The Love and Humor of Dogs

Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend; inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read. Groucho Marx

The other day, while waiting for my dinner reservation, I perused the bookstore next to the restaurant and came across a little book of quotes, and this one was in it. It put a big smile on my face because I have a love of dogs AND a love of books. Even though I’ve culled my books over the years, I still have them all over the house. I promised myself I was just going to look (I do not! need another book), however, I came across a book by Mark Rowlands, a philosophy professor at the University of Miami – The Word of Dog. Now, one might think that the book would be too erudite; however, I was reading it on a flight and couldn’t help from laughing out loud. I’m also reading The Dogist new book – This Dog Will Change Your Life, and there are funny, moving, and relatable stories in that book too. What’s become apparent is my experiences with Dulce are not unique to me; one distinction however is the added dimension of her being a rescue dog.

This month, “Clear the Shelters” month, there has been a lot of attention on rescue dogs, the rescuing of a dog in trouble, the heart of both the dogs and the people who rescue and those who adopt; the stories often move me to tears, and I’m not the only one. As a person who’s rescued and/or adopted a dog, thank you. I’m sure there’s a special place in heaven for you (and your dog).

Mark Rowlands’ book is funny; it’s about what dogs can teach us about living a good life. “The Dogist” Elias Weiss Friedman’s book is stories of dogs and their owners he’s photographed, first in New York, and subsequently around the world. It’s a good read and completely relatable. The third book in this picture with Dulce is by Eckart Tolle, his book is about dogs as the guardians of being. At the end of the day Dog is God spelled backwards – the essence of unconditional love. I believe it’s true, dogs make us better humans. Thank you for being a rescue parent.