Mochi’s Pugpyhood
By Gemma Gené
This hilarious collection of all-new comic strips from Gemma Gené tell the story of how one little Pug found his forever family and grew into the sassy middle-aged diva-Pug the world’s come to love. Mochi’s journey through “pugpyhood” will have dog parents everywhere laughing at his all-too relatable (and very cute) antics.
A Dog’s Perfect Christmas
By Bruce Cameron
As the strained Goss family prepares for the holiday season, an emergency and the arrival of a stray puppy threaten to tear the family apart. Could this pup be just what everyone needs to come together? This charming, heartwarming holiday-read shows how dogs truly open our hearts.
A Dog’s Devotion
By Suzanne Elshult and James Guy Mansfield
This inside look at what it takes to be a real life K9 Search and Rescue (SAR) team is riveting. Follow Suzanne Elshult, her four-year-old Labrador Retriever, Keb, and her teammate Guy as they brave challenging weather, deep Pacific Northwest forests, treacherous mountain slopes, menacing coyotes, and back-stabbing teammates to find dead bodies, missing hikers, and even the bones of long-ago murder victims.
Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter
By E.B. Bartels
A poignant exploration of the incredible bonds humans have with companion animals and how we grieve their loss. Sharing stories from veterinarians, archaeologists, ministers, and more, Bartels examines grief rituals around the globe and shows there is no right or wrong way to say goodbye to a beloved companion.
Killer Cupid
By Laurien Berenson
In this riveting cozy mystery, Melanie Travis and her husband are ready for a Valentine’s getaway at the White Birch Inn when a murder derails their romantic weekend. Worse yet, Melanie finds herself a suspect! The local sheriff gets involved, but Melanie does some secret investigating of her own. Can she clear her name, solve the case, and protect the other guests from the kiss of death? You’ll have fun finding out.
The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People
By Rick Bragg
Speck is not a good boy. But from the moment he arrives on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Rick Bragg’s property, the malodourous, half-blind, badly behaved stray dog sets about winning Bragg’s heart—and in the process, transforming Bragg’s outlook following his own cancer diagnosis. This warm hearted, hilarious New York Times bestselling memoir is simply wonderful.
Help for Your Dog-Reactive Dog
By Nicole Wilde
Struggling with working through your dog's reactivity and aggression? In Help for Your Dog-Reactive Dog author and Canine Behaviour Specialist Nicole Wilde provides thoughtful and thorough tips, tricks, and techniques for gently and effectively curbing your dog's reactivity. Covering a wide variety of training topics and packed with actionable advice, this book will help you get your dog on the right track.
Sgt. George: The Reluctant Detective
By Lee Huggett
After being retired from military service, Sgt. George the German Shepherd is sent home from Afghanstan to live a new life in an English village. However, he has developed PTSD, agoraphobia and a fear of men and his new human has their work cut out for them. George finds himself on a new mission to solve a murder and saving another dog. Will he solve the case and overcome his fears? A harrowing novel that highlights the endless bravery of dogs.
Madison: THe Tale of a Corgi with no Tail
By Susan Erickson Catucci and Susan Permury
In this adorable children’s story, a young Corgi discovers she is different and goes in search of answers. Madison: The Tale of a Corgi with no Tail by Susan Erickson Catucci and Susan Permury will be a sure-fire hit with the littles in your life.
Wimsey the Manhattan Bloodhood: A Comedy of Many Errors
By Elizabeth Silverman and Maria Szabo
One big dog, one big city! Follow the colourful and ridiculous NYC adventures of Wimsey as he bays his way through Westminster, hobnobs with celebrities, auditions for a TV show, and turns modeling assignments into chaos. A hilarious and fun recount of a Hound with a wonderful personality and typical scent hound antics.
This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Dog magazine. Subscribe today!
In Partnership with Kensington Books
The Pawsitively Organic Mystery series chronicles the new life of Stan Connor, a corporate media maven turned gourmet pet food chef and amateur sleuth. Stan left city life behind in favour of a small-town full of new friends, a new love, and a whole lot of dead bodies.
In Murder, She Meowed, Stan is planning her wedding to pub owner Jake McGee—a process complicated by her mother and sister, who insist on trying to make the event what they think a wedding should be, despite what Stan wants. When Stan's bachelorette party goes terribly awry, she has to figure out who killed her farm-delivery-guy-turned-stripper before the whole wedding is completely upended.
