Evangelist, Billy Graham, died yesterday at the age of 99, and whatever our backgrounds regarding faith, few can describe the man’s impact as inconsequential. He preached the Christian message to some 200 million people, counseled twelve consecutive sitting U.S. presidents,  built institutions, refused to allow segregated seating among his Little Rock, Arkansas audience in 1959, and did more to make evangelicalism a mainstream movement in America than anyone else.

For dog owners who can’t relate to the man on a religious level, perhaps this will help: Graham’s wife, Ruth, often said that during her husband’s long absences to preach the gospel, she got some of her most effective child-rearing techniques from a dog-training manual in which suggestions included keeping commands simple and at a minimum, seeing to it that they were obeyed, rewarding obedience with praise, and being consistent. She added, “Every parent should read at least one good book on dog training. … It is a fine kettle of fish when our dogs are better trained than our children.”

Why the Grahams had a dog training manual in the first place was because they were a family of dog owners, and their home was often described as a veritable Noah’s Ark.  Family dogs included a Great Dane, Boxer, Poodle, Collie, German Shepherd Dog, and Great Pyrenees named, “Belteshazzar.”  We shouldn’t forget the surrogate dog,  “Bunny,” a deodorized skunk.

In the end, Billy Graham’s sentiment about dogs is summed up in his quote: “God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he’ll be there.” 

RIP, Billy Graham.