I only downloaded this book because it had a dog on the cover, but the story had a few disturbing moments in it. Unlike other dog books I have read, this one focuses on the humans rather than the dog. It’s a tough decision on weather I should or shouldn’t read it again.

**Book Review: *The Teachings of Shirelle* by Douglas Green**

*The Teachings of Shirelle* is a heartwarming tribute to the remarkable bond between humans and their furry companions, as Douglas Green reflects on the life lessons imparted by his late pound puppy, Shirelle. With a delightful mix of humor and insight, Green shares how this lovable, if somewhat mischievous, dog became his greatest teacher.

Originally published in 2015, this second edition offers an updated experience, complete with a thoughtful foreword by esteemed veterinarian Dr. Barrie M. Sands. Dr. Sands' perspective enhances the narrative, framing Shirelle’s teachings within a broader understanding of the human-animal relationship, making it even more poignant.

Green’s writing is engaging and approachable, blending lighthearted anecdotes with deeper reflections on life, love, and the importance of living in the moment. His description of Shirelle’s antics—like commandeering a fancy restaurant table—paints a vivid picture of her unique personality while also highlighting her unwavering loyalty and zest for life. These stories serve not just to entertain but also to provoke thought about how we interact with the world around us.

The book's core message revolves around viewing life through the eyes of a dog, encouraging readers to embrace simplicity, joy, and authenticity. Green’s insights, derived from Shirelle's simple-minded brilliance, remind us that wisdom can often come from unexpected places.

This charming memoir is not only for dog lovers but for anyone seeking a fresh perspective on life’s complexities. With its blend of humor and heartfelt wisdom, *The Teachings of Shirelle* remains an uplifting read that resonates long after the final page is turned. It’s a celebration of the unbreakable bond we share with our pets and a reminder to cherish the lessons they impart.

We are accustomed to being told to look around us and learn lessons from others- human beings, of course. But learning lessons from a dog? That too a stray from the pound that got the nickname, "Knucklehead"?? This is what "The Teachings of Shirelle: Life Lessons from a Divine Knucklehead" by Douglas Green is all about. First published in 2015 by Cavalleria Press, this book makes for delightful reading. It vividly captures that beautiful - and sometimes stressful- relationship between a dog and her owner.

Green writes with great feeling about the twelve years he and Shirelle -his dog - spent together. She became the centre of his life, particularly when she was diagnosed as having malignant tumours. The story of how he never gave up hope- enjoying every minute they spent together - knowing the end had to come, touches you so deeply. He says, "Shirelle lived with no apparent awareness of death but lived each moment, as always , to the fullest." How true it is that we take time for granted, postpone or ignore things we should do for our loved ones, until we are bluntly told that the countdown has begun. The time ahead is limited. The tough part is that no one can say with certainty when the end would come. They could only say that it would be upon him- any day now!

The story begins with the author deciding to get a dog for himself. He visits a pound in Los Angeles, where he lives, to take home a stray. His family had always got strays from the pound and never cared for a dog's pedigree. As he walks along the cages in the pound, something clicks within him when he sees a pup which he later discovers is part husky-part Saint Bernard. She is taken home and later christened " Shirelle".

Douglas Green is a psychotherapist, writer and stage director. He has started, " AskShirelle" to keep alive her memory and help kids, teens and their parents. In his practice, he uses much go what he learnt from Shirelle- the knucklehead from the city pound who changed his life- and perhaps that of so many others!

The Teachings of Shirelle by Douglas Green is a quick, easy, heartwarming story of Douglas's dog Shirelle and the life adventures, life lessons a fury companion can teach you. The love between a man and his dog is evident and how one crazy animal can mean so much through the good times and the bad. Dogs are intuitive and life long companions. Somehow I do not think we love them as much as they love us. Thank you NetGalley.

This book had me laughing from the beginning with 'knucklehead'. The power of animals is amazing and this book delivered. I am so grateful for the opportunity to read it! Thank you.

I laughed, cried, cheered and could see so much of Shirelle in the dog who currently blesses our life and all of our other past dogs who have enriched our life in so many ways. Thank you for the advance read and to Douglas Green for sharing his life and Shirelle’s!

Knucklehead: All heart. No brain.

