A Dog Named Mattis

12 Lessons for Living Courageously, Serving Selflessly, and Building Bridges from a Heroic K9 Officer

By: Mark Tappan

Narrated by: Mark Tappan

Read by the author.

Take a ride-along with Sergeant Mark Tappan and his amazing K9 partner Mattis, whose heroic actions will inspire you to live courageously, serve selflessly, and love passionately because every human (and dog) has a purpose.

Sergeant Mark Tappan shares a unique bond with his K9 partner Mattis, one of the most decorated police K9s of all time. Mark knew from the first time they interacted that Mattis was something special. As a man of deep faith, Mark also knew that God's most profound teaching often comes through the most unexpected sources, and he soon realized that Mattis was going to teach him about loyalty, selfless service, and so much more.

In A Dog Named Mattis, Mark shares twelve life lessons he's learned from working with Mattis. Through these first-hand accounts of bravery and service, you will learn profound lessons, like:

• being willing to 'go all in' and work with all your heart even when things are uncertain,
• how persistence pays off when you are willing to stick with what you know is right,
• how to be strong and courageous in the face of adversity,
• and much more.

You will also get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of police K9s and gain a deeper understanding of:

• the many ways that K9 units assist police departments,
• what a K9 officer's daily life looks like,
• what kind of training police dogs and their handlers must go through,
• how a police dog is tested and selected,
• and the lengths a dog will go to in order to complete their mission.

A Dog Named Mattis will capture the hearts of dog lovers everywhere and remind you that true success is built on relationships filled with trust, communication, and love.

The photos can be found in the audiobook companion PDF download.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Mark Tappan (P)2024 Thomas Nelson

It will make you feel all the feels

A dog named Mattis

Where does one start in describing the adventure you go in within this book? I purchased the audiobook bc with a newborn sitting down to read isn’t always the easiest thing. However I was able to listen to it, in a day, while commuting to her drs appt and back and doing other activities. I’ve since listened to it another 2 times.

First of all, the fact that you get to hear Mark Tappan narrate the book is the best. You get to feel the same feelings he had. The pride, the excitement, the fear, the pain, the joy, the passion. You can hear the heartache in his voice as he tells you about his 1st K9 partner and about Mattis’ accident, the pure tenacity of his journey into being a handler, the pride in being Mattis’ partner and best friend, the passion he has for the job and the training that comes with it all.

It’s clear that Mark and Mattis were meant to be together. I’ve seen their connection since the first time I saw them competing on Americas Top Dog, when he hit that water with Mattis it was the absolute coolest thing. “Where he goes, I go.” I didn’t know Mattis’ story the night I watched him On America’s Top Dog but he stole my heart right then. When I stumbled on Mark and Mattis on TikTok it was impossible not to love the duo. Mark and Mattis share an incredible bond and remarkable partnership. They’re love and respect they share for each other is incredible and there’s no doubt Mark and Mattis have learned from the best to become the best.

Whether you read or listen to this book you will 100% laugh, cry, cheer them on, share in the joys, snicker at the dumb criminals, whoop with joy when they persevere. You’ll Al’s be in constant awe of how smart Mattis really is. You will truly come out with not only a better perspective on what it takes to be a K9 handler/officer but also how to be a better human. It will give you plenty to reflect upon.

Thank you Mark for writing such a great book and for sharing your best friend with all of us. Thank you for sharing your passion with us. The world is a better place bc you and Mattis are in it.

An incredibly special relationship between a man and his dog.

Inspirational story of love, determination and perseverance with a very special dog and his handler who shares his utmost respect and admiration for Mattis.

love of life and partnership

love of life and partnership and the very special bond. for the desire to do your best

Teamwork

I know what it feels like to be one with your K9. If only they lasted forever.

Great dog and great K9 Team!

Great story, wonderfully written, and beautifully read. Officer Tappan told the story of Mattis as only he can while demonstrating all the love, respect, and honor Mattis deserves.

Legends

Another story like no other from legends who are not going unnoticed. We love Mark and Mattis!

From the Heart

This is a heartwarming book filled with love and wisdom. The life lessons and heartfelt subject matter make this wonderfully narrated book an inspirational masterpiece. Mark’s emotional narration was an added bonus that truly makes this a five star book.

Unwavering bond

Though I am not usually a fan of Memoirs, I AM an avid animal lover with immense respect for K-9 officers and their partners so this book was a must have.
I was so touched by this story! I laughed and I cried and felt every ounce of emotion that the author penned in this book. Wonderfully written and narrated by the man who bonded so deeply with his partner, it is a must read/listen for anyone who loves animals, respects the badge or even just needs a feel good story to brighten their day! I highly recommend this book!

Very enjoyable

I loved the story. Almost cried several times. Great book for any dog lover.
Thanks for writing the book

The greatest lessons learned from a very special dog and perseverance

I highly recommend buying the audible. It is told by Mark, himself. Throughout the book you can hear and feel his emotions. What I loved most was it was as if he was sitting down in front of me telling me the story. You will need Kleenex for sure. You’ll cry in sadness but also cry in happiness. You can tell Mark is fighting back crying which is remarkable because the story of Mattis is powerful and he showed emotion and that says a lot. But he told the story effortlessly. Mark is the face of perseverance and no give up attitude. There’s new parts of Mattis that I learned and I loved that. They are very inspiring and really have the so much more than just a dog and his handler/Dad/Best Friend. I’ve never seen a dog like Mattis. You will catch on very quickly that he has the ultimate grand supreme intelligence and abilities that will blow your mind. He’s so much more than a dog. I will always say with Mark’s non-stop training and reaching higher and higher levels of perfection that Mattis has the best trainer out there and Mattis has proven nothing is off limits. He’s clearly a dog you could place a bet on no matter what it is and you can be sure you will not lose that bet. He’s endlessly achieving things I have never seen a dog do. I grew up with Collies. They’re very smart. But not like Mattis. This book was read with perfection and raw emotions. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll want to celebrate and cheer out loud. I know I did. I think this would make a great book for all officers to read. There’s many lessons that I think can be applied in their jobs as K9 handlers and also all officers that aren’t in the K9 Unit. The things these 2 went through together and worked so fiercely is outstanding. People say this often but I sincerely mean this a Cadillac will hold special meaning to me, I will never forget the names Amanda and Vinnie and I will never see a white hotel towel the same ever again. Each of those tell incredible stories. This book made me want to be “The Cadillac”! I also think Katie Linendoll is an amazing person and I’m thankful myself that they became friends because look at all the wonderful things they’ve done together! Best book ever, truly!