“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 
- My Friend Mutt – the need to use your full mindMy dear friends, I usually write you from a place of tail-wagging joy. Though sometimes I have written you from sadness, or from anger. But today I’m maybe the saddest and angriest I’ve ever been. One of my very best friends ever passed away a couple of weeks ago. I ... read more
- What to do when you’re irrationally afraid of your partner’s exAwerpia asks: I’m so confused Shirelle. I can’t seem to get my girlfriend’s ex out of my mind. The thought of him seems to haunt me and I wish I never knew of his existence. I know we have spoken at length about this issue but I don’t know how ... read more
- Why hasn’t the guy who flirted with me gotten back to me since?Soumyaguna Asks: I’m working as an HR. And 2 days back I was asked to call a guy, Y, to offer him a designation. We clicked in the first go like magic. I don’t know how this happened, but we became comfortable around each other on the call, and talked ... read more
- Is it all right to still love an ex when you’ve moved on?Lady Esther asks: I just got out of a relationship filled with intimacy because I felt I found someone who’ll make me happier. Two weeks after the break up, I started dating this new person and got intimate with him. But I feel I’m still in love with the old ... read more
- Why would my boyfriend push me away when his life is difficult?JuicyBest asks: My boyfriend has been having issues recently with his career, and his family angered him real bad. I called to calm him down, but he answered me in a way I didn’t like. I messaged him and said I pray he looks back one day and realizes he ... read more
- Do Dogs Celebrate Holidays? – the importance of happinessEvery year around this time, I get asked if I celebrate Christmas, or Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa, or Eid, or Diwali, or… and I always have the same answer: I. Am. A. Dog. I love watching you guys get excited about holidays, and I love any special food that celebrations might ... read more
- Should one keep trying to get someone who’s married?Laura asks: I am in a relationship with a married man. He is very caring and we found a true love between us. He confirmed that he will divorce his wife and come to me and marry me. He in fact tried that several times, but his wife is not ... read more
- Is it wrong to cut off contact with an ex who’s reaching out?AayuTheLegend asks: I’m contacting you today to tell you that recently my ex, who publicly insulted me and dumped for the dumbest reasons ever, has tried messaging me, calling me, DMing me on Instagram. I ignored it until I was fed up because it had been a week of getting ... read more
- What to do about a girl who’s hitting on your boyfriendBlessing Special asks: There’s this girl that has been disturbing my boyfriend. He told me all about her. She even ruined our dinner one time with her call, for which my boyfriend was mad at her. He pleaded with me and we were cool, but I told him am not ... read more
- What to do when someone breaks up with you but wants to keep talking as friendsAditya23 asks: I’m a 17 year old boy with an 18 year old girlfriend. We’ve been dating three years now and our love has transformed from a childhood to a serious post teenage love. I really love her and want her in my life. She’s a bit childish and I ... read more
- Speaking and Barking – the power of rhetoricWhile I’m always happy to speak out against needless pollution and wars, I tend to avoid discussing politics. It’s not that I think no one else should talk about them, it’s just that my small brain can’t quite get my head around most of the issues. Is one tax rate ... read more
- What to do when your boyfriend or girlfriend is driving you crazy with mixed signalsBlessing Special asks: Once I told you about my boyfriend tracking my phone and seeing some chat he didn’t like and the ones he misunderstood. Then, after like a week we weren’t on good terms after, we talked about everything and tried to resolve the issue. But I noticed that ... read more
- Is it better or worse for families to pick their children’s spouses?Hi Shirelle, As for the girl I am seeing, it didn’t work out between our families so I am not seeing her now. Sometimes things just feel like the “Super Mario” game. Where you play the whole level just to know at the end ... read more
- Sniffing for Enthusiasm – keys to re-finding motivationHandsome doesn’t talk with me about his work very often, but lately he sure has. You see, he’s a therapist who works with lots of young people, and usually his job is full of variety – this 5-year-old is going through her parents’ divorce, this 9-year-old is getting bullied, ... read more
- What to do if you broke your family’s rule of not talking with someoneJerry asks: A boy proposed to me but I denied him and talked to him for some time to make him understand why I did. He is a good guy by heart but he had many temporary relationships with many other girls. So after making clear that I can’t ... read more