If you live in Massachusetts you probably already know there are an abundance of hiking trails. The problem is that not all trails for humans are necessarily good for our furry friends.
If you want to find the best dog friendly hiking trails check out Best Hikes with Dogs: Boston & Beyond by Jenna Ringelheim, the only book devoted entirely to hiking with dogs. The book has a great mix of urban and rural trails with trail descriptions that detail leash laws, directions, maps, distance (hike’s total mileage), and elevation levels. It covers trails for active and senior dogs so no pup will feel left out.
The book also has some great tips on canine trail etiquette, hiking with dogs and their special needs, what to do when you meet other hikers, and unique skills for preparing your dog for the Massachusetts mainland and island terrain.
Win yourself a free copy of Best Hikes with Dogs: Boston & Beyond by simply leaving me a comment in the comment section on why you like hiking with your dog. I will pick one winner at random on August 25th. Happy trails to you.
Poor little Alfred has some confidence issues. Like many others in today’s body-conscious society, he’s a little obsessed with his appearance—specifically, his nose. He can’t rush off for plastic surgery, though, as he’s an adorable little French Bulldog.
A new book by Vivienne Flesher, Alfred’s Nose chronicles one doggie’s journey to find the perfect, true-dog nose. He tries costumes and masks, and ultimately comes to accept himself for the perfect pooch he is. The book will induce giggles and inspire children, but it’s plenty of fun for grown-ups too, with its homegrown photos of Flesher’s dog in a gaggle of fake noses (elephant, cow) and disguises.
This book is short and sweet. Take a peek at Alfred’s own website: alfredthebulldog.com.
For information on 300+ more dog breeds as well as the Frenchie, check out our exclusive Dog Breed Info pages.
The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook should come with a warning — don’t read while hungry! These recipes sound so good I couldn’t help but get hungry as I read through them.
Author Liz Palika has put together a collection of tasty treats for all kinds of events and dogs. Looking for cookie cutter treats or special goodies for special occasions. The Ultimate Dog Treat Cookbook has got it covered. Do you need recipes designed for dogs with special needs? You’ll find yummy meat-free, grain-free, wheat-free and reduced-fat treats here.
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Don’t you love it when non-fiction is so well written it reads like good fiction? Dogs: A Natural History is one of these books. It has lots of information written in an engaging flow. Author Jake Page has the uncommon ability to make history and science understandable and fascinating.
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101 Best Businesses for Pet Lovers is the book for all of us who’ve had some version of the following scenario —I’m sitting in a meeting with clients and as another client flunkie makes another inane comment about marketing all of a sudden I’m wondering if there isn’t something I could do that would keep me away from these kinds of humans and let me spend more time with dogs and other doggy humans. I bet you’ve been there too, haven’t you?
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Not only are Dogster’s great people and pawples, they’re talented too! Jackpot’s Tail: Lost in Las Vegas was written by one of our Dogsters (okay, she let her furmom get the credit). Not only that, but it’s really GOOD, too!
Are you looking for a well-written, fun book that helps kids understand what happens to dogs who go through the rescue systems? Have you recently adopted a furry family member and want to let your not-so-furry young ones know more about how their new furbrother or sister came to join your family? Then Jackpot’s Tail may be just the book for you!
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There are MANY excellent training books for humans working with dogs but Tess of Helena (a four-footer herself) has penned a fun and helpful training guide for dogs trying to get the best from their humans. Training Humans combines a touch of satire with a large helping of canine insight into a literary recipe that offers useful information with a twist.
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Charles DeLint by Beth Gwinn
Honey, the Pit Bull in Charles de Lint’s urban fantasy Widdershins may be one of the strongest dog characters in recent literature. Honey, a Pit Bull who was released with her pack from a dogfighters’ chain and hell, has the ability to speak with some of the people with whom she feels an emotional connection. More importantly, she has the ability to speak to us. Honey is not the central character in Widdershins but she is the one who lives with me long after the last page is closed.
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Rex and the City by Lee Harrington is a beautiful combination of laugh out loud funny and insight into the emotional payoff of adopting a dog.
I must admit, I started reading Rex and the City with the idea that this was another dog-in big-city-and-what-does-it-say-about-me book. Usually these books are 98% about the human and 2% about the dog. Not my thing since I want to read about the dog.
Was I ever wrong!
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As I sit here in the North American Midwest with wind chills at or below 0 degrees Fahrenheit I can’t help but think about how nice a warm beach would feel about now. I can’t spend the time to get to the beach on a plane so I’m doing the next best thing; I pick up a copy of Jean Fogle’s Salty Dogs: A Book of Dogs at the Beach and let it take me away to a virtual vacation.
Salty Dogs is a fabulous photographic journey with insightful quotes joined to fun and touching pictures of cavorting dogs on the beach. You can almost taste the salt in the air and smell the seafoam on the dogs’ coats.
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