The Ten Perfections: Spiritual Lessons from a Life with Dogs
A Writer Shed Review
Dogs are the most “spirity” of spirit animals. Anyone who has owned one and loved one knows this. The connection between dogs and humans is unmatched and yet the more biologists and animal behavior experts study this relationship, it seems the less we truly understand. It’s complicated, rich, remarkable, and otherworldly.
Much has been written about how dogs and human communicate, how a dog’s emotions — and yes, scientists tell us they have them — meld with our own. Psychologists are certain that the connection between the canine and the human is what’s called “bidirectional attachment bond.” It’s the same kind of relationship between a human and a caretaker, maybe even more like the relationship between infant and parent, showing all the elements of a typical bond between two humans.
But any dog owner knows the relationship can be far deeper than this, bordering on the transcendent, even the mystical.
Author Ellen Finnie explores this side of the relationship in her delightful and thoughtful new book, The Ten Perfections: Spiritual Lesson from a Life with Dogs.
Finnie reflects on her lifetime of loving dogs, what they have taught her, and most importantly, how they have fed her soul. She connects each of the lives of her dogs — all ten of them — to the ten Buddhist qualities of the heart, known as the Ten Perfections. The stories are meditative, mindful, and impactful, showing how life with these incredible companions has enriched her, helped her find happiness, and even transformed her outlook on the world.
In the early stages of this book’s manuscript, I helped Ellen find her way through these stories as a coach. From the start, I knew she had something to say and had the skills to say it well. She has done that in this charming and poignant book.
David W. Berner is the author of several award-winning books of memoir and literary fiction. His poetry collection, Garden Tools will be published in the fall of 2025 by Finishing Line Press and his award-winning novella, American Moon is due out from Regal House in 2026. He has been teaching writing for more than twenty-five years.
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