“One day it occurred to me that the warm, squeaky, smelly things squirming around next to me were my brothers and sister. I was very disappointed.”

The opening paragraph of “A Dog’s Purpose”, a New York Times bestseller, instantly sets the tone for the adventure you’re about to take. You’ll definitely find your funny bone tickled – no surprise since the author is the very same W. Bruce Cameron who penned “8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter,” “How to Remodel a Man,” and “8 Simple Rules for Marrying My Daughter.” But between big belly laughs, you’ll ponder what it means to live, to love, and find meaning in your existence.

We’re introduced to the titular dog as a nameless newborn stray, who finds himself living with a puppy hoarder; then we follow his journey through four lives – as he evolves and grows with each reincarnation. Not only is he becoming a very ”good dog”, but in his third life he’s a she and a hero. 

Anyone who’s owned a dog has at one point noticed their furry companion staring at them and wondered, “I know he’s trying to tell me something. I wish I knew what it is!” In a clever conceit, Cameron explains your dogs preternatural intelligence; Bailey is reborn with the knowledge and experiences of all previous existences; his desire to dig up his ultimate purpose driving his quest for happiness and meaning.

We talked with Cameron to get an inside look at the inspiration and journey he took in writing this wonderful book:

WBG: First, we love “A Dog’s Purpose!” How did you come up with the story?

Cameron: Well, I think I always thought when I’ve looked into the eyes of some dogs that I was looking at an old soul. Other dogs I think it’s their first trip. That got me thinking about what a journey would be like for a dog if it was reincarnated. If it was an old soul and it remembered each live. That was the germ of it.

WBG: Besides being clever and funny, it covers some deeply spiritual and philosophical issues – did you set out to explore those things? Or did it come naturally from the story you were telling?

Cameron: I’ve always been drawn to spiritual ideas in plot lines so from the beginning I wanted to explore those themes. And I really thought a dog with his native joyfulness at every twist and turn of life was the perfect character from which to embark on a journey of those themes.

WBG: We heard several booksellers “Sold Out!” Were you surprised by the book’s success?

Cameron: Well, sure. Yes. I mean authors dream of getting on the New York Times bestsellers list so I had briefly been there before. But I knew no one was going to go out and buy a Bruce Cameron book because my name was on it.

WBG: Your website, www.adogspurpose.com, is a lot of fun (Pictures, Videos, Dog-Of-The-Week) and had a lot to do with its popularity, didn’t it?

Cameron: Yeah, I think an author needs a vibrant website but I have to say it’s the community on the Facebook fan page that has been the real surprise. Yeah, they’ve been tremendously supported and very active. We have seventeen thousand fans and it grows by word of mouth by 50 a day.

WBG: Could you tell our readers a little bit about the charity connected with the book, and why you chose to support it?

Cameron: Well, we actually at this point have contributed and raised money for 65 charities and the reason why is simple. We’re mainly supporting dog rescue and it’s because of the wonderful work that they’ve done and we’re just trying to give back to the community that’s been so supportive of ”A Dog’s Purpose”.

WBG: Now, for the fun stuff! To research your book, we heard you lived like a dog for a short time – true? What kind of reactions did you get from people?

Cameron: I tried to carry around a ball in my mouth but I didn’t drink out of the toilet.

WBG: Is it true that the best feeling on planet earth comes from hanging your head out the window of a moving car?

Cameron: Hahahaha. Yeah, it’s great for inducing sneezes as well.

WBG: OK, seriously! You really seem to understand how dogs think and live…how did you get into the mind of your main character?

Cameron: You’re talking about an animal that doesn’t pick up after himself or clean up any of his messes or do anything other than lie around on the couch all day. I’m a man, it was easy for me.

WBG: Of your new adopted puppy, Tucker – is he a new soul or an old soul?

Cameron: You know, there’s more wisdom here than I would expect of a little puppy. He may be an old soul. He’s certainly responded better than what we would have expected (if we wanted him to chew up every box. He’s certainly good at that.)

WBG: Anything else our readers should know before they rush out to buy “A Dog’s Purpose?

Cameron: First, I’d like to recommend going to adogspurpose.com and buying it there from one of the independent booksellers that are Animal Charity Partnership Participants in your area or online.  It really matters to support indy booksellers and politically is something I’m really behind.

Secondly, I think that I’m gratified so many people are so moved by this book that they shed real tears. This isn’t a book where the dog dies in the end. Let me put it a better way, I don’t see this as a sad book, I see this as a happy, joyous, hopeful, funny book and I hope your readers agree.

WBG: We heard that Dreamworks just bought the screenplay for you to write.

Cameron: Yes, Dreamworks just bought it in a preemptive buy for me and my lovely writing partner, Cathryn Michon, to write.

WBG: Any thoughts on how you will adapt this to a movie when so much of it comes from inside the head of a dog?

Cameron: Everyone who has read it says, “Oh yeah…that’s a movie.”

weBEgirls agrees…when you read this you will see it as a movie too! We can’t wait. We wish you continued success with “A Dog’s Purpose.”