Learn about the Master while training your best friend
Training your dog to come when called is hard. Putting down that third brownie is even harder. Discipline and obedience are not exactly welcome words for dogs or people. Dingo Devotionals will show you how living within boundaries is not restrictive but the most liberating choice we can make.
Author and boarding kennel owner Lynne Scott noticed the parallels between dog training and faith in God while taking her dogs through obedience classes. Struggling with her own spiritual journey during her husband's battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, dogs in Lynne's care and the on-going training of her Australian Cattle dog, Foster, brought home the message of Trust the Master.
Wise and humorous, Dingo Devotionals provides a unique perspective at the intersection of life and faith.
The Author:
Lynne Scott is a graduate of Ohio Northern University and has operated Good Shepherd Boarding Kennel since 1998 on the Gold Coast of Hardin County, Ohio. She has been a Children's Leader and Secretary for Bible Study Fellowship International, taught Sunday School, leads a local multi-denominational Bible study and is a founding member of ReStore Community Center in Ada, Ohio. She is a sombrero-level member of the El Cantarito Fiesta Society. In addition to Dingo Devotionals, she has written two screenplays.
She can be reached at dingodevotionals@yahoo.com
The Illustrator:
Ellie Miller is Lynne's mother and also has a son, Todd. She lives in Toledo, Ohio where she is a member of the Toledo Artists' Club, Toledo Women's Art League, Northwest Ohio Watercolor Society, the Ohio Plain Air Society, and an Associate member of the Ohio Watercolor Society.
The Dog:
Foster is an eight year old Australian Cattle Dog. At his home, he herds cats, not cattle, and tries to boss the kennel dogs and steal their food when Lynne isn't watching.
“Sit! Sit! Sit!”
Having a kennel, I see Dogs Gone Wild on many occasions. The owner gives a simple command repeatedly, “Sit! Sit! Sit! I said sit!” I watch in quiet amusement. The dog may or may not eventually decide to sit. These are situations where the dog is in full control of his owner.
Successful dog training requires teaching the dog to respond the first time a command is given. When told to “sit,” the dog sits. During the initial training, of course, this is done with patience and the dog is gently put into the sit position. Once the dog understands, a treat is given. Command. Response. Reward.
Once the dog knows what is expected, the dog should respond immediately. And yes, in bigger dogs, sometimes it takes a little longer for the message in the brain to reach the tail end. So response times vary.
I think of the times when God has asked me to do something. I’d say my response time is a bit lacking. Sometimes, He gently puts me in the position I need to learn. But sometimes I ignore His call. He may even call me repeatedly, “Lynne, sit! Be still!” but I still do my own thing.
A dog that is not in control totally frustrates the owner. I’m sure I must frustrate God terribly by how willfully disobedient I can be. When I think about it, it’s downright embarrassing. However, since His mercy and patience is boundless, He doesn’t forsake me. On the other hand, He may decide to ask someone else to do what I ignored, and then I’m the one who’s missed out on something great.
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” Isaiah 30:18