most lovable of all his collies, Dawn is a young puppy who is sweet and clumsy, facing his fears to "save" the people he loves from danger.  Gray Dawn is not without faults, but those faults endear him to the reader and made me fall in love with his courage.

Lad: A Dog, is a movie based on one of Terhune's most popular books of the same title.  Lad is a hero, and his story is told in such a way that you can tell he was a beloved and treasured companion.  (And why we named our first collie, Lad). The movie was recently released on DVD, and can be purchased on Amazon.  It's a great movie for a rainy afternoon, curled up on the couch with your best four-legged friend.

 The next movie is a well known classic.  This movie made collies famous, and is the reason most rough collies are greeted with "Hi Lassie!" From strangers where ever they go!  It tells the story of Lassie's love and loyalty for her family, and how nothing can keep her from returning to her boy's side.  I don't know how many times I have watched this movie, but it always brings tears to my eyes.

And last, but not least, Wolf.  This book is about Lad's son, Wolf.  I love this book, I love this collie.  Most of the stories written by Terhune are works of fiction, with elements of truth throughout the stories.  The ending of this book will make you cry, possibly even sob if you are anything like me, because it is a true story about a courageous collie.