My Fat Dog: The Book

My Fat Dog on Iowa Radio tomorrow AM

I'll be on the radio tomorrow on Y99.3 - KWAY in Waverly, Iowa, around 7:35 am Iowa time...which is 8:35 am New Jersey time.  Looks like you can listen live!

Milwaukee Dogs are the Best; More Winter Tips

I had a great time talking to Kidd O'Shea and Jane Matenaer at WMYX in Milwaukee today about winterizing your dogs.  Jane's dog Pierce is...wait for it...EIGHTEEN years old.   That's amazing. More later!

Doug Stephan and Darla were lots of fun...

And if you're visiting from their site, thanks for stopping by.

To repeat what I said on the show, PLEASE DON'T feed your dog onions, chocolate, or grapes or raisins.  I misspoke a little--grapes and raisins have apparently pushed some dogs into kidney failure; they don't attack the liver.  But they can be, and have been, fatal.  For more information about toxic foods, go to the ASPCA's main site, and look for their poison control center.  Lots of great information there.

I'm being interviewed tomorrow on Doug Stephan's show...

And from the looks of the Web site, it's gonna be fun.  There's are dogs all over the place!  Plus, his dad was from Framingham...which is where my Dad grew up.  You should be able to listen tomorrow on the Web, I think after 9:30 am, East Coast time.

We'll be talking about winterizing our dogs, which, if you're in the Northeast right now, you know is a particular challenge. One reader e-mailed me from  Chicago to talk about how hard it is to take your dog out for a walk when snow and ice and just plain blahs stand in your way.

Believe me, I have been there. Am there now. Faith, my inspiration, pulled up slightly lame last week. Right before our landmark blizzard.  Faith is snow crazy, and she begins galloping as if she were Balto, delivering the vaccine, when she sees it. Not easy to slow her down, even when she's running like a drunken pirate.  And not easy to overcompensate the lack of play with, oh, a few extra treats. 

But it can be done!  I'll be talking more about that later on this week.  Here's tip #1: invest in booties, or wax, or both.  I like Working Dog brand myself.  If you think the cold and ice are hard on your feet, think what they're doing to your dog!  Cover those paws up.

Newark Star-Ledger helps kick off the pet resolutions!

Joan Lowell  Smith of the Newark Star-Ledger writes a very complimentary round-up of both books, and reveals at last, the secret to pet and human weight loss:

shhhh....

eat less food!

Kudos from St. Louis

My Fat Dog and My Fat Cat got a very very very nice mention in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Says Sarah Casey Newman:

"...these quick, easy-to-follow guides are just what the veterinarian ordered to help fat felines and plump pooches slim down."

My Fat Dog Makes New Year's Resolutions...in Hoboken!

I'll be doing a brief, fun talk this Wednesday, January 11 at the Hoboken Public Library, at 500 Park Avenue, 6-7 pm, on "New Year's Resolutions--For Your Pets." Hope you can make it.

More info here:

http://www.bccls.org/hoboken/calendar.html

New Year's Resolutions...for Your Pet!

On January 11, 2005, I'll be giving a brief fun talk at the Hoboken, NJ public library on how to help your pet keep his or her New Year's resolutions.  In that spirit, I'd like to reveal my dog-related resolutions:

1. Knit a sweater for Faith so she feels more comfy outside.  She has a nice coat, but I'm not quite sure if it's warm enough for her slightly middle-aged bones anymore.

2. Swim Faith a little more. She's going to be 7! It helps her in so many ways.

3. Teach Faith one new trick. There's research that indicates that just like humans, dogs need the equivalent of a new crossword puzzle to keep the brain active.

4. Pick the heathier reward...take a second to give her a baby carrot, rather than a fattening treat.

WYSIWYG

I had a great time last night at WYSIWYG, a fantastic reading series of bloggers, great readers and writers all.  The theme was, sort of, Chanukah-related. I read a part of a short story inspired in part by my husband's and my adoption of our dog Faith (she's the cutie in the picture in the blog).  While I haven't written all that personally in this blog, without Faith, there would be no "My Fat Cat" or "My Fat Dog."  Faith was the willing...lab rat? Lab canine? as we figured out how to slim her down...and help her live forever, if it were possible.

If you'd like to read the story, it's here.  Click on the story title.

Book Signing, November 1!

If any readers of this blog are in the New York/Northern NJ area, I'd like to invite them to a book signing this Tuesday at Hand-Mad, a funky gift shop in Hoboken, NJ.  You are VERY MUCH invited to bring your pet. Here are the details:

Book Signing

Hand-Mad Store

86 Park Ave (corner of Newark)

November 1, Tuesday (the day after Halloween)

6-8 pm

Treats for humans and pets will be served;  pets very much invited.

New Yorkers, Hoboken is just an 8 minute Path train ride from Christopher Street in the Village, or a 10-minute Path train ride from the World Trade Center.  Please e-mail me for details.