Our books take place in a time long, long ago when there were no books.
In most cultures there were, at best, only limited "written" languages...those few people who understood them were usually traders, merchants, religious leaders, or those in power. This was true not only in Western lands, but throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
For the great majority of people, survival consumed their days.
A fortunate child today, has access to books, the internet, films and video, not only to learn about elves and flowers, but of invaders and turmoil.
It depends, of course, on where they live, the family situation, and access to to these resources.
Books and the ability to access and read them, are a wonderful part of life -- for those who are interested. And this interest is part of an awakening in cultures worldwide.
We hope that with time our books will reach children in many parts of the world.
Stories that take place long, long ago allow the imagination to soar...In the past, as it is today, life was never peaceful for long periods of time...However, in our books, we try to offer light amidst the darkness of events...when the dogs teach people -- as they do today -- about courage, love and non-violent responses to invading armies.
Dogs inspire and comfort people in everyday life...we hope our books help to open a door for children to the world of the human-canine connection.
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LitWorld works at a grass roots level to bring reading and writing to most vulnerable children of the world...they "work with teachers, families and children to create resilience building reading and writing experiences which serve to connect and fortify families."
Pam Allyn appears to be the driving force behind this excellent project...Here is the opening of her latest report from Africa..."I am far away now, in Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya working with the Children of Kibera Foundation to strengthen local teachers and community members as literacy leaders so that all children and all people can participate in the wildly miraculous world that id the world of words..."
To read more, visit: www.litworld.org
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A Dog Walks Into The Room...
With contributions from many of the therapy dog owners whose photos and stories have graced these pages, I have written a new article. "A Dog Walks Into the Room". It will soon be posted online.This is the opening....
"How can a dog walking into a room change the lives of the people who are there? It happens all the time. Life changes for people when a therapy dog walks into the room. In the schoolroom, library, hospital and hospice, life becomes better.
For the old and infirm, the eyes light up and a smile may cross their face. For the dying, it is a moment of connection with a world they are leaving. For the child, the door opens to the world of reading, a world of imagination and information –a world of possibilities"...
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The World of Therapy Dogs
One of those who contributored to my article is Barbara Babikian. After many years of volunteering , Barb retired her 11 year old Sheltie, Kaila, and now works with two other Sheltie therapy dogs, Dusty and Lille. Depending on the day, Barb and her dogs may visit schools, hospitals, or a facilities for disadvantaged children.
For example, one day a week, she and Dusty will visit an elementary school as members of the Hudson Valley Visiting Pets Program where Dusty will read with four children. They will be following, along with thousands of other therapy reading dog teams, the training and guidelines of the R.E.A.D. program.
Later, after a quick lunch and an hour and fifteen minute drive to New York City, Barbara and Dusty will participate in a reading program with another therapy dog team, in a totally different environment, at NAC – New Alternatives for Children. Barbara has been head of the Animal Assistance Program at NAC for three years. The children, ages 5-15, come from poorer communities in the New York area and many of them are medically, physically or emotionally challenged.
Barb writes, “Children in the program have come from living in their car, living in foster-care and a child may also be in a wheelchair and non-verbal…..a lot of the children who first start in the group are extremely shy. It takes months for them to open up and I’m sure it’s because of the dogs just being in the room and giving them the unconditional love that dogs give.”
All the photos on the left are of Dusty or Lilly, and their friends. Barbara Babikian is on the right in the bottom photo.
Barb and her Shelties recently participated in the Hope and Heroes 2ND Annual Walk...a
fundraiser to "help children with cancer and their families by funding the Herbert Irving Child & Adolescent Oncology Center at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City...800 walkers participated in the event and $200,000 was raised to help fight chehildren's cancer. The photo on the left is of Dusty at the event.
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Read Dog Books To Dogs
If you have a therapy reading dog and like the idea of kids reading dog books to dogs, send us an email at [email protected] and we'll send you a complimentary book from the Planet Of The Dogs Series.
