Shirley MacLaine speaks "Humanimal" to dog

I know we all talk to our dogs. Some of us use baby talk ("How's my little pooper today? How's my little pooper?") And some of us go for language of positive reinforcement ("That's a good kitty. Such a good kitty.") But how many of us invent our own language for communicating with our pet? Then again, how many of us are Shirley MacLaine?

Shirley says she has learned more about love from her pet dog Terry than she has from people, and I can completely understand that. But then she goes on to say that she even talks to him in a special "Humanimal" language.

Now, I'm not mocking Shirley--she definitely may be on to something--but I generally find the language of treats, petting, playing, and attention is all I need to commune with my pet. But my language is certainly not sufficient to allow me and my pet to co-write a book, which is exactly what Shirley says she has done. She has co-written her new book OUT ON A LEASH, EXPLORING REALITY AND LOVE with Terry.

The dog apparently shares Shirley's belief in reincarnation, since her pooch has agreed to return to the land of the living as soon as she dies. Says Shirley: ""She and I have an arrangement that when she goes, in about 10 years, she's going to come back right away again." That should certainly make it easy for Shirley to pick out her next puppy at the Humane Society, don't you think? He or she will be the dog that walks up and says in Humanimal, "Hey Shirley, I'm back!"

Read more about Shirley and Terry on ContactMusic.com. Or, read more about the book on ShirleyMaclaine.com.