I had the honor of speaking with Dr. Chris Blazina about his most recent book, One Unwavering Friend: Heartwarming Tales of Men and Dogs. His book is a fascinating compendium of historical tales, from Odysseus to Freud to Dickens and Darwin, as he describes the deep and lasting bond that often forms between men and their dogs.

Chris Blazina, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and retired professor. He currently practices in the Albuquerque, New Mexico, area. His work focuses on the bond between men and their canine companions in research, historical context, and clinical practice. This is his eighth book.

Why did you write One Unwavering Friend?

CB: It seemed like a natural extension of the work I have been doing concerning the special bond between men and their dogs. Embedded within the title is a specific meaning—the hardwiring we have to seek meaningful relational connections throughout our lifetimes, even among those who may have found success in their professional lie as many of the men in the book had. Having one unwavering friend is a psychoanalytic rule of thumb that has heavily influenced my practice as a psychologist. We need one steady connection throughout our life. Sometimes it comes in the form of a canine companion.

The collection of 20 stories concerning thinkers, healers, artists, and underdogs from the past two hundred years or so, all point to the same direction—trying to understand the special place dogs occupied in these men’s life. For instance, Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Napoleon, and Freud all have compelling backstories. Ones where dogs occupied a special place and meaning. My task in the book was to uncover as much as I could regarding their life and place the meaning of the human-animal bond squarely in it. Depending upon the source material, we can see some very interesting things. Darwin wrote his book about human and animal emotions with his dog Polly in her basket next to his writing desk. She has a cameo in Darwin’s book, her likeness illustrating dog emotions. This came at a time in Darwin’s life when his theory of evolution was gaining some acceptance and, at a personal level, when some of his early trauma from the loss of his mother seemed to abate. What better way for someone like Darwin to approach uncomfortable emotions than from an intellectual position, with his dog literally by his side.

Dickens also had a special bond with dogs, especially in his turbulent middle age. As his marriage crumbled, walks with his dogs were especially important to him. Dogs become a source of inspiration. He kept little statues of them on his writing desk and carried them in his coat pocket. Dog themes also appear in his writing. Characters could be summed up by the way they treated animals. Dickens even made reference to his own sense of being a stray.