Follow-up Friday: Dog Book, Dog Treats, Dog Ticks

I'm happy to be joining Heart Like a Dog in the follow-up Friday blog hop again this week.  This is the blog hop that lets you wrap up your week and leads you right into the weekend.  Hosted by FUF creator, Jodi at Heart Like a dog and co-hosted this week by Misty Shores Chesapeakes.

So far it has been too cool and rainy to do any real swimming at our house, but maybe that's a good thing!  While we've been waiting for the sun to shine, I've been online window shopping doggie life jackets for Rosie because I'm sure she's going to love it.  However, I'm glad to have stumbled on this blog post from Life in the Dog Lane about Swimmer's Tail in Dogs before we took our first dip in the pool this year.  I'd never heard of it.  It is real and if you have a pool and your dogs swim with you in it, you better check it out!

Live within traveling distance to Kansas City?  One of my favorite places, Wayside Waifs has been selected as one of 50 shelters in the US to compete in the ASPCA/Rachael Ray $100K Challenge.  Wayside's goal is to adopt 1,831 animals by August 31, 2013 and win the cash.  To kick off their efforts, Wayside Waifs is having an "Adopting Around the Clock" event beginning tonight at midnight.  All adoptions are just $25.



Wiener Dog Song: Dog Song Saturday
Just have to say... if you love wiener dogs, you should watch this Doxie dog music video!

Adopt Thor a Bernese Mountain Dog Mix
Three years old, beautiful, and waiting for you in St Louis!  If you're not participating in the Tuesday Tails blog hop, consider joining us.

Thor - Available for adoption at the HSMO

Book Review: It's Just A Dog by Russ Ryan
Russ Ryan is a real dog lover and he's written a charming dog tale with humor and heart.  Be sure to check out our book review, plus enter to win a paperback copy of It's Just A Dog.  Hurry!  Giveaway ends Sunday night midnight.  Plus, if you purchase this book, do it before September 2.  Prior to that date 50% of the sales will be donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue!

A barking good dog story by a guy who loves dogs!

As part of the giveaway, I asked readers to comment about how they would feel if their beloved dog came back as a ghost and how their current dog(s) would feel about it.

A few commented that it would scare them, including Amy, Sugar, lennyg.  Several said they'd love it!  I agree with Snoopy about that quote saying love never dies.  Danielle, Christine and Caren... their dogs are their first dogs, so they couldn't answer the question!

Jackie said, "If Bailey came back (our first dog) she would be like, 'hey! How come Rita gets to eat wed food, when all I ever got was kibble?!!'"
I know my Benji would say the same thing!

I've thought a lot about Shelley's comment that she's had dreams of her 20 yr old dog, Penny, coming back as a ghost and Shelley had a chance to tell her what she didn't get to.   Wow.  If Lucy came back as a ghost, I'd feel that way, too.  And I would be thrilled.

Orijen Dog Treats from Chewy.com Product Review
This wasn't the first time we've received dog treats to try from Chewy.com and to say my dogs are fans of Chewy.com is putting it mildly.  There's a double bonus for Jeffie.  Not only does he usually love the dog treats and taste testings, he gets to try to scare the life out of the FedEx man. 

A number of readers commented favorably about Orijen /Champion Pet Foods.  We loved these treats!

The Tick King on a better day!

The Tick King Dog
I published a teaser on Wordless Wednesday.  In fact, on my Facebook page I said:  Moses in the bulrushes?  No.  Jeffie in the cattails.  Almost everyone seemed to think this was a pleasant adventure.  Nope.  Not even for Jeffie.

I am still creepy crawly and so is Jeffie.  We're still picking/finding ticks from this little adventure.  Yesterday I found 3 seed ticks on him.  Dead, but still...  This year we realized the ticks were going to be bad.  The dogs have now had 2 (monthly) applications of Frontline.  Usually we do not have to apply any topicals.

Most of the ticks are just catching a ride.  But not all.

Here's the real problem:  though Frontline does kill them if they're sucked in and does seem to kind of repel them... it takes only a few hours for disease to transfer from the tick to the host once they've sucked in.

Add to that, though Frontline kills the ticks that manage to attach, I'm now finding dead ticks on Jeffie.  

Smart ticks.  Though Rudy and Rosie would be more tender morsels, Jeffie's wild fur coat makes a perfect place to run and hide.  Jeffie now endures many (way too many if you ask him) "tick checks" a day.  

I'm really not sure how many ticks total there were.  I stopped counting at 50 and my guess is that was about half way through the "big" removal.

We usually do not even have to apply any topicals to the dogs, in spite of living on a farm in the country.  So, even if you've never had any problems with ticks before, I encourage you to be vigilant.

We're organic gardeners, but this year we're spraying. 


So, what 's your week been like?  Join the Follow-up Friday hop and tell us all about it!



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Book Review: It's Just A Dog by Russ Ryan

Take a deep breath.  Relax.  You read that title and began to clench your teeth, right?  Well, this book isn't at all what you think.

