The Power of the Pack: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Dog Trainer

In his moving personal memoir The Power of the Pack, Pierce H. Russell Jr. relates the story of how he discovered his life's passion while deployed overseas in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War era. Stationed at Camp Ames with the 110th MP (Military Police) Company in South Korea in the early 1970s, the author made a life-changing switch from working as an accountant with the Motor Pool to handling and training one of the powerful sentry dogs in the MP dog platoon.

With humor and insight, Russell recounts his early years growing up in a household of strong personalities, conflict, and rigid expectations. He tells of the time in his childhood when he encountered and befriended his first dog, a lonely boxer who offered him love, solace and steadfast companionship.

Traveling west across the country after serving in Korea and graduating from Dean Junior College, the author eventually settled in Phoenix, Arizona where he began a business training and boarding dogs. Finding purpose and redemption while working and living with canines, Russell was inspired to develop a positive dog training system. He explains the pack dynamics that are key to building clear communication, harmony, and a loving bond between you and your dog. In the last section of The Power of the Pack, Russell profiles a variety of the troubled but endearing dogs he has worked with over his career.