• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dr. Julie Clark

veterinarian, author and singer-songwriter

  • Home
  • Important Information about Your Dog
  • Important Information about Your Cat
  • Original Songs
  • People Are Like Dogs Book
  • Why Veterinary Medicine Isn’t As Noble Of A Profession As It Used To Be
  • About Julie
  • Contact Dr. Clark
  • Questions/Comments/Testimonials

About the Book

Dog owners naturally accept that their dog’s behavior is a function of genetics: that a Poodle is inherently different from a Doberman which is, in turn, distinct from a Schnauzer or a Bassett Hound. We understand that different breeds have different temperaments genetically and that’s what ultimately sets them apart from one another. We’d never think of trying to change a Jack Russell Terrier into a Golden Retriever or vice versa. We simply accept our dogs for the individuals that they are.

The question becomes why can’t we do that with ourselves and one another when temperament is just as genetic in people as it in in dogs. There are actually nine areas of temperament that are determined by our DNA: one, for example, has to do with our activity level (are we a Hound or a Terrier?), another has to do with whether we’re outgoing or not (are we a Labrador or a Chihuahua?) and one has to do with our mood and whether we have a positive or negative outlook on life (a Golden Retriever vs a Miniature Pinscher.)

Any path to peace requires acceptance and one way to achieve acceptance and peace is through learning how to accept the individual breed (temperament) of dog that we happen to be. Temperament is as much a part of who we are as is our eye color. Naturally, there are going to be gifts as well as challenges with any type of temperament but we shouldn’t feel ashamed if we happen to be a friendly but occasionally thoughtless Labrador Retriever or if we’re an overly anxious Jack Russell Terrier or if we’re a lay-on-the-couch-all-day Basset Hound. Once we accept the particular breed of dog that we happen to be, all that’s left to do is to treat ourselves and others in the same way we treat our dogs: we enjoy the positive aspects and do what we can to manage the challenges. We don’t criticize or judge or demand change because it’s simply not helpful since we were unable to change who we are genetically.

That’s the gist of the People Are Like Dogs philosophy: accepting ourselves and others through thinking of ourselves as dogs. It’s only a short jump from the acceptance we have for our dogs to being able to have that same kind of acceptance for ourselves and one another. It just requires some practice in learning how to think of ourselves and others as unique and unchanging genetic beings. Woof!

Previous Post: « Table of Contents (includes a list of chapters that are still in progress)
Next Post: About the artist »

Primary Sidebar

Follow Dr. Clark

  • Facebook
  • RSS

Don’t Do Routine Teeth Cleanings!

It's not good for your pets to go under anesthesia all the time! Please read about dentals and anesthesia in the Important Info About Your Dog and Cat sections.

Dangerous Dogs

Please check out dogsbite.org (go to the individual years to see pictures and stories of the people killed). Protect your family: especially your children! I always tell people that a dog can be good 99% of the time but it only takes that one off moment for someone to get injured or killed. Please don’t let your love for your dog blind you to the reality that dogs can be extremely dangerous: 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs every year in the U.S. and 880,000 of those are serious enough to require medical care. Sadly, 30 to 40 people are killed each year by dogs, the majority of these killer dogs being Pit Bulls.

Show Your Support

Click to Donate Now!

If I've managed to help you in some way with your pet or if you've enjoyed my book or music, I'd really appreciate any contribution you might be able to make so that I can continue helping people with their pets and so that I can try and finish the People Are Like Dogs book. Thanks so very much, Dr.Clark

Recent Articles

Chapter 12: Self-Improvement In Spite of Our Genetic Selves (thankfully people, just like dogs, can be trained!)

Chapter 32: Dangerous Dogs/ Dangerous People (trusting our instincts and remembering to stay a bit paranoid)

Chapter Eleven: The More You Resist Something, The More It Persists (In other words, ignoring your problems won’t make them go away)

Chapter Ten: Hurdles to Acceptance and Peace

Chapter Nine: The Search for Self-Acceptance

Find it Here

Copyright © 2025 · juliekayclark