Allen Anderson - Dogs and the Women Who Love Them: Extraordinary True Stories of Love, Healing, and Inspiration

Whether youre a normal dog mom, a psycho dog mom or somewhere in between, this book will open your heart, warm your soul, and make you proud to be a dog-loving woman.

from the foreword by Rory Freedman, coauthor of Skinny Bitch

Perhaps because my older sister was a collie, I am never more myself than when in the presence of a dog. Kudos to Allen and Linda for sharing the myriad ways dogs bring joy, healing, and gratitude into our lives.

Wendie Malick, actor and advocate

Once again the Andersons have produced an inspiring book for women who love dogs, this time packed with stories and meditations that will make you smile, weep, and be moved by scenes ranging from Katrina rescues to a dog dazzling David Letterman on his Late Night show. If you have a special relationship with your dogs, this book is for you.

Linda Tellington-Jones, PhD (Hon), founder of the Tellington TTouch Method and author of Getting in TTouch with Your Dog

Cuddle up with your dog and prepare to be profoundly moved by these heartwarming stories of the special bond that exists between women and their dogs. In reading each story, you will be humbled by the virtuous characteristics of our dog companions who clearly cherish sharing their lives with us. These powerful stories will resonate deeply with anyone who has ever loved a dog.

June Cotner, author of Animal Blessings and Dog Blessings

This charming collection of true stories will affirm peoples feelings about the love and spiritual nature of our wonderful canine companions.

Sonya Fitzpatrick, television and radio host and author of What the Animals Tell Me

Reading Angel Dogs is like taking a walk in the park on a sunny day with your favorite dog.

Willard Scott, NBCs Today show

My heart was touched by Angel Cats. Read, laugh, cry, and become a more complete human being through the angel cats and the lifeline they provide.

Bernie Siegel, MD, author of 365 Prescriptions for the Soul and Love, Medicine & Miracles

Angels come to us in many ways. Some are never identified; some come to us and we dont even know they changed our lives, maybe even saved us, until there is a realization. This book is enlightening and will make you take many a close look at your angel.

Tippi Hedren, actress and animal activist

All traditional peoples have viewed animals as messengers and mediators of the divine, which is a lesson we need to relearn. Angel Animals Book of Inspiration is a bold reminder that consciousness takes many forms and is not restricted to humans.

Larry Dossey, MD, author of Healing beyond the Body and Healing Words

Copyright 2010 by Allen and Linda Anderson

All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, or other without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

Angel Animals is a registered trademark of Allen and Linda Anderson TTouch is a registered trademark of Linda Tellington-Jones

Text design by Tona Pearce Myers

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Anderson, Allen, date.
Dogs and the women who love them : extraordinary true stories of loyalty, healing, and inspiration / Allen and Linda Anderson; foreword by Rory Freedman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-57731-692-3 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Women dog ownersUnited StatesAnecdotes. 2. Human-animal relationshipsUnited StatesAnecdotes. I. Anderson, Linda C., date. II. Title.
SF422.7.A63 2010
636.70092dc22

First printing, October 2010
ISBN 978-1-57731-692-3

Printed in Canada on 100% postconsumer-waste recycled paper

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Im not trying to be witty or funny when I say: I think I was a dog in a past life. That, or Im totally in touch with my primal side. Because I dont just kiss and hug and squeeze my dogs I also bite them. A lot. I love them so much it makes me feel a little sick. Heady too. I love their furry little bodies, the smell of their paws (corn chips and grass), and all the ridiculously funny things they do. Every morning, when Joey, my black Lab, yawns, she sounds like a Wookiee. And I recently caught Timber, my yellow Lab, tiptoeing. Tiptoeing I swear! I wanted him out of the kitchen, so I told him to go outside and play. He left, begrudgingly, and I carried on cooking. A minute or two later, I heard the light clickety-clack of his nails on the floor. I turned around and saw him tiptoeing, all stealthy, trying to sneak back in undetected.

I have an unusual situation in that my dogs live with me, in Los Angeles, for only six months out of the year. (They spend the other six months with their dad in Lake Tahoe. I know it sounds strange to some people, but yes, my ex-boyfriend and I share custody of our dogs. We adopted them together and both love them, so why wouldnt we both still take care of them? He and I are on great terms, and his sweet girlfriend is a second mom to the dogs and loves them as much as we do.) So maybe my crazy, obsessive love for my dogs is a result of having to squeeze it all into half a year, but probably not. I see full-time dog moms who are equally obsessed with their dogs.