These coconut-carob cookie treats are perfect for a casual wedding with lots of doggie guests. Who doesn't love cookies? Well, if you're a dog, anyway…
COCONUT-CAROB COOKIES*
Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
¼ cup carob chips
Directions:
Combine all ingredients except for carob chips.
Using a cookie scoop, drop batter onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°F.
While cookies are baking, slowly melt carob chips. This can be done in the microwave, heating carob in 10- to 20- second intervals, or on the stovetop, using a double boiler on a low heat. Carob can be thinned out with a drop or two of vegetable oil to help bring to desired consistency.
Once cookies are done and have cooled, drizzle melted carob over the top. This can simply be
done with a spoon and a light hand—no pastry bag necessary.
Allow a few minutes for carob to harden and then feed to drooling doggies!
Note: Cookies can be dehydrated prior to topping with carob for a longer lasting shelf life.
Makes approximately 18 cookies.
For more gourmet pet food recipes, pick up Murder, She Meowed, the new installment in the Pawsitively Organic Mysteries!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Liz Mugavero is a corporate communications consultant and animal lover from the Boston area, whose canine and feline rescues demand the best organic food and treats around. The first book in her Pawsitively Organic Mystery series, Kneading to Die, was an Agatha Award nominee. Her short stories have been published in the UK and Australia, and her essays have appeared in national publications Skirt! and Sassee Magazine. Visit Liz online at www.lizmugavero.com.
In Partnership with Animal Tails for Grownups
Have you ever wondered what animals are thinking, how they view humans, or how they would act in normal situations we humans run into everyday? Donald Unger’s new book, Animal Tails for Grownups, delves into these questions and more.
Not for the faint of heart, Unger’s dark humour comes alive in this collection of four short vignettes from the perspective of rodents, dogs, cats, and horses that was “birthed from a nightmare”.
Having discovered evidence of rodents-in-residence in his Massachusetts home, Unger set about the work of getting rid of these unwanted visitors.
“When I’d killed over half a dozen,” he says, “I had this creepy ‘dream shard’ in which I was captured by rodents and put on trial for attempted genocide.”
The first vignette from the perspective of rodents all but wrote itself. From there, Unger began exploring the idea of other animals in similar situations.
“I started thinking about what I could write from the point of view of other animals, what the unifying theme might be. What emerged pretty quickly: Animal Liberation!”
While he claims not to be an activist, Unger’s vignettes often confront, or at least mention in passing, some of the more inhumane aspects of the human/animal relationship: the shooting of race horses with broken legs; the declawing of cats; the inconvenient dogs “sent to live on a farm upstate”; mice and other rodents being treated like vermin, despite being kept as pets by some.
“That’s an odd turn, don’t you think?” he asks. “A key piece of the history of civilization has revolved around making our households safe from animal invasions. And now we pay for the privilege of bringing rats and mice into our homes, pay to feed them, build them tiny amusement parks! That’s a little weird!”
Perhaps so, but none of us animal lovers would have it any other way! This relationship between animals and humans is an intriguing concept to Unger who is fascinated by the way we humans interact with our pets.
“Dogs being domesticated from wolves; cats in ancient Egypt; the role of horses in colonialism; rodent-born diseases reshaping populations: there’s an intimacy there, an entanglement going back to the roots of human civilization that’s really quite fascinating.”
It’s interesting to be projected into the mindset of some of our furry friends (and foes), and Unger’s book gives a unique take on the hidden lives of some of our favourites.
“And who knows,” Unger says “perhaps we can learn from getting a glimpse of ourselves through the eyes of other animals.”
Don’t take our word for how captivating these stories are; Unger’s book is available on Amazon now (both in print and on Kindle). Make sure to keep an open mind while reading and let us know in the comments below what you think!
Don Unger was born at New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital and has spent more than fifty years now touring medical facilities across Europe and the Americas. He’s published about thirty short stories, a handful of poems, hundreds of journalistic pieces, and done a few dozen radio commentaries for local NPR affiliates. He writes the occasional unpublishable novel as well—one of which was his MFA thesis. He was disappointed to discover that his PhD did not earn him a prescription pad. He accepts that writing is clear evidence of mental illness; he also understands that any relief writing provides is symptomatic and temporary. He has had a headache since 1990.
Please Note: This book is recommended for mature audiences only.
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