Ron Murray had no ambitions of becoming a professional dog trainer. Twenty years ago, he was a newly-married, working-class guy with an unruly German Shepherd puppy. One day, his wife told him to get the dog trained, or get rid of the dog. Admitting his wife had a point, Ron signed up for a dog-training class and took the first fateful step on a journey that would lead him into a decades-long career.
In a few short years, Ron would become the go-to expert in his region for people with problem dogs. He was the one who could rehabilitate highly aggressive dogs, even when other trainers gave up. Simultaneously, he also worked with the owners of fearful and anxious dogs of all sizes—using the same principles that worked for aggressive canines.
Along the way, Ron forged an intense bond with three German Shepherds who, in succession, became his classroom coworkers: Gunther, Taser, and Maverick. In relationship with these canine partners, as well as thousands of human students and their dogs, Ron began to learn about way more than dog training. He began to see the patterns of how people relate to their dogs, how they live their lives, and how the two realms are deeply entangled with each other.
Sit, Stay, Think About It is a dog-lover’s memoir. It’s also a repository of life lessons and deep wisdom. Through this collection of narrative stories and essays, Ron hopes to help people live more effectively with their canine companions, and live life more attentively too.
