Well Read Corgis Agree.......

.....Jackie Bouchard's new novel, House Trained,  should be at the top of your reading list!!!!

Now I have to confess, I am a big fan of Jackie's books and blog! ( and, NO! I am not biased just because Jackie has a Cardigan Corgi in the family!!!) I loved the first two books so I was pretty sure #3 would not disappoint me. Well, House Trained is now my favorite to date! Yes! It is that good! I think Jackie took her plot development to the next level! This story had  twists and turns I never saw coming! And for me that's what makes a book fun to read. I certainly don't want to have to issue any spoiler alerts so I will not be the one to divulge any of the surprises but just look at Jimmy's face and tell me he's not shocked! I think I heard him gasp!

Now, I'm not going to write a little blurb about what the story is about. Amazon can do a much better job than me, BUT I will do one thing Amazon won't....

I am going to give one lucky person their own copy of House Trained!  I was going to buy myself a copy of the book just the very second it went on sale (October 20th!!!!), but then Jackie so generously offered me an advance copy. (Boy, did that ever make my day! Thank you, Jackie!)  I am sure as heck not giving you that one. That one is staying in my personal library of great reads! But I will send you a brand new copy, one Wilson and Jimmy haven't drooled over!

Now, of course, if you have ever participated in any of my other giveaways, it's never quite as simple as just pulling your name from a hat (almost, but not quite!). I expect a little something in return in the form of entertaining comments. SO!

Tell me a funny story about the last time you tried house training a puppy or dog, or even your baby! I'll even start by telling my own little tale....

Years ago, when my first Cardigan Dylan was just a young pup, I knew nothing about using a crate. Dylan was always just free in my apartment. He was well on his way to being house trained. He knew perfectly well he was not supposed to pee or poop on the floor. So one day, while I was at work a bit longer than usual, poor Dylan had a bout of diarrhea. He could not wait for me to get home, but he also could not let it go on the floor. So smart boy that he was, he hopped up on my sofa and let it RIP! Hey, the sofa wasn't the floor, so no harm, no foul, right?! The sofa was one of those sectional styles and he managed to get lots of poop on every single piece! It was a pretty bad mess and I didn't even try to clean it. I just dragged the whole nasty thing out to the dumpster and started fresh!

OK! Your turn....tell me a funny story about house training!

PS Here's how I'll handle choosing the winner....please leave just one comment  and I will let random.org provide the number of the comment that is the winner. I will remind everyone next Wordless Wednesday and pull the winner on Friday the 23rd. Due to postage costs, I'm only going to ship within the United States. My apologies to those outside the US.

PPS Jodi  and Jackie, I want in on those margaritas!!! Don't you dare start without me!

A Wolf Called Romeo: Book Review and Giveaway!

I'm a big fan of Patricia McConnell, the renowned animal behaviorist. When she recommends a book, I usually take notice. Just so long as it is not too technical and text book-y, I will give it a try. Back in July she recommended A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans, the tale of an freakishly friendly black wolf that showed up in the suburbs of Juneau, Alaska in the early 2000's. He was quite the celebrity for several years, befriending a lot of the residents' dogs, and even developing a relationship with a few of the humans. The book covers the wolf's life around Juneau. His proximity to people and their dogs was not without the expected controversy. The book is well written and interesting. I only wish it had contained many more photographs of Romeo. The last third read like a thriller for me and I could not put the book down! As is so sadly true for many wild animals, life does not hold a happy ending. So be warned, this book pulls you in emotionally and leaves you sobbing your heart out at the end. However heartbroken it left me, I am still very glad to have come across this story. As such, if one of you out there would like my copy, I would be happy to mail it to you (within the US due to postage costs). If more than one person has an interest, I will use Random.org to find the next home for this book. I'll give it a few days and then pull the winner early next week.

 Photo credit: John Hyde

Photo credit: John Hyde

Have a great weekend, Everyone! 

I hope you find time to read a good book!

You Should Read This Book and I'm Gonna Help!......A GiveAway!

