Busy On Behalf Of Dogs
It has been quite a month. My new book, The Well-Adjusted Dog, came out on July 9th 2008 and was launched with auspicious fanfare as I appeared on Good Morning America that day. A trip to Washington DC followed as I was interviewed on NPR’s Diane Rehm show. Next came a radio satellite tour from my office in Massachusetts. I spoke with about 25 radio shows around the country in 2 days about what the book was about and what it meant for dogs and their guardians.
My second trip to Washington was for a family reunion but while I was there I did a radio interview with a S. California program along with my favorite other behaviorist - our very own Ian Dunbar – where we told it like it was to an audience of 250,000 people.
Also while I was there, Anderson Cooper 360 program visited to get some “on camera” blurb about a comment I made on the Diane Rehm show. The comment was about dogs being surrendered in increasing numbers these days because their family can no longer afford to keep them. That CNN piece is still “in the can” at the time of writing. Coming up I have Minnesota NPR – the second largest NPR affiliate and a quote or two in USA weekend on August 24th 2008. And there’s more…
Despite what this sounds like, it’s not all about me. I treat dogs with behavior problems for a living but dealing with them one-at-a-time I can only make so much difference. Hence I give the lectures to students, breeders and owners and write books. I act locally but try to communicate globally.
My latest book is my proudest communication so far because has “whole dog” approach and is not just how to fix behavior problems but how to prevent them. I believe it is the equivalent of ‘dog ownership 101’ (or 201) and will help dog owners everywhere to better manage their pets. If owners took the content of this book literally and applied it, I think their dogs would be happier and have fewer problems and that would save many lives. That’s why I have to get the word out.
As a veterinarian, I can’t think of anything more professionally satisfying than to help animals, dogs in this case, to life happier, healthier, more well-adjusted lives.
