My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace

by David Wheaton

My Boy, Ben is the true and touching story of David Wheaton's close companionship with an unforgettable yellow Lab named Ben. The journey begins with David pursuing his dream on the professional tennis tour yet facing the reality that his desire to get a dog will not be possible while being on the road for months on end.

A surprising letter received under his hotel room door in a faraway country changed everything. And soon David returned home to an unexpected puppy who would have an unimaginable impact on his life.

From the years of joy with his beloved Ben to the crushing grief David experienced upon losing him, My Boy, Ben is a moving story that culminates with the uplifting message of God's grace--a grace that offers comfort and hope.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Animals

264 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2014

Reviews

[Elizabeth Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a very bittersweet experience for me because my own fifteen-and-a-half year old Lhasa Apso is aging so fast, blind in one eye, continence issues but I just can't bring myself to put him down. He's been my baby for SO long. The author David Wheaton expresses so well the feelings of any dog owner worth his salt. There are many biblical references as David is a devout Christian and has no problem sharing his faith. I would recommend it but make sure you have some tissues nearby.

[Melba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was uplifting, and filled with joy & love; however, it was also heartbreaking, and filled with loss & sadness. I am glad that I read this book, and I plan on reading it once again; plus, there are some friends I will share this with soon, because I know it will touch them like it did me.

[Troy Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect read

Great read after losing our Black Lab (Gracie). Helped to understand GOD’S grace! Allows you look at the blessing a dog is to our lives.

[LeAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Wheaton shares deeply in this beautiful memoir of what God taught him about life and himself through his relationship with a wonderful dog named Ben. Of course, as David says, “losing a dog always follows loving one,” and it is in that loss that many of the most meaningful lessons are learned. David is a wonderful storyteller who writes with humor and great feeling as he describes his transition from Utilitarian dog owner to Egalitarian. I’m what David calls a DUD (Doesn’t Understand Dogs), but I enjoyed every moment. As he deals with grief over the loss of his dog, readers facing any kind of grief will be pointed along with him back to the foundation of our hope in God. Like most dog lovers, David wrestles with the question of whether or not his beloved pet is in heaven. I found his answer both satisfying and biblical. [Disclaimer: I was hired by the publisher to edit this book, but these thoughts are entirely my own.]

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender, thoughtful account by a devoted, loyal dog lover; rich with grief and hope and pointing to Jesus as our one true source of life.

[Ziny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spending so many chapters on the horrible death of this sweet dog and the authors inability to make a responsible and quicker decision that caused more suffering for this poor dog was horrible to read.
Yes, some of his takes on grief were correct and well explained, BUT the books ideas were scatterbrained. Meaning - the start of the book makes you think you're reading one thing and then the middle rips your heart out with the dogs horrible death, then the end turns into a deeply religious book that repeats the exact same message over and over and over again!
Blah!
This could have been sumed up in 3 chapters
1 - I love my dog
2 - When a pet dies, it hurts really bad
3 - God is Good
The End

[Carson Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like this book because it was a heart warming story. i like how the story unfolds and it tell the life story of Ben. i would recommend this book as it is a very good book. the people i would recommend it to is people that like outdoors, hunting, and people whom like dogs of course.
there are a couple thing i did not like about it. that is how long the book is. it is also kinda hard to follow along with i felt. I found that some of the wording was difficult for me to read but that's because i read slow.
the theme was about a dog and a guy the adopted him. it teaches the reader some life lessons. they can teach you how to treat and train a dog.

[Pam Schoeff-groth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story for a dog owner written with love from a Christian perspective. I traveled in this book, with David Wheaton, a tennis pro, who choose a beautiful, pure bred Yellow Lab as his companion and friend. David discusses his training and his skills. In variably the dog, Ben encounters sickness and death. Wheaton teaches us how to accept it from a Christian perspective while discussing, “do dogs go to heaven?” and how to move on. It’s an easy read and makes you feel good knowing this story. I’d highly recommend it to pet lovers .

[Kimberly DuBois · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story of a man’a journey to dog ownership and his life falling in love with his dog. It’s a realistic story (nonfiction) and anyone who has ever truly connected with a dog will relate to his story. Have a tissue handy (as in most dog stories) but find the joy too. And maybe have your dog nearby - mine was an 8 month old English Bulldog when I read this book - so you can give him or her lots of hugs and kisses as you read!

