Frankie the Walk ‘N’ Roll Dog

Thank you, Margay for having me as a guest on your blog today! I am honored to be here to share with your readers how my wheelchair-bound dachshund, Frankie, has made me look at things in a new way.

If Frankie could walk again, would I want that for her? Yes, I would. Something interesting though stirs inside me in regards to this issue.

When Frankie was first hurt I thought the only possible outcome that made sense was for her to walk again. I did everything I emotionally and financially could do. I poured a lot of energy into trying to do all I could to ensure that Frankie would walk again despite the odds.

While I believe we must give it all we’ve got, I also believe we have to look inside ourselves and come to appreciate acceptance for what an outcome might be. If this is the hand we are dealt we must look for the reason why, and find the best possible way to learn from it.

One thing I never expected with sharing Frankie’s story was the connection she would share with kids with special needs. I can only imagine the heartache special needs children go through just wanting to be accepted for who they are. They did not ask for the challenges they were handed. Just as a sibling who has a sister or brother with special needs didn’t ask for this either. But how can they come to an understanding and acceptance of this?

When I brought Frankie home as a pup I never expected she would end up in a wheelchair someday. When I made the decision to get her a wheelchair, I will be honest and say I was apprehensive about what other people would think or say. Would they think it mean of me to put my dog in a wheelchair?

I realized it was up to me, and only me, to hold my head high, and know deep within my heart this was the right thing to do. I am not ashamed of Frankie. In fact I am so proud of this little dog whose spirit is so large she taught me to not be afraid of what I believed in. Frankie never once felt sorry for herself. That is the beauty of animals and what they teach us.

How can a child of a sibling with special needs accept that sibling? I am by no means someone who can speak from experience in that category, but I can only say what I have learned from Frankie. It is something I try to help children understand now when I speak at schools in our area.

Frankie, nor I, asked for this to happen to us. I could be mad or sad about this for the remainder of my life, but what would that change? I realized I always have a choice to a situation I am facing. Whatever higher spirit you believe in, I believe that God did not give us challenges to punish us. He gives them to us because he knows we can handle them. He also knows we will learn and grow from them. The best thing we can do with a challenging situation we learn from is to pass that lesson on, and to share it with others in hopes we can help make their lives a bit easier.

The biggest thing I learned from Frankie that I hope can help another child is that Frankie is still Frankie. She only looks different because of the wheels. Nothing else about her has changed. She is the same dog, wanting to do all the same dog things she did before she hurt herself. She still runs and plays, she still loves cuddle time, she still loves spa night, and she still especially loves giving kisses.

Just like any human being in the world, we all want to be accepted whether we have special needs or not. And let’s face it; we all have challenges in our lives. We always will. It is what we do with those challenges that can not only change our life for the better, but those around us as well. And believe it or not, I learned all of this and more from my special little dachshund. I consider myself one of the luckiest people in the world to say I am Frankie’s mom.

My Review

Told from the point of view of Frankie, a spunky Dachsund with a big heart, Frankie, the Walk ‘n’ Roll Dog is an uplifting story of a brave little pooch facing adversities we humans can easily identify with: disabilities. Frankie is an active and playful dog until an accident takes away her ability to walk. Her back legs paralyzed, she must undergo surgery and physical therapy. Still, she cannot use her back legs, so her owners discover a new way for her to get around – a cart! They have one specially designed for Frankie and soon, she finds herself actively pursuing her life as she did before the accident.

When I first became aware of this book, I was interested in it because I am raising a daughter with disabilities and though hers are more of an emotional and behavioral nature, they still present many challenges when dealing with every day issues – such as the perception of others regarding her problems. Frankie eloquently addressed these issues in her story, making me forget, for a moment, that I was reading about a dog and not another girl. I think this story will have that affect on everyone who reads it, including children with disabilities. This story shows that, despite our differences, despite our issues or disabilities, we still have a lot to contribute to society and our lives and experiences could make a difference to others. I would recommend this book to people of all ages. It serves as a good reminder that we are only limited by our own ideas of what we can and cannot do. This book is a treasure.

Thank you for reading about Barbara Techel and Frankie the Walk ‘n Roll Dog. To learn more, and to order a copy of this multi-award winning picture book, please visit http://www.joyfulpaws.com/

Other Sites to Check Out:

Barbara’s Blog: http://joyfulpaws.typepad.com/

Frankie’s Blog: http://frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com/

To See the Tour Schedule: http://virtualblogtour.blogspot.com/2009/05/frankie-walk-n-roll-dog-virtual-book.html

There will be a SPECIAL OFFER FOR VISITORS TO THE VIRTUAL BLOG TOUR. Each guest who comments on a post in Barbara and Frankie’s tour will be entered in a drawing for some fun, unique gifts that will especially appeal to Frankie fans and other dog lovers. We will give away several items from Frankie’s store — http://www.cafepress.com/Joyfulpaws. These include two Frankie t-shirts and two Frankie tote bags.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY USE:

About Barbara Techel

Barbara is a writer and animal lover. Her column, “For the Love of Animals” has appeared in the Depot Dispatch. Frankie the Walk ‘n Roll dog, her first children’s book, was awarded the 2008 National Best Book Award (children’s picture book soft cover) by USA Book News, the Merial Human-Animal Bond Award by Dog Writer’s Association of America, and the Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review. It was also a finalist in the 2008 Indie Excellence Awards. Frankie herself was inducted into the 2009 Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame.

About Frankie the Walk ‘n Roll Dog

Frankie is a dachshund, and this story is told from her point of view. She survives the normal challenges of puppyhood, including a struggle with house training, after Barbara and John adopt her. After a spinal injury, her human family nurtures her through a long period of rehabilitation and buys her a custom-fitted wheelchair. It takes a while to adapt to her new wheels, but soon she is joyfully rolling and playing.

Barbara wrote this book to offer hope and inspiration to people who face challenges. A lifelong animal lover, she realized Frankie’s paralysis was an opportunity to spread a positive message.