The Boy Who Talked To Dogs

When Martin McKenna was growing up in Garryowen, Ireland, in the 1970s, he felt the whole world knew him as just “that stupid boy.” Badly misunderstood by his family and teachers, Martin escaped from endless bullying by running away from home and eventually adopting—or being adopted by—six street dogs. Camping out in barns, escaping from farmers, and learning to fend for himself by caring for his new friends, Martin discovered a different kind of language, strict laws of behavior, and strange customs that defined the world of dogs. More importantly, his canine companions helped him understand the vital importance of family, courage, and self-respect—and that he wasn’t stupid after all. Their lessons helped Martin make a name for himself as the “Dog Man” in Australia, where he now lives and dispenses his hard-earned wisdom to dog owners who are sometimes baffled by what their four-legged friends are trying to tell them. An emotional and poignant story seasoned with plenty of Frank McCourt–style humor, The Boy Who Talked to Dogs is an inspiration to anyone who’s ever been told he or she won’t amount to anything. It’s also a unique, fascinating look into canine behavior. In these pages, Martin shows how modern life has conditioned dogs to act around humans, in some ways helpful, but in other ways unnatural to their true instincts, and how he has benefited enormously from learning to “talk dog.”

In this classic work of developmental psychology, renowned psychiatrist and the coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller What Happened to You? reveals how trauma affects children—and outlines the path to recovery "Fascinating and upbeat...Dr. Perry is both a world-class creative scientist and a compassionate therapist."—Mary Pipher, PhD, author of Reviving Ophelia How does trauma affect a child's mind—and how can that mind recover? Child psychiatrist Dr. Bruce D. Perry has helped children faced with unimaginable horror: genocide survivors, murder witnesses, kidnapped teenagers, and victims of family violence. In the classic The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Dr. Perry tells their stories of trauma and transformation and shares their lessons of courage, humanity, and hope. Deftly combining unforgettable case histories with his own compassionate, insightful strategies for rehabilitation, Perry explains what happens to children’s brains when they are exposed to extreme stress—and reveals the unexpected measures that can be taken to ease such pain and help them grow into healthy adults. Only when we understand the science of the mind and the power of love and nurturing can we hope to heal the spirit of even the most wounded child.

Walker has always wanted a dog, but his mums hyper-allergic to dogs, so he can?t have one. Something he see?s on a visit to his aunt, gives him and idea, and soon he and Stella are bonding, throwing and catching sticks in Foxley Fields. Walker has no idea what is about to happen or the incredible adventure that is about to unfold.

When Jack washes up on a mysterious island after a deadlystorm, there's no one to help him, except for the dogs. The sheepdogs on the island have eyes that speak right to Jack's heart, especially one dog—Moxie. But when angry beasts called fangos threaten to destroy the island, Jack and his companions must fight to save it. Once the battle ends, Jack is changed. Will he ever be the same again? Told from Jack's and Moxie's points of view, this adventure reveals how loyalty between boy and dog becomes a means for survival and hope.

A charming children's book about a boy with the special ability to communicate with dogs. A beautiful, touching story with gorgeous, full-color illustrations.

When Jack is washed up on an island, he finds himself alone on an island inhabited by sheep and two packs of warring dogs, yet through his friendship with one special Border Collie, Jack learns to communicate with them and develops a friendship on th

In response to highly publicized incidents of school violence, educators across the United States and in many other nations are seeking effective ways to prevent and modify aggressive and anti-social behaviors in students. One of the major recommendations of the research is that efforts to prevent cruelty need to begin early, during the early childhood years of birth through age eight. The focus of Teaching Compassion: Humane Education in Early Childhood is guiding young children to accept responsibility for and to be kind in their interactions with fellow human beings, animals and the environment. Although humane education is a relatively new concept in the field of early childhood education, professionals in the field are very familiar with many of the related concepts, including: promoting positive interpersonal interactions, teaching children the skills of self-regulation, giving children experience in caring for living things and protecting the environment. This edited volume is an interdisciplinary compendium of professional wisdom gathered from experts in the fields of education, child development, science, psychology, sociology and humane organizations. As the book amply documents, the concept of humane education is powerful, integrative, timely and appropriate in work with young children. Teaching Compassion: Humane Education in Early Childhood shows how it is possible for adults dedicated to the care and education of young children to balance attention to the cognitive and affective realms and, in so doing, to elevate the overall quality of early childhood programs for children, families and communities.

Reproduction of the original: A Boy I Knew and Four Dogs by Laurence Hutton