Teachers,therapy dog owners, and librarians tell us that kids are enthusiastic about reading dog books to dogs.
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Deanna Leah of HBG Productions and the International Publishers Alliance...
Deanna is representing foreign rights sales for the Planet Of The Dogs series...we are hopefull that she will have the same success with our books in Asia as she has had on behalf of her other clients...She currently has 3 books being published in China, 5 in Japan, 8 in Korea and 2 in Taiwan.
Deanna represents books that are life affirming and empowering ranging from emotional and spiritual development to children's books.
Deanna will represent us in October at the International Frankfurt Book Fair 2011 ~ Hall 8 N-949...Deanna is in the photo above (right side) at the 2011 London Book Fair with Dutch Publisher, Anja Timmerman
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Read Sample Chapters of all our books on our website: www.planetofthedogs.net
All books in the Planet Of The Dogs series can be purchased at your favorite bookstore or on the internet through Amazon, Barnes & Noble , Powells and others...
Librarians, teachers, bookstores -- order our books directly from Ingram...professional discount, of course.
Planet Of The Dogs hats, t-shirts, cups etc are in our Cafe Press Shop
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Vapor Wake...dogs protecting us from terrorists.
A friend sent us this article from The Hill, a site focused on Washington, DC
A nose for explosives
It seemed like a normal morning last Wednesday as hordes of Senate staffers made their way through the Lower Senate Park to get to work by 9 a.m. But Owen, one of the U.S. Capitol Police’s newest hires, was weaving through the crowds, conducting serious undercover work.
Owen has been rigorously trained in a cutting-edge explosive-sniffing technique known as vapor wake. Owen also has a tail that wags. He is a black Labrador.
Owen and his handler, Officer Jeff Core, walked alongside the scores of unsuspecting staffers, subtly sniffing the wafting scent of each person. Their goal: sniff out a plainclothes Capitol Police officer who had five large sticks of inactive dynamite hidden in a vest underneath his plaid collared shirt.
Owen’s nose perked suddenly. He pulled at the black leash in Core’s hand as the last of the staffers passed by. And with Core in tow, Owen gracefully weaved his way up through the center of a group until he found the dynamite-strapped officer and proceeded to point at the man’s back with his nose....
To read the rest of this article about amazing vapor wake dogs, go to:
http://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/99617-a-nose-for-explosives
(The dog in the illustration above is not Owen; he is Mikka, a winter dog, from the book Snow Valley Heroes, A Christmas Tale...there is a photo of Owen if you click the above URL to The Hill))
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Bark For Life...
We received this message from Ruth Driewer (in the photo on the left with her therapy dog. Bessie)... "This summer, Bessie and I are on the Bark For Life committee. Bark For Life is a dog friendly, fund raising event for the American Cancer Society. The event is coming along nicely with more than a dozen event sponsors, demonstrations (i.e. K9 Unit, animal communicator, agility), several rescues/humane societies and numerous businesses (i.e. Starbucks, PetSmart) donating items, gift baskets and gift certificates for the silent auction". ..We donated a set of the Planet of the Dogs books for the silent auction.
2011 Bark For Life of Southeastern WI
7/24/2011 1:00 p.m.
Hartford Independence Park Dog Exercise Area
Hartford,WI
Here is their URL: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=35249
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Learning from Dogs followed up on this posting of a Dog's Diary with a Cat's Diary - see below...
Peek into a Dog’s Diary …
8:00 am – Dog food! My favorite thing
9:30 am – A car ride! My favorite thing!
9:40 am – A walk in the park! My favorite thing!
10:30 am – Got rubbed and petted! My favorite thing!
12:00 pm- Lunch! My favorite thing!
1:00 pm – Played in the yard! My favorite thing!
3:00 pm – Wagged my tail! My favorite thing!
5:00 pm – Milkbones! My favorite thing!
7:00 pm – Got to play ball! My favorite thing!
