Thanks to the generosity of the author, we have three FREE signed copies of the above book to give away.

If you would like one, please just drop us a line at bookclub@dogsinthenews.co.uk (UK addresses only please).  All we ask is that you provide an honest review in return.

Karen has also written “The Complete Guide to House Training Puppies and Dogs” and is currently working on her third book, “It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog Trainer”. She is a member of the Animal Care College, and has worked as a professional dog trainer and veterinary referral behaviorist since 2001. You can find out more about her at her website.

This concise and informative book will give you all the tools you need to train your dog, with step by step instructions using different positive training methods so that you can choose which one best suits you and your dog. It will also help you to gain a deeper understanding of why problems occur and how to solve them.

The comprehensive problem solving section explains how to deal with some common behavioural problems such as excessive barking, digging, jumping up, begging and more. The author explains that attempting to dominate our dogs is detrimental to the affinity of our relationship with them. Treating our pets with consistency and compassion will result in dogs that are well behaved, confident and happy, allowing us to build a strong and mutually enjoyable relationship with them.

Synopsis:

Could you give up your dog? This book, an emotionally charged story of three outsiders, raises that question. Bill lives at the Donegal Country Club. He’s a gentle giant of a dog, but maybe Bill’s just too big. He certainly doesn’t fit in with the other canines in the neighbourhood. Another oddity is ex-model Glenda. Even after her husband dies, other club wives still think she’s a gold digger. As for ten-year-old Ruby, her father remarried and has a new baby. Afraid of losing his love, Ruby tells a lie that forces her grandfather to give up Bill. In the end, the dog’s journey leads to healing—for Ruby, Glenda, and Bill’s Master.

“Gentle and wise without kitsch or sentimentality” – reader review on Amazon

Why we chose it:

February is a cold month best spent indoors with a good novel, so we chose two titles this month. The author was kind enough to provide us with a review copy and we read it in one sitting so we figured that our book club members would enjoy it too.

What you need to do:

Buy the book (see below), read it, and wait for our review, out on or around the middle of February. With it, we will offer you some questions and discussion points to think about, and welcome you to comment and share your experience of the book with us and other members. We are not looking for great literary debates – we just want to offer fellow dog lovers a communal reading list and a place to discuss what we’ve read.

Don’t forget you can also join us on Goodreads.

Where to buy:

Follow the links below to get in on Amazon UK and US. (Unfortunately only Kindle editions are available in the UK at the moment, but you can order the paperback from the US site.)

(If you use a different format of e-reader, or are from somewhere other than the UK or USA, and want me to post links for them too, please let us know!)

Get Ahead!

Next month’s title will be “Show Dog” by Josh Dean.

And don’t forget to check out this month’s other title, “The Love Dog” by Elsa Watson.

If there is a particular title you’d like to read in the future, do let us know!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our little Doggie Book Club, and we look forward to hearing what you think!

Synopsis:

When a Hollywood tabloid asks her to write an expose on a reality television dating show called “The Love Dog”, Samantha is thrilled. Hired as the canine star’s handler, Samantha finds that digging up dirt on set is harder then she thought. Apollo, the show’s star, is a sweet Golden Retriever who takes his job as the love dog very seriously. He only wants to help couples fall in love and make everyone on set happy. Mason Hall, the show’s producer and leading man, is down to earth, charming, and… very attractive. If Samantha doesn’t reveal to the world that the reality show isn’t exactly real, her new career will be over before it starts. But when she falls in love with Apollo and Mason, will she still have the heart to expose The Love Dog’s dirty secrets?

“Watson’s rendering of the inner life of a dog is pitch-perfect.” – Susan Wilson, author

Why we chose it:

February is a cold month best spent indoors with a good novel, so we chose two titles this month.  It is also, of course, the month for love – this book, released in paperback on the 14^th, seemed ideal! The publisher was good enough to provide a few free copies and we thought that our readers would enjoy the light hearted title.

What you need to do:

Buy the book (see below), read it, and wait for our review, out on or around the middle of February. With it, we will offer you some questions and discussion points to think about, and welcome you to comment and share your experience of the book with us and other members. Like I said, we are not looking for great literary debates – we just want to offer fellow dog lovers a communal reading list and a place to discuss what we’ve read.

Don’t forget you can also join us on Goodreads.

Where to buy:

As we said, the publisher was good enough to provide us with four free review copies – please just drop us an email at bookclub@dogsinthenews.co.uk to request one (UK addresses only).

Or, you can follow the links below to get in on Amazon UK and US. Kindle editions are also available.

(If you use a different format of e-reader, or are from somewhere other than the UK or USA, and want me to post links for them too, please let me know!)

Get Ahead!

Next month’s title will be “Show Dog” by Josh Dean.

And don’t forget to check out this month’s other title, “Just Bill” by Barry Knister.

If there is a particular title you’d like to read in the future, do let us know!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our little Doggie Book Club, and we look forward to hearing what you think!

Handbags & Poobags was a really good fun read, only slightly interrupted by going on holiday and forgetting to take it with me!

