20 Questions with B.K. Larrikin
The author of My Dog Is Better at This Than Me on rescue dogs, accidental philosophy, and why the best self-help book might have paw prints on it.
Last updated:
20 Questions with B.K. Larrikin — the author of My Dog Is Better at This Than Me answers questions about what inspired the book, who Rosie is, the depression chapter, writing with humor, and advice for self-help skeptics.
B.K. Larrikin never intended to write a self-help book. But after a rescue dog named Rosie accidentally taught the author more about living well than years of therapy, podcasts, and meditation apps combined, the material kind of wrote itself. Here are twenty questions about the book, the dog, and the lessons in between.
The Interview
What is My Dog Is Better at This Than Me about?
It's a book about the ten life lessons my rescue dog Rosie accidentally taught me — things like presence, letting go, vulnerability, play, and rest. Each chapter starts with something Rosie does (zoomies, the shake-off, going belly up) and turns it into a real, practical exploration of how to live better. It's part memoir, part self-help, part love letter to a dog who has no idea she's a philosopher.
Who is Rosie?
Rosie is a rescue dog who came into my life during a period when I wasn't doing great and she wasn't doing great and we sort of figured it out together. She's not a therapy dog in any official capacity. She's just a dog who happens to be better at being alive than most humans I know. She naps without guilt, greets every morning like it's a miracle, and has never once doom-scrolled.
What inspired you to write this book?
Honestly, I was watching Rosie do the full-body shake-off after a stressful vet visit and I thought: she just processed that in two seconds. I've been replaying an awkward conversation from 2019. It started as a joke and became a real question — what if dogs have already figured out the stuff we're all struggling with? Turns out they have. They just can't write about it.
Is this a self-help book or a humor book?
Yes. It's both, and I think that's what makes it work. The humor is the delivery system for ideas that might otherwise make you defensive. It's easier to hear 'you need to rest more' when it comes wrapped in a story about a dog who once fell asleep mid-chew. Every chapter is genuinely funny and genuinely useful. Think your funniest friend who also happens to have done a lot of therapy.
Do I need to be a dog owner to enjoy this book?
Not at all. Rosie is the entry point, but the book is really about being human. Every lesson — presence, acceptance, letting go, play, vulnerability — applies whether you have a dog, a cat, a goldfish, or just a complicated relationship with your own brain. Dog people will feel seen. Non-dog people will start looking at dogs differently.
What's the most important lesson Rosie taught you?
Chapter 3 — letting go. The shake-off. Dogs experience something stressful and then they literally shake it off and move on. Humans experience something stressful and then replay it at 2 AM for the next six years. Learning to shake it off — to actually let things pass through you instead of setting up permanent residence — changed more about my daily life than any other lesson in the book.
Which chapter was hardest to write?
Chapter 5, about rest. It started as a funny piece about how dogs nap without guilt and humans treat rest like something you have to earn. But as I wrote it, I realized rest-avoidance was, for me, about something deeper. The chapter pivots from comedy to a frank discussion about depression, and why busyness can be a way of hiding from yourself. It's the most honest chapter in the book, and it scared me to publish it.
What makes this book different from other self-help books?
Most self-help books are written by people who've figured it out, talking down to people who haven't. This one is written by someone who is very much still figuring it out, with the help of a dog who figured it out on day one. There are no ten-step programs. No morning routines. Just a funny, honest exploration of what it might look like to live more like your dog — present, forgiving, curious, and deeply committed to snacks.
Who is this book for?
Anyone who's ever felt like they're overthinking their way through life. Anyone who's been told to 'be more present' and wanted to throw something. Dog lovers, therapy veterans, self-help skeptics, people who need a good laugh, and anyone who suspects their dog might be handling life better than they are. Spoiler: your dog definitely is.
Why do dogs make such good teachers?
Because they practice what every mindfulness teacher preaches, and they do it without reading a single book about it. They're present. They let things go. They play without needing a reason. They rest without guilt. They love without keeping score. The gap between what dogs do naturally and what humans struggle to learn is the entire premise of this book — and it's both hilarious and a little humbling.
What's 'The Zoomies Reset'?
It's the exercise from Chapter 1 — the presence chapter. The basic idea is that zoomies are what pure, unfiltered presence looks like in a body. The Zoomies Reset is a practical exercise for interrupting autopilot and dropping into the present moment. It doesn't involve actually running in circles (though I won't stop you). Every chapter has an exercise like this, and yes, they all have dog-themed names.
Is the chapter about depression really about depression?
It is. Chapter 5 starts with the observation that dogs nap without guilt and humans treat rest like a moral failing. But it goes deeper — into why some of us avoid rest so aggressively, and what we might be running from when we fill every minute with productivity. It's the chapter that pivots from comedy to something more raw. I wanted to be honest about the fact that sometimes 'I can't rest' is actually 'I'm afraid of what happens when I stop.'
How long did it take to write?
About two years from first draft to final manuscript, though Rosie had been teaching me the material for much longer than that. The first draft was too jokey. The second draft was too serious. The final version found the balance — funny enough to keep you reading, honest enough to actually change something. Rosie supervised every draft from her spot on the couch.
What do you hope readers take away?
Permission. Permission to rest without earning it. Permission to play without justifying it. Permission to be imperfect and still worthy of the kind of unconditional love your dog gives you every single day. And maybe a slightly different relationship with their own brain — a little less judgmental, a little more curious, a lot more willing to shake it off and move on.
Is there really an exercise in every chapter?
Yes, every single chapter ends with a practical exercise named after a dog behavior. The Zoomies Reset, The Shake-Off, The Dog Detour, The Belly-Up Moment, The Pointless Pursuit — they're all real, all doable, and all designed to be practiced in under five minutes. No apps required. No equipment needed. Just you and whatever willingness you can muster.
What's Rosie's favorite chapter?
Chapter 8, about play. Obviously. She's a dog. But also because the exercise in that chapter — The Pointless Pursuit — is basically just fetch with a philosophical framework. She doesn't care about the philosophical framework. She just likes that I finally stopped working and threw the ball.
Will there be a sequel?
Rosie has opinions about a lot of things I haven't covered yet — including but not limited to: the philosophy of barking at nothing, the ethics of stealing food, and advanced techniques in selective hearing. So there's material. Whether it becomes a second book depends on whether people connect with this one. For now, this book is the whole story I wanted to tell.
Where can people buy the book?
It's available everywhere — Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and most online retailers. You can get it as an ebook, paperback, or hardcover. If you want to support the book the most, leaving a review on Amazon or Goodreads after you read it makes a genuinely huge difference. Rosie thanks you in advance (by leaning against your leg).
What's the best way to read this book?
Honestly? In order, one chapter at a time, with a dog nearby if possible. Each chapter builds on the last, and the exercises are designed to be tried as you go. But if you're the skip-around type, nobody's judging. Start with whatever chapter title makes you think 'I need that.' The book will meet you where you are.
Any advice for people who think self-help is too cheesy?
I was one of you. I thought all self-help was vision boards and gratitude journals and people who smile too much. Then I realized I was getting the same lessons from a creature who eats grass and barks at the mailman. This book was written for self-help skeptics by a self-help skeptic. If you've ever rolled your eyes at a book that told you to 'live your best life,' this one's for you. It says the same thing, but through a dog, and with better jokes.
Curious? Meet Rosie.
The book is available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Or read the first chapter free and see if Rosie wins you over.
Try Before You Buy
Read the first chapter free. If Rosie's zoomies don't convince you, nothing will.