Award-winning writer and human-animal bond advocate Susan Hartzler is bringing her popular memoir to a new audience with the Audible release of I’m Not Single, I Have a Dog: Dating Tales from the Bark Side.
Published by McFarland, the candid and often humorous memoir examines Hartzler’s experiences with dating, relationships, heartbreak and independence while chronicling the dogs who remained a constant presence throughout her life.
At the heart of the book is a question that challenges conventional ideas about relationships: What if being single isn’t something that needs to be fixed?
Hartzler uses stories from decades of relationships and her life with a memorable cast of dogs to explore how she eventually stopped measuring fulfillment by whether she had a romantic partner. Her dogs, she writes, became an important part of her family and provided companionship, stability and purpose through different stages of her life.
“I spent years thinking the right man was supposed to complete the picture,” Hartzler says. “Eventually, I realized I already had a life I loved. My dogs aren’t a substitute for children. They are family.”
Among the dogs featured in the memoir are Blondie, Hartzler’s first dog as an adult, and Baldwin, a Puli who became her first therapy dog. Their stories provide a window into the role animals can play during periods of personal change, including heartbreak and uncertainty.
While the memoir recounts dating misadventures and failed relationships with humor, Hartzler does not position the book as an argument against romance. Instead, it challenges the assumption that being uncoupled means being incomplete.
The Audible edition is narrated by Katie Piccirillo, giving listeners a new way to experience Hartzler’s personal stories, observations and humor.
Hartzler’s work extends beyond memoir. She is also the author of The Peace Puppy: A Memoir of Caregiving and Canine Solace and Teaming Up With Therapy Dogs: Skills to Build Healing Partnerships. A former television news producer and public relations executive, she has spent 26 years working alongside therapy dog teams.
Hartzler and her dogs have volunteered in hospitals, schools, libraries, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, colleges and community organizations, focusing on the human-animal bond and the ways animals can contribute to people’s lives.
She is also the creator of BlissDog, a Substack publication focused on dogs, healing, relationships and the human-animal connection. Her Paws on the Go blog covers dog-friendly travel, canine health, product reviews and adventures with her Australian Shepherds, Seven and Paige Turner.
Hartzler lives in Southern California, where her dogs continue to inspire her writing and volunteer work. I’m Not Single, I Have a Dog is now available as an audiobook on Audible.