Bella The Boxer

‘Tis the Season: Staying Positive, Making a Difference

I haven't wanted to seem greedy by asking Santa for presents for myself. And yet, with Christmas just two days away I knew that this would be my last chance to capture the jolly fellow’s attention before he dashed off on his sleigh. So, here goes:

Why do I still feel guilty? Being the digital dog that I am, I spend way too much time online—which is both good and bad.

Good because I’ve made thousands of new friends around the country, including people who’ve dedicated themselves to making the world a better place for my fellow four-legged creatures. With their help, I’ve used my book to raise nearly $3,000 for dogs in need.

Bad because the stories of animal abandonment and cruelty are never-ending and heartbreaking (what is it about the holidays that brings out the worst in some people?). Reading these stories, I feel fortunate and blessed. I also feel overwhelmed and inadequate. After all, I’m just one dog, with one voice. How can I possibly make things better?

It’s enough to make a sensitive dog like me want to run to the backyard, dig a hole and bury her head.

So what’s the secret to staying motivated when things seem bleak? I call it the “kibble principle.” In other words, the key to tackling any complex issue or challenge without becoming overwhelmed is to take small, kibble-sized bites. It’s what Mimi Ausland of Bend, Oregon did when she created Freekibble.com to feed hungry shelter dogs when she was just 11 years old.

To date, Mimi and Freekibble.com (and its spinoff, Freekibblekat.com) have donated millions of good, healthy dog and cat kibble to shelters, rescue groups and food banks around the country—one piece of kibble at a time. Mimi demonstrates how a single, positive change can quickly set in motion a chain of events that make the world a better place.

The truth is that the problems of the animal world and the human world are gigantic. Sometimes, they make it difficult for anyone, dog or human, to feel like they can make a difference. My advice is to focus on the things that you can do yourself right here and right now, no matter how small. As for me, I’ll continue to search for creative ways to partner with rescue groups while spreading a message of happiness and hope to anyone willing to listen.

I also know how important it is to take good care of myself, which includes making time to unplug and unwind (so you see, Santa—that little pink ball is more than just a plaything. It’s an important form of therapy!).

Here’s to staying positive and making a difference in 2012 and beyond!

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You can read more about staying positive and motivated in my book, Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success.

 

How to Make It a Doggone Great New Year

Greetings! My name is Bella, and I’m a connoisseur of cheese, a chaser of squirrels, and an expert on helping humans work smarter and be happier. I’m also a dog, and one of the greatest things about being a dog is having a free pass to give people the kind of straightforward advice that they don’t often hear from each other. (I guess there’s just something about a dog’s soulful eyes and happy, wagging tail that gets humans to sit up and pay attention.)

Since it’s the time of the year when humans start think about New Year’s resolutions, I thought I’d share some of the wisdom that comes naturally to dogs of all shapes, sizes and pedigrees—and which everyone (even cat people!) can use to unleash their potential and create success:

Keep your eyes on the ball.

Stop multitasking and practice the art of concentration.  When I play with my little red rubber ball, I give it my full attention, energy and talent. Nothing else gives me the same sense of satisfaction!

Make happiness happen.

Focus on the positive and look for the humor in every situation. Aside from dogs, who are the happiest creatures on Earth? Those who make it their business to be happy!

Sit, stay and listen.

Talk less and listen more. When I wag my tail more than my tongue, people know that I’m listening. And after a while, I get to know something.

Shake off setbacks.

Don’t let the world “no” dissuade you. If you don’t fail, you don’t learn. Dogs aren’t perfect. We take risks and we make mistakes, but we shake off setbacks and take off running again.

Build your pack.

Surround yourself with colleagues, coaches, mentors and friends. Humans like to say that it’s ‘every man for himself.’ That’s silly. We all need a pack of supporters to succeed.

Show genuine appreciation.

Don’t just be grateful—show it! Kick up your paws and celebrate. Appreciation is gratitude in action. It’s something you feel from the tip of your tongue to the end of your tail—and it makes everyone feel good.

Get out and play!

