simpple019

October Book Review

















The Quite Very Actual Adventures of Worzel Wooface--Terribibble Twos
by Catherine Pickles
ISBN 978-845849-31-3
published by Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
$13.99

Would you like to know what's going on in a dog's mind? Do you like books told in the voice of a dog? Well, here is a book told in the "quite very actual" voice of Worzel Wooface. And I have to tell you that Worzel's voice is both unique and hilarious. Worzel is a Lurcher living in the Suffolk, England. (For those of us living in the U.S., a Lurcher is a mix of greyhound-type breed and another breed, in Worzel's case a terrier.)

The Terribibble Twos is the sequel to The Quite Very Actual Adventures of Worzel Wooface, Worzel's  diary of his first year of life. At ten weeks old he was surrendered to a rescue group, after having suffered abuse by his owner and another dog. His new owner, Catherine Pickles and her family--including five cats--nurture, love, and help smooth out Worzel's issues.














Here is an exerpt from the new book, where Worzel is learning to stay home alone:

"January 8
Mission Home Alone: Stage One
Mum's had a word about Mission Home Alone with the man who lives next door, and letted him know wot we're practicing, and sorry about the noise if it happens. Fred is a saint, Mum says, for puttering up with being our neighbour. He's also A Bit Deaf, which helps, happarently. Stage One for Mission Home Alone is that you should not do making a song and dance about going out. ..I was a bit confuddled about this at first."

If you're looking for a sweet, funny and insightful look at a rescue dog "with issues," be sure to check out Worzel Wooface!


















Full Disclosure: We were provided with 2 copies of this book for our review. This in no way influenced my review. Opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

Is Ike dreaming of sailing on the deep blue sea? Or just reading a good book about it?

Ike doesn't have a boat or an ocean, but he makes do with his wading pool.

 You may know Something Wagging This Way Comes blogger Pamela. (If not, you should check her out!) She, along with her hubby and their sweet golden retriever Honey, are living aboard The Meander, living life on the seas. It's fun to hear how a dog handles daily life on a sailboat.

I recently learned of another dog who sailed around the world with her family. Hubble and Hattie, publishers of great dog books (and the same publishers who put out my Dieting with my Dog!) sent me a copy of the book to review and one to give away!














Tara, the Terrier who sailed around the world by Rosemary and Robert Forrester, is a well-told and heartfelt tale of travel and love.

From the publisher:
For animal lovers everywhere – especially those who like travel and sailing boats – this is an emotional and uniquely entertaining tale.

Excerpt:
What makes a Jack Russell terrier a keen fisherdog? When she joined us on Deusa at six weeks old, all of Tara's natural instincts to kill rats or chase foxes down holes became channeled toward a marine existence. What was there to hunt along the beach but scuttling crabs and little silver fish? Tara dedicated her time to running up and down in the shallows, pouncing and snapping at the shadows and shapes that darted and dashed in the clear water.
Lemon sharks liked to hang around the anchored boats, waiting for tasty morsels chucked overboard when cleaning freshly-caught fish on the back deck. these sharks were bold and curious: not afraid of swimmers, especially if they were spearing fish, and would even swim by the shore to check out anything new. They were not dangerous, but the word shark inevitably conjured up an image of Jaws and we were respectful of their presence.
Tara loved the freedom of the beach, and I enjoyed looking for shells while she played in the water. One day, I was some distance away from her when I saw a lemon shark heading in her direction. There was no use calling, as she never liked to be interrupted in her fishing.
I started running back, imagining the shark gliding up to seize her by a slim white leg or black nose as she stuck it underwater. I could now see the shark in the shallows, its fin sticking out of the water as it edged in for a closer look at the strange creature prancing about....

What do you do about keeping the dog home alone? Does your dog bark, cry, have accidents or destroy the furniture? Do you feel guilty when you leave the house? What if you were able to help your dog learn to adjust to having you out of his sight?

Kate Mallatratt's book, Home Alone--And Happy! (published by Hubble & Hattie, 2016) is chock full of tips at how you can not only accomplish this, but also help your dog to feel relaxed and happy while you're gone. And I'm giving away a copy of the book at the end of this post.

Many of my friends have this problem with their dogs. While I don't recommend leaving a puppy home alone for long periods of time, there are times you're going to have to leave the house.



One of the ideas in the book is to teach your dog to be comfortable alone before separation becomes a problem. This should be part of your dog's regular training, as important as sit and stay.

The author first explains the home-alone scenario through your dog's eyes, then explains how you can help your dog build independence and learn to relax and enjoy his time alone. She explains various ways to manage your dog's environment, and deals with such questions as:

Should you keep the shades up so he'll be entertained by the view, or down to reduce visual stimulation?

Should you play music, and if so will any music do, or is there specific music that soothes dogs best?


Can certain scents calm a dog?

What kind of toys work best to keep dogs occupied?

Should you offer treats when you leave the house?

Separation anxiety can be stressful for both dog and pet parent. This book can help.

Hubble & Hattie
www.hubbleandhattie.com
ISBN: 9781845848613
UPC: 6-36847-04861-7
$19.99

Author: Kate Mallatratt lives in the U.K. and is a member of the International Canine Behaviorists and Pet Professional Guild for force-free training.

You can win a copy of Home Alone--and Happy! Enter here.
Sorry, U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Full Disclosure: Hubble & Hattie sent me one copy of this book for review and one for giveaway in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.

Connect with Hubble and Hattie at: