If you have children or know someone who does, Faux Paw Productions offers a line of books that is perfect. Each book is illustrated and has meaning. Take for instance, Cha Cha the Dancing Dog. It's a feel good story about a hilarious, free spirited dancing dog named Cha Cha who believes you don't need to hear music to dance.
"Tap into your heart strings and give your feelings a chance". A story about expressing yourself and how joy divided multiplies.
Each book has an uplifting and inspirational message, all done in beautiful colors and feel-good verse.
Each book is just $14.95 and you can get a book and finger puppet to match for $18.99, a book and key fob for $19.99 or a set, which contains a book and finger puppet in a beautiful gift box for $24.99. These make the perfect gift for a child and especially for one with a new dog. There's even ones for cat lovers as well!
Check out Debby Carman's exquisite artwork and uplifting stories.
As the mommy of a Puggle, I love finding cool mixed breed items that feature the fabulous new "mutt" dogs. I came across "A Breed Apart" by Amanda Jones, a sweet book featuring some of these fun new breeds.
From the Goldendoodle to the Sheprador, the Puggle to the Muggin, the Spollie to the Eskipoo, the American mutt is the most popular dog around. This book captures the faces, unique look and personalities of these dogs and also provides you a fun guessing game of what breeds make up the dog!
The author also has breed-specific books for Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, and Greyhounds. Check it out and happy reading!
As I sit here with my computer on my lap, my very spoiled dog is sprawled out next to me on the couch, sound asleep, wearing a designer collar and dog tag and he is absolutely a member of the family. Long gone are the days where dogs sleep outside in dog houses and are banned from the bed. This phenomenon of dogs creeping their way out of the dog house and in to our hearts and our lives is perfectly captured in the book One Nation Under Dog by Michael Schaffer.
One Nation Under Dog delves head first in to the pet industry and how it has evolved to one where we call ourselves our dog's mommy and daddy, buy only the best organic food, spend tons of money on dog walkers and pet hotels and take special trips to the dog park so our pups can socialize. Schaffer provides an insightful look at how our relationships with our dogs have grown to become a 43 billion dollar industry and explores the many ways with which we now spoil our four-legged family members.
I found this book extremely interesting and enjoyed learning more about how our pet-obsessed culture has come to be. Michael Schaffer also explores how the way we treat our dogs reflects changes in our society as whole and I found myself agreeing with him over and over again throughout the book. If you are spoil your pooch like I do and are looking for a fun and enjoyable read, then I highly recommend One Nation Under Dog for you! This book will be on sale March 31, 2009, but you can pre-order it from Amazon for $16.32.
During the holidays this year, I received a present that really brought a smile to my face and I am very excited to share it with our Swanky Pup readers! I got the book Dogfessions by Nikki Moustaki and I have been telling everyone about it ever since.
Based on the website www.dogfessions.com, this book features a compilation of real postcards of human and canine confessions that will definitely hit home with you and your pup. Each dogfession in the book comes from a real dog owner and lover who is willing to share what they say to their pups when they are all alone and what their pups would say back - and it's adorable!
Whether it is an owner admitting "My voice gets to octaves higher whenever I see this face" or a dog admitting "when no one'es watching...I eat poo", you will be sure to relate with each and every dogfession featured in this adorable book!
Is your dog the coolest on the block? If not, then you need Hip-Hop for Dogs: From Bling to Phat, Your Dog is One Cool Cat by Janet Perr to help bring him (and you) up to speed. This hilarious and unique visual dictionary will teach you both hip-hop slang with definitions of each term and of course, very entertaining pictures of thugged out pups to illustrate the terms for you loud and clear.
This is a perfect coffee table book and a definite conversation starter for the unconventional dog lover. The pictures of the gangsta Pugs, break dancing German Shepherd and Pit Bull rocking his bling will definitely bring a smile to your face and some new words to your vocabulary. Written by the Grammy Award-winning art director Janet Perr, who also wrote Yiddish for Dogs, you will not find another book out there like this. Buy one for yourself and one for your homies and you will all be thoroughly entertained, dawg.
I can't wait for Christmas Day to go and see Marley and Me with my family. Based on the best-selling book and with Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson, the movie chronicles the story of Marley, a yellow lab that the couple adopts after they get married. Watching the puppy (and family) grow is heartwarming and funny. Check out the trailer and enjoy!
I am fortunate that my dear neighbor Bill is a book seller. Tonight he knocked on my door to hand me a beautiful hardcover coffee-table book called, To the Dogs by Peter Culley.
The book features 150 full-page photographs, including 50 in color - images are extremely varied. Some shots include local dog shows, a Moscow circus, a dogfight in Sarajevo, and a dog hotel in Japan. My favorites include, "Alchoholic Living Alone with Dog" - it captures the bond between the bedraggled, old man and his skinny greyhound as they exchange a kiss; and "Wheeler" - Man and dog on rail cart trip from Shelton to Nome, Alaska, 1912.
