September 2007 Edition of Pack Wisdom
In This Issue
A Note from James
Favorite Letter of the Month: In Memory of Dexter
Dogspirational Quote
Cutest Video of the Month: Baby Shares Crackers with 2 Dogs
The “Secret” of Dogs: Focus on What You Want
Screensaver a Big Hit
DogProblems.net Rocks My World!
A Note from James
Aloha, Dog Lovers,
This year, September is a big month for me, for a couple of reasons.
I’ll start with the most important: I’m getting married this month! My beloved, Molly, and I are going to have a teeny tiny ceremony with our closest friends. Although our families are far away, we know they will be with us in spirit.
Luckily, our dog Maui will be with us in person - or dogson? - she’s part of the family, and she will be our Best Dog. Here is my favorite picture of the three of us:
The second reason September is such a big month is because we are finally launching a cool new website, www.PawsUpPawsDown.com.
It is just for pure fun, and I hope you check it out. You can post your favorite dog (and cat!) photos and have others see them and “rate” them.
I want to find the cutest pet on the web … so make sure you email all your friends and get them to vote for yours and post their own pictures.
Check out the new site here: www.PawsUpPawsDown.com.
Meanwhile, I really love this month’s newsletter. Not only is it the newsletter that comes out during my marriage month, but it is packed with sweetness.
Beautiful Sharleen wrote to me about the passing of her sweet dog and meditation partner, Dexter.
I got to see “the secret” of dogs in action through the crazy antics of my friend’s dog Jake.
And one of my friends forwarded me a “meditation on sharing” video that I just loved - a darling baby quietly feeding her two dogs crackers.
I hope you enjoy, and look forward to hearing back from you really soon.
Warm Aloha,
James Jacobson
Creator, Do You Remember Love?
Author, How to Meditate with Your Dog
PS: Check out www.PawsUpPawsDown.com and share your photos - I can’t wait to see this site grow!
Favorite Letter of the Month:
~~~~ In Memory of Dexter ~~~~
Hi James,
My name is Sharleen and I read your wonderful and loving stories every time you send them.
The time has come that I must put my beloved dog Dexter down.
My heart is breaking but I know it is the best thing I can do for him given the circumstances.
He has been a most loving companion, along with his adopted brother Quincy…I am thankful that I had the opportunity to have him for 15 years.
I learned how to sit and meditate with him and I’m 100% sure that it was the best experience that we had together … I’m so grateful for that.
Please accept my thanks for doing what you do. It is a service that I’m sure has been well received by many.
If not for meditation I would not have had the pleasure of having the best relationship ever with Dexter.
It will be sad without him, but now it’s me and Quincy who will sit together each day and share the special moments that God has blessed us with.
This very moment he is pressed against my back just waiting for me to finish so that we can spend our final time together. So again I say thank you and ask for your prayers in this most difficult time.
Sincerely,
Sharleen, Herb & our best friends Dexter & Quincy
Dear Sharleen, Herb, Quincy, and of course, Dexter,
Your letter brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your last moments with Dexter with me.
My thoughts and prayers are with you at this most challenging time. Dexter is so lucky to have such a kind and loving human as you to acknowledge his beautiful life and share such gratitude and peace with him.
I know words are rarely a comfort at times like this, so I’ll just say that I think you must have given Dexter a great gift by taking the time to be present with him and see him off into his next life. He must have passed with a heart full of love and peace.
I admire your courage and strength, and please know how much love is coming your way from me and from the tens of thousands who reads this.
I know that Dexter is blessed, but I also send many blessings to you, Herb, and of course Quincy, your new meditation partner.
Warmest Aloha,
James
Dogspirational Quote
“The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too.”
- Samuel Butler, Higgledy-Piggledy
Cutest Video: Baby Shares Crackers with 2 Dogs
This video is a great example of how loving and tender dogs can be with baby humans - and how easily humans share before we are “trained” to be selfish!
The video is so sweet - and a little long 
- but I think it’s a meditation on loving kindness, a quality you develop through meditating with dogs (or sharing your crackers with them).
The “Secret” of Dogs: Focus on What You Want
There has been a lot of fuss lately about the “secret” revealed in the movie and book The Secret. The idea is that what we think about happens to us. Whether we want it to happen or don’t want it to happen, what we focus on becomes a reality.
When I saw the movie I thought “Wow! So humans have finally figured out what dogs have known for millennia!”
Most dogs are already masters of intention. I have a friend that belongs to a border collie mix named Jake. I have known Jake for about three years now and I have never witnessed a more masterful focus-er. This dog can make anyone give him food.
Just the other day I saw him do it again. I stopped to say hello to Jake and his human, Sarah, when we passed in the street. While Sarah and I chatted, Jake casually parked
himself in front of a little boy in a stroller eating little pieces of Tofu Pups (the little hot dogs made of tofu).
Sarah is a vegetarian, so Jake has had many Tofu Pups in his life. He stared at this little boy with such deep intent that I could almost see his thoughts in cartoon bubbles above his head.
Jake was thinking “Give me a piece of Tofu Pup.”
The baby looked positively mesmerized. He stared back at Jake as if under a spell. After a few minutes he giggled and let a piece of Tofu Pup fall to the sidewalk. Jake dashed over to snap it up.
I’ve seen him do this with full-grown adults, too. About five minutes into their conversation with Sarah, they start rifling through their pockets, looking for a cracker or a snack for Jake.
Maui shows up at my office door promptly at 4:45pm everyday to start her dinner intention session. She sits staring at me until I finally get up to give her some chicken and rice and veggies … and she will sit for ten, fifteen, thirty, or sixty minutes. However long it takes.
If we could be as focused on what we want as our dogs are focused on what they want … if we applied their “secret” … what would this world be like?
Screensaver a Big Hit
If you haven’t downloaded your free screensaver of Do You Remember Love? the time is now!
I’m getting flooded with emails about how helpful it has been for people, who say it reminds them of the universal love we all share with our dogs every time their computer takes a rest.
Go here to get your free download - it’s a no-brainer to install, and if you have any questions, Crystal (my assistant) has made a tutorial for you. She’s also available to help via email if you need it.
You can get your screensaver here:
DogProblems.net Rocks My World
I cannot tell you how often I use this site to look up advice for everything from helping Maui to take her medicine to keeping her from rushing neighborhood dogs (even though she’s almost 15 and blind, she thinks she’s in charge of the world).
Please seriously consider checking them out. I really appreciate their advice and help.
Did you enjoy this newsletter? Pass it on to your friends!
Have an Easy and Restful Labor Day Weekend!
