Review – The Teachings of Shirelle by Douglas Green
Synopsis
Douglas Green considers his late pound puppy — a knuckleheaded dog named Shirelle — to be the greatest teacher he’s ever known. “If Shirelle were in a fancy restaurant,” he writes, “she might climb onto someone’s table and eat their food, but she would never, ever, insult the waiter.” The Teachings of Shirelle is the hilarious and uplifting true story of how this unique pooch taught her guardian to live life to the fullest.
First published in 2015, The Teachings of Shirelle remains a touching ode to the human-animal connection — offering a lighthearted, philosophical, psychological, and spiritual bounty of lessons gleaned from the simple-minded brilliance of an unforgettable teacher. These lessons are as relevant and valuable as ever, showing readers how to look at the world through eyes that are not their own. Eyes that, in this case, belong to a dog.
This second edition includes an all-new foreword written by acclaimed veterinarian Dr. Barrie M. Sands, author The Stupid Things My Human Does: True Stories From the Animal ER and winner of the AHVMA 2022 Holistic Practitioner of the Year Award.
Amazon * B&N * Bookshop * Kobo
Review
I am a sucker for a story about dogs. Having two of my own, I know the love a dog can bring to our lives.
This was such a fun story to read, from how he found Shirelle to how she got her name and their adventures together. She was there for him in the good times and the bad. There are stories that made me laugh and others that touched my heart. It was easy to think of my two who have passed on and imagine them doing similar things for me. They were truly my heart.
If you are a dog lover, these stories will touch your heart and possibly remind you of a “knucklehead” you had in your life.
We give this book 5 paws up.
About the Author
DOUGLAS GREEN is a writer, psychotherapist, director, and teacher living in Los Angeles. His first novel, A Dog of Many Names, was published in 2020. The second edition of The Teachings of Shirelle will be published in July 2024 from Circuit Breaker Books.