A funny, cheerful and sometimes all too truthful view on what it means to own a dog. From the many dog poo bag incidents to the complete lack of social life and then right the way round to the endless joy and inexplicable connection between human and dog this book has it all. The best bit? it doesn’t end how many dog books do!

The long list of pet names for Basil must surely strike a chord with every dog owner out there, although if I called ours Bassie Booboos I think he may look at me as if I had gone mad! It was a wonderfully easy read, you could pick it up for five minutes or settle in for an hour. I would recommend this book to anyone, it would be a lovely gift for someone who already has a dog or who would like one but hasn’t quite got there yet. Wonderful writing and an honest account of Basil’s life.

By: Amy Skilton (Doggie Book Club Member)

First of all, I could read this book happily as at the beginning the author said that the dog doesn’t die!

I could not put this book down. It is about a party-girl whose responsibilities catch up with her quicker than she could ever anticipate when she buys a puppy with her boyfriend. She tells about the humorous and stressful everyday adventures of dog ownership in London, some making me cringe, while others had me laughing out loud. I could relate to most of her stories and would thoroughly recommend this book to all dog lovers! It is well written and easy to read.

I give this book 4 out five paws up!

By: Abbie (Doggie Book Club Member)

Synopsis:

Author Alice Wright was more interested in “parties, premieres and private members clubs” than puppies until her boyfriend suggested that they adopt a Boxer together. This book chronicles the first few years of Basil’s life, and how Alice adapts to the invasion of her sofa, dog hairs on her clothes and carrying poo bags in her handbag at all times.

It will be a familiar tale – or serve as a warning – to anyone who has added a dog to the family for the first time, and stories of Basil’s antics will amuse and entertain anyone who has ever let a dog into their lives.  Unlike most canine novels, this is not about a heroic dog or a dog who dies; this is about an ordinary city dog who farts at inappropriate moments, rolls in smelly things in the park and who somehow manages to take up space on the bed every night, despite an expensive dog basket on the floor!

“A love story with a twist in its very waggy tail. I think Alice Wright is really Bridget Bones!” – Beverley Cuddy, Editor, Dogs Today Magazine

Why we chose it:

Alice was kind enough to send us a few review copies, which always butters us up when compiling this list! We also wanted to start the year off with a light read, something funny and heart-warming rather than too heavy or philosophical. From the very first page, we were drawn into the life of a dog owner in Soho and wanted to share this story with our readers.

What you need to do:

Buy the book (see below), read it, and wait for our reviews, out over the course of this month. With these, we will offer you some questions and discussion points to think about, and welcome you to comment and share your experience of the book with us and other members. Like I said, we are not looking for great literary debates – we just want to offer fellow dog lovers a communal reading list and a place to discuss what we’ve read.

Don’t forget you can also join us on Goodreads.

Where to buy: 

British members can find “Handbags and Poobags” in paperback on Amazon.co.uk for £4.94, while the Kindle edition is just 99p at the moment.

Our American friends can also find “H & P” on Amazon.com: the Kindle edition is $1.29, and the paperback will be $6.99

(If you use a different format of e-reader, or are from somewhere other than the UK or USA, and want me to post links for them too, please let me know!)

Get Ahead!

Next month’s title will be “Just Bill” by Barry Knister.  This can be purchased on Amazon, but we have one free copy to give away to any UK member.  Just email bookclub@dogsinthenews.co.uk to enquire.

If there is a particular title you’d like to read in March, do let us know!

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our little Doggie Book Club, and we look forward to hearing what you think!

Synopsis:

This book is a critique of traditional dog training and all the myths surrounding it, prompting the reader to look again at why we do certain things with our dogs. It corrects out-of-date theories on alpha status and dominance training, which have been so prominent over the years, and allows you to consider dog training afresh in order to re-evaluate your relationship with your canine companion, ultimately achieving a partnership based on mutual trust, love and respect.

Toni Shelbourne is a successful TTouch Companion Animal Practitioner, and has worked professionally with dogs since 1989. In 2001 her work took her to the UK Wolf Conservation Trust, where she was introduced to a pack of socialised wolves. Through her time with these animals, Toni developed a unique insight into their behaviour, leading to her questioning ingrained ideas about alpha theory. This is her first book.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to hear someone credible writing about such things instead of the usual outdated garbage spouted by those awful celebrity trainers!” – Reader review on Amazon

Why we chose it:

This book was recommended to us by publishers Hubble & Hattie, and seemed like an excellent title to launch our new non-fiction aspect of the book club. We’ve had quite heated discussions in the past, via Goodreads, about the methods used by a certain infamous TV trainer, and this book struck us as the perfect antidote to his theories.  Plus, the wolf photography which accompanies it looks amazing!

What you need to do:

Buy the book (see below), read it, and wait for our reviews, out over the course of this quarter (December, January and February). With these, we will offer you some questions and discussion points to think about, and welcome you to comment and share your experience of the book with us and other members. We are not looking for great intellectual debates – we just want to offer fellow dog lovers a communal reading list and a place to discuss what we’ve read.

Don’t forget you can also join us on Goodreads.

Where to buy:

British members can find this title in paperback on Amazon.co.uk for £9.59, or direct from the publisher for £17.74.  The Kindle edition is £8.04.

