Good Bloggie!

You saw our blog post a few days ago featuring an artist’s work about a book on dog shows. Wanna find out more or be first in-the-know when it comes to books about pets? Then check out PetCentric Authors, the first website dedicated to learning more about authors and their pets.

At the PetCentric Authors site you can listen to author podcasts, read book reviews, browse author interviews, check out guest bloggers, to name a few things. If you live in or near New York, a listing of events lets you know when book signings, lectures, and photo ops with your favorite pet authors will be.

In fact, there is a whole podcast with Maureen Sullivan, author of the French Bulldog childrens’ book series featuring her boy Carlos. Maybe you’ve read Ankle Soup or Custard and Mustard? (You knew there had to be a Frenchie connection in this blog entry somewhere, didn’t you?) If you loved those first two books, a new one is scheduled for release in September. Be on the lookout for Christmas Feet. Read more about the entire award-winning series here.

Ever wonder how art is created for a children’s book? Check out the blog of illustrator Fian Arroyo and see his progression from pencil sketch to finished art and cover for the new book Best in Show, written by Barbara Bakowski and published by Red Chair Press. Yes, there is one small flaw, no Frenchies made the book, but an English Bully did and it’s about a dog show, so we’ll cut them some slack. Plus, Fian’s art is a real treat! Enjoy.

While watching the fascinating documentary about the inner workings of Vogue, I too, became crushed as creative director Grace Coddington saw her cherished Paris je t’aime photo shoot whittled down, further and further, by Vogue editor, Anna Wintour. Not only because the moody, lush, 20s-inspired images taken by Steven Meisel are wonderful, but because the most compelling image (at least from a Frenchie person’s point-of-view) included two French Bulldogs, a brindle and a cream, decked out in badger hair collars. Near the foot of another model, is what looks like an antique “Growler” toy adding to the image’s mystique.

Of course wanted to share this image with you, so began with the Vogue site, but Vogue has edited out that photo, again. Opened the search to include the movie’s site, then the web, finally finding a grainy, skewed version of it at Jezebel, along with the movie trailer it came from. Image isn’t very sharp or big, and certainly doesn’t do justice to the true image, but at least you can get a hint. (And learn more about the image, photoshoot, movie, and history.)

And while another blog, Femmes de Fleurs, doesn’t include the Frenchie-enhanced image, it does delve into the background behind the original photos and historical times which inspired this Vogue photo shoot.

The only way you may be able to view the image fully is to rent The September Issue and keep your remote control finger snappy. This photo shoot is towards the first third of the film, and appears again as they are blocking out the magazine with small images and page spread comps.

Upon rifling through the mail the other day, pulled out a magazine. First response, “That’s a Frenchie on the cover! A really nice one, too!” Upon closer examination, “Hey, it’s the AKC Gazette, but not the same Gazette we’ve been getting.”

After digging into the publication to see what’s going on, seems the AKC Gazette has redesigned it’s look and layout starting with the April 2010 issue. Very fresh, light, and modern. A cream Frenchie was chosen to grace the cover of the new look’s launch. A “smart” looking image indeed.

The cover image was taken by Carol Beuchat, who is also the photographer and 1st place winner of the AKC Publications Photo Contest. Her winning photo subject: Lola, another French Bulldog winner. (Perhaps you’ve heard of her? )

You can see the new cover and learn more about the AKC Gazette here.

Read the full magazine, and see and learn more about the winning images online.
Digital AKC Gazette

Kudos to Ms. Beuchat, and to the staff of the AKC Gazette, for both the fresh redesign and their excellent taste in cover subject matter!

A couple of years ago we added a health handbook to our library of dog books. Last year, we found ourselves reaching for it again and again. It is called Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook and is written by three DVMs and a doctor, Eldredge, L.Carlson, D. Carlson, and Giffin.

It is a reference book, set up to find health topics easily. The book states the condition, the symptoms, things you can do at home, if possible, and treatments most often used by a veterinary practice. Text is written succinctly and is easy to understand without needing a medical background. It’s great for looking up symptoms to decide if you pet needs to go to the vet (the book often states whether you can treat at home, or if it’s imperative you see a vet.). It’s also great to have as a reference to get the terminology correct when speaking to your vet or to review once you get back from an office visit. (What was that word? How is it spelt?) It does a wonderful job of covering a wide range of dog health topics from emergencies, to disease and infections, to even breeding and geriatrics in one book.

You may have noticed, as we have, dogs have a tendency to develop symptoms after-hours and on weekends. This handbook has eased a few worries of whether we should wait for the vet’s office to open the next day, or take someone to the emergency clinic right away. And if dog health is an interesting topic to you, it is actually a good read.

While it’s easy to do a web reference search on a topic when you have time, during an emergency you just can’t beat the ease of opening a book, written with the authority of medical professionals, which needs no powering up and is so well organized by topic. Being able to compare and verify internet info is a comfort, too.

Maybe someday they will perfect that “What exactly is the dog thinking? device. Better have a boxful of treats and toys handy, and in the case of Rocksie, a handful of cat toys! Oh wait; she’s pretty good communicating THAT thought already.

Link to book on Amazon:

Dog Owner’s Home Veterinary Handbook