Category Archives for "Featured Questions"

0 How to ask someone out when you’re terrified of rejection.

Outcast asks: I think I’m going to ask this girl to be my girlfriend. But here is the thing, I’m pretty much afraid of the outcome. I don’t think I can handle a rejection, especially coming from her. And I know I have to move on if that happens. But what happens if she rejects me? I know I sound negative about this, but someone once told me “to avoid disappointments, you must lower your expectations”

Hi Outcast –

I’m going to ask you to do something really weird.  I want you to imagine the moment of your death.

Not in terms of how you’ll die, or how old you’ll be.  I just want you to imagine that moment when, as we always hear, your life passes before your eyes.  Your joys, your sorrows, your accomplishments, your failures, your loves, your hates…  What do you think will matter to you the most right then?

Of course, I can’t know for sure, but I’ll bet that, when a person (or a dog) experiences that, one of the biggest questions is What Did I Dare to Try.

If a dog in the wild is starving, and tries to steal some food from a wolf, and is killed for it, at least that pooch tried to live, right?

If a person loves movies, and devotes decades of their life learning to be a filmmaker, and gets a movie made, but no one buys it and they lose all their money and have to get another job they’re not that excited by, at least they tried to make it in that world, right?

And if a little bug wants to eat an apple, and crawls all the way up a tree and out a branch, and just as she’s about to take her first bite of it, a bird flies down and gobbles her up, at least she tried to eat it, right?

Outcast, there’s a whole branch of philosophy called Existentialism, that argues that this is actually the meaning of life.  Not whether we succeed, but what we do, what we try, how we live.

I haven’t caught 90% of the squirrels I’ve chased, maybe 99.  So who am I?  I’m a dog who loves to chase squirrels.  And I like being that pup!

My human friend Handsome… well, he’s that failed filmmaker I talked about.  That’s his story.  And he’s still proud of how hard he tried.

And you?  You are completely smitten with this girl.  And because you’re so crazy about her, the idea of her rejecting you scares the daylights out of you!  Great! That’s what love, especially young love, has looked like for millennia!

And I really hope, when you ask her, she says yes!

But what’s important for you to realize is that, if you Continue reading

0 How does my “friend with benefits” actually feel about me?

jillian asks: I’m a 16-year-old girl and I’m really confused about stuff with a guy right now. We have been best friends for years. We dated for a while, and then broke up so I could focus on myself, since I have personal problems going on. Well we decided to stay friends and started to get closer again. Right before spring break we were talking at school at our old “spot” and we started making out, and later on decided to be ‘friends with benefits.’ We started hanging out a bit more and doing stuff we used to do in our relationship. Then we took things further (and this was my first time) and it was nice and all. We both enjoyed it and I’ve been hanging with him and his family a lot more lately too. I told my friends about all this and they say we are always touchy and flirty, and now he’s started calling me cute all the time. Neither of us had feelings for one another but everyone thinks he likes me now, and I don’t know if he does or not. I don’t know how to tell if he likes me, or to tell if I like him again. I really don’t know what to do with this.

Hi jillian –

As dogs go, I understand human language better than most.  Some say maybe better than any other pooch.  But I do get confused by some words.  And one of them is “like.”

I like you.  I like just about everyone I meet.  I like tummy rubs (okay, no I really LOVE tummy rubs!).  I like fresh air and car rides and fire hydrants and flowers and the sound of old big band recordings.

But maybe it’s better to describe a person here.  My friend Handsome loves lots of things (including, best of all, me), but he likes far more.  He likes almost all music.  He likes anyone who returns his smile.  He likes most art.

Now I’m not trying to be silly here, but I’m really asking – this guy has been your best friend, your boyfriend, and now your friend-with-benefits, and you’re asking me if he likes you?  jillian, he’s absolutely nuts for you!  Whether he knows it or not!

By that I mean that teenage boys are very confused about a lot of things, and he might be enormously connected to you but still think his true love is Selena Gomez because he’s had a poster of her on his wall since he was six.  So he might not feel the degree that he really loves you.  But whether he does or not, he loves you, a lot!

In fact, the whole friends-with-benefits thing, to me, sounds like something for people to do who are scared to commit to each other.  And that can make a lot of sense.  Let’s say one or both of you is planning to move away after you finish high school.

The problem with that idea is that Continue reading

0 Should I keep pursuing someone who can’t get over their last relationship

Outcast asks: I love this girl a lot and I don’t know what to do. She said she loves me too, but is afraid of getting into another relationship because the last one did not work out. Should I keep waiting, or should I give up and move on (which I’ve been trying to do for months). I’m always sad these days, and I don’t know if I’m obsessed or if I just love her that much.

