Aren’t smiles cool? Even us dogs smile and humans know just what we mean when we do. Mom knew a dog a loooong time ago who squinted like crazy when she smiled – she used her whole face!

Do you use your whole face when you smile? You know you do when those little muscles at the outside of your eyes ...

Do you take all the days off that you’re entitled to? This is something I don’t understand about humans at all – most of you don’t take all your vacation days!! Yes, what you do is very important work. Yes, you love what you do and it’s a calling and most of the time it feeds your soul.

You know wh...

What is that voice inside your head telling you about yourself? And if you just thought, I don’t have a little voice inside my head, that was the voice inside your head talking!

Most humans got programmed early to believe bad things about themselves – that they can’t do things right, they’re not sm...

Have you heard people talk about the power of being in the moment? What does that even mean? Shhhhh…here’s a secret…it means being more like me! OK, pretty much all dogs and cats and gerbils and goldfish live in the moment. We are good at it and you can be, too.

Instead of letting your brain chew o...

Want a brain trick that’ll help you solve problems and be happier? When something looks like it’s going wrong, find three good things about it.

Let’s pretend I was riding in the car and someone hit us from behind. That’s not good – that’s the way I get in and out of the car, so can I get out or am ...

Do you hold grudges against people, or find it hard to forgive someone? I admit I’m pretty annoyed that the big orange cat can jump up on the fence way faster than I can run across the yard. Grrrrrrr….cats!!!

The cat doesn’t care that I’m annoyed with him, though – he probably doesn’t even know, an...

Do you feel powerless sometimes? I do, especially now that Mom got a more secure crate for me. Escape just one time and it’s Fort Knox!! If you’re feeling powerless, think about the words you use. When something goes wrong, do you make excuses or do you own your part of the mishap and move on? Every...

Sometimes questions are no fun, right? Like when Mom says "Who Did That???" Somehow, it’s always my fault. There’s a good question you could ask yourself when it feels like something has gone wrong – "how would it feel if I knew it would all work out?" When you think about the possibilities it keeps...

Did you know that the way you breathe might be making you anxious? When I pant it cools me down – when humans pant, their brain thinks something is wrong. When humans are stressed they take shallow, fast breaths and that tells the primitive part of their brain that it’s time to fire up the fight or ...

Did you know that it’s OK to be sad or mad or frustrated or even to cry? I’ve noticed that some humans think they have to be calm and happy and positive all the time. Those are good ways to feel and the other ways are normal, too. It’s OK to feel sad or mad or frustrated or to cry – it’s part of bei...

Are you feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place? I got stuck behind the couch once so I can relate – scary!! If that’s how you’re feeling today, you could just whine and howl like I did, or you could do something I can’t – let your brain go time-traveling. Look at your options and pick one, th...

Everybody has that one friend – you know, the one who tells you about their life, even the embarrassing parts? They’re so open with you because they trust you – a lot! You know what? When you have something embarrassing or confusing or sad going on in your life, you can probably trust them, too. We ...

Quick – what does it take to make you happy? Are you one of those humans who thinks that once you’ve achieved a certain goal you can finally be happy? I may be just a dog but I know things. Research studies done at universities like Harvard, Cambridge and UC Berkeley have come up with the same concl...

Does it feel like stuff gets on you that you don’t want? I’m not talking about real stuff like dog hair or cat vomit or anything, I’m talking about life stuff – like when the groomer and the receptionist get into a screaming match and you feel like you have to be the referee? Sometimes I just stand ...

Are you having one of those days with no-shows, cancellations and empty appointments? Maybe it’s time to play! Most days Mom takes me for a long walk at the park in the morning but on days when the sky is leaking she cancels that. That’s not fun! And then most of the time it turns into a different k...

Do you feel a little sad today? It happens to the best of us – me, too sometimes, and when I’m sad I just whine a little bit. And then I remember that it’s more fun to run than to whine and I take off, bunny-butting through the house up the stairs over the back of the couch and Mom opens the back do...

Does it feel like stress is getting the better of you today? Quick – figure out when you can cut loose from everything for 10 to 20 minutes and go for a walk. It doesn’t matter when you walk or where you walk, as long as there’s not a roof over your head. Even if it’s cloudy you’ll be soaking up fre...

Are you feeling boxed in by life or maybe like you’re tethered to something when all you really want to do is run? I can relate – Mom’s a stickler for keeping me on a leash when it would be soooo much more fun to runrunrun like a crazy dog! Here’s the weird thing – usually when humans are feeling bo...

Are you shoulding on yourself today? As mom says to me when I’m up to something that’s not good for me UNH!! Should is a word that’s about shaming – it’s pointing out where you think you’re deficient. The truth is, if you asked 43 other humans they would say you are great at whatever you’re shaming ...

