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Following are some of our favorite
things. If you have favorites, let us
know! We are always looking for new and wonderful books,
accessories, and products.
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Papillons
in Print
Marigold comes from a very literary family. In fact, award-winning
author, Jean Keating (pictured with Marigold), also happens to
be the breeder from where Marigold hails. According to Marigold,
"All of Keating's dogs have stories to tell. You might say
we have writing in our genes." |
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You can learn all about Marigold's
relations-starting with Mischief all the way to her mother, the
Divine Diva (better known as the lovely DeeDee)-in the delightful
book, Paw Prints Through the Years. The heartwarming tale,
which chronicles the Astra Kennel through the years, is a tribute
to the power of love provided by animals. Order online
at Amazon.com. |
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Imagine a papillon that solves
mysteries! In Amorous Accident: A Dog's Eye View of Murder, Keating's
papillon Sky does just that! You'll love this wonderful book
that shows just how smart papillons are. And, what's more, Marigold's
great great great great grandmother is pictured on the cover!
Order online
at Amazon.com. |
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And, Marigold says, "Don't
forget Pawprints On My Heart!" This is a compilation of
short, inspirational stories written by animal lovers and edited
by Keating. Several stories feature Marigold's relations! Order
online
at Amazon.com. |
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Our Name in Bricks!
We always wanted to see our names in lights, but we have to say,
our names look pretty good in bricks! Here we are at the Reston
Historic Trust, in beautiful Lake Anne. If you look closely,
you'll see our names engraved in one of the commemorative bricks!
We are both very proud as we have lived our lives in Reston!
Lake Anne is one of the oldest developments in Reston. If you'd
like more information on the Reston Historic Trust and the Reston
Museum, call 703-709-7700. Find out how you can see your name
in bricks! |
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Ready for Winter!
Look out runway models, here
we come looking pretty snazzy in our new coats, designed by Schön
Gross of DogLeggs®. Schön designs these coats to
keep canines comfortable and healthy during the winter months.
Tiki particularly likes the collars-they add an elegance that
she feels is befitting her status as grande dame. Check out Schön's Web site!
By the way, Schön also
does Tellington TTouch. TTouch is a training and healthcare system
developed by internationally-known animal expert, Linda Tellington-Jones.
The TTouch techniques promote optimal performance and health
without fear or force. |
Retro Pets by Krista Brooks
Our human companion found one
of Krista's prints on a recent visit to New Mexico. The print
was of a Yorkshire Terrier, with the caption, "Patron Saint
of Perpetual Treats." Everyone got a big laugh out of it
since Tiki loves her treats and has been known, upon occasion,
to confiscate Tiger's treats when he is not looking.
Krista began her series of
Retro Pets after a friend asked her to do a painting of his dog,
Fergus. Fergus' portrait went on to become the "Flying Fergus
Pale Ale~Good Dog, Good Beer" label!
According to Krista, the spirit
of her work is play. "I strive to celebrate the personality
of my animal friends in a unique and personal way."
We think you'll love her designs.
You can visit her web site at www.kristabrooks.com.
Ideas for Giving
"Whatever you give to the universe, it comes back tenfold,"
says Tiki.
"Does that mean if I put even more love out there, it will
come back? And, then I'll need to put even more out there. And,
then, it will come back? Whew! I'm going to be very busy then!"
comments Tiger.
During the holidays, Tiki and Tiger
like to save some of their treats and share their wealth.
Here are some ideas to get you started.
· A can of food here, a small bag of food there can
add up to a tasty meal for a canine friend in one of the local
shelters. Or, that towel that never quite matched your bathroom
might be just what the local shelter needs to provide special
care for our less fortunate friends. Find out what your local
shelters need and consider making a delivery!
· Have some extra time and a pet who is very loving?
Find out if your locality has a Pets on Wheels program. For
example, in Fairfax County (VA), people and their canines
go through special training to become good will ambassadors
to the community. They then visit senior citizen homes and
other care facilities, where, as Tiger says, they become cuddle
magnets! Everyone gets in on the sharing. Tiger and Tiki's
friend Bailey Bulldog has been sharing smiles and pets for
years! It's a great way to meet people in the community and
share adventures. One year, Tiger and Tiki did readings from
Life Through Tiki's Eyes, With
Comment By Tiger for a local senior groups. They left
a copy with each of their new friends. If you would like to
host a reading party in your community, send us a proposal.
We might just have a few extra books to contribute to make
your event a great success!
· All it takes is the commitment of one individuals
to make a difference. We were inspired by an article in People
magazine describing how Coral Allenby who delivers Meals on
Wheels to low income and homebound citizens, noticed that
people were putting aside some of their food for their furry
companions. To provide needed support, Allenby started a companion-pet
food program. With donations from manufacturers and community
sponsors, Allenby and her group now delivers pet food to more
than 500 animals. To find out if there is a program in your
community, contact Volunteers of America at www.volunteersofamerica.org.
