Big Dog Fun by Thomas Wikman + My Library Prizes + Podcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1bKmdGi98yHTSe70pLcbyf?si=783c12868d9f4f5c

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Libraries, those humble and great cathedrals filled with shelves and staff dedicated to books, are prizes in and of themselves. Perhaps soon my novels will be among their shelves, once I find a great literary agent. So imagine how fun it was when I answered their call to share library love on social media — and won two awards.

Dogs, in addition to libraries, are invaluable to the writing life. My dear K-D doggie makes sure I get out of my chair to chase balls, stroll, play, share affection, and laugh with her. She ensures I’ll never suffer from writer’s block, given how her antics make for one great story after another. Think Marmaduke comic strips and All Creatures Great and Small short stories for a couple of examples of how they fascinate so many of us.

Today’s guest, author Thomas Wikman, grew up in Sweden. Now he blogs about Leonberger dogs out of his home in Dallas, Texas, where he retired from software/robotics engineering. The breed is huge, cuddly, and smart. His beloved Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, aka Bronco, charmed him, his wife, and their kids for 13 years. That’s a lot of dog stories, not even figuring in those of his other dogs. Check out his website for more on him and his books.

Here he shares some of those tails — er, hem — tales — as well as how he came to publish his stories…

The Adventures of a Leonberger by Thomas Wikman

Bronco wasn’t our only dog, but our world wouldn’t have been the same without him. For instance, he once saved the life of our pug by fending off an attack from another dog. He probably saved our Labrador’s life, too, by sniffing out an impending insulin shock before it happened. Then there was the time he scared off a trespasser who’d been terrorizing my wife and other women in the neighborhood. He gave us several dozen amazing and funny stories.

Bronco is no longer with us, but even in his passing he was distinctive. Leonbergers tend to live less than nine years—but Bronco came very close to reaching his thirteenth birthday. In fact, he received an award for longevity called the “Grey Muzzle Award.”  We already knew he was a special dog, but we sent his DNA to two labs for research upon the request by the Leonberger Health Foundation International.

The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle by Thomas Wikman

I also wrote a book about Leonbergers and about Bronco’s many adventures: The Life and Times of Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle, Stories and Tips from thirteen years with a Leonberger. 

My father-in-law was the first one to suggest that I write a book about Bronco. We were sitting around after dinner telling stories about Bronco soon after that he had passed away. We were laughing and recounting what an amazing dog he was. We all missed him very much. However, it wasn’t until the founder of the Leonberger Double Digit Club, a Facebook group, told me the same thing that I decided to do it. The Leonberger Double Digit Club was for people who owned or had owned Leonbergers reaching the age of ten. Every time a Leonberger reached the age of twelve, and thus received the Grey-Muzzle Award, there were big celebrations in the group. I fondly remember when this happened to us. 

I can add that the Leonberger Double Digit Club was a very supportive and well-run group. It certainly was not one of those many awful Facebook groups founded by a “want-to-be influencer” who push their own agendas while restricting the input from members and using their photos and creations without attribution. The stories about Bronco that I told in the group were appreciated and one day the founder of the group told me that I needed to write a book. My father-in-law helped me find a freelance editor, Barbara Clark, who edited my book and helped me with the self-publishing process. She also found me an affordable illustrator, Naomi Rosenblatt. I can add that all royalties from my book are donated to the Leonberger Health Foundation International.

Below I am sharing one of the shorter stories from my book. Bronco often took it upon himself to be the protector of small dogs and small animals.

Bronco’s Hamster Search and Rescue by Thomas Wikman

Back when Bronco was young, the kids had pet hamsters—Moldova and Montenegro. The hamsters escaped from their cages sometimes, but Bronco usually helped us find them whenever they did. Claudia would tell him, “Bronco, find the hamsters,” and he would go around the house sniffing until he found them. One time he found them in the linen closet; another time he found them on a shelf in the living room.

On one occasion, a friend of David trusted us with his two hamsters while he and his family went on vacation. A couple of days later, Claudia noticed that the two hamsters were missing from their cage. The next thing she noticed was that Bronco’s cheeks looked puffy, so she said, “Bronco, drop it!” Out came the two hamsters, both unconscious.

In a panic, Claudia started performing CPR on the unconscious hamsters. She put one hamster at a time in her hand and gently compressed each tiny chest using the finger of the other hand.

Fortunately, one hamster revived right away. The CPR didn’t seem to be working on the other hamster, but Claudia put both of them back in their cage, and soon the second hamster also woke up. We decided to keep the incident to ourselves. Hamsters don’t squeal.

The question is, Did Bronco try to eat the hamsters? Or did he simply find them and pick them up, intending to alert us to their presence? I’ve asked several people this question, including some who know Leonbergers well. The answer they give is that he tried to save them from whatever danger he thought they might have been in. If he wanted to eat them, they say, he would have tried chewing them. But clearly, he didn’t. 

The hamsters may have felt differently about the situation and may have fainted from the shock. Who knows? Bronco was a hero on many occasions, but this time, perhaps, he was a hamster superhero.

By the way, please also visit my Facebook and my Instagram.

How do you make sure to laugh at least once a day?