Put down the gadgets and gizmos, step away from the computer, and learn how to play. Play is a dog’s way of connecting with real people, real dogs and real tennis balls. You know—the things in life that are most important.

How Will YOU Tap Into Your Inner Dog in the New Year?!

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Adapted from Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success by Bella The Boxer with co-authors Ellen Galvin and Patrick Galvin (available at Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and www.BellaTheBoxer.com).

Take a Gratitude Walk: It Does a Body, Mind (and Dog) Good!

The month of November is winding down, but giving thanks is one of my favorite year-round topics (hey, I’m a dog—giving thanks is what we’re good at!) so let me ask you this:

Have you taken a gratitude walk lately?

Some humans keep daily “gratitude journals” to write down the things they are grateful for every day. This seems like a pretty good idea, because humans who are grateful for what they have are a lot like dogs: They are more alert, have higher levels of energy, exercise more and sleep better. They are also more likely to achieve their personal and professional goals than people who are less grateful in their daily lives.

Of course, if my own humans are any example, most gratitude journals probably end up in drawers and behind nightstands, where they collect dust bunnies. (Why are they called dust bunnies, anyway? They don’t have whiskers and they don’t put up a chase.)

I prefer to live my gratitude by dragging my own two-leggeds out for a daily “gratitude walk” around the neighborhood. While I sniff around bushes and stare down squirrels, they get some quality time to reflect on all the things they are grateful for. 

In fact, I suggest that all humans take their dogs out on daily gratitude walks. And, if you don’t live with a dog of your own, then volunteer as a dog walker at your local shelter, walk with a friend or walk yourself.

While you are walking, think about everything you are grateful for, even if you can’t think of anything beyond the basics like food and shelter. Nothing’s too small, or too elemental, to be taken for granted.

Drop me a line and tell me about YOUR latest gratitude walk!

Woofs, wags and walks -- 

Bella

Worth Fetching: A CyBELLA Treat For You!

What are people are barking about? My book, woof! woof! And now that the holiday season is officially upon us, you'll want to read the reviews to find out why Secrets of a Working Dog makes a fun and inexpensive gift for dog lovers, book worms and anyone looking for straighforward and simple advice on how to live a happy, successful and well-balanced life.

Best of all, beginning this Cyber Monday and continuing through December 15, you can get your very own pawtographed paperback copy of Secrets of a Working Dog for 35% off or just $12.95 (shipping is free in the U.S.). Just enter "bellaholiday" as the discount code when ordering directly from my website.

Have an eReader? Secrets of a Working Dog is available as an eBook at Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com (they carry the paperback version, too).

Woofs, wags and a happy CyBELLA Monday to you!

Developing an Attitude of Gratitude: A Dog's Perspective

I’m grateful for every day with my humans, but some days are easier than others. When I have a stomachache because I’ve eaten something I wasn’t supposed to, or my plans to go to the beach get scrapped because my humans have to work, I need to take a few seconds to think about all the other things that I am grateful for.

Fortunately, I don’t have to think very long. Here’s my starter list of things to be grateful for:

• My four-legged pals at dog day care
• A brand-spanking-new tennis ball
• A dog collar that doesn’t itch
• A fluffy dog pillow in every room of the house
• Crumbs on the floor
• Getting a clean bill of health from the vet
• A water bowl that’s always full
• Sun puddles
• Dad letting me jump on the furniture
• Mom not catching me jump on the furniture

What are YOU grateful for today?

Working Dog Wednesday: Oliver, The Well-Mannered Dog

Welcome to ‘Working Dog Wednesday,’ where I interview dogs of every shape, size and pedigree. I believe that all dogs are working dogs because we all have something valuable to teach humans (if they listen to us, that is).

This week’s interview is with the exceedingly well-mannered Oliver, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel from Palm Beach, Florida.

Of course, you’d expect a Cavalier “King” Charles Spaniel to be well-mannered, wouldn’t you? (Then again, you might expect a “Boxer” to be pugnacious but that’s not true at all. We’re lovers, not fighters!)

Oliver’s manners have less to do with his breed and more with the fact that his mom, Jacqueline Whitmore, is an international etiquette expert and the founder of The Protocol School of Palm Beach.

