Laurel Stewart: September 2011

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dogs - A list of real dogs that are athletes, real dogs in literature, etc. Lava is included on this list with a short bio on him. You can also find other real dogs who are well known.

http://www.apbspeakers.com/speaker/jay-kopelman - Information on Jay Kopelman and on how to book him for certain speaking events. It includes topic he speaks on. He talks about the war, Lava, and his experiences.

http://www.apdt.com/conf/speakers/bio_kopelman.aspx - Association of Pet Dog Trainers website. Jay Kopelman is a listed speaker. There's information on his struggles with PTSD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLIzyAM5qrQ - A video of Jay Kopelman with Lava after the war. It shows them doing their normal routines in a relaxed way, proving that there is life after the war. Through the video, you can see that Lava and Jay Kopelman got their happy ending..

http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2006-10-01-baghdad-dog-book_x.htm - A newspaper article on Lava, Kopelman, and his family. There are pictures of Lava and Kopelman in their home in California. It also discusses the book.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallujah - Information on Fallujah, which was the setting of most of the book. It discusses the war taking place and it's history. It also talks about the modern era of Fallujah.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/05/eveningnews/main2069276.shtml - A CBS article on Lava and Kopelman. The article talks about Kopelman's fight to rescue Lava. It also has a video with information on Lava and Kopelman.

http://petcarebev.com/2006/10/05/jay-kopelman-and-lava/ - An article by a dog loving blogger discussing the book. She also has insight to Lava and Kopelman because she is friends with a member of the team who helped get Lava to the U.S. She mentions Lava's PTSD and efforts to control it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_(military) - A wikipedia page about Marines. This page gives information about being a Marine, which was the part of the military Kopelman served for. The page gives more insight into what Kopleman experienced as a Marine.

http://bfgb.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/from-baghdad-with-love-by-lieutenant-colonel-jay-kopelman-with-melinda-roth/ - A blog entry on From Baghdad, With Love. It mentions a bit about Kopelman's follow up book. It also recommends to book.

http://grahambloem.com/uncategorized/from-baghdad-to-america-life-lessons-from-a-dog-names-lava - A page with information on Graham Bloem. There's a quote from Kopelman explaining how he helped Lava with his PTSD.

http://www.fetchdog.com/blogs/bookhound/General/from_baghdad_to_america_life - An article on Koeplman's follow up book. It mentions how Kopelman discusses life with Lava after the war. It also talks about Koeplman's lessons he learned from the war once he's back in the U.S.

http://www.clintonschoolspeakers.com/lecture/view/baghad-america-life-lessons-dog-names-lava/ - A video of an event Kopelman spoke at. He discusses life with Lava post war. He also discusess soldiers' struggles to leave the war completely behind.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_warfare - A wikpedia page about dogs who serve in the army. Kopelman often mentions war dogs in the book. A man who helped train war dogs assisted in helping Lava escape.

http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/ - A page dedicated to helping retired military dogs find a good home. In the book, Kopelman says that very few working dogs make it back to the states because they're overly agressive and not suitable for civilians. This is a page on how to adopt a retired military working dog who is capable of having a relaxed civilian life.

http://www.militaryworkingdogs.com/ - A website for Military Working Dog Foundation, Inc. It includes information on adoption and resources also. It has information for those looking to obtain a working dog or adopt a retired working dog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallujah_during_the_Iraq_War - A wikipedia page on Fallujah, Iraq. This particular page is specifically dedicated to Fallujah during the war, which is where the majority of the book took place. It has everything from the invasion of Iraq to the health effects from the ongoing war.

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/apr/05/local/me-dog5 - A newspaper article that covers Lava's arrival to America. It discusses Kopelman's excitement over Lava's arrival. It also details the struggles he faced in rescuing Lava.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Marine_Corps - A wikipedia page on the United States Marine Corps. It discusses the mission and history of the Marines. This will help expand on Kopelman's job as a Marine.

http://www.military.com/news/article/military-dogs-and-their-handlers-share-unique-bond.html - A page talking about the dedication between a military dog and his handler. It gives a new outlook on how both the dogs and handlers are affected by the war. It also emphasises how a military dog can benefit a soldier.

Click to listen to the song.

The song above is called "Cordoba", composed by Isaac Alberiz and played by Dmitri Paperno. The song starts off slow and somewhat timid, which reminds me of how Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman's bond with Lava began. At first, he really doesn't want anything to do with Lava because having a pet in the military is against the rules. Kopelman thinks that Lava will eventually die, so there's no reason to get attached to him unless you want to get upset and distracted. According to Kopelman, Marines should be focused and not distracted by raising a puppy, no matter how cute he is.

The song eventually speeds up and gets slightly louder, which is similar to how quickly Lava grows on Kopelman. He finds it hard to deny Lava when he's always playing with his boots and sleeping in his sleeping bag. Plus, Lava reminds him that he's human and keeps him from getting too emotionally detatched because of the war.