“A warm, engaging, deceptively simple tribute to innate wisdom. May we all learn from such loveable teachers.”
— Dennis Palumbo – screenwriter My Favorite Year, author the Daniel Rinaldi mysteries
“A beautiful, heartfelt, and entertaining book, that gives the reader a deep understanding of the profound relationship between the human psyche and the souls of the other animals with whom we share this planet.”
— Linda Buzzell, co-editor Ecotherapy – Healing with Nature in Mind
From the Author:
- Dating Advice from a Crazy Dog Guy“Oh no, you’re not one of those, are you?!” We all know the phrase “crazy cat lady,” conjuring images of bathrobed bitties sprinkling cat chow into bowls as hordes of filthy yowling tabbies descend. And we hear more and more of “crazy cat guys” too. But there’s not much talk ... read more
- Unconditional Love – As Taught by the Four-Legged MastersAnother Valentine’s Day is upon us – a day when it often appears that everyone else in the world has a perfectly happy committed relationship based in deep, abiding, and playful love. In other words, a day when most of us writhe in disappointment. It’s not that we’re saying we’re ... read more
- Straying into a Better New YearHow would you like you like to spend 2016 as contented, as centered, as… your dog? As a psychotherapist, I spend a lot of time dealing with people and our big-brained problems. On most issues, like how to create a telephone that uses 3D touch to show birds ... read more
From 
- How to tell if your ex is trying to get back togetherKaushik asks: It’s been 3 years since my ex-girlfriend and I split. There was not much drama at that time. However, now she wants to go swimming, running and cycling with me. She also wants me to help her with her home business. My question is, is she trying to ... read more
- What to do when your ex connects to you in your dreams.Maya asks: Hi Shirelle I’ve been having weird dreams, like every time I go to bed all I can see in my dream are robbers, stealing our property and we’re down again to level zero, with totally nothing. After this dream the next thing I see is my Ex – ... read more
- The Space Between – finding the sacred in every dayI was lying down on the bed, as I always like to do in the middle of the day, with my eyes closed, when I heard footsteps come near me. And before I opened my eyelids, I realized something: I didn’t know what to feel! If it was Handsome ... read more
- Should one pursue someone who’s been a victim of abuse?PERFECTION asks: I had a fling with someone two years back. Recently she broke up with her boyfriend, due to physical injuries she’s experienced when they were still together, and I am kind of lost on how to handle things with her. I mean I don’t know what to do, ... read more
- What to do when a relationship takes so many turns you could go crazyChica asks: So I got acquainted with this guy T on Instagram. He was a common friend. We started talking and hit it off in a week. He was not in a good mental state at that time, so I supported him and helped him in that phase. At the ... read more
- Is it impossible for men to move past heartbreaks?senny asks: I need relationship guidance. Is it so hard for men to forget someone they loved in the past who broke their heart? Hi senny – My quick answer is Yes. Just as it’s hard for anyone to ever forget any other horrible thing that happened to them. Our ... read more
- What to do when someone married breaks up with youDeepa asks: My boyfriend needs to break up. We’ve been in a relationship for 4 months. We were in contact only by chatting and calling – in fact he wants to break up just because he hasn’t met my and his family doesn’t know about us (In truth he is ... read more
- How to talk to someone you scared off with your interestoponocat asks: I fell in love with a girl a couple of months ago. When I found her I tried with all my best level to convince her to know that I really love her and to accept my love, but the way she responded to me was not all ... read more
- How to tell someone that your sexual history has changedDavid g asks: I met a girl at a camp about 3 years ago. We started texting and we began to like each other. So we have been like that since then, no relationship, no meeting up, no kissing. It was just a texting thing even though we are not ... read more
- Wagging Your Tail – the best cheap gift you can givePicture two different situations. In the first, you walk into a room where you find a large dog. You’re both startled, but the pooch stands up, tail wagging, and looks at you with wide eyes and an open mouth, its pink tongue slightly hanging out. In the second you ... read more
- What to do when your boyfriend or girlfriend starts to doubt their feelings about youMoonandstars asks: Hi, I have been in a happy committed relationship with a guy for 5 years. We love each other and we want to spend a life together. At least that’s what I thought. A few days ago he went for this course called Landmark Forums where they basically ... read more
- Zel-bell asks: I am 8 months pregnant and my boyfriend has taken me for granted since the day I found out. He supports me with buying baby stuff etc., but he chooses his friends and nice times above me. I keep on giving him chances, but he just doesn’t adore me. He keeps making empty promises, so I decided to leave him. Can you help me get over him?Hi Zel-bell – I am not a big one for telling people to stay in the wrong relationship, but in your case I’m going to make an exception. For a couple of reasons. First, it is very normal for men to pull away a bit during their woman’s pregnancy. It’s ... read more