She’s also an author whose latest book, Poised for Success, was officially released yesterday. In it, she teaches people about the four “P’s” – presence, professionalism, polish and passion.

Never one to hog the spotlight, Jacqueline credits Oliver for teaching her invaluable lessons about manners and protocol. Naturally, I had plenty of questions for Oliver himself…

Welcome, Oliver! Tell us a bit about yourself.
Thank you, Bella. My name is Oliver, and I just turned eight years old a few days ago. That makes me a Scorpio, thus explaining my calm demeanor and sensitive, perceptive nature. I’m also a certified therapy dog; my favorite activity is having children read to me.

What does a day-in-the-life-of-Oliver look like?
Well, I cannot lie…I’m a bit of a pampered pooch. Typically, I spend the entire day with my mom, Jacqueline, either snoozing in her office or riding around town in her car. And, oh, how I love to shop! Fortunately, I’m allowed to go practically anywhere because I work very hard at upholding the image of a well-mannered canine. Of course, things happen—even the most poised pooch makes mistakes. On a recent trip to the pumpkin patch I lifted my leg and peed on a pumpkin. Did I walk away? Pretend it didn’t happen? Mais non! The rule is: You pee on a pumpkin, you pay for it. After all, it is how one handles an awkward situation that really counts.

Oliver, do you believe that good manners are going to the dogs?
Certainly, our fast-paced, 24/7 world has made it harder for humans to slow down and be more mindful about how they treat others. But I believe that most people, at their core, wish to be kinder and gentler. I know this because I’m bit of a “man about town,” accompanying Jacqueline wherever she goes—and I see how people laugh and smile and come out of their shells when they see us together. I tell you, there is nothing like a dog to remind people that we are all connected! My mom even wrote a blog post about it that you can read here.

Here’s a “Dear Oliver” situation for you: One of my ‘pet peeves,’ or rather, ‘human peeves,’ is people who ignore leash laws and let their dogs run amok (I wrote about it here). What advice can you give for dealing with such situations in a polite yet effective manner?
Ah, yes. Humans who ignore leash laws are a bee in the bonnet of well-mannered dogs everywhere! It’s especially frustrating in high-traffic areas. Don’t humans understand that dogs respect boundaries—especially when those boundaries are meant to protect us (from cars, kids, coyotes…you name it). My advice? Suggest to the offending party as politely as possible that he or she invest in a flexi-leash!

Lastly, what’s one thing that might surprise people about you, Oliver?
Lizards. I love chasing lizards…

Thanks, Oliver! (Jacqueline's book Poised for Success is available at Amazon.com).

*****

A Special Holiday Offer From Bella The Boxer

Good etiquette is always in style, whether you have two legs or four. That’s why I wrote Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success, the book that teaches humans how to achieve success in work and life by adopting the techniques that come naturally to dogs. Publishers Weekly called it "delightful and insightful," adding that "Bella's pearls of wisdom will entertain while imparting more than a few valuable lessons."

Because Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success makes a great holiday gift, I am offering ‘pawtographed’ copies for just $12.95 from now through December 15th. That's 35% off the retail price of $19.95 and includes free shipping in the U.S. Just enter "bellaholiday" (one word) as the discount code when ordering directly from this page on my website. Any questions? Contact me here.

Shake It Like You Mean It: A Dog's Take On the Art of Appreciation (and a Special Holiday Offer)

November is one of my favorite months. Why? Because the focus is on giving thanks, something that we dogs excel at. Oh, yeah—there’s also the Thanksgiving turkey to look forward to!

In fact, just thinking about the taste of a Thanksgiving turkey is reason enough for me to wind myself into a half-moon and wiggle my stub tail while dancing sideways across the floor like a crab. In Boxer-speak, this is called “doing the kidney bean.” It’s a Boxer’s own silly way of showing both gratitude and appreciation for even the most basic things in life—shelter, food, water and belly rubs.

