Love of the Paws

You love dogs and maybe cats and horses, too. And perhaps you love reading about them and the people who rescue, adopt and foster them as well as love romantic tales with a furry side. I just discovered an incredible book series by an amazing author, Susan Daffron is her name and our interview is below. I am starting the 8th book in her Alpine Grove series and apparently there is a 9th book and a 10th one on its way.

 

What I LOVE LOVE LOVE about these books, unlike other books that have pets in them, romantic comedies, is that Susan’s pets are major characters and play a BIG role in each of the stories. They are integral and integrated into the story. She writes firsthand from her knowledge about animals and it is hilarious at times, heartwarming and each of the books in the series gets better and better. What I also found wonderful is that she continues the characters stories, a little bit, in each of the books, so you feel as though you are getting to know everyone in the town of Alpine Grove. There is no such real town, but there is an Alpine, CA and much of the descriptions relate to where Susan lives in idaho.

 

This book is for dog lovers, cat lovers, even horse lovers. And the romance is very family friendly. In other words, the couple may kiss a little or end up in the sack but there is not a whole lot of spicy sexy details. I found some of the other books where the happy couple jump in the sack one two three, quite unrealistic and disarming. Who does that? no kinky stuff, either, just plain old normal living day to day with dogs and cats kind of thing. Very inspiring for animal lovers.

 

Each book can be read by itself, stands alone, but i think you will miss out if you do not read ALL of them.  Now how can you not love books with names like Chez Stinky, Bark to the Future, the Art of Wag, Luck of the Paw, not to mention a book with pugilies !!!

Here’s the complete list:

http://www.logicalexpressions.com/books/alpine-grove-romantic-comedy/

Four paws up !!!! Cici agrees, Woof Woof Woof !!!!

 

 

 

How did you get started writing romantic comedy books ?

I’d written a lot of nonfiction books and my husband started writing fiction. After we published his first book, he encouraged me to give fiction writing a shot. By then, he had acquired many books about story structure and writing, so I read through a few and decided to attempt a novel of my own.

Who is your favorite romantic comedy book author ???

Janet Evanovitch (although technically she’d say her books are mysteries).

Did you plan to have a whole series ahead of time – Alpine Grove ?

I wrote the first book with the possibility of turning it into a series. If the first book hadn’t done well, I’m not sure I would have written the second. But I got enough good feedback from people that I decided to continue.

Did you write about dogs and / or romantic comedy before this series?

I wrote nonfiction books on pet care and rescue, but no fiction whatsoever.

Are the people and pets based upon pets you’ve had, people you know ?

The human characters tend to incorporate aspects of people I’ve met or know, but aren’t really based on anyone in particular. This explains how I develop my characters:

http://www.susandaffron.com/creating-characters-people-love/

The dogs in the first book (Chez Stinky) are very loosely based on the dogs I had from 1996 – 2012. For those who are curious, this post explains which one of my dogs they are based on:

http://www.susandaffron.com/write-what-you-know-applies-to-pets-too/

 

 

How do you begin each book?  do you have the names of the characters and plot all worked out ahead of time ?

Most of my books start with an idea. Sometimes it’s something that strikes me as funny or a theme I ran across in a movie, article, or a book that I want to explore. Then I figure out the characters, flesh out the story and put a basic outline into Scrivener. After that I start writing. At about 30K words, I tend to get incredibly stuck and have to print out the outline and figure out where I’m going in more detail. Then I go back to writing.

How do you decide which dogs or cats to feature in each book? 

I think about the type of dog the character might have, since certain types of people are attracted to certain types of dogs. For example, the character Sara Winston in The Treasure of the Hairy Cadre is an athlete. Before the story begins she wants a jogging buddy, so she goes to a shelter and adopts a high-energy Australian Shepherd that she names Holly. This post goes into more detail about how I create animal characters:

http://www.susandaffron.com/creating-animal-characters/

Do you have experience with walking dogs at a shelter or starting a nonprofit animal rescue ?

Yes. I volunteered at an animal shelter for many years and worked part time as a vet tech at a spay/neuter clinic. I didn’t start a rescue myself, but I founded an organization called the National Association of Pet Rescue Professionals that provided educational resources to rescues.

Tell us about your pets

I have three dogs, who are all alumnae of rescue groups. Fiona and Tasha are Samoyeds from Samoyed rescues and Kaylee is a mix of maybe Samoyed and collie that I got from a chow rescue. (The group rescued more than chows; basically, they took anything that was extra furry.)

Do you have a favorite breed of dog or cat that you like?

I’m a fan of Samoyeds (big surprise) but I also love Golden retrievers and retriever mixes. I have a soft spot for long-haired breeds.

What is your favorite book / pet / character ?

