Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson - Book Review

  

Dog Driven by Terry Lynn Johnson

 

Fourteen-year-old McKenna accepts the challenge of a three-day dog sled race across the Canadian wilderness. Hiding her deteriorating vision from all, she takes herself and her beloved dogs into danger on the trail. Written as an adventure for middle schoolers the story is too interesting not to be read by anyone interested in sled dogs.

Terry Lynn Johnson is an experienced musher who bases her books on her own experiences. She owned a dog-sledding business with eighteen huskies and taught dog-sledding near Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada and served as a conservation officer and backcountry canoe ranger. Loving outdoor adventures, she brings that knowledge to her writing for young readers. Johnson, who now has one Border Collie, is also the author of “Ice Dogs” and “Sled Dog School.”

Guide Dogs for the Blind & Doris McFadden - 75 Years of Loving Dogs

 Doris McFadden & Guide Dogs for the Blind

In 1942 long time Camp Verde, Arizona resident Doris McFadden lived in Richmond, California. A 12-year-old dog crazy girl, she helped at a Dalmatian kennel near her home. The kennel owner gave her the opportunity to learn about the world of dogs. At a San Francisco dog show she heard about the new organization called Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB). At the time GDB accepted dogs to be trained and Doris even wanted to donate her own pet to the program.
The Dalmatian kennel’s owner brought two young pups into her home and Doris came daily to care for a 2-month-old Belgian Shepherd. From this solid beginning her love of dogs and dog training blossomed. Doris says, "It was a great experience. And taught me responsibility and stimulated my serious interest in dogs."

In June Doris traveled back to California to be honored by Guide Dogs for the Blind during their  75th (1942-2017) Anniversary celebration. She toured their facility and was participated in puppy socialization, met volunteers and toured the campus. She had lunch with staff, including a class supervisor trainer, where she asked questions and shared her history of dog training and Guide Dogs for the Blind.

In 1942 when wounded servicemen were returning from World War II, Guide Dogs for the Blind was the first West Coast school to train guide dogs. GDB has provided 14,000 guide dog teams (2,200 currently active) and 1,015,000 volunteer hours of service at no cost to students.

A key part of GDB’s program is volunteer puppy raisers and puppy raiser clubs. Pups aged 2-14 months live in a home and learn about the world. Puppy raisers receive a pup at approximately 8 weeks old and teach the puppy good manners and basic obedience in a home environment. CocoPups of Flagstaff is a GDB puppy raiser club. Their members expose pups to a wide variety of experiences including puppy socialization parties, public transportation, city traffic, even a Diamondbacks game.

Back in California after formal training in guide work learning over 35 commands, such as “Find the Door,” successful dogs begin a residential course with their blind partner. GDB estimates it costs about $40,000 to graduate a team. After that GDB provides lifetime support.

Over the years, Doris owned many dogs and trained even more for others in the Verde Valley. She taught dog obedience in Camp Verde and competed in trials most recently with her Australian Shepherd, and became active in Greyhounds of the Verde Valley after adopting a retired racing Greyhound.

Her interest in animals includes wolf advocacy. She serves on Board of Directors of the U.S. Wolf Refuge in Sparks, Nevada and helps with visitors at the Medicine Wheel Lodge wolf refuge in Rimrock.

Seventy-five years after training that pup for GDB, Doris is still dog crazy and still teaching owners to train their dogs. Although Doris’s pup never graduated, the Guide Dogs for the Blind’s CocoPups of Flagstaff puppy raising group recently honored Doris with a pin awarded to a puppy raiser when their dog returns to San Rafael for formal training.

Amber Polo

A form of this article was published in the June-July 2017 issue of the Flagstaff-Sedona Dog.

The Shapeshifters' Library's new dogs

The Shapeshifters’ Library Series Light fantasy  for the dog lover who lusts for books adores libraries. Comic villains, smart sweet heroines, and brave intelligent heroes share a world where dogs talk and librarians battle werewolves to protect knowledge.

Meet my cover models - three boys and one lovely lady:

 

• Chronus, the Old English Sheepdog hero of Released (he's the image of Jonathan, my forever dog)

• Cynerik, the Mastiff hero of Retrieved

• Bliss, the brave beautiful heroine of Recovered

• Pacifico, the smallest but smartest, hero of Reprinted heads for the Caribbean

Each has a story to tell and in human form are as enchanting as when they change into four legged beings:

 

• Chronus, Headmaster of the hidden academy in Released

• Cynerik, archaeologist hero in Retrieved

• Bliss,  children's librarian heroine in Recovered

• Pacifico, computer guru, millionaire, smartest hero in Reprinted 

   

              Special series pricing beginning January 28th

The Book of Dog Magic - A gift for dog lovers with New Age spirit

The Book of Dog Magic: Spells, Charms & Tales

by Sophia with Denny Sargent, (Llewellyn, 2016)

Dogs have long been important in folklore and mythology. Many claim dogs can see ghosts and strange energies that  we cannot. Therefore, it's not surprising that dogs are associated with magic. Sophia and Denny Sargent’s how-to-manual of charms, chants, meditations, and stories provides background into dogs and spirit and a guide to magical techniques and exercises to connect you with your dogs on a deep psychic level.

First , every dog lover can find their inner canine and mythic dog spirit. Next discover your dog's astrological sign, as well as suggestions of complementary dog breeds based on your astrological sign.

Fortune telling? Yes, your dog can be your psychic. The authors offer the meaning of cards your dog steps on (and hopefully doesn't eat).

Use The Book of Dog Magic to find a spell to choose the perfect dog for you. Then look up a meditation to identify the right name for your new dog. Next, chant a spell to housetrain the puppy and another to make your dog more obedient.

To keep your dog from roaming try the practical "Always Come Back to Me" spell:

Tyr, hear, always stay.

You will never run away.

Always be by my side,

Never vanish, never hide.

If you do someday run free,

Always return to me.

Most comforting are the spells and meditations to help your beloved dog pass into the afterlife.

The Book of Dog Magic includes a glossary of dog spirits and dog-loving gods and goddesses.

A wonderful gift for the dog lover with New Age spirit.

Sophia and Denny Sargent - 

Sophia is an animal intuitive, professional psychic, teacher, and bestselling New Age author. She's a traveler with the ability to call wild animals to her wherever she goes.

Denny Sargent is a writer, artist, and university instructor, specializing in ancient cultures and folklore.  He has been initiated in several esoteric, western Hermetic and Tantrika traditions. He helped found, write, and edit esoteric journals of contemporary mythology and magik.

Both love all animals, especially canines.