Book Review: How to Be a Good Dog

Reviewed by Josie Prado

A funny, helpful book to introduce meditation

When the world feels like it’s in fast forward, How to Be a Good Dog teaches you how to press pause.

How to Be a Good Dog might look and sound like it’s a guide to read aloud to your dog, but inside, there is a wealth of knowledge on meditation and living freely for you.

When the book opens, author Phyllis Coletta is somehow managing her hectic lifestyle as a single mother of three children, the caregiver for her ailing mother, and a practicing attorney. In her early 40s, Coletta knows something has to change (“either booze or Buddhism” ), but she is wary and afraid of sitting still.

While taking a break, she discovers meditation and how stillness can help her achieve moments of true peace. She also discovers how arduous it can be to silence all thoughts and not fall victim to overthinking. Coletta finds that training our minds for meditation is much like training an excitable puppy; we can teach our brains to “sit,” “stay,” “leave it,” and “heel” (or heal) to experience the power of tranquility.

How to Be a Good Dog is incredibly funny, candid, and an absolute blast to read. Coletta’s strong and fierce voice makes the topic feel extremely approachable and doable. You might not expect a book about meditation to be infused with such sharp wit and humor, but you also probably didn’t expect to be reading a self-help book called How to Be a Good Dog. I mean, just imagine the looks you’d get on the train with this thing!

Coletta’s engaging personality is a highlight, but the book wouldn’t be nearly as successful without such useful knowledge on meditation. There is a level of vulnerability here as well. Coletta is not afraid to admit her wrongdoings, especially as a parent, and she writes about them frankly. At one point, Coletta expresses her deep concerns about whether beginning meditation will fundamentally change her as a person and whether her friends will continue to support her.

The ongoing analogy to puppy training turns out to be a fantastic choice that erodes away the perception that meditation is complex and rigid. The text often includes actual puppy training recommendations from professionals and is applied cleverly to meditation training.

A memorable concept is found in the dog crate analogy: just as a puppy learns to love its crate, we too can establish boundaries to safeguard our meditation time. Some of the exercises focus on selecting a mental image of a dog breed and envisioning the process of “training” it. Using this framework is brilliant, as it empowers readers to take control of their meditation practice.

I’d gladly recommend this funny, helpful book to those looking to introduce meditation into their mental health practices. How to Be a Good Dog gently and humorously encourages us to step out of our comfort zone and see the world through a perspective we never would have expected.

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