Of my books, my favorite character is Kat, since her story carries through the entire series. So I know the most about her life and background. Of the dogs, I love Linus because he’s so sweet and Swoosie amuses me because I incorporated aspects of my dog Fiona into her character.

We talked a little bit about your geek side, how did that influence your writing these books? a few of your characters are kinda geeky… and you said you work for IBM. 

I’ve been married to a programmer for a long time and worked in technology for years, starting as a technical writer. It was inevitable that I would include a few geeky people in my books. This post goes into it a bit more:

http://www.susandaffron.com/geeks-and-nerds-in-romance/

Do you have an agent, publisher or did you self-publish the books? in either case, why?

My books are published by my publishing company Logical Expressions, Inc. which has published more than just my books, so technically the corporation is a micropublisher. I was traditionally published (nonfiction) years ago and had an agent. It would take a LOT of money and unusually good contract terms to tempt me to accept a traditional publishing deal at this point. Although self-publishing is a lot of work, I have the flexibility and freedom to write the books I want to write.

Have you traveled a lot ? travel with your pets?

We’ve traveled with our pets a lot in the last few years because the current crew of dogs are great on road trips. (The prior pack was NOT.)

Any particular dog friendly places that you enjoy taking the dogs?

We live in Idaho and there are thousands upon thousands of acres of trails and forested areas to explore. The dogs love going hiking with us.

Are you an equestrian?  met any real life cowboys like Clay?

I’m a pathetic horseback rider, but I do enjoy it. I don’t own horses, but I have met quite a few people involved in the equestrian world. I did some research on horse trainers and Clay is compilation of a bunch of stories I read about their lives.

Are you a dog trainer?

I only train my own dogs, which is plenty. Almost all of my dogs have been to obedience classes with varying degrees of success. Fiona got her AKC Canine Good Citizen certification, which means mostly that she likes treats a LOT so she’s easy to train. I plan to take Tasha to classes later this summer.

What inspires you about writing about dogs and cats and romance?

I like writing about the relationships people have with each other and their pets. For most people I know, pets are part of their family and often play a big role in the decisions people make. So quite a few of my books explore those ideas.

Are you working on any new books, series related to pets?

I’m about halfway through the first draft of  the as-yet-untitled tenth novel in the Alpine Grove series. The dog in this one is a yellow Labrador retriever named Harley that the main character, Lisa Lowell, is fostering for the local rescue group.

In a dog eats cats world

 

A headline reads: a celebrity sums up politician in epic three words on twitter, or somebody says something outrageous, ugly or otherwise.

you click on the headline because you have just got to hear, watch, read what they said. and you need a laugh and it is guaranteed to be uproariously funny, right. but when you watch the video or read the tweet, it is dumb. you’ve just been had again and again by headlines designed to get you to click on them.

and sometimes it is bait and switch. the headline says one thing and then you click and it discusses, explains, opines about something else.

we know that too many politicians and others rely upon lies aka 1984’s war is peace, freedom is slavery, etc. and Goebbel’s propaganda strategy (that worked) that you keep on telling the lie over and over ad infinitum ad nauseum and eventually people will believe the lie no matter all of the facts, debunking of the myths, and countering intelligence that others do.

lies and fear mongering have worked for many years. It usually always is about politics and votes. Like the great bathroom debacle in North Carolina.

North Carolina’s transgender bathroom battle: what sparked it, and what’s next http://gu.com/p/4j7gg/stw

Transgender Dog Unsure Which Tree To Pee On

 

https://www.ncscooper.com/transgender-dog-unsure-which-tree-to-pee-on/

and some people continue to tell BIG LIES knowing that they are false in order to sell products, services, ideologies and candidates.

truth vs lies.

facts vs myths, stereotypes and propaganda

BIAS against pit bull type dogs based on myths

http://www.mnn.com/family/pets/stories/is-it-time-do-away-breed-names-shelters

http://barkpost.com/shelter-removes-breed-labels-study/

 

There are myths and stereotypes told about everyone. And especially those who are not white and male and rich are punished for not being white, male, pretending to be Christian while not following Jesus’ edicts and rich. And there are myths and stereotypes told about various dog breeds, Muslims, Mexicans, gay people, transgender people, Jewish people, women, African Americans, homeless people, poor people, and the list goes on.

Did you know that being aka existing without a home in the US is a crime? That is, if you are eating, sleeping, sitting, lying down in public, camping, parking overnight, you can be arrested, and have all of your meager belongings taken away from you, next thing will be breathing in public…. aka taking up space on the planet, our tax dollars at work.

Many people think that people without homes are lazy bums who refuse to work or want to be homeless, are drug addicts, alcoholics, or mentally ill. And being homeless aka a criminal for being alive, will never happen to me!