When my beloved Lucy passed away last year, I felt as though my heart had been ripped out.  I was sure that my life would never be the same.  After all, not only was Lucy my heart dog and constant companion,  she inspired my business, For Love of a Dog.  

Lucy is the dog in my business logo.  Without Lucy, I may never have created any dog jewelry.  When Lucy died, a bit of the fire that fanned my jewelry muses died, as well.  Life really was not the same in any way.

Some people just didn't get it.  "It's just a dog," they said (or thought to themselves - though it showed on their faces.)

Russ Ryan gets it.  Oh, dog!  He really gets it.

It's Just a Dog is dedicated to Petey Ryan and Charlie Dickens.  You guessed it: dogs.  Petey, a Jack Russell terrier, was over 14 years old when he passed away in 2010.  Charlie, a Terrier / Retriever mix and "rebound dog," died suddenly after eating a poisonous mushroom right before publication of this book.

Russ notes:

"Being a dog widower has taught me that it doesn't matter if you have a dog ten years or ten months - the pain and hurt is still the same. Fortunately, the good part is that the love never dies!"

Russ Ryan and Charlie Dickens

Your teeth just unclenched, didn't they?  And now you're reaching for a tissue or two, right?

Now you're ready to read about a great new dog lover book:  It's Just A Dog.  It's a hilarious tale with lots of heart and I thoroughly enjoyed it.   

Note: one very lucky reader will receive a free paperback copy of this book!  [See the Rafflecopter below.]

Here's a summary from the publisher:

What if your dog died and then came back as a ghost... that could talk?  Would you welcome him back with open arms or run away scared to death?

This is the premise of It's Just A Dog, a new novel about love, loss, and one man's dog who rises up yapping from the grave.

Charlie Keefe is not just your typical dog lover - he's a world famous dog painter, a.k.a. "The Picasso of Pooch Portraits".  Unfortunately, Charlies' beloved muse, Pete, his lovable Jack Russell terrier, has just died.  And he's totally devastated by the loss of his furry best friend.

So, after months of grieving over his dearly departed soulmate, Charlie reluctantly agrees to foster a new puppy - a cute Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Brownie from the local animal shelter.  Soon after, Charlie is surprised to find himself falling head over heels with this new puppy girl, his "Rebound Dog' as he calls her - as well as being romantically attracted to Janelle Jordan, the head hound at the dog rescue.

But then complications arise when the ghost of his old dog, Pete, mysteriously reappears one night and comes back to haunt him and the new puppy - setting off a bizarre chain of events that throw Charlie's life, career, and entire belief system into chaos!

It's Just A Dog is a story about loss, love and new beginnings, told in a humorous, informal style.  I immediately felt as though I was reading about a friend.  I'm very cautious about dog books.  I'm always afraid something terrible will happen to the dog.  Indeed, this story really begins with the death of Charlies' beloved dog, Pete.  However, I was hooked when Charlie explained:

Losing Pete felt like losing a child - although that's not really fair since I've never even had a kid, let alone lost one.  In any event, all I can do is share with you the depth of my own personal painful experience, so please bear with me.  Besides, loss is a contest that nobody wants to win.

However, lest you think this book is a serious downer, hilarity does ensue!  As Charlie deals - or rather doesn't deal well - with his grief, he travels the bittersweet road of loving another dog, has numerous encounters with the ghost of his dead dog, and becomes (more than just friends) with one of the local crazy dog ladies.  All along the way, the author skillfully harmonizes humor with pathos.

Check out the It's Just A Dog book trailer:


The day this book arrived, I began reading and simply devoured it.  If you're looking for a great dog story is full of fun doggie hijinks and written by an authentic dog lover, then pick up a copy of It's Just A Dog by Russ Ryan.  You'll be glad you did!

Plus, here's another barking good reason to buy this book:  50% of the sales of It's Just A Dog during the 3-month summer launch (through September 2, 2013) will be donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

It's Just a Dog is available for purchase on Amazon $2.99 Kindle, $9.99 paperback and on Amazon UK.

Russ Ryan, in addition to being a dog lover and self-described dog widower, has written and developed screenplays with Hollywood producers of American Pie, Final Destination, and Fireflies in the Garden.  He was also a writer on National Lampoon's Repli-kate.  He is also the creator of Meansheets, a vintage movie poster blog that focuses on the greatest artists and illustrators from the 1940's to the 1980's.   It's Just A Dog is his first novel. 

Enter to win your very own paperback copy of It's Just A Dog!  

Several options are available in the giveaway Rafflecopter below.  

One (1) lucky winner! Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

* I received a proof copy of It's Just A Dog from the author in exchange for my honest review and no other compensation.

We're participating in the Monday Mischief Pet Blog Hop today because with a title like this book has, there's bound to be some mischief.  Thank you to Monday Mischief Pet Blog Hop sponsors: Snoopys DogBlog, My Brown Newfies, and Alfies Blog.  We're also participating in the Freebie Friday hop, sponsored by The Dog Tipper, All Things Dog Blog, and Doggies and Stuff.