Ricochet: Riding a
Wave of Hope with the Dog who Inspires Millions, by Judy Fridono (author)
and Kay Pfaltz (writer) (Health Communications, 2014, 274 pages, $18.95)
Who doesn’t Know and
Love Ricochet, That California Canine Surfin’ Dude?
Who hasn’t seen Ricochet, the golden retriever, surfing with
special needs kids to raise funds ($380,000 to date) for therapy and for
service dogs? Ricochet is also a friend of wounded warriors, kids who are
bullied, and Oprah.
Who hasn’t watched the YouTube videos again and
again, perhaps with tears in your eyes at the profound calming effect Ricochet creates,
as if she somehow knows just who needs her, approaches that person gently
(perhaps to surf with him or her), and absorbs their anxieties?
Pink is Her Color but
She is More than a Live ”Barbie Dog”
Ricochet is a dark red, golden retriever who wears a pink
wetsuit-life preserver and often surfs on a pink surfboard (she is a girl dog,
after all), but she is so much more than just a live “Barbie dog.” She has an
uncanny canine ability to sense the one who needs her and to bring that person
into the here and now, even to take on his or her pain, if only for a little
while, but the good memories remain, as well as new confidence and hope for the
future.
The Rest of the Story
Yes, we know that Ricochet is a surfin’ dog but how did she
become such a gentle athlete?
Ricochet was born into a new, small service dog organization
and received early training, including balance exercises and boogie board games
which serve her well on a surfboard as she adjusts her position with the waves
to balance her precious human cargo.
Ricochet started out life as a puppy
service-dog-in-training, smart at a whip, sometimes learning a skill after only
one trial. Yet, suddenly she lost interest. Was becoming a service dog not her
dream job after all, not what she was meant to be? Perhaps she was meant to
help millions of people, not just one person as a service dog.
Judy Fridono, Rico’s trainer, became more and more
frustrated until one day at the beach, Rico showed her stuff (Rico was not the
first surfing dog: competitions exist by the dozens, many of them soon to be
won by this gentle golden.) and Judy finally listened to her dog.
Then came the brilliant idea to have Rico surf on a board
next to young Patrick on his board. After one trial, the dog jumped onto
Patrick’s board and a new ‘sport’ was founded – tandem adaptive surfing with
Ricochet still being the sole SURFice dog.
Ricochet is now well-known, just like the two wonderful
service-dog-in-training-drop-outs of author Dean Koontz, who has been owned by
two wonderful service-dog-in-training drop-out authors, Trixie
and Anna,
also golden retrievers.
But Sometimes Less is
More
Again, it’s another book that is so much about the author and Fridono
does anthropomorphize Rico a bit much. The book is long and round-about: the
author opens with a tragic accident, then spends a long chapter on her own
childhood. Both these chapters finally come together but it takes perhaps too
long for this reviewer.
In addition, references to coincidences and the same
anecdotes abound and are referred to over and over. Ricochet, the book, would be more effective as a shorter version about a spiritual lesson for living.
The author has her own service dog, Rina, who has a lovely
story herself, but, for another book. Ricochet
takes too long to get to Ricochet and then leaves Rina in her wake.
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Ricochet is
available in your local neighborhood bookstore and will hopefully soon be
followed by a children’s book.
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