8:00 pm – Wow! Watched TV with the people! My favorite thing!
11:00 pm – Sleeping on the bed! My favorite thing!
Peek into a cat’s diary …
Day 983 of my captivity. My captors continue to taunt me with bizarre little dangling objects. They dine lavishly on fresh meat, while the other inmates and I are fed hash or some sort of dry nuggets. All though I make my contempt for the rations perfectly clear, I nevertheless must eat something in order to keep up my strength. The only thing that keeps me going is my dream of escape. In an attempt to disgust them, I once again vomit on the carpet... this diary of a cat continues...
To read it all visit: http://learningfromdogs.com/2010/10/02/cats-and-dogs/
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From Albert Schweitzer to Veterinarians and Omega 3...I never cease respecting the relevance, diversity, and acuity behind Nancy Houser's postings on Way Cool Dogs...
Studies Show the Benefits of Omega-3 for Arthritic Dogs
Posted on June 30, 2011 by WayCoolDogs
A little over a year ago, the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (JAVMA) published a series of articles about how dog foods that contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acid concentrations successfully affected dogs diagnosed with osteoarthritis...
Read More »A Second Chance for Animals
Posted on June 29, 2011 by WayCoolDogs
To promote compassion for animals, in The Philosophy of Civilization, Albert Schweitzer wrote, “We must fight against the spirit of unconscious cruelty with which we treat the animals. Animals suffer as much as we do. True humanity does not allow us to impose such sufferings on them. It is our duty to make the whole world recognize it. Until we extend our circle of compassion to all living things, humanity will not find peace.” ...To read these articles and more, visit: www.waycooldogs.com
"Because the course is new, we are looking to pilot it with a group of friendly, enthusiastic dog lovers. Along that line, we are offering a number of full-ride and partial scholarships to individuals who want to work in the dog industry. Prior experience working with or training/handling dogs is a plus, but we are also reserving a few scholarships for people with little to no experience, who just love dogs. The chosen candidates will take the course (12 to 24 weeks long based on the student), and then give us feedback on the course, their personal tutor, and the business toolkit. Scholarship recipients will also be given professionally designed marketing materials, including a business website (which we will host), and taught how to use them to promote their new businesses. By the end of the course, with the help of their tutors, they will have already started running their own dog business (dog training, dog walking, dog daycare, etc.).To be considered for the scholarship, they can fill out a short online application" at http://canineclubacademy.com/financialaid.php.
Cayr Wulff can be counted on to write relevant, well written, original ideas about the world of dogs. She is also the creator of Yelodoggie and author of her poignant biography, Born Without a Tail.
I am a dogaholic. It’s a chronic disorder characterized by dependence on and excessive obsession with dogs. Since 1987 my home has never had less than two dogs, and has sometimes had as many as six at a time. It … Read all of this post and many biscuits more at http://thewoof.wordpress.com
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Puppy Mill Facts from Sunbear Squad
· Dogs at puppy mills typically receive little to no medical care, live in squalid conditions with no exercise, socialization or human interaction, and are confined inside cramped wire cages for life. Breeding dogs at puppy mills must endure constant breeding cycles.
· Dogs from puppy mills are sold in pet stores, online and directly to consumers with little to no regard for the dog’s health, genetic history or future welfare. Consumers should never buy a puppy from a pet store or Internet site; instead visit an animal shelter, breed rescue group, or visit a breeder’s home and meet the puppy’s parents.
To help end the misery associated with large-scale dog breeding operations known as “puppy mills,” The Humane Society of the United States has launched a national telephone tip line and encourages callers to report suspected cruelty or unlawful activities involving such breeding facilities.
The hotline, 1-877-MILL-TIP, is available to anyone with information of a possible crime involving puppy mills – but particularly welcomes information from those with “insider” knowledge, or from law enforcement officials who might be aware of such operations.
According to the Humane Society, Quality breeders don’t sell puppies through pet stores or over the Internet.
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