Our American friends can also find this book on Amazon.com: the Kindle edition is $9.99, and the paperback will be $16.65 from Amazon (plus postage) or £20.94 direct from the publisher, including postage (around $34).

(If you use a different format of e-reader, or are from somewhere other than the UK or USA, and want me to post links for them too, please let me know!)

Get Ahead!

Spring’s title is yet to be decided; we’d love your input. Which non-fiction title do you think we should look at next?  The announcement will be made, based on your recommendations, in late February, so please feel free to suggest your favourites, and check back for updates.

Thanks for stopping by! We hope you enjoy our little Doggie Book Club, and we look forward to hearing what you think!

This book is a whopping 361 pages, which means that you develop such a strong bond with the characters by the time you finish it. Like most dog books, it starts with the introduction of Merle into Ted’s life, and ends when Merle takes his last breath. I can honestly say that I have never felt so overwhelmed at the ending of a book. I had a heavy heart for days after I finished reading it. The relationship between Ted and Merle is so unique, and Ted does a brilliant job of recreating it on paper. Ted has some unconventional views about dog ownership, and the book occasionally surrenders to a more educational aspect rather than telling Merle’s story, but Ted’s passion for what he believes in is what contributes to his honest style of writing. Ted also beautifully describes life in Wyoming and the Tetons so magnificently that it will make you want to go there.

Ted and Merle will steal your heart. This is one of the best dog books I’ve ever read.

By: Suzy (Doggie Book Club Member)

Hey gang,

Once again I would like to apologise for the neglect that this Book Club has suffered from in recent months. This is simply due to the fact that I am managing my website and all its side projects in my spare time, and, to put it simply, I haven’t had enough of it lately! I can only say that I am sorry once again, and that I hope to get it back on track in the next few weeks, to hopefully have it fully returned to schedule in time for our August title.

To that end, I need your help. The way the book club usually works (when it is working!) is that I publish a blurb on the 1st of the month, introducing the title, and then publish a review midway through the month, including some follow up questions for you lot to ponder and discuss.

While I would like to continue the book club in this format for the time being, I realise that only publishing one review can make things a bit one sided. I would like to rectify that, so as to further encourage discussion and debate.

So what I am asking is: do any of you fancy writing a review for any of our past titles? 

I am not fussy as to word counts or style or anything like that, I just want you guys to feel more involved.

With your permission, I would publish the reviews here and on Goodreads, and would give you full credit for your work and could even link to a profile here or a website or whatever suits you best; this will hopefully be a mutually beneficial arrangement.

In the future, I am hoping to have review copies of the titles to give out FREE to anyone who is willing to pen some thoughts in return.

You can see the full backlog of titles which we have featured HERE. If you are interested in writing a review for any of these titles, please just drop me a quick email at team@dogsinthenews.co.uk (or via our contact form), and we’ll take it from there.

Thanks so much in advance for your help, and for bearing with me while I get myself sorted!

Laura

Our Doggie Book Club has been running since February 2011, and we have featured a variety of titles since then. If you are looking for canine inspiration for your next read, look no further!

2011 Titles

January – none

February:  ”One Dog at a Time” by Pen Farthing (more info)

March: “Hounding the Pavement” by Judi McCoy (more info)

April: “Vet on Call” by Marc Abraham (more info)

May: “Finding Harmony” by Sally Hyder (more info)

June: “Travels with Macy” by Bruce Fogle (more info)

July: “Walking Ollie” AND “Along Came Dylan” by Stephen Foster (more info)

August: “Thunder Dog” by Michael Hingson & Susy Flory (more info)

September: “Diary of a Dog Walker” by Edward Stourton (more info)

October: “Pets in a Pickle” by Malcolm D Welshman (more info)

November: “A Dog’s Purpose” by W Bruce Cameron (more info)

December: “Emma and I” by Sheila Hocken (more info)

2012 Titles:

January: “The Lost Dogs” by Jim Gorant (more info)

February:  ”Oogy” by Larry Levin (more info)

March: “A New Leash on Death” by Susan Conant (more info)

April: “The Dog Who Danced” by Susan Wilson (more info)

May: “Following Atticus” by Tom Ryan (more info)

June: “Last Dog on the Hill” by Steve Duno (more info)

July: “Follow the Dog Home” by K, B & S Walsh (more info)

August: “Winston, the dog who changed my life” by Hilmar Klute (more info)

September: “Saving Gracie” by Carol Bradley (more info)

October: “It’s all About Treo” by Dave Hayhoe (more info)

November: “Merle’s Door” by Ted Kerasote (more info)

December: “White Fang” and “Call of the Wild” by Jack London (more info)

Future Titles:

January 2013: “Handbags and Poobags” by Alice Wright (more info)

February 2013: “Just Bill” by Barry Knister (more info)

Non-fiction titles:

New for 2013!

Winter 2012/13: “The Truth About Wolves and Dogs” by Toni Shelbourne (more info)

Watch this space!

Don’t forget you can join our group on Goodreads, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook for all the latest updates. 

If there is a title you would like to see featured, please just get in touch!