Category Archives: books

Dog lovers all want the same thing, for their dogs to live longer! In Pukka’s Promise: The Quest for Longer-Lived Dogs, we get to explore how we can help our canine companions live longer, healthier, and happier lives. We also get to hear stories about Pukka.

“In Pukka’s Promise, Kerasote travels the dog world in Europe and throughout North America interviewing breeders, veterinarians, and leaders of the animal-welfare movement, and uses cutting-edge research to help dog owners rethink the everyday choices they make for their pets. Kerasote explains in detail how our own lifestyles intimately affect the longevity of our dogs.”

The wide range of topics is amazing, from vaccinations to environmental pollutants, and more, it will really get you thinking about the care we give our dogs. It’s a book to sit down with when you have a lot of time, and one to revisit as well because there is a lot of information. Not all of it will make sense for every dog owner to incorporate, but it will get you thinking more about why dogs die so young, and what we can do to help correct the issue. Overall though, this book is a love letter to Pukka, and all dogs.

We have a hardcover copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader! Would you like a chance to win? Just leave a comment on this post before midnight on March 1, 2013. We’ll pick a comment at random for the win.

If you would like to learn more about Pukka, the book, and author Ted Karasote, be sure to visit Ted’s website.

When we got a copy of Dogs of Courage: The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around the World for review we couldn’t wait to open the pages and read the stories inside! We were not disappointed! The stories of working dogs will warm your heart and open your eyes to just how much our canine companions really know!

Dogs of Courage is a tribute to all the working dogs who perform acts of bravery, and service, everyday. There are also tales of dogs who weren’t specially trained, but who turned out to have skills that helped their humans in unexpected ways! For example, the seeing eye dog Hanley who turned out to have a great nose for wine and ended up helping his owner sniff out impurities!

Dogs of Courage will help the reader learn about all the different roles dogs play. From wildlife protection and conservation, as service canines for inmates, during search and rescue missions, in fires, as therapists, and for medical-detection purposes, and more, dogs are working hard for us all the time. The reader will also meet canine “celebrities” whose stories have become well known like:

• Apollo, an apricot Standard Poodle and therapy dog, who brought a ten-year-old girl out of a coma after she sensed him in the room
• Bilbo, a Newfoundland, who was Britain’s only canine lifeguard in 2005 and named “Pet Hero of the Year” at a ceremony for the U.K. Boomerang Pet Awards in London
• A Rottweiler named Sheba who broke free from her chain and rescued nine of her puppies after her owner buried them alive in a two-foot deep grave because they weren’t purebred
• Midge, the eight-pound Chihuahua and smallest police dog, who has appeared on the Rachel Ray Show, Fox and Friends, CNN, MSNBC, and other media outlets

Aside from the great information and stories, there are color photos included that show dogs working and training in all kinds of situations. Dogs of Courage: The Heroism and Heart of Working Dogs Around the World would make a great gift for any dog lover on your list! Be sure to check out Lisa Rogak’s other great book, The Dogs of War, which takes a look into the lives of military dogs.

Sleeping With The Beast is an intimate look at the canine-human relationship. Full of colorful, and memorable photographs, along with text that explores what it is really like to live, work, and play with our furry companions. And of course, “beast” is used in a loving and playful way here. It’s obvious that the author, Dale Ryan, is a dog lover, after all, she does have five dogs.

It’s an enjoyable read, especially with all the great photographs of people and dogs (yes, often sharing sleeping space). More than just a pretty book, it also is helpful touching on a variety of points that are important for dog lovers. Sleeping With The Beast has a lot to offer dog lovers of all ages.

This would make a lovely gift for the dog lover in your life, or as an addition to your own library.