Except that it does and has happened and the homeless population is primarily made up of formerly middle class people including single moms with children, women leaving domestic violence and/or abusive situations, seniors, half who cannot afford housing and more than half in CA, veterans, working poor, people who have lost their homes due to foreclosure, illness and other reasons. Traumatized people who have been banned and evicted from society. Your former neighbors trying to survive without sleep, no bed, unable to go to the bathroom, take a shower, or even to sit down or lie down or JUST BE ALIVE.

 

“Since the year 2000, more than 80 percent of metropolitan areas saw their household incomes decline, pointing to a shrinking middle class that’s fueling economic insecurity.”

http://www.salon.com/2016/05/14/the_middle_class_is_dying_partner/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-homeless-doj-20150907-story.html

But people can discern the Truth in their heart of hearts. Some people want to believe the lies for their own personal reasons, agendas, and motives. If you are a builder, developer, or landlord who wants to make maximum amounts of money, you can tell yourself that seniors, poor people,disabled people, single moms with children, and others can find some place else to live. Except they cannot and you know it.

And if you are a church or a nonprofit agency who is supposed to be helping house or feed or find jobs or whatever for other people and all you are really doing is you are making a very good salary, work in a luxury building, and/or spending the donation and grant money you garner on everything but what your stated mission is, that your charity spends a very small percentage, if any, on their stated goals, then you know in your heart that you are cheating, stealing and NOT DOING YOUR JOB. Why does a nonprofit in Monterey, for instance, need hundreds of thousands of dollars, feeding homeless women, when ALL of the food is donated and their staff is all volunteers? Where is that money going? Hint, it is NOT being spent on Housing women without homes. Not even for a single night.

Why are millions of dollars raised every day/week/month/year to HOUSE PETS but so little raised to HOUSE HUMAN BEINGS  ???? What if there were charities who housed BOTH HUMANS AND THEIR PETS AND/OR HOUSED HUMANS SO THAT THEY COULD FOSTER OR ADOPT A PET???

Think of all of the humans languishing and dying on the streets, in cars and all of the pit bull type dogs being euthanized and / or dying in shelters.

There are some folks coming up with creative solutions to house people and pets.  How about you???  What are you doing to house people and pets???  What can you do? What are you able / willing to do?

What people do not realize is that when people without homes have pets or even if they do not have pets, that pets ARE affected, too.

Thanks !!!

A fun contest from the good folks at Advances Shelter systems, Inc., creator of SHIFT PODS that serve as temporary and / or emergency housing for all kinds of folks around the world, for festivals, events and camping options for those who like to travel and the great outdoors.

Stark white and ready for some street art! Good with a spray can? Send shift pods your art! If they like it they may send you a SHIFTPOD to paint for their charity auction for Ecuador. These ARTPODS will be auctioned off to raise money to help people who lost everything in the huge earthquake. #‎emergencyresponse #‎shiftpod #‎shelterpod #‎artpod #‎burningman #‎festival #‎ecuador #‎earthquake

 

It is the pits and not the pits

did it all begin with dogs?

the rancor, recrimination, disdain, and discrimination,

small versus large dogs.

breed discrimination.

breed bans.

BSL.

talk to any owner of a German Shepherd, Rottweiler, or pit bull (which is not a breed, a bunch of bully breeds including American Pit Bull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrirer, Pit Bull Terrier, and others) are lumped together and called pit bulls, and they will tell you about how their dog(s) are vilified, demonized, shunned, and/or called mean, vicious and/or killer dogs, no matter the dog.

is it any wonder then now we have right here in America:

people

red vs blue

GOP vs Democrats

conservatives vs liberals

Bernie supporters versus Hillary

men versus women

white Christian evangelicals aka white supremacists against everyone

heterosexuals against LGBT folks

white people versus nonwhite people

rich versus poor and middle class

1% versus 99%

housed versus unhoused

child molesters and rapists versus transgendered

environmentalists aka tree huggers versus climate change deniers and oil companies, big pharma and nuke, coal, industries

vegetarians and vegans versus meat eaters

war mongers versus pacifists

north versus south

didn’t we fight this war before, I seem to recall something…

people divided

a nation in crisis 

fighting each other and the whole world

when will we learn the lessons and stop blaming one another, pointing fingers, spewing hatred?

it is not the dogs, not the people…

 

a nation gone mad accusing one another for our problems

 

we are NOT NOT NOT going to solve anything with slurs, epithets, walls and bans

 

can we just agree to disagree and MOVEO N?????

 

****

 

on a different note, Cici and I are traveling and met with Howard Epstein in LA for lunch yesterday. It was fun and yummy and we grew up in the same neighborhood in NYC, went to the same high school at different times.