Hi Outcast –

This is such a common problem, and it’s always so tough. I guess the most famous expression of it is a great old song by Hank Williams called “Cold Cold Heart” – I recommend you listen to it, maybe a few times. It’s exactly what you’re living through.

There’s no easy answer to your question, because there’s no way for anyone (including the girl) to know when she’ll get over the pain of that last relationship. I do believe that she will, but again, I have no idea if it’ll be this week, this month, this year, or even this decade.

The question I’ll ask you, though, is what you mean by “waiting.” If you’re sitting waiting for her to call you and be happy, then yeah I’d say that should stop. If you mean there’s someone else you’d like to get involved with but are holding back for her, that’s a tougher question.

But if you mean that you’re wondering if you should completely commit to someone else, maybe this is a sign that you’re not ready for that just yet. As long as this girl seems to be what you want, it’s probably wrong to give yourself over to someone else you’re not as interested in.

But my general rule in life is to try as hard as you can, but then be willing to give up and move on. So if it’s possible to give up on a romance with this girl right now, and stay friends with her while you date other girls, so that you can be there for her when she gets ready to take a chance again… that sounds pretty ideal to me.

On one hand, you’ll be happier and be having more fun. But on the other, she won’t feel as much pressure from you, and that might make it easier for her to let herself give you a chance.

And if she doesn’t… and you meet someone else even more wonderful… that’s great news for you, although sad news for her.

Far better if she manages to get over that bad relationship and find out how great you are!

Best of Luck!

Shirelle

0 How to date someone with attachment issues.

Navyplum asks: I am facing a relationship crisis, as I found out that my boyfriend suffers from avoidant attachment disorder and now I don’t know what to do about it.

Hi Navyplum –

I’m not sure if I know exactly what you’re asking about. There’s a mental problem called Avoidant Personality Disorder, but honestly I have trouble thinking he could have that, simply because he’s your boyfriend, and someone with a full case of that probably can’t be in a romantic relationship.

But if you’re saying he just has attachment issues, that’s different.

Attachment is something we dogs are usually excellent at. It means one’s ability to connect to someone else, and how deeply they do so. It’s not a good-or-bad thing, different beings are just different.

Think of very young children, and how they’ll go through a phase where they’re all smiley and flirty with all adults, and then suddenly enter a time where they hide behind their mother’s legs whenever they meet someone new, and then they’ll suddenly greet everyone by sticking their tongue out at them. This is all healthy and normal.

It’s then equally normal to go through much longer phases in later years. A friendly teenager might go through a year or two where they’re distant and sullen, for example. And it’s so normal for their parents to freak out at this, as though they didn’t go through the same experience themselves (as did Hamlet, Siddhartha, and every James Dean character)!

But eventually, it’s true, people show their real, lifelong personalities. And some of them are really gregarious and friendly to everyone (think of politicians), and some attach super-strongly to one or a very few people, and some are mean and distrustful, and some are just shy.

As you can probably guess, I’m usually a mixture of the first two. I’m deeply attached to some friends, most particularly my human friend Handsome who I can’t imagine living without. But I’m also very friendly (some say too much so) to just about everyone I meet. Although whenever uniformed people walk into our yard, such as the fellows who check the water and electrical meters, oh I am a fierce beast!

But getting back to your question, “Avoidant” attachment means someone who really has trouble attaching at all. They tend to like keeping to themselves, they’re not very social, and have an awful time with intimacy. It’s not the life I’d wish on anyone.

And yet you say he’s your boyfriend. So he’s definitely able to connect with you.

I have a question for you, Navyplum. Has your boyfriend ever been tested to see if he’s on the Autism spectrum? That could explain his avoidance, while also explaining his ability to connect with you. For example, some of the most famous and successful people in the world today (Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, the late Steve Jobs, one of my very favorite musical composers Burt Bacharach) are known to have mild Autism (sometimes called Asperger’s).

I’d see if he’s willing to be checked out for that. If that is the case, modern society has many ways to help him (and you) out with it. But if he’s not at all Autistic, and it truly is an Attachment Disorder, I can only recommend that you both, together, seek out a psychotherapist or psychologist who specializes in this, to help you work through this difficulty.

Either way, you have been, and can continue to be, a glorious help to him, which makes me just say you’re a fantastic human being.

WHICH MAKES ME WANT TO JUMP ON YOU AND LICK YOU AND FEEL ALL ATTACHED TO YOU!

But oh well, I’ll just feel attached from here instead. And go jump on Handsome when he comes in next!

