Leashes and Lovers - What Your Dog Can Teach You About Love, Life, and Happiness. Sheryl Matthys
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ADDITIONAL PRAISE FOR LEASHES AND LOVERS
“Dogs are the most undervalued teachers of how to trust, unconditionally love and truly live in the moment. Forget the yoga teacher and the new meditation guru. Pick up Leashes and Lovers and learn how your dog can unleash for you a more enriching life.”
• Jeffrey G. Brown, TV Legal Analyst, Lawyer, Adventurer
“If you’re a dog-lover, you’ve got to read this book. It shows you how your relationships can be positively impacted by your dog.”
• Peggy McColl, New York Times Best-Selling Author of Your Destiny Switch
“Leashes and Lovers is an essential read for anyone wanting a two-legged soul mate...because as the book so aptly points out...falling in love with your dog who loves you unconditionally makes it possible for you to give and receive love in ways you never imagined.”
• Patti Lawson, Author of The Dog Diet: A Memoir
“Fantastic and refreshing insight into how our dogs guide us on how to laugh, love and learn. Sheryl Matthys truly knows how to bring out the best in dogs – and people.”
• Arden Moore, Host of Oh Behave! on Pet Life Radio and author of The Dog Behavior Answer Book
“Anyone who loves dogs will find yet another reason to call them their “best friend” after reading Leashes and Lovers.”
• Karith Foster, Comedian, TV & Radio Personality, and Chihuahua Lover
“Finding a love who your dog loves is the secret to real happiness. Let Sheryl Matthys, The Dog Expert, teach you how to navigate those crazy waters of relationships. Leashes and Lovers can help you find happiness. If you have a dog and want a relationship this is a must read book.”
• Dr Marlene Siersema, Radio Host of Amazing Women: brains, beauty & style
“In Leashes and Lovers, you’ll gain insights as to the significance of what it means when our dogs share our deepest secrets, provide companionship, and faithfully stand by us. This book will make you want to sit, stay, and learn from your dog’s lessons.”
• Cathy Kravitz, artist & author of A Dog’s Day
“We have found the relationships between animals and people are at the heart of the best stories... and, Sheryl brings these to light in a refreshing, brilliant look at this important bond in Leashes and Lovers.”
• Lisa Alexander, President, Kaboodle Entertainment
“I thought I knew a lot about dogs, but Leashes and Lovers digs up a few more secrets about how they can positively change our lives and relationships forever.”
• Paulette Cooper Noble, author of 277 Secrets Your Dog Wants You To Know & columnist for Palm Beach Daily News
“A clever, witty, and insightful book. If you’ve ever wondered why dog owners have a ‘puppy love’ affair with their dogs, Sheryl’s book will keep you from chasing your tail with questions.”
• Liz Pabon, author of The MavHERick Mind
“Leashes and Lovers is an absolute must read for anyone who believes as I do: That a house is not a home without a dog – or two.”
• Marni Jameson, syndicated home design columnist and author of House of Havoc
“Only animal lovers allowed in Leashes and Lovers. I knew right away it was for me. You, too, can experience better relationships from the stories you’ll read in this book.”
• Holly Wilensky, the Dress Recycler
“Sheryl did an outstanding job - Leashes and Lovers is a touching, funny, and inspirational book for dog lovers wanting to improve all of their relationships. You will love this book!”
• Nancy E. Hassel, founder of Long Island Pet Professionals
“Note to self: Fetch copy of Leashes and Lovers. Resist urge to rip pages. Drop book on owner’s lap. Stand guard until finished. We ain’t the only ones who need training!”
• Miles, the canine narrator of Jane May’s DOGGY STYLE
Leashes and Lovers: What Your Dog Can Teach You About Love, Life, and Happiness
Copyright © 2013 by Sheryl Matthys
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photography, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author and publisher.
Leashes and Lovers®, The Dog Expert®, and Where Dog Lovers Meet® are trademarks of Leashes and Lovers, LLC.
Published in eBook format by eBookIt.com
ISBN-13: 978-1-4566-1798-1
Front cover photo by Big Cheese Photo
DEDICATION
Dedicated To:
My parents, Ron and Bev, for the menagerie of pets you allowed us kids to experience...
My husband, Todd, for transforming into a dog lover and for taking the initiative to honor my dream of adopting Greyhounds...
My children, Kai and Keegan, who’ve been gentle, kind and accepting of our dogs as family...
All the dogs which have and continue to impact my life forever...
All the shelters, rescue groups, and volunteers who make adoption possible...
And, most of all God, for bringing me Shiraz and Buffett, and for providing dogs as magnificent teachers to prove that unconditional love exists.
FOREWORD
By Bruce Little, DVM
As a typical youth in pre-World War II rural America, I was aware that the value placed on dogs was based on the work that each could perform. Sheep and cattle dogs helped protect the flocks and herds. Barn dogs protected the chickens and baby animals from foxes and coyotes, and yard dogs served as security to prevent skunks, rodents and other varmints from setting up housekeeping under the farmhouse porch. These dogs were basically outside dogs that seldom had the opportunity to gain admittance to the warm and cozy confides of the family home, except on occasions of extremely harsh winter weather or the stifling heat of the dog-days of summer. These are the dogs that I knew as a child and young adult in rural America.
Fortunately, the fate of the dog has changed appreciably from those humble surroundings of my childhood. The accelerated rate of the post-World War II urbanization of America has changed the purpose of the dog and has moved them inside the home as trusted companions of family members. Many dogs now even sleep with members of the family. As a practicing veterinarian in the 60s and 70s, I began to see and follow the value being placed on the family dog by all members of society. Sight and hearing dogs were the norm, as were police and military dogs that served a purpose beyond just being a best friend. I had clients in my veterinary practice who realized the value in their dog’s presence from warnings of oncoming thunderstorms to the unconditional love displayed by the family dog as a companion to a young recipient in a much deserved “time-out.”