I know something you don’t know! OK, maybe you do know this – maybe today is just a good day to remind you that you can get a little boost of endorphins just from having fresh flowers in your space. Mom buys fresh flowers for our house every week and they make her smile every time she looks at them....

How are you feeling today? You might feel ordinary or not special at all or maybe even like a fraud. You are a unicorn. Really!! You spent most of your life so far loving animals, caring about animals, learning how to care for animals and being a champion for animals. You rock at caring for animals ...

Are you worried about money? Not to be mean but that’s something I never worry about. Mom won’t let me have any!! Humans seem to worry about money a lot because it looks like y’all need a bunch of it. I don’t get why you worry, though – you know what to do to get money and it always comes when you n...

Does it feel like someone you work with doesn’t like you very much? Sometimes it feels like the dog next door doesn’t like me much, too, and that doesn’t feel good. Maybe try this – pretend that the person is a little shy and just doesn’t know how to behave around someone like you. When you think be...

Are you feeling stressed? Why don’t you go outside and go for a walk. That always works for me. Of course, Mom has to take me but she doesn’t have to take you! So take a break for ten or 15 minutes and go outside and get some fresh air and sunshine.

I’m Kacey and I love veterinarians!

I wish I had a cell phone – mom says I can’t work one. She should know how smart I am by now…sheesh!! Anyway, you have a cell phone and here’s a good thing to do with it – every morning send one text to a friend you haven’t talked to or seen in a while. Just one. Every morning. You’ll put a smile on...

Are your shoulders tight and your jaws clenched? That happens to me when the border collie down the street locks onto me – stressful!! What can you do right now that feels like play? Can you watch some funny cat videos? An episode of your favorite sitcom? Play a goofy prank on the hospital manager? ...

Are negative thoughts racing around inside your head right now? It’s OK – it happens to me sometimes, when mom won’t get my favorite stuffed squeaky ball out from under the couch. If you’ve got some negative thoughts that make you feel bad use that stop sign – just like the ones on your roads, only ...

Is life raining on your parade today? Some famous human poet named Henry Waddup Somefellow – or something like that – said into every life a little rain must fall. He’s probably right and it’s no fun when it happens. When it’s real rain you can use an umbrella. When it feels like a storm cloud is fo...

Are you in a bit of a funk today? It happens…sometimes I wake up on the wrong side of the crate, too. If that’s going on for you today, crank up the tunes. Put on your favorite party music and play it as loud as you can. And maybe that means headphones on and loud but not too loud, or maybe that mea...

Imposter syndrome is where someone feels like they’re in over their head. Is that you sometimes? Do you feel like you’re not good enough, or you’ll be found out and kicked out? Remember these important things about you – you have jumped through all the hoops necessary to get to where you are. You st...

Do you meditate? I saw you roll your eyes – just give me 42 seconds to explain how easy it is. Early in the day sit comfortably in a quiet place, set a timer for 15 minutes, close your eyes and breath deeply. Feel your breath go in and then feel your breath go out. If your brain starts trying to tal...

Are you dealing with a grumpy co-worker today? It’s no fun…Mom’s grumpy sometimes too. This works for me…maybe you too? I just remember that she’s doing the best she can do in the moment. Sometimes that’s not very good, and she always snaps out of it sooner or later. Can you ignore your grumpy gus’s...

Has today been one of those days when you had to give someone bad news? You do that a lot in your job, don’t you? I’m sorry…maybe this will help. Humans feel at their very worst when they don’t know what’s happening – uncertainty is so uncertain! When you tell them what’s going on with their pet – e...

Are you frustrated with yourself today? I was frustrated with me this morning…will I EVER catch that chipmunk under the porch?? Pretend like you’re your best friend – if they’d done what you’re mad at yourself for doing, what would you say to them? Probably not what you’re saying to yourself!! Cut y...

Some days do you feel unappreciated? Who knew mom would be so upset when I brought her that pretty red leather shoe. I only chewed it a little bit and I did give it to her…sheesh, you’d think I started world war three or something! Anyway, if you’re feeling unappreciated too, give yourself a little ...

Do you feel a little bit blah today? You know, kinda like I do when I look around and realize I’ve played with all my toys sooooooo many times…aren’t there any new ones around her anywhere? Booooored!! If that’s how you’re feeling, one of the best ways to snap out of the sluggishness is to do someth...

When was the last time you took a vacation? When is the next time? Mom takes me to dog shows all the time so we get mini-vacations and those are fun. Think about your next vacation – where will you go, who will go with you, what will you do? Have fun planning the details and thinking about what you’...

Do you find it hard to ask for help? I know…I do too…I feel like I should be able to figure out how to get into the food bin without Mom’s help. But this is about you – if it’s tough for you to ask for help, think about how good it feels when you help someone. Don’t you love the feeling of being of ...