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An Open Heart is the third book by Barry J. Schieber about Moritz, the beautiful Bernese mountain dog from Switzerland. He lives in Montana with Schieber and has become a therapy dog. As a canine, he is large, handsome, gentle and generous
- and he has stolen a part of my heart.
In this book, Barry and Moritz take a walk in the mountains near their home. They go on well-traveled and less-hiked trails; they smell flowers; they see squirrels and chipmunks. They enjoy being together outdoors
and share a picnic lunch, both eating cheese as Moritz tells us, “We Swiss dogs love cheese.”
At a certain point, they come across a lovely doe – and then suddenly there is a small lump of something smack in front of Moritz. What it is? Leaves? A pile of dirt? A small animal? Without giving the entire plot away, suffice it to say it is alive and the encounter forms the crux of this story. From Moritz’s reaction to this tiny thing, Barry learns yet another lesson in kindness and tolerance. When you read Schieber’s books, you will see a pattern – of how much the dog has helped the man, not the other way around, although I am sure it is a mutually beneficial relationship.
So many wars are being waged around the world, some of them unjust or unnecessary. This book may provide another perspective of what is possible in relationships, human and otherwise. Those of us who live with and love animals know that some important knowledge can only be gained from the non-human animals.
Moritz will charm you. The illustrations in this book, as in the previous volumes, are highly colorful and striking. Just watch those temptations to get such a Bernese mountain dog yourself – unless you want to live with a big, possibly expensive dog, albeit a loving and generous companion.
Check out Moritz’s website:
www.nose-to-nose.com.
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An Open Heart: A Story about Moritz