- Anvee asks: My ex and I dated for 2 months. After breaking up for one and a half months, I asked her if she wanted to get back together, and she told me that we needed to work on our friendship first instead of rushing into a relationship like last time, that she felt it was too fast and she became frustrated and scared, and she told me that she wants to graduate first so that she can be free finally as compared to now. Is there a chance of me getting her back by slowing being friends with her, or should I just move on?Hi Anvee – Of course I don’t know her, so I can’t say for sure whether she’s being honest with you, or with herself, about her wishes. But I can say that what she says is legit. Lots of couples go too far too fast, either physically or emotionally, and ... read more
- Hemant@12 asks: I’ve been in a relationship with a girl the last 2 years. My family does not approve of her, and they fixed my marriage to another girl. Then my girlfriend told me she is pregnant. And my family told me to abort the child; then we will accept your relationship (but they do not accept it). We are frim different castes. What can I do?Hi Hemant@12 – I need to begin my answer to you by saying that, first, I’m a dog and not a human, and so don’t belong to any religion or caste. And second, that I live in the United States, so I know that I don’t know everything about caste ... read more
- arjai101 asks: I went to a family reunion that was triggering. I finally finally get what people mean by “triggering” in the non-ironic sense of the word. But it wasn’t the family that did it. That was fine. It was the food. I was actually doing pretty fine with everything. But as the reunion wore on, I worried more and more. And then I started eating more, and making myself throw it up. Now, I can’t personally speak for everyone. But, the thing about making yourself throw up is that moment right before you get started and you’re staring down into the toilet is one of the worst parts. No matter how stuffed you feel or how determined you are, you will never want to do it less than in that very moment. When you march off to the bathroom, it seems like the best idea. When you’re in the midst of it, it’s uncomfortable but not that bad. And when you finish, most of the time, you don’t feel all that bad, it varies. Sometimes, you feel shame, sometimes like God, sometimes like I deserve this. Either way, you walk out there head held high, shoulders tilted back, sip your diet coke like nothing ever happened. Just like you taught yourself when you were little, convince people you were untouchable, invincible. Make them love you or make them hate you because they weren’t you. But, I guess I was never really invincible or untouchable from my own doing, which is the ironic thing about it all. Anyhow, this time I was coughing a lot, and I felt every single thing leaving my body in grave detail. Yet, I still just kept jabbing and jabbing down my throat. Cause, I knew I just had to fix it. I just had to fix everything I’d ever done and ever was. The bathroom was empty. But at one point, one of the little cousins roamed in and used the bathroom and God; I felt like such a loser hovered over the toilet clutching my stomach waiting in silence for her to leave. I said to myself, this is the last time. This is it. I can’t do this anymore. And you know what I did, the literal next day? The same exact thing. I can look at a plate and calculate the calories, the grams of protein, the grams of carbs. Tell me your weight, age, height, and activity level. I can probably give you your Basal Metabolic Rate. I can tell you how long it takes for you to deplete glycogen stores. I can tell you what percentage of your calories we’re used up in thermogenesis based on their macronutrient group. I can debate the intuitive eating lifestyle vs. chronic diet culture. Etc etc. etc. I’ve become quite the nutrition and fitness savant. And also, a complete neurotic bore to talk to most of the time. I’m trying to pinpoint why I’ve become so obsessive about it lately. I feel like I’ve really been disappointing everyone in my life on the down low for years. Or that, eventually, I will. Honestly, I don’t know. I just wish I could make it stop. I wish I could it make it all stop. This is going to sound cheesy. But sometimes, I wonder if being loved by someone you didn’t lie to in the slightest way about who you are makes it stop, at least for the briefest of moments. But that’s a dangerous and indefinite way of making it stop, waiting for some girl to “save” you. Nope, I’m just going to have to get together and eat like a normal freaking person. I was doing fine before. And now I know, what triggers it. And I, just have to think ahead and prepare. Addendum: It’s about six days later, and I’m doing great. I think. Think, I finally started getting into a pattern that works for me. And I guess, I’m just excited for the future. To leave it all behind, you know. I really am a blast most other times.Hi arjai101 – This is one of the most powerful and meaningful letters I’ve ever received. And I hate it. I hate it because it horrifies me. I hate it because of what you’ve been doing to yourself. I hate it because of the self-loathing and impossible-perfectionism it shows. I ... read more