 

 

 

 

 

Doggie Day books

This week was National Dog Day, ok, we missed it by a day or two… well, here are three VERY different doggie books that you just HAVE TO READ if you love doggies… and you might just pick up a few for your fellow doggie friends for the holidays (which are going to be here sooner than your dog can chew up a dog bone).

 

 

The exciting and funny / hilarious new Chet and Bernie book, Paw and Order, which you’ve all been waiting with doggie breath to come out so you can read it. Now you can.

Harry Truman once said “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”

Cici and I were very happy to get our paws on the latest (7th in the series) Chet and BernieL book, Paw and Order because we are always up for another hilarious adventure seen thru Chet’s canine eyeballs. The story begins in New Orleans. And Bernie’s Porsche and a trip to a BBQ joint turns into a fiasco with some motorcycle dudes who have big necks.  But no matter, Chet and Bernie are on the case and a team not to be messed with.

The dog-eat-dog world of Washington DC will never be the same after Chet and Bernie’s Little adventure. They could have gone straight home from New Orleans but what fun would that have been? They instead detoured because well, Bernie’s sometime girlfriend Suzie the newspaper reporter is now working at the Washington Post and she is on a BIG story that she cannot talk about. So of course,  Chet sniffs around the capital city and Bernie ends up arrested. An international conspiracy unfolds and Chet encounters a strange new animal, a guinea pig, who holds the fate of the nation in his paws.

Chet and Bernie are always a winning combination. With Chet’s sharp eyes and cool nose and Bernie’s talents, they cannot lose, although it is always suspenseful along the way. Another great read for dog lovers, guinea pig aficionados, and Washington DC insiders and outsiders.

http://www.chetthedog.com/tag/paw-and-order

Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park  by Matthew Gilbert

If you have ever visited a dog park and met some strange, weird, quirky, bizarre dog people, then you will relate to this book. It is about an array of dogs and their people who gather at Amory Park, overlooking Boston near Fenway Park.

Matthew Gilbert, a longtime TV critic at The Boston Globe, describes his reluctant trip into the dog park subculture, as the first-time owner of a stubbornly social Yellow Lab puppy named Toby. Like many Americans, he was happily accustomed to the safe distance of TV viewing and cell-phone web surfing, tethered to the digital leash. But the headstrong, play-obsessed Toby pulls him to Amory, and Amory becomes an exhilarating dose of presence for him. The joyous chaos of wrestling dogs and the park’s cast of offbeat dog owners – the “pack of freaks” – gradually draw him into the here and now. At the dog park, the dog owners go off the leash, too.

Meetings at the dog park can be mayhem, chaotic and fun, depending upon  the day. Sort of a daily or weekly canine soap opera. Dogs love/hate one another as do their owners.  When the dogs have disagreements, so do their human companions. And sometimes the human beans are even worse than the dogs when they are off the leash.

This is a very funny, sunny, very right on, portrait of life at the dog park and relationships and encounters between dogs and the dog owners. Dog Parks: Enter at Your Own Risk. Dog parks are not for the faint of heart or skittish. And Gilbert knows right where the fun begins and ends.  His honest and enthusiastic memoir will make you rethink going to the dog park or yearning to find doggie friends and a pack to belong to.

 

 

 

 

 

Dogs Rule, Nonchalantly by Mark Ulriksen is just plain silly. EVERYONE who is ANYONE with a DOG that is KNOWS that Dogs Rule. Of course, my Polka Dot Princess agrees with me on that one. She Rules this household. Of course.  Ulriken has been working for a little publication called The New Yorker, where he has been a regular contributor since 1993. He has achieved more than 40 magazine covers to his credit.   This book offers great illustrations of doggies, and funny lines to go with the images. We were offput by one illustration of what seemed to be a bad stereotype of a bully breed dog. We do not like those stereotypes as you know. Other than that, numerous breeds were represented in hilarious detail. And some of the jokes were VERY funny.  If you live or love a dog, you know how amusing they can be. And this book capitalizes upon canines and their goofyness with refreshing charm and a breath of doggie sunshine. Dogs penchant for stinky things. Dogs and their always sunny disposition (until you are leaving the house).  And you know the rest of their quirks.

http://dogsruleproject.com/

The problem with Time Magazine

The problem with Time Magazine and Charlotte Alter

http://time.com/2891180/kfc-and-the-pit-bull-attack-of-a-little-girl/

l. if you know ANYTHING about dogs and specifically about the history of American Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, and the other dog BREEDS lumped together and called “pit bulls,” you know that these dogs were bred to be SUPER/EXTRA people friendly so that the handlers would be able to work with them. ALL people aggression was bred OUT of these dogs.  So the first paragraph in this article begins with a lie AKA a MYTH not a FACT.  Apparently, the writer of this article had NO TIME to do any REAL Research nor to interview REAL DOG experts such as James Crosby and Victoria Stilwell.

