Hair There and Everywhere

by Leigh Brill

There’s a dog hair in my wine glass, and I couldn’t be happier.

You might suspect that my joy is inspired by my choice of libation. That’s a reasonable assumption, but in my dog-centric life, it is in fact the floating bit of fur that delights me. I pluck it from my glass and nonchalantly swipe it on my jeans. There, the tiny hair joins countless other reminders of my newest family member.

Piper is my fourth service dog. He follows in the remarkable paw prints of Slugger, Kenda, and Pato. The handsome black Labrador helps me deal with the challenges of congenital cerebral palsy, and he does so with style – a style I call ‘Pi-perfect’. Although our partnership is just beginning, ‘Pi-perfect’ is my favorite word these days. For good reason.

Whether he is retrieving the telephone, steadying my steps, or alerting my husband when I need help, Piper’s enthusiasm is boundless.  As a professionally trained service dog, he knows more than fifty different commands. Everything from hold, to get it, to tug, to bump.  Piper even knows the word refrigerator!  Yes, my smart Lab will go to the fridge, open it, grab my lunch bag, close the fridge, and bring me my food.

I keep my lunch bag securely closed of course, but to be honest, I do find the occasional dog hair on my lunch plate … and I couldn’t be happier.

Pick up A DOG NAMED SLUGGER by Leigh Brill – an Amazon Monthly Deal for just $1.99 throughout December! 

News Flash:

A DOG NAMED SLUGGER & FROST MOON Take Top Honors at EPIC Awards

SATURDAY, MARCH 12

WILLIAMSBURG, VA.

THE EPIC AWARDS, THE OLDEST CONTINUING AWARD (12TH YEAR) HONORING EBOOKS AND E-PUBLISHING, HAS CHOSEN LEIGH BRILL’S A DOG NAMED SLUGGER FOR TOPS IN NON-FICTION AND ANTHONY FRANCIS’S FROST MOON FOR TOPS IN FANTASY.

Leigh Brill’s highly rated memoir of her life with Slugger, a wonderful service dog, is excerpted in ABILITY Magazine this month. ABILITY is one of the top 50 consumer magazines in the world. Many congratulations to Leigh and in Slugger’s memory.

http://www.abilitymagazine.com/images/Cover-Kathy-Ireland-m.jpg

Leigh Brill’s funny, insightful, poignant memoir about her struggles with cerebral palsy and how a trained service dog named Slugger transformed her life continues to get absolute glowing reviews at Amazon.com, where it has spent the last few weeks at No. 1 in the Kindle bestseller list sub-categories for both “Dogs” and also in women’s biographies.

A DOG NAMED SLUGGER is one of those quiet, lovely books that people never forget. “Irresistable,” BOOKLIST said last spring, when the book was published. Next month, ABILITY Magazine (a leading glossy showcasing the concerns, victories and challenges of people with disabilities) will feature a Slugger excerpt.

Leigh is now beginning her friendship with her third service dog, Pato. Slugger was her first, (rest in peace, sweet Slugger), then a lovely female golden Lab, Kendie–who is doing just fine, thankyouverymuch, but is ready to enjoy some retirement time–and now Pato, who’s proving to be a worthy successor to Slugger and Kendie.

Here’s Slugger during one of his rare forlorn times –immediately following a bath! Scroll down for Leigh’s poem about his unhappy experience with soap.

BATH TIME

Every dirty dog knows that shampoo and a hose

Are sure signs that bath time is looming.

If a muddy mutt’s clever, he might just endeavor

to escape such insufferable grooming.

But more often than not, every sad, soiled Spot

finds himself facing sweet-scented troubles.

All the stinks he’s collected, all the crud he’s inspected

slide away on the suds and the bubbles!