Three Castles, Hundreds of Dogs and Non-Violence

Long, long ago...

Castles were fortresses where people of power lived...they were also prisons where escape was virtually impossible.

Then, as now, most people wanted to live their lives in peace.

People of power, however, often wanted more power.

As is the case today, the threat of violence was in the air...

The problems facing ordinary people grew, finally reaching a point where they were recognized by the Dog Council on the Planet of the Dogs (there were no dogs on Earth at that time, long, long ago). 

Reacting to the situation on Earth, Miss Merrie, Queen of the Dogs, addressed a great gathering of dogs on the Planet of the Dogs: 

 "There is trouble on Earth, the Planet of the People. ...Who can help them?.. We can...we will go to Planet Earth and work with the children. They are more open to love, trust and learning new ways than adults...It is our great hope that the adults will once again open their hearts to love."

Dogs and Non-Violent solutions...The problems faced by the dogs on earth were awesome. They included stopping the attacks of invaders, converting  a violent Prince to peaceful ways, and penetrating the Ice Castle to free Santa's reindeer -- all with non-violent solutions.

The Stone City warriors had a long history of conquest. Mounted on war horses, they were filled with confidence as they traveled the road through the Dark Forest that led to the open fields of the Green Valley farmers. 

 Deep forest roads, however, have always been a problem for invaders...and the dogs had come down from their planet to save the farmers of Green Valley. The problem for the dogs and this writer was to find a nonviolent solution that would be understood --and plausible -- for our readers. 

To avoid violence and yet be able to free the kidnapped children from the Castle In The Mist, the dogs had to find ways to lure Prince Ukko and his soldiers from the Black Hawk Tribe into the vast winter depths of the snow covered forest. It was there that their loyalty and love converted anger and vengeance into peace.  This was not a saccharine solution, rather one that came about through dog's enduring sense of loyalty, the sense of smell that allows dogs to see in the dark, and their courage. 

Finding a  believable balance for our readers between fantasy, realism and adventure is a challenge in all the books of the Planet Of The Dogs series.

 The loss of Christmas, was unthinkable. And yet it was happening. 

Dasher and Dancer were missing. Santa and the elves were baffled. Even when it was known that they had been kidnapped by the King Of The North, no on knew how to free them from the Ice Castle. And yet the dogs, working together with the elves and kids, were able to free the missing reindeer, touch the heart of the King of the North, and save Christmas. And not with sentimental magic, but by being dogs, using their talents, and relentless pursuit of their quest.

In our books, all the solutions to war, to fear, to hopelessness are found in, and inspired by, the the very nature of dogs themselves.

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 Yelodoggie..."Love is an eternal circle of wagging tails"

 Ariel Cayr Wulff, creator of Yelodoggie, and author of the dog lover's favorite, Born Without a Tail, has just completed writing her new book:

Circling the Waggins: How 5 Misfit Dogs Saved Me From Bewilderness.

Here is a summary:Coping with Waldo, a way-too-brainy golden retriever/boxer mix, plus a mentally challenged hyperactive Shih-tzu/Chihuahua named Rocket Boy, is difficult enough. Add three more canine misfits, a mysteriously humming cat, and an impromptu mouse rescue gone wrong, and you've got what might be a recipe for total disaster.

 But as Dalene and Ariel maneuver through one unexpected pet debacle after another in a rugged and isolated cabin in the National Park, the two women discover that heartache and joy go hand-in-hand, and that love is an eternal circle of wagging tails. 
 Visit Ariel's new blog, focused on dog rescue: http://thewoof.wordpress.com

www.Yelodoggie.com ...home of Yelodoggie Art and Born Without a Tail....

http://www.facebook.com/cawulff

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Kids, Books and Dogs...

We support kids reading...

We support kids reading dog books to therapy reading dogs... 

