The “UltiMUTT” Book for Dog Lovers If You're Not Covered in Dog Hair, Your Life is Empty! Compiled by Debbi Dachinger Rave Reviews “What a grand collection of what I will call LOVE SONGS for our beloved angels we call our dogs. Anyone who knows me knows my dogs past and present are essential fabric to the tapestry of my life. I believe our dogs are not just our companions but sent from source as guiding light angels at exactly the right time when we need them most. May you find love, light, and inspiration in this extraordinary collection of stories straight from the heart. We are better humans because of these bright lights we call our little loved ones. Congratulations Debbi—the work you continue to do is important, timely and very much appreciated.” —Randy Johnson, Director and Playwright, Tony Award nominated production A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN “This compilation is a delightful anthology full of important stories for those of us who enjoy the companionship of possibly our best life partners, our dogs. This book is exciting and witty, moving and tender, and is a must read. Highly recommended for anyone who has a fascination with and love of canines and animals.'' —Lee Richter, CEO, HolisticVetCare.com, Holistic Veterinary Care “‘The UltiMUTT Book for Dog Lovers’ shows exactly how our amazing furry friends can be our biggest allies and our biggest healers, even in our most challenging and vulnerable moments. This book is a celebration of the potent and powerful catharsis that happens when humans meet the undying love and companionship of our canine friends. A must read.” —Corin Grillo, LMFT psychotherapist, angel channel, intuitive healer, best-selling author "Aww, only Debbi Dachinger would have the creative imagination to 'download' such a glorious book about our best friends...Dogs. ‘The UltiMUTT Book for Dog Lovers’ is an irresistible book for everyone who chooses to expand their ability to love, and who have decided to last longer than loneliness. It is for readers who have determined that the pandemic of 2020 can be, and has been, a great boost in deciding that life, however long, is worth treasuring. Debbi draws stories of doggie love out of other contributing humans because that is what Debbi does so well. Please read this book; both you and the dog who shares your life now, or your new best friend who will join you as soon as you get to the shelter, will be glad you did." —Elizabeth Gaylynn Baker, Author of We Know Not What We Do and Gifts of Gratitude, Award winning documentary filmmaker “‘The UltiMUTT Book for Dog Lovers’ is a joy to read. One heart- warming chapter after another. Each author beautifully and honestly shares their passion, respect, and the life lessons they have learned from the dogs who touched and blessed their lives. As someone who has adopted, trained and worked with many rescue dogs (in my past career of training animals for movies and TV), I respect and appreciate the devotion this book has in showing how adopting a pet from a shelter will change the lives of everyone lucky enough to spend time with the love bundles of fur they open their lives and hearts to. All four paws up for this book!” —Anne Gordon, Author of Listening with your Heart, former animal trainer for the film industry. Founder of Whale and Dolphin Wisdom Retreats “As someone who runs a country-wide business, I want to go national and beyond to let everyone know about the heart opening and soul of this ‘UltiMUTT’ dog book. Reading this compilation made me look at dogs and the people who owned them differently. I wanted to immediately sign up for an animal communication course. Dogs are our teachers not the other way around. I feel what you have done with this book will change the way true dog owners will relate to their pets and they and the world will be so much richer as a result. This book really pulls back the curtain and lets the readers know how much dogs are truly family. Canines are our teachers, guides, mentors, emotional supports and the very best friends who will always love you unconditionally.” —Lisa Browne McCulloch, Hypnotherapist, Energy Healer, Certified Positive Prime Coach The “UltiMUTT” Book for Dog Lovers: If You're Not Covered in Dog Hair, Your Life is Empty! Compiled by Debbi Dachinger ©2020 by Debbi Dachinger Published by Dare to Dream Knockout Publishing and Podcast All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, nor may it be stored in a retrieval system, transmitted, or otherwise copied for public or private use, without written permission other than “fair use” as brief quotations embodied in articles and reviews. ISBN-13: ISBN-10: A portion of