Why Do I Write Canine Humor?

First of all, I like dogs and I live with dogs. Actually, I only live with one dog at a time. In my own intuitive way, I "hear" their voices and I observe their behaviors. Even though they don't speak the same language we humans use, they still communicate with us.

One day the thought crossed my mind: "What if my dog spoke my language and told us his story, from his point of view?" That's what prompted the writing of Memoirs of a Scoundrel Dog. Kieko, my rascal dog, was communicating with me. I wrote his autobiography. Later I wonder: Was it really his autobiography or was it, at least partly, my autobiography? Kieko's story certainly included my story and the story of my marriage.

A year and a half after my husband passed away, I was told by a trance medium that my dog, Kieko, who had passed almost 3 years before, was blocking the artists whom I had hired to illustrate Memoirs of a Scoundrel Dog. His reason for doing that was that he wanted me to do the illustrations. The request seemed preposterous. But what would you expect from a scoundrel dog? I went home that evening and, just for the heck of it, I sat in front of a piece of paper and started drawing. That was the beginning of an almost miraculous project. Within a month the illustrations were completed--26 drawings.

Does that explain why I write canine autobiographical humor? Maybe not. It only explains that my pets communicate with me even after they pass. I can't ignore their messages. Their view point reveals aspects of both their lives and mine.