A description of the book is as follows: "The history of the relationship between canines and humans is more complex than one would think. From Sparta to Stalingrad, the dogs of war, cleanup, guard duty, and companionship have been at our side; their loyalty knows no bounds, whether they are beloved pets or guardians of riot police or unsavory fight fans. From companion to full-fledged member of the tribe, the dog has irrevocably moved into our homes, hearts, and minds to such an extent that the boundaries between “owner” and “pet” have dissolved. The historical and contemporary photographs of To the Dogs explore this human-canine connection in ways that are alternately surprising, endearing, disturbing, and beautiful."
A wonderfully written essay accompanies the photos. Written by poet Peter Culley, "it explores the international citizenry of dogs, and why they can tell us more about ourselves and our culture than we care to admit."
To the Dogs is currently on sale at Amazon.com - reduced from $32.95 to $24.05. A lovely addition to any book collection or the perfect holiday gift.
I am all about organization. And I love any product that helps to keep things straight. (Around here, with two kids and two pets, things get a bit hectic!). That's why this Wags and Wiskers pet organizer is perfect for me! For less than $8, you get an adorable and very functional organizer that keeps track of all your pet records.
It is a softcover, 6 3/4 x 8 1/2" book featuring 8 pocket pages to store medical records, licenses, pedigrees, and more. Plus, 8 pages to note feeding and exercise schedules, personality traits, favorite toys, emergency contact information, and more for your pet sitter.
What a great item! (And if you buy 2, they are $6.98 each!) This makes a great gift for a new pet owner, as well.
I have discovered my inner pooch and she is a Beagle.Now you, too, can find your inner canine with Lori Lebda and Tami Bergerson’s book—What Dog Are You?Discovering Your Inner Pooch.
This delightful book takes the reader through three different quizzes:Pooch-Onality, Dapper Dogs and Biscuits or Bones.The quizzes are fun to complete and include such questions as this one from the Pooch-Onality quiz:
You’re twentieth in line at the dog wash.Do you….
Demand to go home.
Sniff the dog in front or behind you.
Casually chat with dogs around you.
Have everyone in line form a new playgroup.
Each response has a point value.Once you complete the quiz, tally up your score and to find your dog breed.After you complete the three quizzes, add all three scores together to obtain your overall dog score and dog breed.
Then you identify which one of the seven dog groups your breed is a member of: Gems, Trend Setters, Feisty Friends, Private Eyes, Guardians, Contenders or The Alphas.Each dog group contains characteristics and features that are prominent of the group.For example, my Beagle is a member of the Private Eyes.The authors characterize Private Eyes as standing out by their, “…constant scanning of the masses and alert manner.” The authors also include celebrities who may be in the different dog groups.
The book is entertaining and fun to read.The dog group descriptions are quite detailed.I always thought of myself as more of a bigger, fuzzier dog, such as St. Bernard or Golden Retriever. But after reading this book, I will embrace my inner Beagle and let her howl!
This book will make a great gift for dog lovers everywhere.And coming soon for cat lovers, What Cat Are You? Discovering Your Inner Feline, which will be available in early 2009.
The authors have generously provided six FREE copies of their book for six lucky Swanky Pup readers! Swanky Pup will randomly select six readers on September 24, 2008. To be entered in the drawing, simply sign up to receive our Swanky Pup Newsletter! Readers who already receive the Newsletter will automatically be entered into the drawing for to win one of the six books. Sign up by September 23, 2008 to be entered into the random drawing.
A well-groomed dog is a handsome dog.And having a shorter fur coat during these hot, humid days of summer will help your pooch keep his cool.
Last summer, Jax enjoyed the services of a professional groomer.While he looked awesome, this “extra” set us back so much that we added a line item (Jax's Grooming) to our monthly budget. In May, I mentioned in passing to my husband that we should consider grooming Jax this summer to save money.
The Andis Clipper set is awesome.The instructions are easy to understand and the clipper is surprisingly simple to use.The set costs $69.51 on Amazon.I have already saved money (and gas!) by bathing and grooming Jax myself this summer.
One admission.While I am able to give Jax a decent cut, I am by no means able to do it as well as the professional groomers.But I’m ok with this, because the grooming session is also a nice bonding time for Jax and me.
The Andis set comes in a hard case that is great for storage and travel and it includes four snap-on comb attachments in sizes 1/8", 1/4", 3/8", 1/2" to vary the length of the cut and clipper oil.
The Dog Grooming for Dummies has wonderful tips such as essential grooming supplies, foods/supplements that enhance your dog’s coat (a cooked egg daily!) and an entire chapter on training your dog for grooming. The book and clipper set has given me a new hobby and saved us money!
Decision making has never been my strength. Just ask my husband, who patiently waits while I hem and haw over whether to order the Veggie Burger or Veggie Chili. So you can imagine how long the decision making process took when we decided to adopt a dog.
I like to do the research before making any life-altering decisions. So when we agreed to add a dog to our family, I had a mission.