 Dogs, given an opportunity, can heal, teach and inspire children. The photos on the left are of Tequilla Howard (12 years old) and her therapy reading dog Dingo. Her mom ,Teffany, wrote to us from their home in Indiana:

"Dingo is a 3 year old Australian Cattle Dog. His owner is my 12 year old daughter Tequilla Howard. Dingo is a Registered Therapy Dog. He has his Canine   Good Citizenship Certificate. He also has AKC obedience, rally, and agility titles. Tequilla and Dingo participated in a children's summer reading program at a local library here in Evansville, Indiana. Children would come in and read to Dingo. Several of the children were afraid to read out loud but felt comfortable reading to Dingo. As you can see in the pictures he was very at ease with the children reading to him ...Dingo also visits a local Health Care Center and has a special friend Rose Mary that lives there. She loves dogs and cries with tears of happiness when Dingo visits. Tequilla spends many hours a day caring for and training Dingo. They have become teammates and companions!"

We support therapy reading dog programs in IN, NY, NJ, CT, RI, PA, NH, FL, WI, and TX

 

If you have a therapy reading dog, or you are a teacher or librarian using a therapy dog reading program, let us know and we will send you one or more complimentary books from our Planet Of The Dogs series...email us at [email protected] and let the kids read dog   stories to the dogs.

Our involvement In therapy reading dog programs began with the outstanding Pages for Preston Progam, developed by teacher Julie Hauck for her second and third grade classes in the Longfellow Elementary School in Sheboygan, WI. (photos on the left)

We will have a special Therapy Reading Dog Memory Lane Tribute in our September blog wherein we will reprise photos of all the dogs that we have received, and, where possible, their owners.  

Later in the fall, we hope to expand our book support to Therapy Reading Dog Programs and owners. Your suggestions in this regard would be most welcome.

 

........................................................Video: Senior Dog Benefits…A warm, informative video on Pet Finder  shows the benefits of adopting a senior (mature) dog…most of these dogs have lost their owners through sickness, divorce, or death and are already trained … the video shows  them bringing love and loyalty  to new owners as they renew  the human-canine connection.
http://www.petfinder.com/videos/petfinder-adopting-senior-dogs.html........
 
......Here is a repeat video recommendation...Dogs and humans in a  very funny role reversal music video where dogs adopt humans at the pound.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6C6YCTNqVo  
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Roaming the Halls Of Power....

This summer, Rachel Saslow wrote an artcle in the The Washington Post about dogs who live with Senators and Representatives in the nation's captitol..." They are the ultimate Capitol Hill insiders, privy to high-powered meetings between lawmakers and lobbyists, able to saunter into Congressional offices -- no appointment necessary. Want this kind of access? Tuff.
We're talking about dogs. A couple of dozen -- dozen -- roam the halls of power in the Capitol every day."....
 The article continues noting that all kinds of dogs, from all kinds of backgrounds, enjoy the human-canine connection with both Democrats and Republican .
  

www.washingtonpost.com/pets

 

The illustration on the left shows Miss Merrie roaming the 
 

Halls Of Power in the Ice Castle of the King of the North --  who is neither Democrat nor Republican.

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Satisfy Your Curiosity or that of a child...

by reading sample chapters of all books in the Planet Of The Dogs series on our website: http://www.planetofthedogs.net

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 Our dog stories are coming to the Ballroom... when NEIBA -- The New England Independent Booksellers Association holds their Annual Conference, September 30-October 2... 

We'll be there...we'll be exhibiting the Planet Of The Dogs series with IPNE in the Convention Center Ballroom.

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PAWS For A Cure... 

  A pet show and dog day fun show, now celebrating their third year... along with a 3 Day Walk event... all  to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. 

Photos of last year's good-time event, on the left, are by Amanda Jackson.

When and where: October 3 -- Liberty Garden Park, Jackson,TN. 

 Barking Planet Productions is contributing a set of  the Planet Of the Dogs series as a door prize to Paws for a Cure.

 

If you would like to contribute or for more information about the 3rd Annual Paws for a Cure Pet Show, please contact Rebecca Todd, organizer and participant, at [email protected]  

You can also visit her site at http://www.tickledpinkforacure.org

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Paws in Prison...