Thanks Again, and BEST OF LUCK!

Shirelle

0 How to win over someone who ‘just wants to be friends.’

Mandip asks: I have been mad about a girl for 5 months. I love her too much. Every single second she is present in my mind. In the office I spend the maximum of my time with her. We also used to hang out. Sometimes she cooks food for me also. She has a boyfriend but he lives 500 km away. Recently another guy showed interest in her, and I can see she is interested in him as well. He is also in a different location (on-site but same office). That’s why this week I also confessed my feelings to her, but she says we are good as friends. I wrote a poem also for her. How can I impress her and get her?

Hi Mandip –

You’re in a tough position. You haven’t done anything wrong, and your feelings are just wonderful. But because you work in the same office, and she has already told you that she wants to be ‘just friends,’ there’s not a lot you can do right now to win her.

Your best bet is to be the best friend you can. It’s going to be very difficult for her to make that long-distance relationship work, so either it does continue (which means it’s a better relationship than you’re realizing), or it will dissolve – which would make her available.

For you to keep pushing right now (say, giving her the poem you wrote) could come off as harassment and get you in trouble with your work, so I don’t recommend that.

But for you to keep being the wonderful friend you are, and in particular to make sure you’re better than that other guy who’s been showing interest in her – those might work out to help her look at you differently.

And although you’re only interested in her right now, your dating other women could help her see you in a more romantic context too.

I wish things weren’t as difficult as they are. We dogs don’t mind it at all if another dog jumps on us and gives us a lick. But you’re a human, with a job, and so I have to recommend you play it very very cool.

But I’m sending you all the GOOD LUCK wishes I can!

Shirelle

0 How to tell how someone feels about you when they’re being careful of your feelings

Pennelope0214 asks: I’m trying to figure out if a guy is in love with me. Check out the following points: 1. I asked him once if he loved me, he said “kind of.” When I asked him to elaborate, he said it’s not love but strong liking. I don’t know, I think he lied. 2. He’s asked if I want to take things further, but then has said he knows I am not ready. 3. I’ve never seen lust in his eyes, I don’t know if it’s love but definitely, it’s not lust. 4. He gets jealous when he sees me with the guy I had a history with. 5. Recently we had a little quarrel since he said he is testing me; later on he said he was just joking and kind of reacted badly. The next day, when we were having breakfast, we didn’t even look at or talk to each other. At school, we came across each other a few times but behaved like complete strangers. Later on that day, it was raining, he was playing football and I walked passed there joyously with the same guy I had a history with; when I was returning to the hostel a text came “I am sorry I reacted that much” from him. When we were talking about that, he said he doesn’t want to lose another best friend due to such silly quarrel and asked me to look into his eyes and tell him what I see. So, Shirelle, do you see something or am I being stupid?

Hi Pennelope0214 –

Okay, your question is pretty normal, or should I say universal. People in relationships give mixed signals – they’re scared to express something, unsure of their own feelings, worried about the other person… and these are the really good people I’m talking about. So my sense is that he’s clearly interested, but he’s very confused about what to do.

I don’t know how jealous he is of the other guy. I imagine he’s just really perplexed – he wants you romantically, but he’s also being careful about you and your past. So he has to wonder if you really know your own feelings, your own heart. I’m not sure it’s time for you guys to take things super-far physically anyway, but I sure understand why he’s scared to.

This guy wants you to be strong and together, just as I do. But in general it’s clear he cares a LOT about you, and is trying to do everything just right.

Annoying as this is (especially to us dogs), my best advice is to give him more time.  Let him grow in his trust of you and your stability.

But at the same time, jumping up on him and giving him a big smooch when he’s not expecting it is exactly what I’d do – and at the right moment, it could be downright brilliant for you!

OH I’D LOVE THIS TO WORK!

All my best,

Shirelle

0 Should I be with a guy who wants two girlfriends?

Blck-pantha asks: Recently I sent you a message about my boyfriend who has a second girlfriend. I confronted him and asked him to choose, but he refused and told me he couldn’t, and that he’d rather break up with the both of us. What should I do?

Hi Blck-pantha –

I have to admit, I’m shocked.  He really said he’d rather break up with both of you than have just one girlfriend?!

Well, I hate to say it, but I think he just answered your question for you.  He’s being odd, but he’s being honest.  He wants to have two girlfriends, and he’s saying it very openly.

So I have just one question for you:  Would you be okay having a boyfriend who has another girlfriend?

If your answer is yes, then there’s no big problem – you two can date and see what you think of each other over more time.

