Category Archives for "Dogs"

0 What to do if a teen hits a parent

achhu asks: My 13-year-old daughter is sharp-minded but very lazy in all her routines. She always obeys me but not her mother. Sometimes she also shows violence to her mother. She has a 7-year-old brother as well. Working father and housewife mother, happy middle class family. Whenever I advise her, she admits guilt and promises not to repeat. But after a short interval the problem starts again. What shall we do?

Hi achhu –

Any dog owner will tell you that the toughest time with a pet dog is the first year.  Puppies are rebellious, destructive, stubborn, needy, and have no real empathy for anyone else.  (That’s why we’re so incredibly cute at that age; if we weren’t, no one would put up with us!)

Humans go through something like that at age two, when they’re about as cute as puppies.  But then they go through a similar phase about 10-15 years later.  And it’s not nearly as adorable for the parents.  It’s called Adolescence, and most parents find it the most trying time they ever have with their kids (and get insanely nostalgic for those first couple of years, when the kids cried all day and screamed all night, but somehow seemed sweeter!).

That’s what you’re dealing with, achhu.  Your daughter is right on schedule.  And it’s completely normal for her to be especially mean to her Continue reading

0 What’s Shirelle’s life like?

aana asks: Which continent are you from? Where are you living at the moment? Are you married? What’s your age?

Hi aana –

Thanks for all your questions about me.

I currently live in North America, near the west coast of the United States, pretty close to Los Angeles.  I’ve been a lot of places around this country, and my ancestors, I believe (no one’s sure of my breed, but based on some people’s best guesses) come from Siberia and the Arabian Desert.

Dogs can’t marry, but I do have a Continue reading

0 How to make an absent-minded teenager take responsibility

Cookie Vidal asks: I have a hard time getting my 16-year-old brother to do all my dog’s things (pick up her feces, change her water etc.), and for the last 6 months or so I have been doing it for him. He stays home all day and can’t even clean the floor or wash the dishes etc. So how do I approach him to get him to do something other than being on Facebook?

Hi Cookie Vidal –

Okay, first things first:  Nothing here is anything but normal.  16-year-old boys tend to be very forgetful, even if they mean to be responsible; and they usually are a lot less concerned with messes than other people.

If this weren’t the case – if he were, say, 24 – my suggestion to you would be to stop doing his chores.  To leave the dog’s mess out, to leave the floor and dishes (it’s not fair to the dog to not give her water though), and wait till it starts to drive him absolutely nuts.  That method works beautifully – but not necessarily with 16-year-old boys!

So I think you need to take more drastic measures.

The first one is – where is the rest of Continue reading

0 How to get someone to trust you after you’ve lied to them

Destined962013 asks: Me and my boyfriend have been together for over seven months now. About four months ago, I lied to him about something very serious. I really had no reason to lie to him in the first place, but I did. The problem is that, since then, I have been completely truthful about everything, but he doesn’t believe me. I was wondering if you know any way for me to show him that I really am not lying to him now.

Hi Destined962013 –

Quick answer:  No.  There is no way to prove you’re not a liar.  There’s a rule in logic that says “One cannot prove a negative.”  What it means is, it’s impossible to prove that something is not the case.  You can only prove that something is the case.

For example, let’s say you go home, and you see that your cat was bitten by someone this morning.  Can I prove that I wasn’t the one who Continue reading

0 How old should one be before getting a dog?

danny asks: What is the appropriate age for keeping a dog?

Hi danny –

I assume you’re asking about the right age for a human to be, if they’re going to adopt a dog.  If I’m wrong, and you mean to ask what is the right age for a dog to be adopted, please get back to me on that.

I don’t think there’s an appropriate age for getting a dog.  What matters is the appropriate Continue reading

0 What to do when a friend suddenly stops contacting you

prettyndsweet12 asks: My friend recently moved and I really miss her. She’s like a second mom to me. The only contact that I have with her now is through social network chatting. But I haven’t heard from her in the past three days, and I’m worried and sad because I really want her to text me back. What should I do?

Hi prettyndsweet12 –

Your question “rang a bell” in my mind, and I was sure I’d answered one like it recently.  Imagine my surprise when I found that I had – and it was to you!  So I know we’ve already talked about missing your friend.   I’m guessing that the really tough issue is what to do when you don’t hear from her.

Well, my friend, I relate!  Every day, Handsome leaves me locked up in our Continue reading

0 How to get kids to do start doing things on their own

Cookie Vidal asks: My brother always asks me to do something when he can do it himself, and I get frustrated. How do I approach it?

Hi Cookie Vidal –

Your situation reminds me of something I went through as a puppy.  When I was about six months old, Handsome took me to the veterinarian to have me spayed (the operation that makes a female dog not able to have puppies).  I had a lot of stitches in my abdomen, and had to walk carefully while it healed – but no one was able to tell me that in a way I could understand.

Right away, after we got home, I tried to jump up on the bed to take a nap.  Well as you can guess, I couldn’t jump very high, and the trying really hurt!  So Handsome lifted me up and put me on the bed.  Then, once I’d had a little nap, I jumped off the bed onto the Continue reading

2 What’s special about wolves?

EnchantedWolf asks: What is the most important part of being a wolf? I need all the info.

Hi EnchantedWolf –
Well, as a dog, I have to just guess about the important parts, but I should confess first that all dogs are somewhat jealous of wolves.  So what I say will be the qualities I wish I had!

First, clearly, will be Independence.  Wolves don’t tend to be people’s pets, or walk on leashes, or stay locked in yards all day (though there are exceptions).  Wolves don’t usually get house-trained, or trained to heel, sit, stay, or roll over.  Wolves live in a deep sense of their frightening nobility and godlike connection to nature.  (On the other hand, I really enjoy being taken care of, fed, sheltered, and loved… so don’t cry for me too hard!)

Second is the strength of their Continue reading

0 Is it wrong to be a “goody-goody” at school?

adriannaar asks: My friends are calling me a goody-goody and a teacher’s pet, just because I respect the teachers and help them and the office staff out. What should I do?

Hi adriannaar –

You know, we dogs get this all the time.  Other animals, whether the nobly independent wolves we’re descended from, or the snooty cats we like to chase, love to get on our cases.  “You do whatever your humans tell you!  You have no self-respect at all!  You hunt, pull sleds, find drugs, chase bad guys and foxes, protect homes, and then jump on your enslavers and give them kisses all the time!  You make us Continue reading

0 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