the power of a dog’s stare
August 10, 2009
Kanga is a very sweet dog. Where Maui was the alpha no matter how many other dogs were around, Kanga is decidedly the omega dog ;-)She used to be afraid of absolutely everything, and for the first month hid under the bed a lot. She is much more outgoing now (lots of treats and praise for being with us cured her of the bed habit) and loves to meet new people and even new dogs.
This small, shy dog can wrap me around her little finger, just like her "sister" Maui once did. But where Maui used to bark at me when she wanted something, Kanga doesn't. She has another method.
Does your dog look at you like this?
Kanga is willing me to take her for a walk!
Kanga loves walks more than anything else. She would rather be outside, digging in the sand at the beach, or running with her friends or the kids next door than anything else.
Certainly more than napping under my desk ;-)
Every morning of the week we walk on the beach, but every afternoon and evening she comes to me and gives me this stare until I pick up the leash and leave the house.
She doesn't bark, she doesn't whine, and she doesn't scratch at the floor or the door. She just stares at me.
It's kind of creepy, how focused she can be.
She stares at me and stares at me and stares at me, and the whole time I can hear her thinking "Take me for a walk. Let's go outside. I love the beach."
I wouldn't be surprised if she pulled out a pocket watch and let it swing in front of my eyes and said "You are getting sleepy, very very sleepy!"
She positively hypnotizes me.
I need to remember how her single minded focus seems to "magically" make me pick up the leash when I think about my own life.
I think I will be singleminded about what is important to me - like for instance solving the problem of all those books about dog meditation that are sitting in that Kansas warehouse.
Thanks for your suggestions, and your emails, and keep them coming. I am in negotiations now and working hard on a win-win-win situation. I'll let you know how it turns out ASAP.
In the meantime, tell me if I'm the only one whose dog has him under some sort of mind-control ... even though she's not a bossy dog??
James
books in distress
August 9, 2009
My distributor says they don't want the books in their warehouse any longer. In fact, they want to "dump" them.
(In book publishing, that means send them to a landfill for a deep burial!)
This morning I meditated on how to move thousands of pounds of books to Hawaii, and the fact is, it's just too expensive, and they're not budging. They want them out.
I'm trying to figure out how to change this "lemon" into "lemonade." I thought maybe you guys would have some ideas?
How to Meditate with Your Dog came out in hardcover in late 2005, nearly four years ago. While sales were strong enough to make it a national bestseller, they eventually fell off. The extra unsold books have been sitting in a warehouse in Kansas for the last few years. Sales still come in, but they don't justify how many books there are.
I'm sure you can see how this news of the impending "death and burial" of my books seems kind of horrible. And the timing is awful, on the one year anniversary of Maui's death.
(Maui was my inspiration for and the star of "How to Meditate with Your Dog.")
Now, this is not just any book. It's a book that many people say has brought them great joy. It's taught countless people to meditate - or simply sit with and be present to - their dog(s).
It's helped people feel better physically (lower blood pressure, reduced heart rate, lower stress hormones, clearer thinking) and dogs feel better, too (less anxiety, more relaxation, more bonding).
So my question for you is - is there any way to save these books?
I don't want them to die in a landfill.
Too many dogs need the closer relationship that happens when we more fully open our hearts to them.
In honor of Maui's life and on the anniversary of her death, I'm asking for your thoughts.
I want to find a way to move three hundred (or maybe more) cartons of books out of their warehouse and into the hands of dog lovers.
What do you suggest?
Warm Aloha,
James
beach dog full of joy makes Molly’s heart melt
August 7, 2009
I promised to post this video ages ago, and never did. Partly because I couldn't convince Molly to let me show her "without hair, makeup, or adult behavior.":-) She gets pretty emotional in the video (in a good way) and even cries a little because she loves Kanga so much. It was taken very early in the morning, and we had just rolled out of bed, so we both look a little messy.
It was Kanga's third time walking on the beach, she was three months old, and she was having a ball. She didn't care what we looked like.
Molly jokes that she regressed to age four in the video. She even talks like a child, and she doesn't normally. When I saw what an open state she was in, my journalist background made me ask her lots of questions that really "drew out" her emotions.
I finally got her to give me permission to post it. After all, the whole point of this site, and of my book and work, is to celebrate exactly the kind of heart opening she experienced that January day on the beach. She had just realized how badly she'd wanted a dog of her own, her whole life, and was so happy ... and so was I, to see it.
So while this is a very raw and intimate family video, I know that this community will understand and connect to it and be tender with her feelings. Dog lovers get it, right?
Now, go hug your dog(s)!
One Year Anniversary of Maui’s Passing
August 5, 2009
A year ago on July 25 my "heart dog" Maui passed away. It was a bittersweet anniversary for me.Bitter because I still miss her everyday, and sweet because the pain has faded and I feel so much better in my life than I did a year ago.
Time really does heal wounds.
To honor Maui's anniversary, I watched the video Do You Remember Love?, and then I meditated with my nine month old puppy, Kanga.
Here's the video again, in case you haven't seen it in a while:
It strikes me now that when I made it in 2007 I was anticipating how much I would need to remember the message. The pain of losing her was so big, that I needed a multi-media presentation to represent her love and remind me that even though she is gone ... she isn't.
Watching her video made me think of you, of course, those of you who are members of this community, and the hundreds of thousands of people who are on my email list, and the millions who have watched the video Valentine.
What a special group of people dog lovers are, and you are no exception!
Now that I am out of my "death crisis", I am renewing my commitment to spreading the message of dog love. These troubled times call for a "back to basics" approach, and that includes really loving each other the way that our dogs love us.
I have so much to share with you - stories about Kanga my puppy, and about all ofthe wonderful things you are doing on this website, I Remember Love.
I have books to recommend, ideas about dog health (I've learned a lot by working with my vet, Dr. Dressler, on his dog cancer book), and lots of ideas for great ways to connect more deeply to your dog.
(Why not try dog meditation? :-)
Thank you for sticking it out with me this year. I am going to be sending out an email a few times a week from now on with funny stories, news of interest to dog lovers, and tips on how to meditate with your dog and get even closer than you already are.
I'm also interested in doing more services for you, like creating free doggy ecards so you can send them to your friends and family members.
I'll tell you more about my ideas for how to really help in the next couple of weeks.
I'm dealing with a kind of troubling situation with my book on dog meditation - but I'll let you know how it works out when things develop a little more.
Meanwhile, here's a video greeting from me and Kanga ... she's in her puppy teens, but pretty calm in this video: