COMPETITION: Signed copies of Jennifer Skiff's The Divinity of Dogs

Those of you who have been lucky enough to have a dog - or have been around one for any length of time - will know it's true: dogs really do profoundly touch and change people's lives.

In The Divinity of Dogs, Jennifer Skiff brings together a number of extraordinary personal stories, grouped in collections such as Love, Intuition, Gratitude and Compassion, all of which celebrate the unshakable bond between man and man's best friend. From Little Bit the Chihuahua who identified a lump in her owner's breast that doctors didn't detect, to Emma the Rottweiler, who pulled her owner back from the brink of suicide, these powerful, real accounts will be treasured by any dog lover.

Jennifer Skiff has very kindly provided us with three signed copies to give away to Dogs Trust supporters. All we ask is that you share your own story about how a dog has changed your life. It doesn't have to be as dramatic as the account above and it doesn't have to be about your own dog, but we want to know about a genuine meaningful moment you've shared with a canine pal.

Please send your stories to feedback@dogstrust.org.uk (comments on this post don't count as entries, though you're welcome to add them).The closing date is 5pm on Monday 3rd December.


If you're unlucky, want to give another copy as a Christmas present or simply can't wait to see if you've won, grab your own copy from Hay House for just £7.19.

Terms and Conditions

• Entrants must be based in the UK or Ireland. Entries from outside these areas will not be counted.
• One entry per address. Entries must be emailed to be included; comments on this post will not be counted.
• True stories only, and no copying please! Any entries we identify as being plagiarised will not be counted.
• Full name and address details should be provided; Dogs Trust reserves the right to reject an incomplete entry.
• Entries after the closing date / time will not be counted. The winners will be chosen after the closing date / time and notified by email. 
• The prize is as stated and there can be no cash alternatives.
• By entering the competition you grant Dogs Trust and any third parties appointed by it for the purpose of organising and managing the competition permission to use your name, location and story for announcing the winners and for related promotional purposed. (Winning stories are likely to be featured on on this blog.)
• Data provided for the purposes of this competition will not be held afterwards by Dogs Trust or any third party.
• Dogs Trust's decision is final, and the charity will not enter into any correspondence.

COMPETITION! Get creative to win James Barklee's Sad Tales for Me... A BioDOGraphy

James Barklee has a story to tell. It's his biodography, and it's all about wonderful things like the joy of chasing squirrels and sad things like the terribly slow food service at home. The talented pooch has even beautifully illustrated his story and published it in a gorgeous hardback book.

Would you like your very own copy?

James has kindly given us five copies to give away... but to be in with a chance of winning, we need some happy tales from you!

How to Enter

• Email your best happy dog story, name and address to feedback@dogstrust.org.uk and we'll pick our five favourites. We don't mind if they're fact or fiction, but they must be original, and they have to include a dog.
• Keep stories short please! There's no set word limit, but up to 250 words maximum would be appreciated. While you're welcome to share your stories as comments, only emailed entries will be considered.
• You have until 5pm on Friday 9th November!

If you're unlucky, want to give a copy as a Christmas present or simply can't wait to see if you've won, grab your own copy on Amazon for £9.99. WAIT! If you use the quick, easy, and FREE Give As You Live while you're shopping there, you'll earn a few pennies for the dogs in our care, too!

Terms and Conditions

• Entrants must be based in the UK or Ireland. Entries from outside these areas will not be counted.
• One entry per address. Entries must be emailed to be included; comments on this post will not be counted.
• Fact or fiction; we don't mind - as long as it's yours, and it features a dog. No copying please! Any plagiarised entries will not be counted.
• Full name and address details should be provided; Dogs Trust reserves the right to reject an incomplete entry.
• Entries after the closing date / time will not be counted. The winners will be chosen after the closing date / time and notified by email. 
• The prize is as stated and there can be no cash alternatives.
• By entering the competition you grant Dogs Trust and any third parties appointed by it for the purpose of organising and managing the competition permission to use your name, location and story for announcing the winners and for related promotional purposed. (Winning stories are likely to be featured on on this blog.)
• Data provided for the purposes of this competition will not be held afterwards by Dogs Trust or any third party.
• Dogs Trust's decision is final, and the charity will not enter into any correspondence.

Amazing guest post from canine superstar Uggie - plus a fantastic competition!

After being the delighted beneficiaries of a charity screening of The Artist, we were bowled over at meeting the canine star of the Oscar-winning film. Uggie, an utter charmer on-screen and off, is today launching his autobiography - Uggie, the Artist: My Story - in the UK. We're very excited to be able to share a special guest post (bark?) from the world famous JRT, as well as announcing an amazing competition for all Dogs Trust supporters!

How I Learned to Skateboard - by Uggie

Some might say that I was born a star. Others would suggest that I was trained to become one, but having been rescued from a pound by a Hollywood acting coach I was destined to make the most of my dog years. 

      

My new ‘dad’, Omar Von Muller, trained me up for street theatre. Before long, though, he sensed that I could go further. Little did he know how far!

        

With Omar, training is all about one step at a time, so – once I’d mastered basic agility skills, he decided to teach me how to skateboard. “Uggie was a born actor.” He said later. “I just didn’t know how much of a red carpet darling he’d become!” 

Omar began by feeding my all my meals by hand and I mean from his hands. “There’s a good muchacho,” he’d say as I chomped on some chicken. 

          

Then he got me the right tool for the job, a skateboard perfect for my height and weight. It had to be light, strong and smooth to ride. “Go top of the line on wheels, trucks, ball bearings and boards,” he advises. “It makes a big difference.” Having trimmed away the edges so that they wouldn’t get in my way, he picked a spot in the front yard for us to start our coaching– a small patch of grass by the sidewalk. We only ever trained in the cool of the mornings or evenings, so that I didn’t get too hot.

          

To begin with, he set the board on the grass so it wouldn’t roll. He also locked the wheels and encouraged me to jump on and off the board as if it were a low table. I was hand fed on that rock-solid board every day for weeks and praised warmly every time I stepped up onto it until I felt 100% comfortable.

          

Next, I did some obedience exercises on it, including Sit, Down, Stay, and Turn Around. Once I’d mastered that, he began to move it slowly from side to side, shaking it a little or lifting it off the ground, but making sure I didn’t get scared.

        

 He took his time. We’d train for 10 minutes at a stretch and then he’d put the board away – to my crushing disappointment. When he brought it out again the following day, my tail would wag wildly. Once he felt that nothing would faze me, he loosened the wheels a little and put the board in the sidewalk. Then he began to roll me along slowly with the promise of a treat if I stayed on, stopping it with his foot if it went too fast or I seemed unsure. 

         

Repetition, diligence, patience, and positive reinforcement were the keys to success. “Awesome, Uggie!” Omar might say as he slipped me a bacon bit, or “That-a-boy!” with a liver treat. In no time at all, he was able to pull me around the block. 

       

 I’d experienced some public admiration in the past but the attention I began to attract as a cute Jack Russell riding a skateboard really went to my furry head. The motivation to do more and go faster was overpowering. Before I knew it, I was clinging to that deck with all four paws as Omar loosened the wheels some more and let me pick up speed to lead me down hills and up curbs. 

         

 Instinctively, I’d contract my muscles and lean into a curve. Or I might put out a rear paw to steady myself or push the board along. Before I knew it, there was no nylon rope anymore; it was just me--free and easy, with the California breeze flapping my ears. In my red bandana, I’d kick off against the pavement. Soon I was bumping down stairs and shredding ramps. 

         

The high was so addictive that I forgot about the treats that had once been my motivation. Now I understood why Omar’s other dogs had been so hooked. Omar used to have to pull the skateboard away from them to be sure they’d get some rest.. 

            

For me, being on that board was reward enough.

Uggie, The Artist: My Story, published by Harper Collins on October 18, price £9.99

Uggie The Artist app is available on iTunes

Competition

Harper Collins has very kindly provided a whopping ten chances to win!

• Three lucky winners will get their hands on star prizes of special signed prints along with their copy of Uggie's brilliant book.
  
• Seven runners up will receive a copy of Uggie's autobiography.

How to Enter

Enter the draw by sending full name and address details to feedback@dogstrust.org.uk.

To be in with a chance of winning a star prize, you also need to include your answer to the following question:

"My favourite thing about Uggie is ____________________________"

Our three favourite answers will bag the star prizes, with the rest of the prizes drawn at random from the remaining entries.

The competition will be open until 5pm on Thursday, 25th October 2012. Go, go, go!

Can't wait to get your paws on a copy? Get one at Amazon today!

Terms and Conditions

• Entrants must be based in the UK or Ireland. Entries from outside these areas will not be counted.
• One entry per address. Entries must be emailed to be counted; comments on this post will not be included.
• Full name and address details should be provided; Dogs Trust reserves the right to redraw if there is an incomplete entry. Entries after the closing date / time will not be counted. The winners will be chosen after the closing date / time and notified by email. 
• The prize must be taken as stated and there can be no cash alternatives.
• By entering the Competition you grant Dogs Trust and any third parties appointed by it for the purpose of organizing and managing the Competition permission to use your name and location for announcing the winner of the Competition and for related promotional purposes.
• Data provided for the purposes of the Competition will not be held afterwards by Dogs Trust or Harper Collins.
• The decision of the winner is final and Dogs Trust will not enter into any correspondence.

By entering this competition, entrants are deemed to have accepted these terms and conditions and agree to be bound by them.

Kayleigh and DeeDee review W. Bruce Cameron's A Dog's Purpose

Kayleigh, from our Fundraising team and her 'office dog' DeeDee the Staffy cross, let us know what they think about this charming tale of a dog's lives...

DeeDee takes a closer look

Despite my best efforts, DeeDee was having none of it when I tried to convince her that what we really wanted to be doing on a rainy Saturday afternoon was going for a nice long walk. So instead of enjoying the great, very wet, outdoors we spent the afternoon curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea (for me), a fresh bowl of water (for DeeDee) and A Dog's Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron.

It's a heart warming tale, narrated by a dog recounting the journey of being reincarnated through many lives trying to find and fulfil its purpose. T

he simplistic writing style makes this book a very easy read and you’ll find yourself chuckling out loud, although be warned: any pet owner will undoubtedly get a lump in their throat at a few poignant moments. 

If ever you find yourself looking at your canine companion and wondering what they are thinking and the stories they could tell you, you will almost certainly enjoy this book. DeeDee and I found it perfect for whiling away a rainy afternoon, and with our British summers we can guarantee there are going to be a few...

Book Giveaway: All We Need is Love - Daisy May Sewell

If a Border Collie could tell her own story, what would she say?

In All We Need is Love, Daisy May Sewell, beloved dog of author Ron Sewell, we have the answer. As companion to the founder and former Chairman of the National Dog Owners' Association, Daisy led a wonderful life, but some of her siblings were less lucky, and the book mixes happy and sad stories to deliver a true life tale that will touch many an animal lover.

As our Chief Executive Clarissa Baldwin says in the foreword:

"At Dogs Trust we believe in celebrating the very special and unique bond that humans have with dogs... In this enchanting book we see a lovely description of this bond, so well written by one of our four-legged friends."

Daisy sadly passed away before the book was published, but her legacy remains. We have five copies of All We Need is Love to give away, in the hopes that you'll enjoy her story as much as we did.

How to Enter:

The competition has now closed and the winners informed. You can buy your own copy using the link below!

Buy the Book:

If you're not a lucky winner, you can still get your own copy of Daisy's book.

