Phil Callaway - Tricks My Dog Taught Me: About Life, Love, and God

For decades Phil Callaway has made us think, smile, and thank God. This new book is a welcome event.

Max Lucado

pastor and bestselling author

Callaway could write about owning a shrew and Id be entertained, amused, and taught something profound. I had no idea we could learn so much from dogs and have this much fun doing so. This book is tender, uplifting, and funny.

Dr. Kevin Leman

author of Have a Happy Family by Friday

Phil Callaway has the extraordinary gift of writing about ordinary life in a way that makes you laugh, cry, reflect, and gain hopeall in the same paragraph. This book might inspire you to get a dog. It will definitely compel you to live a better life.

Richard Blackaby

author of Experiencing God at Home and Customized Parenting in a Trending World

If laughter is the best medicine, Phil is the best apothecary. In this wonderful book about the goodness of a dog, he serves up humor in huge doses and somehow manages to be profound and hilarious in a single breath. Read this story of the two Mojos and prepare to get your own mojo back.

Mark Buchanan

author of Your Church Is Too Safe

Tricks My Dog Taught Me made me laugh over and over. And in the vulnerability of that laughter, Phil managed to tug at my heart and challenge my soul. This book will stay with you a long timeits a refreshing and truthful companion on a life-journey that can be scary and exhausting.

Rick Lawrence

executive editor of Group Magazine

author of Sifted and Shrewd

Dogs teach us about life, death, and everything in between. Phil Callaway supplies the laughter. Dont miss this long walk with a good friend.

Chris Fabry

author and radio host

Phil Callaway has done it again. In his oddball yet endearing and deeply resonant way, he connects with our human experience and gives light, laughter, insight, and spiritual encouragement. Even if youre not a dog person, youll love this book.

Ellen Vaughn

author of Choosing to See and Its All About Him

I dont have a dog, but reading Tricks My Dog Taught Me awakened me to the homespun wisdom other peoples dogs can teach me. I guffawed so loudly, my airplane seatmates wanted in on the joke.

Connie Cavanaugh

author of Following God One Yes at a Time

Thank God for another wonderful work by Phil Callaway! Along with lots of laugh-out-loud humor, Phil delivers sage advice that will inspire, inform, and enlighten you.

Charles Marshall

author of The Seven Powers of Success

What a fun read! I loved this book and smiled all the way through. This is pleasant, relaxing, insightful. Easy to read, yet full of truth!

Carl Madearis

author of Speaking of Jesus

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Cover photos Annette Sheff, Martin Allinger, Lobke Peers, Daniiel / Shutterstock

Cover by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon

This book contains stories in which peoples names and some details of their situations have been changed to protect their privacy.

For David, my wise and discerning nephew who has read each of my books multiple times.

Lover of life and God.

But not a big fan of dogs.

Yet.

TRICKS MY DOG TAUGHT ME

Copyright 2015 Phil Callaway

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Callaway, Phil, 1961-

Tricks my dog taught me / Phil Callaway.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-7369-5946-9 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-5947-6 (eBook)

1. VirtuesAnecdotes. 2. Social skillsAnecdotes. 3. Human-animal relationshipsAnecdotes. 4. DogsAnecdotes. 5. Christian lifeAnecdotes. 6. Callaway, Phil, 1961Anecdotes. I. Title.

BJ1521.C1689 2015

242dc23

2014024310

All rights reserved. No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a nontransferable, nonexclusive, and noncommercial right to access and view this electronic publication, and purchaser agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of authors and publishers rights is strictly prohibited.

Contents

W hile writing this book, I was accosted by several who snickered at my title and the thought of a dog teaching us anything worthwhile. You havent met my dog, was how they put it. One confessed, My dog barks at everything but did nothing when a burglar showed up. I think he helped him carry stuff out. What can I learn from that? Kindness? Servanthood? Another divulged that his dog routinely lies in front of the tires of his parked car and turns up his nose at dog food, preferring the neighbors kitty litter box. We would never allow that behavior in our children, he said.

And he was right. Some of the characteristics we observe in our dogs should not be emulated. For one thing, dogs are incorrigible liars. Let me outside! they beg with a grin. I wont touch the garbage! But they do touch the garbage. Take me with you! they say with their tails. I wont be a problem! But they will be a problem.

Dogs are perjurers.

They are also among the worlds most adept con artists. They can pick your wallet clean, determine when you sleep and when you rise, bite a million Americans a year, and determine which friends are welcomed and which are snarled at.

Dogs are freeloaders.

They steal unattended cookies, mark your territory as theirs, and bark at hair dryers, violins, ornamental cats, and anything that moves faster than a toddler.

Certain dogs have been known to commandeer and hold hostage entire households. An acquaintance, whose name I shall wisely conceal, walks on eggshells in his own home. He tiptoes around his snarling schnauzer, fearful of disturbing its sleep. The dog adores the mans wife but will sometimes try to keep him from her, guarding doorways and barking wildly when he enters a room. His theme song is Who Let the Dogs In? The schnauzer has this man exactly where he wants him. Hes playing him like the bagpipes.

The ancient Romans used the word Canis to mean parasite, hanger-on. But most naysayers will admit that, if nothing else, dogs are brilliant at discovering a chink in our armor, of weaseling their way into our hearts. Who wouldnt admire the cunning of a creature with so many woeful habits that is allowed to share the front seat of our cars?

This is the story of one of those dogs. And how that dog changed a family. Forever.

F or many months a picture clung to our fridge. It was a school assignment brought home by our son Jeffery. Hed finished it on time. Hed received stellar marks. I was proud. And a little surprised. At the top he had written, Wut I wont for Krismus. Below the words was a tree etched in crayon and crowned with a yellow star. Beneath the tree was a gopher. Or a sweater perhaps. I wasnt sure.