Humans tend to lump gratitude and appreciation together, but a dog will tell you that there is a difference. Think of it this way: Appreciation is gratitude in action. It’s something you feel throughout your entire body, from the tip of your tongue to the end of your tail. If gratitude is good, appreciation is better.

The mantra that happy dogs live by is said best by writer G.B. Stern: “Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone.”

The beauty of appreciation is that it makes everyone feel good, whether they are showing appreciation or receiving it. It turns everyday, ordinary events into special occasions. (A liver snap? For little old me? Oh, thank you! Thank you! Thank you!)

Appreciation is also contagious, like a smile or a sneeze. If you’ve had a bad day at work, it’s impossible to stay grumpy when your dog greets you at the door, bouncing up and down with appreciation for your safe return. Things don’t look so bad all of a sudden, do they?

Lastly, appreciation has an uncanny way of breaking down barriers. Whenever I score a piece of cheese, I do a little dance of happiness that charms my two-legged humans and weakens their resolve to give me “just this one little piece.”

Take my advice: A wee bit of appreciation will always get you more than just one little piece of cheese (or turkey, depending on the time of year)!

How do YOU show your appreciation throughout the year?

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A Special Holiday Offer from Bella The Boxer

The above is an excerpt from my book, Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success. To show my appreciation for readers of my blog, I am offering pawtographed copies for just $12.95 from now through December 15th. That's 35% off the retail price of $19.95 and includes free shipping in the U.S. The book is the perfect stocking stuffer for all your dog-loving family and friends (cat lovers will like it too, I promise!). Just enter "bellaholiday" (one word) as the discount code when ordering directly from this page on my website. Any questions? Contact me here.

Bury Your Fears and Face Your Demons (The Halloween Post)

It’s the week before Halloween and the zombies have taken over my neighborhood.

The tombstone decorations scare me the most. I’m sure that the crazy-eyed demon cat from Stephen King’s “Pet Sematary” will claw its way out of the ground and scratch my eyes out (is it any wonder that I have a love/hate relationship with felines?)

The Halloween decorations have gotten me thinking, however. Recently, I heard about a study that said only ten people cry at the average funeral. And…fewer than half of funeral attendees will go to the burial if the weather is bad. That’s right—THE WEATHER!!

If you knew that all it would take is a little rain to keep people from attending your funeral, would you care what they thought of you while you were alive? Would you let the fear of failure or the fear of looking foolish to others keep you from your dreams?

Creating a life of passion and purpose is no small feat. There will be embarrassing stumbles and cringe-worth missteps along the way. You're a human, not a zombie...right?

My advice is to stop looking to others for approval (the people you worry about today probably wouldn't bother to attend your funeral tomorrow). Instead, take lessons from a loyal, four-legged friend. You see, dogs aren’t perfect. Dogs take risks and make mistakes, but we shake off setbacks and take off running again. We follow our own instincts and we don’t worry about being judged or criticized.

Why? Because life is much too short—especially in dog years—to be anyone but yourself. Always be your own dog and don’t let what anyone else thinks keep you from taking risks and pursuing your dreams.

Really, there is no other way to be.

Are you with me, or are you too much of a SCAREDY CAT? MWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA……

Working Dog Wednesday: Your Dog Doesn’t Care About Job Titles, Should You?

I’ve been going to work with my humans for as long as I can remember, and for the most part I have been a productive and considerate employee (well, except for one carpet stain—hey, I was just a pup!).

One thing that I’ve learned as a working dog is that humans fixate on job titles. “What do you do for a living?” is a question that pops up at practically every occasion. And while “airline pilot” is pretty self-explanatory, does anyone really know what an “account manager,” “director of operations” or “vice president” does all day long?

My own humans named me Director of Goodwill (D.O.G.) of the company that that they run. My job description states that I am responsible for “maintaining a sense of energy, enthusiasm and creativity while making sure that the company’s two-legged employees don’t spend all day hiding behind their computer screens.” (Read a New York Times workplace profile of me here.)

I thought I’d ask some of my four-legged working friends about their own job titles for today’s “Working Dog Wednesday” blog post and here's what I heard:

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Amy wrote on my Facebook page:
Rudy is the Master of Butt Biting (M.O.B.B.) and Emmie is Chief Furniture Tester (C.F.T.)

