The Education of Will: Healing a Dog, Facing My Fears, Reclaiming My Life

When a troubled and aggressive young border collie named Will enters Dr. Patricia McConnell’s life, she is confronted with a problem that she has never faced in her decades working as a world-renowned animal behaviorist. Her special connection with Will triggers memories of harrowing traumas in Patricia’s own life and unearths a secret she had long repressed. In order to save Will from his dangerous behavior, Patricia must summon the courage to address her own buried emotional pain. On her journey to healing, with Will as her trusted companion, she transforms fear into compassion, confusion into insight, and isolation into empathy. Beautifully written, interweaving enlightening accounts of other dogs she has helped with tales of her deepening bond with Will, The Education of Will chronicles Patricia’s fight to reclaim her life—and relieve Will’s fears in the process. Hopeful and inspiring, their story reminds us that, while trauma from the past casts a long shadow, healing is possible—for both people and dogs.