November 30, 2003

Doris writes: Dear Max, What function do fleas have? Wouldn't the world be better without them? Thanks for your answer. By the way, you are a very handsome dog!

Max: Yes, I am a handsome dog; I am so glad you noticed! Boy, humans really do not like fleas. But, no, the world would not be better off without fleas. All life has purpose and I say, bless all the species. If a flea bites me I will scratch, and I may even eat a few fleas. But that's okay, fleas don't mind being eaten. I think fleas would mind if their species is wiped off of this earth. Humans are very wise but they are not wise enough to decide that the world would be better off without a species. You don't know what could happen if all the fleas were killed. They could be holding up the entire structure of the planet and then you would be really sorry that they are gone. That's kind of a joke, but you get my meaning I hope. If you minded fleas less, I think they would bother you less.

Lynne writes: Hi Max, my dear little dog Treasure recently passed over to the "other side." Do you know who greeted her?

Max: What a good name for a dog! Treasure. Yes, it is a perfect name. I do not know specifically who greeted Treasure but I can assure you that she did not make her journey alone. She would have been met by many beings whose sole job is to be there to welcome and embrace those who are leaving their physical bodies, not to mention the many personal friends, guardians, and angels that surrounded Treasure for all of her life. Just as Treasure was loved in her physical body, she will be loved and honored as the true, great, unlimited being she is now. It is a blessing that I know she would be so happy to share with you.

Jodi writes: Hi, Max! My cat's name is Max, and I had a dog named Max when I was a child. My friend has a dog named Max now. In fact, I've noticed that there seem to be a lot of animals named Max. Have you noticed that, too? Do you think it's just that I notice it more, or is it really true? And if it's true, do you have ideas about why that is?

Max: Well, Max is certainly a good name. Did you know that one of the main reasons that Tera knew I was her dog is that my name was Max? I'm not kidding! What if I had been named Charlie? Would she have known? Of course she would have known, but it might have taken her a lot longer to figure it out. It's a long story why that name was significant for Tera so I won't go into it. Names go in and out of fashion like a lot of things, and right now Max seems to be a very popular name. I don't think there is any more significance to it than that, but I am not always right.

Lynsey writes: Hi I was wondering if kids could be communicators. Anyway my aunt is a dog trainer and I was wondering what it feels like to be trained or if you have any tips or pointers for myself or her. I live in Saudi Arabia and I was wondering what you would think of the heat here. Satchi, my Yorkshire terrier has very short hair and I think the hot concrete hurts his paws a little. I don't know if you can communicate with him but if you were in this situation what would you think?

Max: Wow, I got a letter from a kid! That makes me so happy because I love kids. If you lived closer you could come over and play with me and we could talk about all kinds of things. Of course kids can be communicators! They are much better at talking to animals than most grown people. Grown ups are sometimes just too serious to talk to animals. Know what I mean? Don't get me wrong, I love grown up people too, but it can be very hard to convince them that animals have something to say. Maybe you can be a spokes kid and help all those doubting adults.

I think training is wonderful. I sometimes get to have my own personal trainer come over to work with Tera. She needs a lot of help. Most dogs really want to do the right thing and to understand the rules for living in their pack. That is what training does. I would say the main thing to make your training easier would be to realize that if your dog is not responding then they do not understand what it is you want. Stop for a minute and put yourself in your dog's place. Picture it from his point of view and see how it looks to him. One thing is to show your dog what you want, not what you don't want. We dogs want to know what to do, we don't like to be guessing at it all the time. That's when we get into trouble.

I'm sorry that Satchi's feet get burned. Our paws are designed to give us good, sturdy support and yet they are very sensitive. Maybe you can make him some shoes to protect his paws.

June 8, 2003

Patti: Hi Max! I have a question about dogs. I love dogs. They were my first animal love. My question is what do they think is so great about humans that they are so devoted to us?

Max: It is good to love dogs and I'm glad that you do. Devotion is one of our special traits. Some humans think devotion is a lowly thing, or that it would be beneath them. But it is a very spiritual thing to be devoted and so we embrace it. Humans are our brothers and we love them very much. They also have wonderful smells about them and they are so funny sometimes. I lived in a few homes before I came to this home and every human I met had beautiful qualities. That's another thing about us dogs, we see the beauty in every person, even if the person can't see it themselves. We love to show people that no matter how bad they feel, they are still lovable.

Karen: I have a dog, Ginger, and a few children. The problem I am having is with my two neighbor dogs always barking and jumping at our fence. Is there anything that will keep them away from the fence? Possibly something I can plant or hang from the fence.

Max: It sounds like your neighbor dogs are having a party and you are not enjoying it. You may think that the dogs are just trying to be annoying but mostly dogs just want to have a good time. Sometimes when people get annoyed and yell at us to stop barking we think they are joining our party and we bark more. Maybe your annoyance has even made an unsettled energy and this encourages the dogs to bark. I say do your best to make peace with your neighbor dogs and their people and see if it helps. I don't know of anything you could plant that would keep the dogs away. We usually like plants. I think making peace is the best advice and remember that peace begins with you.