the profits from this book are donated to Cuddly Canines Rescue, who began saving pregnant moms and unweaned litters 15 years ago, when they actually got behind closed doors at the shelters and saw how many unwanted families were slated for euthanasia. They are 100% volunteer based, 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, with foster homes throughout Orange County and LA County, California. cuddlycanines.com Dedication To all our dogs, past, present, and future, who are our loves, life savers, protectors, favorite comedians, teachers, best friends, heart menders, foot warmers, selfie buddies, bathroom escorts, bed stealers, fluffy alarm clocks, playful, therapists, beautiful, forgiving, pure magic, and always there. For my beloved dog… when I needed a hand, I found your paw. —Debbi Dachinger Table of Contents Foreword: Ryan Matthews .............................................. 10 Chapter 1: Infinite Abundance by Debbi Dachinger and Shelby the Dog ............ 17 Chapter 2: Love Me, Love My Dogs by Viki Winterton and Eippy ............................. 33 Chapter 3: Rescue Reilly: The Covid-19 Super Dog by Hal Price & Rescue Reilly ............................. 47 Chapter 4: My Four-Legged Hero by Madison Adams and Britney, the Dog ............ 59 Chapter 5: Doggy Divorce by Dr. Marni Hill Foderaro and Bogey ................ 71 Chapter 6: Do Rescue Dogs Suffer from Undiagnosed PSTD? by Barbara Longué, David Adelson and Cleo ....... 85 Chapter 7: From the Desk of Momo and Sherman by Paola S. Anderson and Momo and Sherman, the Dogs ...................................................... 95 Chapter 8: Two Bodies: One Beautiful Soul by the Andersons: Comet, Simba, and Judy ...... 107 Chapter 9: Roxy to the Rescue, In Memory of Denise Cohen by Leana Orsua and Roxy ............................... 123 Chapter 10: Conversations with Dog by Suzy Godsey and Yesdog Charlie ............... 137 Chapter 11: From Trauma to Freedom by Nancy Sommers .................................... 151 Chapter 12: “A Dog Taught Me to Talk” How Dogs Fulfill People’s Lives by Michael Burkey ................... 167 Afterword: Debbi Dachinger ........................................... 179 Foreword by Ryan Matthews Have you ever stopped, slowed down, and thought about what is so magical about dogs? Why is it so easy to love them? Why is the beginning of every day as if it were Christmas morning to a dog? My first dog was unlike any first dog anyone could have. I met Rex, a 95-pound German Shepherd who made it a habit to bite people and he loved it. Before you get your hackles up—that’s the fur on the back of the neck that stands up when a dog is bothered—it’s important to know that Rex was a Military Working Dog (MWD). I met him while going through the Military Working Dog Handlers course at Lackland Air Force base in 2002. 10 I didn’t realize it at the time, but Rex helped me face my fears. Meeting him the first time while I walked through the dog kennels with countless canines barking, lunging on their kennel doors, and growling at me, you could see the fire in their eyes; these dogs were built to work. The Military Working Dog loves to have a job, and to me to perform Secret Service missions for world leaders as a young twenty-something-year-old was invigorating. Arriving on the scene of a bomb threat and telling police and others what I needed to perform a safe and secure bomb threat sweep of the building was a bonding experience like no other. Until I met Zito that is. I’ll never forget the most intense moment I had with Zito, another German Shepherd and the MWD who I deployed with in Mosul, Iraq, in 2005. We were in a Stryker—a huge armored military vehicle—on a mission with Infantry soldiers. While en route to the mission, the higher enlisted soldier told me to grab my dog and lay in the middle of the vehicle on top of the first aid liter and put my dog on top of me. I thought that was a strange request but the look on his face was of complete seriousness. He then yelled, “We have been hit (with a bomb) every time on this route!” I immediately went into action and as he said, the reason for putting Zito on top of me was that when we are hit with the improvised explosive device (IED), the hope was that my armor would protect Zito. I remember looking into Zito’s eyes and for the first time, I could hear a dog’s voice. Zito knew I was scared; he could see my shame and sense I was ready to die. Then, in an intuitive and spiritual way at a time where I could use all the spirituality out there, he reassured me and though he was scared too, he let me know we would be okay. He told me to let go of my shame of putting us in harm’s way.