Dogs don’t just help us heal. They help us identify the parts of us, and the people around us, that still need healing.

“Maybe I was crazy. Or maybe it was the 60s. Or maybe I was just a girl, interrupted.”

That line from the iconic mental health movie Girl, Interrupted hits different when you’re staring at your own reflection at 3AM, spiritually negotiating skin-picking with your own hands, while your dog gently drags you away from the mirror like a tiny furry undercover therapist saying: “Enough, mommy. We’re done here.”

Dogs aid mental health? An understatement

This is why Sushi, my eight-pound rescue chihuahua mix, has more than earned her service dog status. She didn’t just support my mental health with oxytocin-inducing puppy cuddles.

She quite literally pulled me away from my BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors) while in trance. That’s not support. That’s field work. Emotional canine SWAT-team material.

The claim that pets help mental health is not new (here’s further reading on dogs’ magic effect) — but I’d go one step further:

Dogs don’t just help us heal. They help us identify the parts of us, and the people around us, that still need healing.

Pay attention

I don’t claim to be the world’s best dog mom. Far from it. My entire dog parenting style is held together by podcasts, YouTube channels, webinars, rover sitters PDFs, and a dose of divine intervention.

My dog still barks uncontrollably at every doorbell sound on TV, and has been known to confuse pieces of styrofoam for Cheetos... It’s a work in eternal progress.

But what I can say with clear conscience is this:

I pay attention.

And in five years of dog parenting — paying attention revealed more about humans, myself, love, trauma, and the link between our dogs and mental health than any of my many therapists ever did.

So here are 10 things Sushi the rescue chihuahua taught me — about my inner life, outer life, and the people in it:

1. We really do get the dog we deserve & dogs resemble their owners.

Nine times out of ten, it’s true. Look around and tell me you don’t start seeing it everywhere:

The anxious man pacing outside Whole Foods? His golden labradoodle is circling like it’s reciting tax codes.
The woman blasting EDM at 8am? Her husky looks like it just attended Coachella.
The “therapy is for weak people” guy? His frenchie is already on nap #7 and emotionally unavailable.

In my case, well, Sushi is passionate, loving, doesn’t take no for an answer, demands a lot but gives way more in return. Silently grappling with childhood rejection wounds but on the outside playing it cool.

Do zodiac signs apply to dogs? Because she is such a Capricorn — grounded (mostly), stubborn, loyal, always defending the weaker.

And absolutely obsessed with food. Like mother, like daughter.

It makes sense that we’ve published a children’s book about food together. The passion runs deep in our family line. I travel for new flavors. She travels for treats. Same mission, different airline snacks.

This is lesson one in dogs and mental health: our dogs mirror us — including our best traits and our unhealed parts.

2. Dog parents project their insecurities onto other dog parents — just like human parents do.

Sushi and I both have a very well-defined interpretation of “ride or die.” Put simply, not everyone in human form can match what we’re willing to give.

And without fail — the people who criticized Sushi the most were:

the dog parents whose dogs had the most behavioral issues
the least socialized dogs (either extremely timid or aggressive)
and the most fragile confidence about where they were in life themselves; with the least self love and/or in denial

All they saw in Sushi was her separation anxiety, “too much love”, too much intensity, passion and attachment. They pathologized love and giving because they didn’t know how to receive it.

Why past tense? Because none of those people are in my life anymore. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

3. The healed recognize the healer.

Conversely — the people who’ve done the work (or at least admit they have work to do) are always the ones who connect the most beautifully with Sushi. The old souls, the medicine men and women, the ones who know how to tend to their inner children.

They see beyond the bark. They didn’t see outer symptoms — they saw inner spirit. They’ve:

recognized Sushi as an equally old soul
acknowledged her as present in my past lives
appreciated her as a child guardian and an emotional anchor
honored her adaptability, resilience and intuitive nature
recognized her tenderness, sweetness, unconditional devotion

These are the people I trust. Because the ones who are healing — recognize the healer. Secure people recognize secure beings. They see the love first. Not the symptoms.

Those people? They are stellar humans — and they’re still in my life.

4. Dogs are intuitive. If your dog doesn’t like someone — beware.

Dogs are elite energy readers. They are your furry spiritual bodyguards. If they’re healthy, socialized, generally good with strangers — and they still dislike someone? That’s data. Divine intel.

Quite literally. Time and time again, Sushi showed up in my healing psychedelic ceremonies bearing various messages. Every one of them was astoundingly on point.

I firmly believe dogs are our energy guardians. If she backs away, a part of me backs away too. And I have never regretted that choice.

5. Dogs have mental health challenges too— and we need to talk about it more.

They absolutely feel, hurt and process trauma and experience the emotional spectrum— just like we do.

