Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

by Michelle Waitzman

Overview

Dogs find plenty of reasons to be happy every day. Why do we struggle to do the same?

Be as Happy as Your Dog explains how you can learn to enjoy life like dogs do. After all, a dog's default position is to be happy-right here, right now. Bringing together the latest research from dog behavior experts and leaders in positive psychology, this book reveals easy changes you can make to level up your happiness today-and make it last.

You will start feeling happier, even before you finish the book. Chapter by chapter, you'll get easy-to-use advice that doesn't require you to follow a complicated program or change your whole lifestyle. Dog lovers will immediately connect with the insights and realize that we can embrace the same joyful attitude as our dogs.

Learn 16 ways to be happier, inspired by dogs:

• "Wagging your tail" by celebrating your small wins will boost your happiness and spread it to others.
• "Chasing the uncatchable" dreams and goals that mean the most to you will keep you motivated and help you succeed.
• "Trusting your sniff test" to quickly assess people will allow you to avoid toxic relationships.
• "Playing" all through your life will help you solve problems, boost creativity, and simply enjoy more of the activities you love.
• "Walking every day" will make you feel more engaged with the world and release your stress and anxiety.
• "Finding your pack" to spend time with the right people will provide the support, comfort, and connection you need.

Plus 10 more dog-tested methods of finding pleasure in your everyday experiences, enjoying each moment as it happens, loving yourself as much as your dog loves you, and adding more happiness to your life.

It's the happiness advice your dog wants to share with you!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781738787418
Publisher:	5 Foot Communications
Publication date:	04/15/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	244
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Michelle Waitzman is a writer, plain language consultant, and dog lover. She is also the author of Sex in a Tent: A Wild Couple's Guide to Getting Naughty in Nature, Moon: Living Abroad in New Zealand, and Psychic Animals: Superstition, Science and Extraordinary Tales. Before her writing career, Michelle worked in TV production and corporate communications. She lives with her husband and two mixed-breed rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka, in Toronto, Canada.

Table of Contents

Introduction .............................................................................. 1

1. Learn new tricks....................................................................13

2. Live in the moment............................................................. 25

3. Wag your tail........................................................................ 39

4. Never stop playing.................................................................51

5. Find your pack..................................................................... 65

6. Trust the "sniff test".............................................................77

7. Bark, don't bite.....................................................................91

8. Shake it off..........................................................................103

9. Go for a walk......................................................................115

10. Stop and smell things.......................................................127

11. Enjoy some treats..............................................................141

12. Accept praise.................................................................... 153

13. Play fetch...........................................................................165

14. Chase the uncatchable......................................................177

15. Curl up and sleep.............................................................189

16. Dig below the surface........................................................201

Stay pawsitive!.........................................................................211

Selected bibliography..............................................................215

Notes.......................................................................................217

Acknowledgments.................................................................. 233

About the author................................................................... 235

Editorial Reviews

"Be as happy as your dog is the most important book you will read this year. We have been so distracted with what we can teach our dogs, we never realized that one of our most inspirational, upbeat, optimistic friends are, and always have been, willing to share their philosophy with us. Based on the new research in positive psychology, Waitzman shows us how understanding our dog's mind and behavior can lead us to a happier, more fulfilling life. A pawsitively delightful read."

- Brian Hare, New York Times Bestselling author of The Genius of Dogs

"It was amazing just how much I said to myself, 'Yep, that's me all over, ' how much I realised I was habouring somewhat unhealthy thoughts and habits. The way these 'lessons' were written were easy to digest and even easy to implement. So easy in fact that I was left thinking, "Why aren't I doing this already?!"

- A Quintillion Words, book review blog

"Michelle has the unique ability to approach happiness in a way that is friendly and practical, but backed by science. She entertains us through her ability to weave happiness together with our dear companion, the dog. What a great combination!"

- Kim Strobel, happiness coach, motivational speaker, dog rescue advocate

"Be as Happy as Your Dog is brilliantly written to be lighthearted, but such an eye-opening read. I'm someone that jokes often, "dogs have it so hard"-being told when they get to eat, where they get to sleep, or when they get to go out to adventure. But they truly have such a present joy for life, and we can learn so much from them. Michelle Waitzman really captures the here and now approach with which dogs live their life, and we can certainly take some notes on how to incorporate this into our own wellness. Thank you, Michelle, for taking us on a journey through our dogs' eyes."

- Nicole Barnett, force-free dog trainer

From the Publisher