Table of Contents
Reading DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion lifted my spirits and reminded me of how uncomplicated and unconditional love can be. As a human, we have so much to learn from our four-legged companions! This book should be in the self-help section.
Jamie Wolf guardian of many dogs and owner of PetLover Central Doggy Day Care, Boca Raton, Florida
DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion puts on paper what my clients and patients have communicated verbally for years, which is the human-animal bond is more than just having a pet, its developing an emotional bond that is many times stronger than a human-human bond.
Dr. Scott O. Lund president of Lund Animal Hospital (www.BocaVet.com)
DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion makes perfect sense to me as a dog translator. Dogs give unconditional love and attention, and they show the utmost patience with humans. If we could take their advice, our human relationships would be on cloud nine.
Jill Deringer-Thimmins
dog translator featured on the Late Show with David Letterman,
The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Steve Harveys Big Time Challenge,
Animal Planets Pet Star and 30 Seconds to Fame
Unlike most books about pets, DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion is about the heart and soul of any significant relationshipunconditional love! As a psychotherapist, I occasionally recommend certain books to my patients for insights into their relationship problems. While not technically a self-help book, I am pleased to add DogSense to my short list of recommended readings.
Robert M. Pasen, Ph.D.
President & CEO of Neurobehavioral
Health Connections Ltd., with offices in
Mundelein, Barrington, and Crystal Lake, Illinois
DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion is a must-read for dog owners who want to see the world through their pets eyes. In my 25-plus years of investigating animal cruelty cases and seeing the suffering dogs must endure at the hands of their cruel owners, I found this book to be a refreshing side-step into the human-animal relationship and how dogs might perceive their humans.
Roy Gross Chief of Department, Suffolk County SPCA, Smithtown, New York
To my husband, Richard, who has indulged my passion for dogs. To my daughter, Laura, who has reluctantly shared me with my dogs. To Zack and Quincy, my current dogs, as well as their predecessors, all of whom have enriched my life.
Foreword
The focus of my twenty-six-year career as a veterinarian, author, media personality and pet lover is the affection and connection between animals and peoplewhich I call The Bond. Pets are unique beings that have minds and personalities of their own, and they form strong bonds with their owners. This is true of all kinds of pets, but arguably none is closer than the human/dog bond.
If youve ever shared your life with a dog, you know that the human/dog bond exists and that you can count on your dog for acceptance rather than rejection, empathy rather than indifference, security rather than anxiety, companionship rather than loneliness, connection rather than separation and joy rather than heartbreak. You also know that dogs dont lie or cheat; they have to-die-for loyalty and love unconditionally.
I hope you enjoy DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion. It is a celebration of the human/dog bond and an extension of that bond as a role model for human relationships. The photos will make you smile, and the tips can help you build stronger human/human bonds.
Marty Becker, D.V.M. Author of The Healing Power of Pets and Fitness Unleashed
Coauthor of Chicken Soup for the Dog Lovers Soul,
Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet? and
Do Cats Always Land on Their Feet?
Resident veterinarian on ABCs Good Morning America
Introduction
Dogs and humans have always had a special relationship: They give and receive unconditional love. Anyone who has ever had a relationship with a dog knows how affectionate, caring, appreciative, attentive, accepting and adept at communicating their feelings and desires they are. So, who better to learn from when seeking a role model for good relationships? This concept first came to me one night when I was annoyed with my husband. I wanted to talk to him about something, but he was preoccupied. In frustration, I told him that even our dogs listen better than he does.
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are other things our dogs do better than he does. For example, they are always happy to see me, they kiss and snuggle any chance they get and they are always willing to go with me when I ask. To be fair, I also realized that there are things the dogs do better than I do. I became intrigued with the idea that we humans could learn relationship skills from our dogs. Thus, this book was born.
As a former management consultant, I put my research skills to use and explored the body of information available about marital and relationship advice. Then I took the information and organized itsix categories emerged, and they became the six chapters of this book: Caring, Attention, Affection, Communication, Acceptance and Appreciation. The meaning of each category is represented by the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
The photographs were taken by Amy Hill, a professional wedding photographer. I met Amy through the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. I chose her because the photos on her website are natural and joyfultwo characteristics I wanted for the photos in the book. I also liked the idea of a wedding photographer taking the photos for a dog book about relationships!
Writing this book was a wonderful experience. I met many nice people, and I was especially rewarded by the fact that some of them let me know I had touched their lives. In some cases, it was because the dog was ill and being in this book became a tribute. In other cases, people told me how well the tips assigned to their dogs actually fit themselves and caused them to think about their own relationship issues. And some told me that the feelings expressed by the dogs about their owners really helped them at a low point in their lives.
The photos featured in DogSense: 99 Relationship Tips from Your Canine Companion will bring a smile to your face, while the dog biographies shed light on their diverse personalities and interests. Allow the relationship tips that accompany each photo to guide you gently through your daily interactions with the people you encounter. Most of all, enjoy it!
Caring
Our love must not be a thing of words and fine talk.
It must be a thing of action and sincerity.
I John 3:18
We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. Its the best deal man has ever made.
M. Acklam
Duke
One-year-old Great Dane
Im a big guy. This was apparently a surprise to my first family, because they told Great Dane Rescue that they didnt realize how large I would get. The rescue people helped me get adopted four times. I dont know why the first three didnt lastmaybe because I tore up the grass when I ran, or maybe it was the dirt I brought inside. Anyway, the fourth home was a keeper. I have a great life with a retired couple, a female Great Dane as a companion, and three acres of fenced land where I can run free. I show my gratitude by assuming guard dog responsibilities.
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