But if your answer is no, then he’s simply not the right guy for you.  Even if the other girl broke up with him, it sounds like he’d be out looking for another to replace her.

So I’m guessing I know which of these you’d say, but it’s really up to you.  What sort of guy do you want to be with?  Once you decide, the choice of what you should do ought to become very clear.

Best of Luck!

Shirelle

0 What to do when you crave to do something new

Anonymous asks: Recently I have been wanting to do something new. So I was thinking about getting a new piercing but I’m not allowed as I am still quite young. So what else can I do to do something new? Got any suggestions? Thanks Anonymous

Hi Anonymous –

I LOVE THIS QUESTION!

It’s not that easy to answer, but I love it!  Because it’s so the opposite of what I’m usually hearing from humans (of all ages) – “Oh my life is dreary, there’s nothing to do about it, I’ll just watch more TV because there’s no way there’s anything else to do.”

I hate getting shots, so the idea of a piercing just sounds awful to me.  But that doesn’t mean you’re wrong to want one – it’s just something I’d never choose (if I’m going to take a chance on my skin getting pierced, I’d rather do it by chasing that stinky cat from down the street and seeing who wins when we connect!).

So here’s the simple truth – I don’t know you well enough to answer your question.  Because the real answer to “what can I do to do something new” is  Continue reading

0 How to treat your boyfriend or girlfriend who’s losing trust in you out of grief

admo1900 asks: There is a girl I am in love with. We have been in a relationship for two and half years. Some problems arose in our relationship when her parents pressured her to get married. Then a tragedy happened in her life – she lost her father. Now she thinks I never supported her through it, although I did what I could at that time. There is another friend she is getting close to, but I know the guy, and what he is showing her is not good. I want to marry her and I don’t know whether she’ll choose me or not. I love her the most, more than her own family, but she never understands this. What should I do to make our bond stronger than it was before?

Hi admo1900 –

Wow, this is a really sad, terrible situation. And it certainly makes sense to me, I think. Let me try:

You and this girl have been involved for a while, and her parents had some concerns about the relationship. Then her father, who I’m sure she loved dearly, died. She felt awful, and I’m sure all sorts of mixed feelings came in – including guilt about her relationship with you. (Even though you were supportive, and even if you never did anything wrong, it’s normal for a girl to feel like having a boyfriend is kind of like cheating on her father, the first man in her life). So now she’s pulling away from you, maybe even to the point of getting involved with a not-good guy.

I wish I had an easy answer for you, but there isn’t one. The only thing you can do is just what people have been asking us pups to do over and over again for all time: sit, stay, and heel.

First, Sit: You want to do Continue reading

0 How to treat a sibling who treats you badly out of jealousy

Bubbles asks: As we’ve discussed, my family doesn’t trust my boyfriend. Now he’s going to go to talk to my parents. He said that he will answer any questions that they want him to answer. So that any misunderstanding will be cleared and the truth will be clear. I am so happy about it and he already set a date. But to be honest I am worried. Recently my sister took a picture of my conversation with my boyfriend through my messenger account and even from my phone. It was also due to me being careless that I forgot to logout. Of course it contains a lot of information about the two of us – conversations and some really private pictures. She even recorded my actions from our cctv since I am handling some of our family business and made me look like I am stealing. She spread the pictures and the video to all our relatives. Now everyone just keeps on judging me. There are times when I will attend a gathering and see my relatives give me a look of disappointment and disgust. Some even ignore me like I don’t exist, so I just stay in a corner, waiting for the event to finish, or I just make an excuse just for me to leave earlier. It hurts so much that your own flesh and blood will do those things to you. Even when I explained to them they won’t listen or believe me. I confronted my sister about what she did. She told me that as long as I will follow what my parents want then she will not spread the pictures. But I told her that she could do whatever she likes with it. I will stand for my decision. And then here she comes accusing me of stealing, ruining my whole reputation to where my relatives don’t trust me. I ended up punching her for what she did. How did I end up having a sister like her?!

Hi Bubbles –

I’m beginning to change my mind.  Not about you moving in with your boyfriend, he sounds just wonderful.  But about what the problem is.

I used to think it was people worried about you being treated right, or about concerns about morals and religious rules.  But I’m beginning to think those are just excuses.

I have absolutely no idea what your sister’s motivations were, but there was NO NEED for her to send that stuff around, and she certainly had NO RIGHT to get into your phone like that.  I imagine she actually committed a crime, depending on where you live.

So while I’m not a fan of punching, I sure understand how you were driven to hit her.  But I want to suggest something completely different: I would love you to Continue reading