You Had Me At "Mutt"

I recently finished reading an excellent dog memoir!! I enjoy true stories about canines and their owners!! But have a difficult time finding books that I wholeheartedly appreciate. Because an author has opinions which I disagree with.... Or else the memoir is dull, and not at all interesting!! Been there, done that!! "Marley & Me" by John Grogan is actually my number one favorite dog memoir. Ever written!! It can be a little rough around the edges in some parts. Grogan's writing is, at times, quite frank. But honestly? Those are the reasons why I love "Marley & Me"!! I own twain different copies of the book, plus I've read it twice!! Well.... Now I have a second favorite dog memoir!! It's called "Come Back, Como: Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Dog", written by Steven Winn. Nice title, huh? This story is about a family of three: Steven, his wife, Sally, and their only daughter, Phoebe. Then they adopt Como, an unusual-looking, pink-nosed, shaggy white, beautifully unique terrier mix!! A Mystery Dog, actually!! Plus, the Winn's adopted Como, age one, from their local shelter!! And, as approximately seventy-five percent of the canines that enter United States "pounds" are mongrels, I commend their decision to go that route!! Highly!! They, like myself when I adopted Rose, contributed to that seemingly lesser mentioned seventy-five percentage!! That's right. What attracted me to "Come Back, Como"? The very fact that he is a mixed breed!! Yep!! You had me at "mutt".... Como was a "bad dog", with this mysterious past. He hated men, especially Steven Winn. Como was also a destructive little escape artist. Being his daughter's main responsibility, and wife Sally's baby, it would have been simple for Winn to give up on Como. But he didn't!! Winn tried, and tried, and tried some more to be Como's friend. But Como was an incorrigible boy!! Set in his ways. Stubborn.... Winn, along with Sally, delved into the terrier mix's uncertain past, best as possible, which is a must when adopting an adult canine!! Seriously. And, eventually, they learned to accept him.... Just the way he is!! There were several heartwarming moments throughout this memoir. Acquiring fully grown dogs is much like getting foster children. They have a history. People owned them before you. And, chances are, those human beings made some training mistakes.... Or worse. I personally have enjoyed "becoming acquainted" with Rose. One-hundred percent!! I have enjoyed solving my little girl's past, mysterious as it may be, based on who she is. I am constantly observing Rose's behavior, and her "personality". I honestly believe that she was once owned by preoccupied, on-the-go, negligent people. They must have had babies/children, because Rose is so wonderful around them!! Perhaps there was marital fighting, for my mongrel literally cowers, shoulders slumped and head low as she walks away whenever anyone raises his/her voice. Or were they always yelling at Rose? She can somehow sense our frustration.... Nobody ever played with her, either. Poor girl.... Which explains why she never interacted with us.... At first. This has been a beautiful journey, as I have "gotten to know" Rose!!