The common issues include:

separation anxiety
noise anxiety (fireworks; can we please move on to drone light shows already?)
social anxiety
depression
OCD (ever seen a dog chase their tail in loops?)

During my divorce I watched Sushi go through her own emotional adjustment, too. She lost her dad. She felt the shift. And she grieved. I don’t have human kids, but I imagine transition to single parenthood must feel something like this. Except with more paperwork.

Sushi and I both handled it like pros (for the most part…). But dog mental health needs a bigger conversation — because chronic stress in dogs leads to obesity, GI issues, and heart conditions.

And just like point #1?Dogs often mirror our health. Physical and emotional.

“Dogs and mental health” isn’t a trend. It’s science, compassion and responsibility. And we’re deeply connected — biologically, emotionally, spiritually.

6. Take them to the bloody dog park already.

Isolation is bad for humans, worse for dogs. Lack of socialization = symptoms. Every single time.

The dog parents (my ex “friends”) who had the most issues with Sushi? Their dogs had never once been to a dog park or daycare. Predictably, they had behavioral issues.

If your dog has a serious medical condition, fine. Otherwise, why would you deprive them of quality playtime?

Unless you didn’t spay/neuter your dog because you’re running a puppy mill. In which case, go to the nearest high-kill shelter. Look those dogs in the eyes. Then take a good hard look at yourself, and pick a new industry.

#adoptdontshop

7. We all bark sometimes.

People often tell me Sushi is “the nicest chihuahua” they’ve ever met — at least once a day. They cannot believe not every chihuahua matches the vicious meme images.

But every so often… doggie pheromones collide, cosmic frequencies misalign, and Sushi enters her bark era. Teeth out. Hair up. Message delivered.

In those moments I feel like the world’s worst parent.

But the truth? Humans don’t get along with 100% of other humans either. Even recovering people pleasers like myself occasionally meet someone and think: Nope. Not my frequency.

Same for canines. We all bark sometimes.

8. Listen to professionals over casual chatter.

Sushi has had more than a dozen Rover sitters across all the places we lived in. Most became our lifelong friends. Many stopped taking other dogs but still cared for her because they loved her energy.

She passed multiple daycare temperament tests. She was accepted not just to daycare — but into the pack. She gets glowing report cards like a furry valedictorian.

Why? Because trained people can see what casual observers can’t.

A vital lesson in dogs and mental health: trust knowledgeable praise over uninformed judgment.

9. Travel builds character — also for dogs.

Sushi has been to 6 US states, 2 countries, and is prepping for Europe. She’s moved homes 8 times. Yes, eight. Most adult humans emotionally struggle with one move — Sushi braved eight and still offered strangers kisses.

She didn’t just move homes, she moved hotels — as Chief Barketing Officer of Heart Core Hotels. She greeted hundreds of guests. She hosted and comforted. She read the room like a psychic concierge. Most said she made their stay more special. Many said she made their stay.

She still receives Christmas gifts mailed across state lines.

And if flight attendants, literal sky-angels, love you on long-haul flights? That’s a behavioral PhD. For canine and human passengers alike.

You can follow her at Sushi the Traveling Chihuahua. She’s very humble about her frequent flyer miles.

10. You can’t win at dog parenting — or human life.

Some say I’m too strict. Some say I’m not strict enough. You will always be too much for some people and not enough for others. Story of my life.

Not eating enough meat and eggs by my mom’s standards, but not vegan enough for the vegan community. Too American for my friends in Europe, too European for my soul family in LA. Too strict of a dog mom for those who are quick to remind me “she’s just a dog — let her jump off furniture”, yet not good enough for my vet who always points out her delicate chihuahua joints.

Conclusion?

You can’t win at dog parenting. You can’t win at human-ing either. You can only live aligned with your values. You can only do what’s right for your dog.

So breathe. Keep calm and go to the dog park.

We rescue the dog we need

You and your dog are meant for each other. This isn’t chance — it’s divine assignment. Treat it with due reverence. We find — ideally we rescue — the exact dog we need. And sometimes, they rescue us right back.

They feel the turbulence of the world too. They read collective trauma. They absorb chaos. They don’t have Twitter or Reddit to vent. So they bark, or chase their tales. Or reverse sneeze a little too much when overstimulated and overexcited… (ahem, ask me how I know).

Girls and their dogs…interrupted

So next time you judge someone’s dog, or their dog parenting style, remember that we’re all a result of our environment. We are reacting to energies. We are doing our best.

Maybe we’re all crazy.
Maybe it’s just the turmoil of 2025.
Or maybe we’re just girls, boys… and their dogs… interrupted.

Dogs & Mental Health: 10 Things My Chihuahua Taught Me About Humans