· And, don’t forget groups like the Best Friends
Animal Society (www.bestfriends.org)
and ASPCA can always use a few extra dollars and/or help.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Best Friends worked around
the clock saving animals. The NY-ASPCA was on the scene after
the September 2001 crisis, helping to find and rescue lost
and trapped animal companions.
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Follow the Leader
Talk about rubbing noses (literally)
with a famous dog! We met Leader Dole Jr. (shown
with us and author Mary Vincent). Leader Dole
Jr. is the grandson of Leader Dole, Bob Dole’s wonderful
canine companion who accompanied him on many outings in Washington,
DC. The book, Follow the Leader: A Dog’s-Eye
View of Washington , DC, was written by Mary Vincent
and photographed by Lynn Dykstra who owns Pedigree Portraits. |
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Find out more about the book at www.firstdog.com.
It sells for $15.95 with proceeds benefiting the Washington Humane
Society. |
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Pet First Aid
What a great resource
we found! Here we are with Carla Owens, who
teaches pet first aid and CPR for the American Red Cross. Carla
is with the Alexandria, VA, Red Cross which conducts training
on how to save the lives of your most beloved animal companions.
For information, check out their web site at www.alexandriaredcross.org. |
Angel Animals
The Angel Animals Foundation
is a nonprofit charity dedicated to increasing love and respect
for all life. They have a great web site (www.angelanimals.org)
that features stories about animals who have performed exceptional
acts of compassion, protection, healing, courage, or have been
part of a miraculous experience.
We love the site because it
talks straight forwardly about the spiritual nature of the animal-human
bond. Their inspirational book, Animal Angels: Exploring
Our Spiritual Connection with Animals, can be ordered
from Amazon.com.
MSN-Pets and Animals Home
Page
Log onto www.msn.com
and click onto the Pets and Animals homepage and you are in for
a surprise. The site features news stories, feature articles,
reviews, opportunities, shopping ideas, and links to other pet
lovers.
One of our favorite stories
that appeared on January 8, 2001 was "Do Cats and Dogs Dream?"
by Camille Smith. The article quoted famous scientists and research
regarding dream states in pets. One quoted expert was Joan Spielholz
of Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine. Although Dr. Spielholz
said that we do not yet have scientific evidence that pets dream,
from her own experience watching her cat sleep she believes she
has witnessed dreaming! [We can't wait to send her a copy of
our next book, Tiki's Travels, With Postcards From Tiger, which
describes where dogs go when they dream!]
Life Through Otis' Eyes:
Lessons from a Guide Dog Puppy
by Patricia Burlin Kennedy
Otis is a puppy with a special
purpose. He will one day become the companion of a person who
is blind. We love this book. Told through the perspective of
the human who raised Otis, the book chronicles Otis' first year
of life and captures the insights that can be gained from watching
a puppy grow.
We wondered what our human
companions learned from watching us as puppies.
Tiger: "Remember, we played Little Time Wrestling
a lot."
Tiki: "Tiger would get so dirty, that we named him
dust mop! He soaked in the world even as a puppy."
Tiger: "Tiki let everyone know from the get-go that
she wanted to be a "real dog"-she would immediately
pull off any ribbons or outfits that our human companions dressed
her in."
Tiki: "Why did you tell that?"
Tiger: "You started it…"
Tiki: "We spent many months trying on our "breed"
for size. Tiger took immediately to draping himself onto laps,
learning how to carry out the regal Maltese tradition."
Tiger: "Tiki was a ball of energy, absorbed in learning
the art of being a terrier."
Tiki: "We both were lucky in that our human companions
allowed our unique spirits to blossom and show through. I think
they learned that life is a wonderful adventure! And that life
is what you make it."
Tiger: "And that it can be messy and fun!"
You can order Life Through
Otis' Eyes from Amazon.com.
Dogs That Know When Their
Owners Are Coming Home
by Rupert Sheldrake
Our good friend Dr. Joan Loy
sent us this book for the holidays. Dr. Loy, a health counselor
in Michigan, knows a good book when she sees one! The author
of the book is a scientist who has studied animal behavior for
many years. He goes beyond basic body language and explores what
he calls unexplained perceptiveness in animals, such as telepathy,
the sense of direction, and premonitions. And thus the title-dogs
do know when their owners are coming home, even when they cannot
see them!
Tiger and I loved this book
because it makes it very clear that while animals are not humans,
they are life forms-and we would add, with spirits of our own.
We communicate, we feel, we think-but in ways different from
humans. Check back with us next time when we review several books
on animal communication.
You can order Dogs That
Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home at Amazon.com.
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