Category Archives for "About Shirelle"

How to solve a medical problem?

johnny asks: What medication can I use for my 2-year-old boy suffering from difficulty in breathing?

Hi johnny –

I love compliments.  I absolutely adore them.  I get so happy when dogs sniff me all over, or when people hug me super-tightly and coo “Oh Shirelle you’re so soft!”  Or when people write me letters saying how much they like what I write.

But there’s such a thing as being too complimentary.  No one should vote for me to be the Secretary General of the United Nations, since I can’t speak.  No one should put me on an Olympic ski team, since I can’t fit in ski boots.  And no one should use me for a doctor, since I absolutely lack the education for it.

So while I love your question, I’m also going to tell you that I can’t begin to answer it.

I hear about medications for asthma that are simply Continue reading

What are dog breeds?

roxan asks: What are the different types of dogs? How do they differ?

Hi roxan –

As different as we all look, believe it or not, all dogs are descended from the same ancestors – wolves!  Yes, from that round Bulldog down the block to the tiny Maltese your friend sticks in her purse, to the gigantic Great Dane you’re scared to stand next to, to the yowling Beagle who wakes you up at sunrise – they’re ALL descendants of wolves.  I know, I know, it’s shocking!

The different types you see are called Breeds.  Breeds aren’t something from nature; they’ve been created by Continue reading

2 How quickly does Shirelle answer questions?

kavin24 asks: I sent you a question, but I didn’t get your answer. Why is that? How can I see your solutions?

Hi kavin24 –

 

I’m sorry about that – I get very overwhelmed with all I’m doing (from guarding Handsome’s house to chasing birds to writing stuff for the website), and so I can’t answer questions as quickly as I’d like to.  It usually takes me a few days to get to them.  I try as hard as I can to answer them in less than a week, but sometimes I even fail at that.

 

But please know I do answer every question I receive.  So if a week ever goes by and you haven’t heard back, please write me again.  Sometimes emails do get lost.  And even my great doggy hearing can’t pick up on the signal!

 

Thanks for all your questions and interest!  Welcome to the Pack!

 

Shirelle

Why do people break up after many years?

smart panther asks: Why do some couples take a separation after a long time (like 18 Years) together ?

Hi smart panther –

As I’m sure you know, there is nothing in the world more loyal than a dog. We will stick by the ones we’ve bonded to, no matter what. How often do you see a poor hungry homeless person, maybe even mentally ill, but with a faithful dog next to them who’d rather die than live apart?

So I may not be the best one to ask about why people would separate after being together for years. But I’ve checked with some humans, and here are some of the responses I’ve gotten:

1) More than dogs, people change and grow, continually, through their Continue reading

How should people in conflict speak with each other?

shahzaibj1 asks: What should be the etiquette of speaking, especially in conflict?

Hi shahzibj1 –

What a great question!  Parents spend so much time teaching kids to say “please” and “thank you,” to wait turns, to not interrupt, all that sort of etiquette.  But what about when one’s in a conflict?  What is the best way to communicate then?  Are there rules?

Well, I guess the truest answer is No, that there are no real rules.  People can insult each other, bring up past events, exaggerate, lie…  And those are just in formal political debates!  In regular arguments, people can walk away, slam doors, throw plates, or punch each other in the Continue reading

How can a dog help anyone by giving advice?

Rebecca asks: You’re just a dog! How can you ever help me? My problems are getting worser n worser! But thanks anyway, for your concern, and for being on my side. I am happy just for that.

Hi rebecca –

 

 

I have one very important answer for you:  You’re right.  I can’t help you a bit.  I can’t come out there and bite the people who are mean to you, and I can’t lay my head on your lap so you can hold me while you cry.  And I certainly can’t change anyone else’s behavior.

 

But there is one thing I can do, and that’s what I love to do more than anything else:  I can Continue reading

1 What is racism, and why does it exist?

sazuna45 asks: I’ve been asking a question of people I trust. Kind of a survey: What do you think about racism? How unnecessary/ necessary do you think it is? And what can be the results?

Hi sazuna45 –

Okay, let’s start with a definition.  I define Racism as a particular form of prejudice, in which one makes judgments about a person or group of people based on their race, and not on actual facts.  And usually those judgments are, in some way, negative.

Let me explain what I mean by “usually, in some way, negative.”  Today, one of the most popular sports in the world is Continue reading

4 What does “Shirelle” mean?

Sazuna45 asks: What does Shirelle mean?

Hi Sazuna45 –

Well there’s a story about that.  You see, when Handsome first got me, he didn’t have any idea of what to name me, but he didn’t want it to be something “clever,” like about my color or breed.  He wanted it to come to him organically, about my essence.

 

Then, after he’d had me a few days, he started to get a little frustrated at just calling me “Puppy” (or “Knucklehead,” which they’d called me in the Continue reading

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