In my quest for information, my dad recommended Cesar’s Way: The Natural Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems by a dog expert named Cesar Milan. Little did I know that Cesar is a nationally recognized dog expert. I loved this book. It helped me understand that humanizing a dog actually harms the dog. I learned that dogs need rules, boundaries and limitations and that invoking these principles helps the dog become balanced. A balanced dog is a happy dog.
Cesar also asserts that dogs need exercise, discipline and affection [in that order] to be balanced.Key to Cesar’s approach is projecting a calm-assertive energy when interacting with your dog. Cesar defines a calm-assertive leader as relaxed, but confident. Cesar’s book really helped me prepare to be a pack leader and consequently Jax is a balanced, happy dog! I highly recommend this book to all dog parents. Get Cesar’s Way at Amazon.com for $11.16.
My dog and I love the beach. We are lucky enough to have a place to stay at the Jersey Shore, so we get to spend a lot of time there enjoying the sand and sea.
One of our favorite things to do in the morning is take Maggie out on the empty beach and let her run and have fun. She loves it. Whenever I see a dog on the beach, they always seem to be smiling. I'm not sure what it is, but it seems like dogs and the beach just go to together.
Jean M. Fogel photographed and wrote about the love of dogs and the beach with her book, Salty Dogs. This beautiful hardcover book features tons of full-color photographs (taken by Jean) of dogs on the beach alongside fun and witty quotes throughout. After a long and hard day, a couple minutes with this sweet and happy book will change your mood and brighten your did. (It did for me!)
What a perfect gift for a dog lover this summer! I plan to bring my copy down to my shore house -- it will make the perfect coffee-table book.
Purchase Salty Dogs from Amazon for $11 and change or you can purchase from Jean's site and receive an autographed copy for you and your dog!
Have you ever gotten a gift from someone and knew that you were going to have that gift forever? I got something like that recently from a company called Makebooksonline.com.
Makebooksonline.com is an online scrapbooking company that caterers to pets and their families. Online scrapbooking is a wonderful way to celebrate the love of your dog. I received a beautiful hardcover book, but you are also able to make posters, calendars or cards.
By just logging onto Makebookonline.com, you are able to get a Basic Studio account for FREE. You can also choose to upgrade your account to their amazing Premier Studio membership, which allows you to have access to over 30,000 pieces of digital artwork. There is a membership fee of $20 a month or $99 for 6 months for the Premier Studio upgrade.
With scrapbooking all the rage right now, you can't go wrong on this site. Online tutorials are available and if you have other questions, a simple email to the founder of the company will get you your answer right away. As a bonus, if you subscribe to the 6 months of Premier, the founder will transfer a pre-designed templated 8X8 book, "I Love My Dog". All you'll have to do is plug in your pictures and add whatever words you want. After you purchase the Premier, send an email to the founder through the Makebooksonline.com site, and tell her that you are a Swanky Pup reader. She will send over the template.
If you love to scrapbook or you think that this is something you could do, send an email through the Makebooksonline.com site. The founder is looking for other consultants to join her team.
I love my book and those who come to visit always pick it up and look through it. It has all my favorite pictures of my dog in it and I know that I will treasure it for a long time to come.
Many people love to keep a journal or diary around so they can write things down that are of importance to them. So, why not have one for your dog too?
At Uptowndog.net you can buy a journal to write down things that happen in your dogs life. It's similar to a baby book, but for your dog. There are pages for photographs of your dog, small envelopes to store your dogs important papers and keepsakes in, and pages after pages of information to fill in about your dog.
We all consider our dogs as members of the family. It's important to document their lives as well -- the good and the well... not so good. This book will guide you to do just that and more. You'll want to leave it out on your coffee table for all to see.
When you are purchasing your copy of the doggie journal on the Uptowndog.net website, be sure to write in the "special instructions" section, "FREE GIFT". In addition to your new journal, you'll also receive FREE doggie notecards.
Do you ever look into those big brown eyes of your dog and wonder just what in the world he is thinking? You are not alone! Most people have no idea what their dog is thinking considering we do not speak the same language. In Stanley Coren’s book How to Speak Dog he helps break down this language barrier to give us humans insight into what’s going on in that furry little head.
This book is very well written and a great resource for the average dog owner with lots of examples and a handy translation section in the back. It breaks down dog communication into barks, growls, howls, whimpers, body language and ear, eye and tail signals so you can decode the noises that come out of your dog and the body language he uses. Not only is this book a great resource and tool, it can improve your relationship with your pooch since you will better understand what he is trying to tell you.
For example, my un-cuddly sheltie Buster would often turn his face away from me and yawn when I would get down on the floor to snuggle with him. Now, thanks to Stanley Coren, I know he is not just getting ready to take a nap but basically telling me he is uncomfortable and to go the heck away. I am pretty sure Buster is happy I finally got the point and your dog will be glad that you understand him too once you learn how to speak dog!
. This beautiful hardcover book features tons of full-color photographs (taken by Jean) of dogs on the beach alongside fun and witty quotes throughout. After a long and hard day, a couple minutes with this sweet and happy book will change your mood and brighten your did. (It did for me!)