This was another one where the title got me – smack dab in my heart. I was instantly flooded with memories of our own divine knucklehead, our sweet, adorable, lovable, kooky, dorky, carefree, knucklehead (the last one actually being his nickname); our beloved Joie (pronounced Joey). Hubby and I were so fortunate to have spent nearly 10yrs living with that amazing creature and spending everyday loving our precious fur baby.

The book summary pretty much lays out the whole story. The author, Douglas Green, spent 12yrs with an amazing knucklehead who taught him so much about life, love, loss, and moving on. So many times, Shirelle saw him through bad break-ups, job losses, stagnant periods of his career in the entertainment industry, along with all the depression, self-doubt and frustration that comes with the ups and downs of a life lived. So many of the Shirelle stories had me laughing one minute and crying the next. So many times, I felt Green’s pride, desperation, irritation, and joy in his being witness to the life of his amazing and beautiful Shirelle.

The hardest part of loving and caring for a fur baby is that we are much more likely to outlive them than the other way around. So many of us will do whatever is necessary to prolong our fur baby’s life as well as making the end as comfortable and as painless as possible. It’s a hard decision to know when it’s become time to just enjoy whatever time we have left with them.

So many stories reminded me of some of my own fur babies, especially our own knucklehead, Joie. Especially the escape stories (uuuggghhh!!!) of being driven absolutely crazy with worry. Green illustrates the precious moments where many of us doggie parents are fortunate enough to experience true connection and pure bonding with our fur babies as well as the utter and sheer amazement at being the recipient of their love, loyalty, and devotion.

Even now, as I sit here writing this review, I’m having a hard time keeping it together. Like all non-fiction stories, I will be rating it on only the material provided and the way in which it was provided. I’m looking at an overall rating of 4.25 that I will be rounding down to a 4star rating. I want to thank NetGalley and Mindbuck Media for sending me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #MindbuckMedia #TheTeachingsofShirelle

This is the love story every dog owner wishes they could write for their canine best friend.

I never read books or watch movies about dogs because let's face it, we all know how they'll end and that's just not how I like to get my entertainment. This book though - the cover must have called to me because I told myself, "You know the dog won't make it" but I needed to read it.

Let me begin by saying that I read it quickly, and although I finished it several days ago, I couldn't write my review. I was feeling more than a little raw. I'll admit the last hour or so of the book had me crying until the end. This author has done such an unbelievably beautiful job of telling us about his dog, Shirelle, that somewhere along the line, the reader feels that we know her too, or maybe she belongs to all of us who read about her. journey. Thank you to Doug Green for loving Shirelle so completely and doing everything you could to not only give her a happy life but also keep her around for as long as you could. Having been lucky enough to have several of the best dogs in the world, I can relate to the utter sorrow of losing these wonderful beasts.

I can't even begin to communicate how much this story has touched me. I'd give it more than 5 stars if I could.

I will warn potential readers by saying there's heartbreak here that may be too visceral to handle, so this might not be the book for you.

I chose this book as it had a dog on the cover that looks SO much like the current furry love in my life. I had all the feels during this book. I literally laughed out loud snd shed tears. The lessons Doug learned were very relatable. How he did everything he could for his beautiful girl is exactly how I am with my adopted fur babies. A beautiful, amazing read!!

If there is a dog on the cover, I’m all for the book! I adored the relationship between Shirelle and her owner. The bond between owner and dog is something that is indescribable unless you’ve owned one and this pulled at my heart strings so much! I am so glad I was able to pick up this ARC. Such a heartwarming story

Beautiful story about a man and his dog, the love and frustrations that come in sharing the same space.
Shirelle embraced life and all it had to offer, willing to provide comfort to those in need.
#TheTeachingsofShirelle #CircuitBreakerBooks #NetGalley

This book did not have me until the last few chapters. In the beginning, after the author adopts Shirelle, they just seem to go about their everyday life. It was a sweet story of a man and his dog, but the author writes of a lot of different things happening in his life. There are so many things that I found it detracting from the story of Shirelle. I also felt that the author seemed to preach a lot about his feelings and questions about life. But I guess this is what made the last few chapters worth it, as he found that Shirelle had the answers all along. I thank NetGalley and Mindbuck Media for the advance read.