Pit Bulls are not an aggressive breed of dog.

*According to the American Temperament Testing Association, APBTs have an 85.3% passing rate, compared to a passing rate of 81.9% for all breeds on average.

http://canineaggression.blogspot.com/

This is FANTASTIC, point by point, she tells it like it IS…

http://www.swaylove.org/the-many-problems-with-charlotte-alters-time-article-about-pit-bulls

2. Then this article goes on to quote DISCREDITED time and time and time again pit bull haters and fantasy dwellers such as Colleen Lynn, Merritt Clifton and PETA.  Yes, scratch the surface of these three together and you get nonsensical stats based upon media overreporting of so-called pit bull attacks (if it looks like a dog, call it a pit bull and there you have a headline and ridiculous stats to use to ban pit bulls), fear/paranoia and a call to KILL all the dogs (disguised as more logical sounding breed discrimination aka breed specific euthanization)… of course, they leave OUT that in places like Denver, CO where BSL has been implemented, dog bites have GONE UP because the REAL PROBLEM has NOT been dealt with. Breed is NEVER the problem. Ignorance about Dogs IS the problem.

Oh by the way, PETA kills healthy adoptable dogs and cats and has for years. And their founder, Ingrid Newkirk, was killing animals at a shelter, a job she relished. PETA thinks killing companion animals is a gift to them.

http://www.petakillsanimals.com/proof

http://www.nathanwinograd.com/?category_name=the-truth-about-peta

3. oh yes, and speaking about the Michael Vick dogs. 51 dogs who are doing JUST FINE. Eight became therapy dogs, and many are living in homes with children, cats, other dogs, in FAMILIES and shown NO signs of aggression. Not ONE.  These dogs were tortured, traumatized, terrified of humans, unsocialized, kept chained up 24/7 and made to fight tor their LIVES. Yet, once taken away from Vick’s Bad Newz Kennels and given tons of TLC and taught how to be dogs at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, BADRAP, the Monterey SPCA and other places, they’ve thrived.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/10/michael-vick-dogs-vicktory_n_5119150.html

http://parade.condenast.com/48473/jimgorant/15-vicks-dogs/

4. Here is the REAL SCOOP on what causes DOG BITES and ATTACKS according to REAL DOG experts.

http://www.pasadenanow.com/main/opinion-everyone-in-the-community-is-concerned-about-agressive-dogs-and-stopping-dog-bites

Instead of blaming the dogs, how about holding PEOPLE accountable. People are the ones responsible for the abuse, torture, neglect and abandonment of dogs. Humans are the violent ones. Toxic macho masculinity culture teaches young men that they must be TOUGH and FIGHT, MAIM and KILL animals and other creatures. All of the serial killers have a history of hurting and killing animals then move on to human beings.

A few stats:

Every year, more than 2,000 children in the U.S. are killed by their parents or guardians either through abuse or neglect. A child is more than 800 times more likely to be killed by their caretaker than by a Pit Bull.

From 2001 through 2012, 6,410 women were murdered in the United States by an intimate partner using a gun—more than the total number of U.S. troops killed in action during the entirety of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars combined.

…Women in the United States are 11 times more likely to be murdered with a gun than are women in other high income countries… http://americanprogress.org/issues/guns-crime/report/2014/06/18/91998/women-under-the-gun/

Mama’s day gifts for dog mamas

Life is Pawfect by Robert Semrow

Photographer Robert Semrow has put together an adorable and whimsical collection of dog themed portraits including a scuba diving dog, a pirate, and my favorites, a baking dog with wonderful ingredients, a furry angel and a chi-wow-wow in a basket and a sombrero hat… each portrait comes with appropriate sayings and props… A wide variety of dogs, sizes and breeds appear in the book. This gift book is in color and is a laugh out loud pawfect gift for all of the doggie mamas in your life.

http://lifeispawfect.com/

Lavender & Mint Buddy Wash Shampoo and Splash

Keeps your dog smelling wonderful, clean and fluffy, made in the USA, no alcohol, coconut oil based

Ingredients:

Coconut shampoo base, aloe vera gel, essence of lavender, essence of mint, chamomile extract, sage extract, nettles extract, rosemary extract, wheat protein extract (natural deodorizing agent), tea tree oil, vitamin E, vitamin C.

http://www.cloudstar.com/prodcat/buddy-wash.asp

Cloud Star Buddy Biscuits, grain-free and gluten free

Three delicious recipes: Smooth Aged Cheddar, Rotisserie Chicken, and Homestyle Peanut Butter

Cici has been scarfing up the cheddar cheese biscuits. Loves them.