 ***

Matthew wrote:
Yo Yo Flipper used to be the Chief of Eating Objects (C.E.O.) but he recently was promoted to Primary Analyst of Walks and Snacks (P.A.W.S.) ... all before the age of eleven months!

(Matthew found the Boxer/Basenji mix wandering the street looking for trouble after a homeless person, who had originally named the dog Clyde, couldn’t care for him anymore. Matthew quickly found out that the dog with the big ears had two different sides—a good natured, loving side and a wild, crazy and sneaky side...hence the name “Yo Yo Flipper,” or sometimes the nickname “Mr. Clyde,” in reference to the strange case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde). 

***

My friend Rosie is a Chief Performance Assistant (C.P.A.), which makes sense considering that Rosie's human runs the meeting and event planning company All Performance Associates.

(She doesn't look the part, but Rosie is a real task master. She only has to bat her eyelashes or furrow her brow to ensure that her coworkers and associates are perfoming their job duties accordingly!)

***

Then there is Honeybuzz, whom I featured on my blog earlier this year. HoneyBuzz is the Morale Coordinator at the musical instrument store where her Mom works. Her job is "to dispense daily encouragement and make sure everyone is centered and balanced. If this isn't happening, I will invite my co-workers to participate in one-on-one counseling sessions where we explore the therapeutic properties of squeaky toys and stuffies. I also permit them to lavish a great deal of attention on me. This allows them to forget about the horrors awaiting them on the sales floor. Have you ever had to listen to beginning musicians trying out instruments all day long?! Oh the pain! The pain!”

***

There you have it. Even working dogs have official job titles. Of course, there are some people who think that job titles should be eliminated altogether because they stifle creativity and lead to workplace rivalry.

My preference is to tell people what I actually do: “I teach people to work smarter, be happier and tap into their inner dog.”

Oh, yeah, I also litter the office floor with toys so that my coworkers are forced to take notice. When they do, they can't help but crack a smile, stand up from their computers, and play a few rounds of fetch. It’s a win-win-woof for everyone in the workplace.

 

Is there a better way of telling people what you do—not just for a living, but for a life? 

Bella the Boxer's Time Management Tip #3: Finish What You Start

Today, I’m going to share time management tip #3 from my book, Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success. (Click on the links to read Tip #1 and Tip #2).

Tip #3: Finish What You Start

If you've ever tried to interrupt a Boxer while she is digging a hole, you know that she'll whine and obsess until she gets to finish the job. That’s because Boxers (all dogs, really) get a great sense of accomplishment and empowerment from marking something off as “done,” i.e., digging the biggest, widest and deepest hole on Earth.

In other words, we like to finish what we start.

Humans need to learn that an “almost done” takes up valuable mindshare. Working on tasks in fits and starts can also be a highly inefficient use of time, whether you are digging holes or sitting at the computer.

I know some time management gurus who say you should block off specific times of the day to read and respond to e-mail—a half-hour in the morning and another half-hour in the afternoon, for example. The problem is that most people don’t take enough time to read and respond carefully in their race against the clock. They skim through the first few sentences and send a hasty, piecemeal response that requires even more back-and-forth. Now they are wasting the time of two people!

It’s better to prepare yourself mentally and physically to finish what you start. Clear your desk, organize your papers, shut the door and drop your furry friend off at dog day care for a few hours of supervised fun (don’t worry, we’ll survive. We might even have a lot of fun!). Break tasks down into pieces and get to work. And if there are tasks that you never seem to finish (or that stand in the way of finishing more important things), then outsource them.

Case in point: My Mom is a neatnik with the superhuman ability to see every single dog hair in the office and house. She finally realized that her time was better spent with clients, not with picking dog hair out of the photocopy machine, and hired a cleaning service.

Finally, if there is something that you really, truly can’t seem to finish, then maybe it wasn’t meant to be. Take it off your action plan and get rid of the guilt that goes along with.

Now, make some time to go out and play. Woof! Woof!