[Noelle Vernoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me laugh and cry. All of the emotions! I was pleasantly surprised at what a great writer this ex-pro tennis player is! The book flowed well. I think anyone who has struggled with grief in any way would find this book to be a great source of healing. Someone gifted this to us just after we lost our dog in a tragic accident this summer. It was such a kind gesture. I just wish I had read it sooner. So good!!

[Kellie Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must for those of us who have had a once in a lifetime pet. This book will tear at your heart if you have ever experienced the pain of loving a sweet dog and then having to let them go. The story is interwoven with David's study of the Bible and his relationship with God. It was a beautiful story, dense with Bible passages and his personal journey of discovering God's grace.

[Donna Sparrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

The book was totally relatable. Having lost some very special fur-babies and then finding a way to move on and love others, I could feel the author`s pain as well as joy.

[Will Downend · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was, pretty good, and has a very good message. However, coming with this, it gets a bit boring in the middle, during a part that would spoil the plot, so I am not going to say. Great touching book overall though.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story telling be prepared to ugly cry especially if you have had that special dog that was truer than words can explain. David presented a wonderful story of His boy Ben and God's grace in all of lifes ups and downs.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected this to be about his relationship with his dog, but it was as much about his relationship with God as it was with his dog.

[Kathy]

Nice story. David Wheaton's relationship with his dog, Ben, interspersed with his relationship with God.

[Linda Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best books I've ever read.

[Debbie Bancer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful inspiring book

I enjoyed this book so much , I laughed I cried and I learned some life lessons ! God speaks to us through out trials if we listen .

[Christina Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ordered this book. Had it autographed. Really enjoyed the read. Highly recommend and will always treasure the book. My husband and I have dogs ourselves

[Mike Steinharter · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Nice story about the dog, but didn’t expect and wasn’t really into the evangelism. Not for me.

[Cindy Jeppesen · Rating 5 out of 5]

My boy Ben

Loved every word. I feel God led me to read this book to bring me closer to Him and experience His grace in a more intimate way.

[Amy Brees]

This book was given to me by two friends who knew what I was going through when Baxter died last January. For anyone who has lost a pet this is a great book to read. I highly recommend.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a book about one man's wonderful relationship with his dog, Ben, and details how he dealt with the death of the dog.

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for all who love dogs, but more importantly, for those who have been blessed by the love and friendship given by (insert name of dog).

[Lisa Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have your kleenex ready when reading this book. Great reminder about Grace!

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good
Uplifting Christian book
I had to say goodbye to my dog 10 months ago today after 15 1:2 years. Still miss her.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

(dog, Minnesota, tennis, God)

My Boy, Ben: A Story of Love, Loss and Grace, by David Wheaton (Tristan, 2014, 254 pages, $18.99)

Ben was a serious self-trained gentleman of a self-cleaning Labrador retriever who loved hunting and lakes and his person, David Wheaton. This is the story of his life and of his person’s life pre-Ben and post-Ben.

“Not Over, But Through”

How does one get over the sudden death of one’s dog who had nearly been a one’s fifth appendage for years? Wheaton writes that one never gets ‘over’ it but gets ‘through’ it with the help of friends, family, God , work and a puppy.

Like many dog books, this ‘dog’ book is mostly about the author, who writes about his dog, how he feels about his dog, and what he does with his dog. Though many people do not like books written as if by dogs, I believe readers glean more insight into the man’s best friend that way and feel as if they really get to know the dog in those dog-centric books.

However, this book has so much more than just dogs: love, tennis, training, family, Minnesota (Lake Minnetonka and Lake Superior), the weather and the land and the seasons, and God. It also has a keepable ‘gold’ marbleized hard cover!

Both of Wheaton’s dogs were from excellent, responsible breeders so it came as a surprise to me that he was able to select his dog: he got his pick of the litter. Usually a responsible breeder (especially one whose dogs have won at Westminster) interviews the prospective dog people for their lifestyle, energy level, living quarters, and work schedule, and then selects the puppy that will fit in best, since the breeder knows his puppies so well.

From Wimbledon to Radio: Training a field lab

Rearing and training, loving and caring, feeding and exercising, paying and praying are the activities when one has a dog.

Wheaton was a world-ranked tennis player who came to have a radio show after defeating Michel Chang, Andre Agassi, Ivan Lendl, Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg, and others, so it comes as no surprise when he reads up on dog training before he even has his pup, Ben. Wheaton vowed to make training fun and positive for his best friend – and he did. But he also used a remote collar (page 237) and wrote about housebreaking rather than housetraining (page 224).

