About Tracy Beckerman

Why I Wrote Barking at the Moon

When I was growing up, we had a dog. And then we got another dog. And another after that. We always had dogs… big dogs… and honestly, I couldn’t imagine a home without a dog. Life could not be complete without a dog at your feet during dinner, waiting for you to drop some food, or a dog in the yard running to catch a frisbee, or a dog going through the garbage and then yakking on your rug. When the time came and I had my own family, it wasn’t even a question in my mind that we would get a dog. A big dog. But then there was my husband to consider who had grown up with small dogs and wanted a small dog. I decided, if push came to shove, I would pick the big dog over my husband and that would be the end of that.

We had our dog Riley for ten years and I raised him and my children together. He was the perfect frisbee-dog, and lay under the table-dog, and fill your heart with love-dog. He was a big part of our family and a big presence in our lives and he helped take us from the Kindergarten years to the College years. For me, he was the perfect dog, and furry child, and best friend. But he was more than that. Riley also helped me navigate my own transition from young motherhood to seeing the first signs of becoming an empty nester. He made me realize how fast time goes and how important it is to take time to stop and smell the fire hydrants.

I wrote this book for all the other moms who know that having fur in your food is a small price to pay for having a dog. I also wrote it as a thank you to Riley, who will always be a treasured part of our memories as a family. His legacy lives on... even if the family room rug he yakked on didn’t.