The Educated Dog

For dog lovers, their own pet is always the world's best dog. When writer Joyce Sherry hears others talk about their dogs, she smiles and nods, but she knows the truth. Her dog, Cleo the Bedlington Terrier, is honestly, without doubt, hands down, the most wonderful dog in the world. This is the story of how a woman, no more eccentric than the rest of us, finds a way to train a terrorist--uh--terrier to be a therapy dog at a school for extraordinary teenagers.

For dog lovers, their own pet is always the world's best dog. When writer Joyce Sherry hears others talk about their dogs, she smiles and nods, but she knows the truth. Her dog, Cleo the Bedlington Terrier, is honestly, without doubt, hands down, the most wonderful dog in the world. This is the story of how a woman, no more eccentric than the rest of us, finds a way to train a terrorist--uh--terrier to be a therapy dog at a school for extraordinary teenagers. Reflections on life, education, and the way of the canine join with stories about raising dogs and children to form a tapestry of love. The Educated Dog carries us from the first sighting of the "lamb on a leash" (a frequent remark about the appearance of Bedlingtons) to Cleo's triumphant success as a certified therapy dog.

Currently, Joyce serves as Dean of Students at an extraordinary independent school on the Central Coast of California, helping to shepherd hundreds of remarkable teenagers through adolescence. She has also worked as a journalist, actor, and director. As a playwright, she collaborated with Ray Bradbury on an adaptation of his novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes. Her short plays have won numerous awards. Joyce's book is an outgrowth of her weekly blog, also titled The Educated Dog. Thanks to her stories about Cleo the Bedlington Terrier, she is known internationally as Cleo's Mom.