Blind Doggie wine by Ecluse

An eclectic blend of some of the best Paso Robles reds, Blind Dog Midnight Run Cuvee is a delicious, doggone great wine! Barrel aged from 14 to 30 months, this complex wine is a perfect “companion” with meals.  Mom is sure to enjoy it with her friends. Perhaps you can even take her to visit this pet friendly winery in Paso Robles where she can meet Toby the blind dog up close and in person. (More about taking mom on a dog friendly trip to SLO County soon).

http://www.eclusewines.com/wines/blind-dog-wines.php

Once Upon a Flock: Life with My Soulful Chickens by Lauren Scheuer is a laugh out loud and heartwarming story of Lauren’s life with her quirky flock of feathered friends. Lauren builds Lucy a special-needs coop. Lauren hatches a chick in her home. Raising backyard chickens in New England is no easy task but leads to an immensely enriched life as Lauren and her flock’s guardian Marky the terrier soon find out.  Every mother hen will relate to the stories in this book.

Dog face t-shirts  with mom’s favorite breed 

http://shop.themountain.me/categories/Dogs/

Stella and Chewy Kisses

Ingredients:
100% Angus Beef Treats – Beef.
100% Chicken Treats – Chicken.
100% Duck Treats – Duck.
100% Wild Alaskan Salmon Treats – Salmon.

Freeze dried raw treats… Cici says these are Yummy delicious, Woof woof !

http://www.stellaandchewys.com/dog-kisses.php

The Original Dog Tarot card set and booklet is an amusing tool that gives human beings essential insight into the canine psyche.

Want to know why your dog shreds your slippers but ignores his designer toys? Does your pooch really want a puppy for companionship, or are you delusional? The Original Dog Tarot is an entertaining, tongue-in-jowl deck of tarot cards and accompanying book affectionately written for dog lovers who want to divine their canine’s mind. The 30 cards are a takeoff on the traditional tarot; they’re divided into the Major Barkana and Minor Barkana. Each card offers advice for both canines and the humans in their lives. You don’t have to be familiar with traditional tarot to use this deck. It is a witty and wise stand-alone oracle for anyone who has given up mastering the techniques of The Dog Whisperer.

http://www.thedogtarot.com/

A sample pack of MOO cards

Business cards, mini cards with a whole lotta WOOF…

http://us.moo.com/design-templates/business-cards/pack/animal-thoughts.html

http://us.moo.com/design-templates/business-cards/pack/a-lotta-dogs.html

Mama’s Iphone case with photo of her royal dog 

For your own royal dog likeness on an Iphone 4 or 5 case or Droid, please contact Amanda and tell her Cici sent you

www.etsy.com/listing/120784089/custom-renaissance-pet-portraits-iphone

Amanda
Sealed With A Case
sealedwithacase.etsy.com

Honking Dogs on the road with Subaru

Cici and I love to travel. We traveled for a few years in our Subaru Legacy station wagon. We drove all over California, Oregon and Nevada. The Subaru got great gas mileage and had lots of room. Cici took up the back seat filled with pillows and toys. She slept while I did the heavy driving. When we got to the destination, she would shake off and be ready to roll. Her excitement at discovering a new place, having an adventure, was contagious.  She is my polka dot princess now with  four different beds to sleep on, her choice every day and night. She is also my best friend and has earned her place by my side. She has her own driver’s license now so the next road trip we go on, she is gonna take the wheel and head out on the highway. Born to be Cici…

 

We got her new driver’s license from the Subaru Facebook page. It is the same interactive app that we had fun with when watching the Puppy Bowl last weekend. Have you used the app yet? Just download the “IntoNow” app on your tablet or mobile device here  http://blogp.ws/Wxa8ia   There are all kinds of nifty applications… you can even find the perfect Subaru for your dog (The Subaru Dog Matchmaker) and other goodies. Check it out!

Alas, our Subaru Legacy had more than 260,000 miles on it so we need a new vehicle to drive to the beach, dog park, and everywhere. We would love another Subaru, maybe a Forester. We miss driving to the shopping mall (Petco and Pet Smart), the banks (where she would always get cookies and treats from the nice people), and even the grocery store. Cici loves to meet and greet new people. And if there is food involved, even better.

