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Title details for Tales of Al by Lynne Cox - Available

Tales of Al

The Water Rescue Dog

by Lynne Cox
Suzanne Barbetta
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
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The moving, inspiring story of Al, the ungainly, unruly, irresistible Newfoundland puppy who grows up to become a daring rescue dog and super athlete—part of Italy's elite, highly specialized corps of water rescue dogs who swoop out of helicopters and save lives.
Lynne Cox—acclaimed best-selling author of Swimming to Antarctica—is internationally famous for swimming the world’s most difficult waterways without a wet suit, and able to endure water temperatures so cold that they would kill anyone else, recognizes and celebrates all forms of athleticism in others, human or otherwise. And when she saw a video of a Newfoundland dog leaping from an airborne helicopter into Italian waters to save someone from drowning, Cox was transfixed by the rescue, and captivated by the magnificence, physicality, and daring of the dog. 
 
Tales of Al is the moving, inspiring story of Cox’s adventures on Italy’s picturesque Lake Idroscalo, as witness to the rigorous training of  one of these spectacular dogs at SICS, the famed school that has taught hundreds of dog owners how to train their dogs—Newfoundlands, German shepherds, and golden retrievers—for this rescue operation. Cox writes about coming to know the dog at the book’s center, Al herself, from puppyhood, an adorable but untrainable chocolate Newfoundland—about the dreams, expectations, disappointments, and vision of her trainer and about realizing the dog’s full potential; striving with all of her canine might to become an expertly trained, highly specialized water rescue dog.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 24, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593590171
      • File size: 141848 KB
      • Duration: 04:55:30

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      March 28, 2022
      The training of water rescue dogs gets a belabored treatment in this rambling blend of memoir, travelogue, and canine adventures from open-water swimmer Cox (Swimming in the Sink). As she relates, her obsession began unexpectedly, when, one day, she stumbled upon a video of a Newfoundland performing a rescue in Lombardy’s Lake Iseo: “I had never seen a dog leap from a helicopter... a dog that courageous.” Immediately “transfixed,” Cox set off to learn more, reaching out to Scuola Italiana Cani Salvataggio—a school of rescue dogs that works with the Italian Coast Guard to help patrol Italian waters—and traveling to Northern Italy. While she recounts meeting and falling in love with the Newfoundland of the book’s title, a charming underdog, most of this is dedicated to meandering anecdotes about exercise and play, famous Newfoundlands—including one that saved 163 people from a wrecked ship in 1828—and memories of her own childhood pooches. The tone is buoyant, but, unfortunately, the prose is flat (reminiscing on her old Labrador, Cox writes, “Everyone in the neighborhood knew Cody. Everyone loved him and he loved everyone”), rendering even the most intriguing musings tiresome. The result is an initially promising account that ultimately feels lost at sea.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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