Dog trainers in the crowd will be heartened to read about two of the three Ds (distance, duration and distractions), the recommendation to end a training session on a high note when the dog wants more and is doing well, but, on the other hand, because Ben came from such a responsible breeder, he came with nearly a sit, a stay, a come and an OK built-in already, even in off-leash environments. Wheaton still had to ‘enforce the commands’ on occasion (a phrase that makes reward-based trainers cringe). But a redeeming note is the emphasis on sequence training and building blocks. Not bad lessons from a non-dogtrainer!

You will learn the difference between grouse hunting and pheasant hunting, and between pointers (setters) and flushers (springers), pointers being the sports cars of the field dog world and flushers being the SUVs.

You will ponder whether you are an Egalitarian or Utilitarian dog owner. A utilitarian believes a dog should have a job while an egalitarian’s dog is just another family member. Some people are a bit of both and Wheaton gradually changed into an egalitarian dog person.

You will learn that there are show labs and there are hunting (field) labs and even pet labs but, of course Ben could have been all three in the eyes of his family. The three photos are simply stunning, but then, I , too, am a yellow lab person so, of course, I wish there were more photos in My Boy, Ben!

But most of all, you will go on a journey of love for a dog and the choices made and the joy of living with all that Minnesota has to offer (Minnesota is actually the third character in the book)

For more information, see the trailer here. (the link did not copy over - see www.DogEvals.BlogSpot.com)

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was surprised by the beginning of this book.I expected this to be another story about a wonderful, cherished pet. And while Ben was that to his owner, the main reason David Wheaton wanted a dog was so that he could go hunting with it. He was completely obsessed with the idea of having a dog who could flush out pheasants. I would not have read it if I had known that. The first part of the book has a lot of information about choosing and training a dog for hunting. He never mentions what he does with the pheasants, so I can't really say if they went in his freezer, and he cooked them for dinner or if it was just for the fun of killing animals.

The author tells us a lot about how well trained his dog, Ben, was. There weren't any stories in the book that showed a side of Ben doing anything that was less than perfect. I would have enjoyed the book more if there had been.

I did find the account of how he lost Ben to be very sad. It is heartbreaking to lose an animal who becomes a friend and a member of the family. I also appreciated when David opens up about his faith after the death of his dog. If you are reading this book, like I was, because you enjoy heartwarming animal stories with a Christian message, hang in there. The Christian message comes later, and it was worth slogging through all the hunting details to get to it. That's why I gave it four stars.


I do recommend the book. If you are a hunter, you may enjoy this book more than someone like me who would rather not read about hunting; however, I appreciated David's thoughts about God's grace.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Boy, Ben, is the true and touching story of David Wheaton's close companionship with an unforgettable yellow Lab named Ben.

I truly enjoyed the first 60% of this book. Wheaton's telling of how Ben became a part of his life and their life together was well written and even had me laughing out loud at times. After that the book went down hill for me.

Instead of a story about a man and his dog it became very filled with scripture and how scripture and David's faith helped get him through the tremendous loss of his dog. I have NO problems at all with scripture and faith in God. I'm a Christian myself, but there was a little to much here for me. I found myself skimming pages. The story of Ben became lost in the scripture quotes.

I've lost pets before, but can't recall ever feeling the total loss that David appears to have felt. I just couldn't identify with David's feelings of loss. Perhaps that's why I didn't enjoy the parts right after Ben's death. It was dark and depressing after the laughter of the first half of the book.

The story of how Grace came to be in his life was good, but I still found myself skimming to get to the end of the book.

I would recommend this book to animal lovers who don't mind reading of the loss of animals or mind reading Christian/faith filled books.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Sandra Perez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been trying to figure out what is the attraction of dog and their owner! This is the second book on this quest. I gave this three stars not because of the writing style. Wheaton has a depth to his writing that pulls you in. I believe there is a gap in the book that I felt could have brought me into this dog-loving world. I was looking for stories of companionship and bonding between owner and dog. The story builds from the challenges of puppyhood for 1/3 of the book and then we jump ahead eight years later at the end of his life with the remainder of the book on how the owner deals with it. I would hope that all of us non-dog lovers can re-interpret his Christian dilemmas to a more human level. I still can't wrap my arms around this bonding phenomenon.