Beep beep beep beep the horn went beep beep beep… do you remember the song, Little Nash Rambler? I imagine that is how Cici would drive the car, beeping the horn the whole way…

Beep beep beep beep
His horn went beep beep beep
While riding in my Subaru
What to my surprise
A little Nash Rambler was following me
About one third my size
The guy musta wanted to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn
I’ll show him that a Subaru is not a car to scorn
Beep beep beep beep
His horn went beep beep beep

[Slowly]
I pushed my foot down to the floor
To give the guy the shake
But the little Nash Rambler stayed right behind
He still had on his brake
He musta thought his car had more guts
As he kept on tooting his horn (beep beep)
I’ll show him that a Subaru is not a car to scorn
Beep beep beep beep
His horn went beep beep beep

[Normal speed]
My car went into passing gear
And we took off with gust (whoosh)
Soon we were going ninety
Musta left him in the dust
When I peeked in the mirror of my car
I couldn’t believe my eyes
The little Nash Rambler was right behind
You’d think that guy could fly
Beep beep beep beep
His horn went beep beep beep

[Quickly]
Now we were doing a hundred and ten
This certainly was a race
For a Rambler to pass a Subaru
Would be a big disgrace
The guy musta wanted to pass me up
As he kept on tooting his horn (beep beep)
I’ll show him that a Subaru is not a car to scorn
Beep beep beep beep
His horn went beep beep beep

[Very quickly]
Now we’re going a hundred twenty
As fast as I can go
The Rambler pulled along side of me
As if we were going slow
The fella rolled down his window
And yelled for me to hear
“Hey buddy how do I get this car outta second gear?”

***

Cici has cat issues so when I bring her to meet Grant Weber at the Subaru lot, she will let the kitties know she is boss if there are any felines around.

It is a good thing that Grant Weber knows how to speak dog and caters to each breed. He knows how to give each dog what they need and the best deal. You know that poodles want different accommodations and specifications than German Shepherds, right. And polka dot princesses need extra comfort, cargo space and zoom for their bucks. You could say that Subaru is an equal opportunity mutt pleaser. And yet, their doggie commercials are just as much fun for humans. Don’t you agree?

This post is sponsored by Subaru. we are helping spread the woof about the Dog Tested. Dog Approved.™ campaign, because [Have Dog Blog Will Travel] only shares news for things we love and support. All opinions are mine.

Born to be Cici

Does your dog dig Enya, Mozart or the Beatles?

a 2012 study at Colorado State University found that kenneled dogs spent more time sleeping when exposed to classical music and became shaky when listening to heavy metal tunes.

If your dog had a favorite song or signature song what would it be?

I think Cici’s would be Born to be Wild by Steppenwolf, Easy Rider movie… (she loves motorcycles, PEOPLE who ride them and she’s a wild and crazy dog)…

Get your motor runnin’

Head out on the highway

Looking for adventure

In whatever comes our way

Yeah, darlin’

Gonna make it happen

Take the world in a love embrace…

http://www.craigboyce.com/w/2011/09/motorcycle-riding-dog/

***

How Many Dogs Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb?

American Pit Bull Terrier…  (my polka dot princess)…   rub my belly and I’ll kiss you and cuddle with you and kiss you and cuddle… after, let’s zoom around the block, roll in the grass, rub my belly, cuddle and kiss… what light bulb?

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we’ve got our whole lives ahead of us, and you’re inside worrying about a stupid light bulb?

Border Collie: Just One. And then I’ll replace ALL the wiring that’s not up to code.

Dachshund: You know I can’t reach the stupid lamp.

Rottweiler: Make Me.

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh Me, me me, PLEEEEEEEEZE let me change the light bulb. Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I, PLEEEEEEEEZE, PLEASE PLEASE?

German Shepard: I’ll change it as soon as I’ve led these people from the dark, check to make sure I haven’t missed any, and make one more perimeter patrol to see that no one has tried to take advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell: I’ll just pop it in while I am bouncing off the walls.

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark.

Chihuahua: Yo Quiero Taco Bulb.

Pointer: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there–RIGHT THERE

Greyhound: It isn’t moving, who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I’ll put all the light bulbs in a little circle.

Poodle: I’ll just blow in the Border Collie’s ear, and he’ll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.

Terrier: Let me bark at it for a while to see if it really needs changing.

What would your dog say?

https://apps.facebook.com/dogbook/content/view/5290

How many cats does it take to change a light bulb???

http://www.kulfoto.com/funny-pictures/38591/cats-changing-light-bulbs

Have a heart

Imagine a child born to parents who treat their child as a meal ticket. Parents who make money off of their children. Parents who force their children to fight for their lives every day of life. Parents who keep the children unsocialized, tied up in the backyard, hidden with a heavy chain on their necks, unable to escape. Parents who allow their girl children to be raped at a young age so that they produce more children to be abused. All of the children are terrified, angry and traumatized, some become out of their minds. And one day someone kind comes along and sets the children free and puts the parents in jail. Are the children sent to jail, too? Should the children be killed for being too mean? This is the life of too many pit bulls… and yes, they can be likened to abused and neglected children. When given the love, socialization and care they deserve, they are good dogs. Who is responsible for a child or a dog? Who should be held accountable the child, the dog or the parent?