I was the very lucky winner of Jackie's book giveaway and just finished reading What the Dog Ate .

 I thoroughly enjoyed this light-hearted tale of Maggie's and Kona's journey to build a new life. I think we can all relate to her struggle to start over, which is told with much wit and insight. I had several laugh-out-loud moments. I always know I've enjoyed a book when I am sad to reach the end. I rationed the last chapter or two just to keep it going. I'm going to miss Maggie!

Now, that's not to say there couldn't have been improvements. I definitely think the cover art could use a bit of a makeover, a little something like this maybe?

I understand that Jackie has a new book in the publishing pipeline. Based on how much I enjoyed What the Dog Ate, I am definitely looking forward to reading her next book!

OK, so let's get down to the details......If you would like a chance to win a brand new copy of Jackie's book What the Dog Ate,  please leave me a comment telling me the grossest or weirdest thing your dog ever ate. If you don't have a dog, it can be your cat, your baby, or even you! Please leave only one comment. I don't mind shipping to Canada , "across the pond", or even "down under", so don't hesitate to comment. I will select the winner, using Random.org, next Thursday, April 25th. I look forward to reading your comments!

Have a great weekend, Everyone!

Book Review: Rin Tin Tin

I just finished reading Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean. I can say I enjoyed the book and read through it quickly. It bogged down a bit describing some of the inner workings of Hollywood but overall was an interesting and informative read. Now I have to say I am just young enough that I missed watching the black and white series on TV. It went off the air the same year I was born, but I do remember seeing it in re-runs as a kid. I have to say, that show was pretty much all I knew about the legendary dog. I did not realize his origins were in World War I and the original Rin Tin Tin was a star of the silent movie era. This book tells the full tale, starting with finding the pup who was to become a world-wide sensation, his many movies, the ups and downs of his owner Lee Duncan's life, the line of dogs that would all carry the Rin Tin Tin name forward, the Hollywood years, and the legal battles in the name of this dog's fame. This dog pretty much single handedly started a national craze for German Shepherd Dogs. Everyone wanted a Rin Tin Tin of his/her own!

Armed with all this new Rin Tin Tin knowledge, I realized something. The very first dog I had as a child was a German Shepherd. My parents bought him when I was just two. Some of my earliest memories are of that dog, who we named Storm. I imagine my parents' desire to get that particular breed of dog was probably fueled by a lifetime of Rin Tin Tin exposure. They had grown up during the peek of his glory days. My sister was born while the The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin was still in its first run. It is definitely a question I would love to ask them....but alas I can't.

I love to pass along books that I enjoy. If anyone would like my copy of this book, please email me at taryn(dot)tipton(at)gmail(dot)com. If more than one person responds, I will pull a name from the hat!

Book Review - Merle's Door

I just finished reading Merle's Door by Ted Kerasote . I am surrounded by a pile of damp tissues as this wonderful book was quite the tear jerker at the end, certainly not unexpectedly. Anyone who has loved a dog into old age and beyond will surely identify with Merle's story. And, oh, what a wonderful life this dog led! I truly enjoyed reading this biography of a dog interspersed with quotes and findings from other authors and canine researchers. Kerasote does an excellent job of putting his deep love for this dog into words. This was a very enjoyable book and I am glad I read it!

I would be happy to send my copy on to someone else. Just let me know.

Book Review: Dogged Pursuit

I just finished reading this fun little book. I can definitely say I enjoyed it and that it is an entertaining and easy read. I didn't think it was as funny as a few of the reviews did, but there were a couple of times I did laugh out loud. In my area, as everywhere I guess, agility is mainly a middle-aged female pasttime, so reading about the sport through male eyes was a change of pace. I think it is a worthwhile way to pass some time, especially sitting at a trial waiting to run!

That said, if anyone reading this is interested in having my copy, email me at taryn dot tipton @ gmail dot com , and I'll be happy to drop it in the mail to you. I love to share my books so I don't feel like they are going to waste piled on my closet floor!