From the simple joys of owning his first puppy through to handling security dogs and training owners worldwide, Steve Mann has seen it all. Every day, he witnesses the power of dogs to change lives and help people in all sorts of ways. Now, for the first time, he shares stories from his wide and varied career as the UK’s top dog trainer. Meet Pele, the lightning-fast greyhound that refused to chase a mechanical hare. Meet Alfa, Steve’s beloved German shepherd for whom Steve traded in his car to follow his dream. Meet a dog called ‘Dog’, who changed Steve’s life and taught him that laughter is the key to unlock learning. Meet Woofy, who helped a ten-year-old boy (and Steve) overcome anxiety. And three-legged Maggie, who taught Steve that imposter syndrome is the real imposter, and that life is about doing the best you can with what you have. Filled with tales from the frontlines of dog training, discover what Steve learned from the livestock-working dogs of Australia, the body language conversations of ‘desert dogs’ in the Middle East, and the potential pitfalls of working with dogs on live TV. Chronicling a lifetime spent with dogs, this book takes the reader on a journey from first love, to handling the grief of death, with everything that life throws at you in between. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll hold your dog just that bit closer.