The value of rescued dogs is demonstrated once again in this story about the human-canine bond and the healing powers of dogs as reported by station KXAN in Austin, TX.

A partnership in a Lockhart lockup is transforming lives, both human and canine. This is the first time that Texas female inmates have had the chance to take part in the Paws in Prison program. All the dogs were abandoned, abused, rescued and faced being euthanized, until local dog rescue groups teamed up with a local prison last month. There are 12 new inmates at the Geo Group’s Lockhart Prison. These rescued dogs have come a long way in a short time. They’re jumping through hoops, learning new steps, overcoming obstacles and starting to trust again, but these dogs are not the only ones gaining new skills. “For me it’s been a learning experience,” says inmate Vicki Hamilton. “We come here with a feeling of worthlessness. These dogs give us a sense of purpose.” The inmates take care of the dogs 24 hours a day, seven days a week...

This story of the healing power of dogs, which we discovered through http:// natural-dog.com, continues:  

http://natural-dog.com/austin-dog-rescue-on-kxan-paws-in-prison-program/

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 Dog Rescue Railroad News:

Deb Eades, author of Every Recued Dog Has a Tale is a dedicated and   compassionate dog loving activist. Here's an excerpt from her blog:

 http://everyrescueddoghasatale.blogspot.com"

"...A couple of weeks ago I helped transport 3 little Schnauzers, about 2 years old, that were obviously from a backyard breeder or a puppy mill. When we put them on the ground for their potty break, they had no idea how to stand on concrete. They had always been on wire floors. Their feet curled under and their toenails were too long. When I picked them up, they clung to me for dear life, and I am sure they had never been held by a human before. They were afraid to make eye contact with me at first but little by little they began to trust me and even licked my hand once or twice..."

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Our books are available i

n the USA, at your local Independent bookstore...

Or, on  the Internet via B & N, Amazon, Powell's and others...

in the UK through Amazon and Bangzo...

In Australia through Scribbly Gum Books and Fishpond.com...In India 

 through Flipkart and Rediff books...In Finland through www.bookplus.fi

Planet Of The Dogs hats, t-shirts, mugs etc are in our Cafe Press Shop.

Librarians, schools and bookstores -- order our books directly through Ingram (professional discount).

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Dog Loving Neighbors...

We are compelled to write more about www.Way Cool Dogs.com...the website of caring   dog lovers Nancy Hauser and Sandra Marquiss who continue to surprise with the range, practicality, and relavence of their posts....Recent topics included: 

Various Types of Pet Insurance Policies;

How to tell Accurate Dog News from Sensationalism; How to Recognize Dominant Aggression in Dogs; Training a Dog to Protect...The dog in the photo on the left, Sweet Jasmine, is one of the many rescued dogs on their farm...more on Way Cool Dogs in our September post. Meanwhile, you can visit them and see why we are supporters.
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Summer Reading Problem
Tennessee research finds a simple solution to a serious problem...

A potential solution to a fundamental reading problem for low income kids has been reported in the New York Times…

“Although adults often jump at the chance to catch up on their reading during vacations, many children and teenagers, particularly those from low-income families, read few, if any, books during the summer break from school...

Now new research offers a surprisingly simple, and affordable, solution to the summer reading slide. In a three-year study, researchers at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville found that simply giving low-income children access to books at spring fairs — and allowing them to choose books that most interested them — had a significant effect on the summer reading gap.”...
 To read the article:
 http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/02/summer-must-read-for-kids-any-book/?8dpc
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My Father the Dog by Elizabeth Bluemle...who could resist a book with this title..?

"My father pretends to be human, but I know he is really a dog," says the young narrator of the book. "Consider the evidence."
This book is a delightful, fun read for younger kids (and dog lovers) with charming illustrations by Randy Cecil. Author Elizabeth Bluemle is also co-owner of the Flying Pig Bookstore (Shelburne,VT), co-blogger of Shelf Talk, and a dog lover. 
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"If ever the world's diplomats and arms negotiators learn the spaniel gaze there will be peace on earth"....                       Larry Shook, The Puppy Report(1992)

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