b"books, movies & musicDean Koontz manages to weave a dog into many of his Not all dogs raised and trained to be service dogs make itnumber one New York Times bestsellers, most of which are into the CCI program. Those dogs are called release dogs. If afictional thrillers. A Big Little Life, also a New York Times best- dog fails out of the program for any reason, it is first offered backseller, is not fiction, but a memoir; a love letter he shares with to the puppy raiser, a volunteer who lives, raises and trains thethe reader that is funny, and oftentimes, very, very personal. dog for about sixteen months. Sometimes the puppy raiser is notHe reveals, for instance, the emotions of a tumultuous child- able to fit one more dog into their home, or their circumstanceshood, the wonderful relationship have changed. hehaswithhiswife,andthe Judi Pierson, the director of the Southwest Chapter of CCI,inner workings of how he writes often encouraged the Koontz's to adopt one of the release dogsandthebusinessofwriting, from their program. While they longed to say yes, they wereitself. concerned they would not be able to give the dog the time andGoldenshaveversatile attention it needed.brow muscles that allow them a EachtimeKoontzwiderangeoffacialexpres- wroteastorythatsions. Theyweartheirhearts included adog,hison their fur. Trixie was inno- yearningforonePhotograph by Al Brittain.centandjoyful,butalsoat grew.Readersandtimes enigmatic and solemn. critics alike said heI learned as much from this hadanuncannygooddogasfromallmy knackforwritingyearsinschool,writes convincinglyaboutKoontz. .becausebeauty dogs,sometimesoothes the troubled mind The author, Dean Koontz, and Trixie. writingfromaand inspires, a dog can be a dogs point of view.living work of art, a constant reminder of the When a story contained a canine character, I always felt espe-exquisite design and breathtaking detail of nature. Beauty on cially inspired, as if some angel watching over me was trying tofour paws.tell me that dogs were a fundamental part of my destiny., saidAs a dog lover, and human who has once been owned by a Koontz.Golden Retriever, I found myself nodding my head up and In1998,Trixie,theGoldenRetriever,cameintothedown in affirmation many times while reading the book. Koontzslifenotasapuppybutasahighlyeducatedandrefinedyoungladyofthree. Asaconsequenceofelbow Dogs live most of life surgery,shehadtakenearlyretirementfromacareerasanin Quiet Heart. assistance dog. She lived with them for nine years, changingtheirlivesforever. Onceyouvehadawonderfuldog,lifeHumans live mostly next door without one is a life diminished.in Desperate Heart. He reveals many layers of his dog, her innate joy, her keenNow and then will do you good intelligence. He writes, in what he feels is his most profoundrevelationof Trixie: .therecognitionoftheunblemishedto live in our zip code.innocence of her soul compared to mine or to that of anyTrixie Koontz, a joyful dog. human being. She didnt need a new Ferrari or a week in Vegasto know joy. For her, bliss was a belly rub, a walk on a sunny dayKoontz and his wife Gerda have been longtime supportersor in the rain, for that matteran extra cookie when it was-of Canine Companions for Independence, the organization that nt expected, a cuddle, a kind word. She lived to love and toraises, trains and pairs assistance dogs with children or adults. He receive love, which is the condition of angels, writes Koontz.first learned of the organization while doing research for his If she could talk, Koontz said of Trixie, she would have beennovel,Midnight,thatincludedacharacterinawheelchair. a stand up comedian. She taught the self-proclaimed workaholicKoontz was so taken with their work that he specified the fic- to slow down and be grateful for the moment. tionaldoginMidnight,Moose,wasCCI-trained. Thebook The only wisdom is humility, which engenders gratitude,would be Koontz's first book to reach number one on the best- and humility is the condition of the heart essential for us toseller list, and caught the attention of CCI. They asked him if he know peace, writes Koontz, one of many gems throughout thiswould add a paragraph at the end of the paperback edition to lovely book.promote them and to provide the address of their national head- A Big Little Life, by Dean Koontz, published by Bantamquarters in Santa Rosa, California. Books Trade Paperbacks, New York. DeanKoontz.com U74THE NEW BARKER www.TheNewBarker.com"