And Breed Specific Legislation takes innocent children/dogs out of their homes, puts them in doggie jail and kills them because they MIGHT become violent some day. That is like saying one day your child with red hair is going to become a dangerous criminal. Why? Because they have red hair. So with all of the media and political hype and hysteria, you decide to round up all of the red haired people and kill them because one red haired person committed a crime in your neighborhood. Does this make any sense???

And in shelters all across this country (and world), the off spring aka the dogs are held accountable for the wrongdoings of the parents/guardians. And the dogs pay the ultimate price. They are killed for being innocent victims of violent criminals. Meanwhile the dog fighters pay a fine and get a little jail time. What kind of system of justice is this?   Am all for second chances but when the criminals have more rights than those they hurt, then that is just plain wrong.

the ones who are too aggressive and violent (and mean and cruel) are the dog fighting criminals who make money off of the dogs and treat these dogs like garbage. The dogs like the former Vick dogs when given the love and care they deserve become therapy dogs (8 of the former Vick dogs) and just plain regular family dogs (many of the former Vick dogs live with kids, other dogs, cats and more). Jail and punish the dog fighters NOT the dogs. Do we send kids who have been abused to jail or do we send child abusers to jail?  The adults are the responsible person so why punish the kids????  Remember that scene in the movie Good Will Hunting when the shrink played by Robin Williams tells the boy his father’s abuse was NOT his fault.  Rape, child abuse, any kind of violence against a person or animals is NEVER the victim’s fault. It is the abuser’s fault. Just because an abuser has a lot of money does NOT make the abuse right nor should it get them off the hook.

Bless this couple for taking care of fight dogs, the way that they should be treated. There needs to be a lot more folks like this.

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/20038732/atlanta-couple-works-to-save-pit-bulls

We like seeing positive ads with pit bulls, too, more and more every day, yay.

Breed of fools

 Pit bulls

there are numerous breeds all lumped together and called pit bull…American Pit Bull Terriers, Miniature Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Staffordshire Bull Terriers, American Bull Dogs, Bull Terriers or mixed breeds that have the appearance or characteristics of one of these breeds…

History:

Pit Bulls are descendants of the original English bull-baiting dog—a dog that was bred to bite and hold bulls, bears and other large animals around the face and head. “Bulldogs” were bred to hang on without releasing their grip, until the animal was exhausted from fighting and from loss of blood. When baiting large animals was banned in the 1800s, people then started to fight their dogs against each other instead. But they were Bred to be EXTREMELY friendly to PEOPLE, since the handlers were HUMANS and did not want to get hurt. If a dog exhibited any aggression towards humans, they were bred out. NO HUMAN AGGRESSION WAS ALLOWED.  Any hint of human aggression was considered unacceptable.

True fighting dogs do not show any aggression towards humans whatsoever. Human aggression was in fact considered a major fault, so if a dog showed any human aggression it would be destroyed and the line would not be bred from anymore. Handlers were in the pit with the dogs during a fight and would not be so if they thought there was any danger.

Later, Pit Bulls were considered ideal family pets—affectionate, loyal and gentle with children.

“…for over half a century in between, 1920 to 1970, millions of Bulldogs, Bull Terriers, American Pit Bull Terriers,  American Staffordshire Terriers and all their mixed breed cousins served Americans well in every possible capacity and circumstance.”    ThePit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise

Bad rep

My kids are around pit bulls every day. In the ’70s they blamed Dobermans, in the ’80s they blamed German shepherds, in the ’90s they blamed the Rottweiler. Now they blame the pit bull.”    Cesar Millan.  “Pit bulls get a bad rap because of irresponsible owners….”

In the book Pit Bull Placebo by Karen Delise, discusses how dogs of various breeds have been demonized since the 1800’s. People’s perception of ‘dangerous dogs’ has changed over the centuries.

l. Eliza and her baby (Uncle Tom’s Cabin) being chased by snarling teeth gnashing Bloodhounds.

“During the second half of the 19th century, Bloodhounds were frequently reported as the breed most responsible for severe and fatal attacks on humans.”

2. Super-predator Nazi guard Doberman Pinscher dogs perform became a symbol of cruelty and depraved acts.

3.  The Time Bomb Pit Bull depicted on the cover of Time magazine…

By the early 1980s, the Pit bull was on the fast track to becoming the new super-predator.

In 1987, over 800 newspaper articles were printed in which “Pit bulls” were headlined.

In 2006, the media continues to exploit the Pit bull with an unprecedented 2,800+ newspaper articles vying for their readers’ attention with the words “Pit bull” in the headlines.

Goofy personalities

 

Celebrities