Personalised pet stories that help raise vital funds for Dogs Trust

Remember those personalised story books from when you were a kid? Now you can feature your pet in a series of festive themed poems and raise vital funds for dogs needing homes.

With It's Your Story, you can get your pet's name on the cover and in the verses of the text, their picture is incorporated into all the illustrations and a personal message is printed at the front of the book. It's not exclusively for dogs, so if your cat (or other pet) wants a look in, that's just fine.

Best of all, you'll be helping dogs across the UK every time you order, as we receive £1 for each book ordered.

As if that were not enough, Dogs Trust supporters are being offered a 10% discount if they use this code at the checkout: DOGST10

Order now!

Book Review: One Dog at a Time by Pen Farthing

Book two of our Ebury Book Club on DoggySnaps is this sometimes harrowing tale of a Royal Marine rescuing the street dogs of Afghanistan. The discussion is due to start soon so head over and join us! You can also get in some questions for Pen to answer before the discussion kicks off.

Pen Farthing has always been a dog lover and owner, but it's quite clear from the tone of mild incredulity with which One Dog at a Time is written that even he did not expect to be where he is now: developing a charity that is aiming to raise standards of welfare for the street and fighting dogs of Afghanistan.

With an autobiographical tale such as this one, it's often hard to separate your feelings about the story from your feelings about the book itself. But Pen's writing does stand out; his keen eye for observational detail brings to life not just the dogs but the desolate setting of Now Zad, the fierce battle with the Taliban for the hearts and minds of the exhausted Afghan people and the ups and downs of military life.

I expected to find myself feeling sick and angry over the abuses carried out against street dogs goaded into fighting, and I did. But more than that I found myself thoroughly involved in the details of Marine life, and the hardships (missing family and pets, making the most of limited resources) and highlights (an unexpected Christmas meal, making friends with people you'd never meet otherwise and feeling you've made a difference) of a military existence. I read the book because it was about dogs, and put it down feeling I'd learned an awful lot about people, too, which makes the potential audience for this tale far wider than I'd anticipated.

And what about the dogs? Well, there's no doubt that some of the situation is harrowing. There are details you wish you didn't know, but once you do you understand very clearly why someone would go to the lengths Pen did to organise a rescue. He is keen to modestly note that he had lots of helpers in and out of the country, among them his fellow Marines, his wife, Lisa, and Mayhew International. And it did have an emotional toll on him; in one chapter you follow how he is tempted to throw in the towel as the bigger picture - who, for example, would rehome an ex-Afghan fighting dog? - becomes apparent. His struggle to separate heart and mind and do the right thing is very moving.

I began an autobiography, but feel like I read a novel. I consider that to be one of the strongest points of One Dog at a Time and the basis on which I would recommend that many read it.

Pen's story, of course, does not end with the last page of the book, as he and Lisa now run the Nowzad Charity to relieve the suffering of stray and abandoned animals, particularly in Afghanistan.

Incidentally, while reading the book for the Book Club and this review, I was contacted by fellow Twitterer @bentherotti, whose family know Pen personally. They have nominated him for a Dogs Trust Honours award in the Dog's Best Friend category. I wish him luck with this! Nominations are still open, so if you know someone deserving, or a potentially award-winning dog, please submit their details to us on the Honours website.

Dog writes book (almost): What is the Perfect Pong?

My name is Hoover, and I'm an author, Terrier and bath-loather.

Clearly, being a dog, I have literacy issues, but you'll find my name on the cover of What is the Perfect Pong?, a children's book about a dog's pursuit of the world's best smell.

This is cheating, but only slightly. My owner, who writes stuff, and a friend of his who take pictures, spent a day photographing me and the things that took my olfactory fancy. if they didn't, my interest was assisted with a Tesco ham sandwich - see what I mean about cheating?

Anyway, the end results went into the book, so although I didn't really write it, it's still very much my story. It's a cheerful book, although I wasn't always this happy.

Nearly eight years ago, my owners found me abandoned, starving and close to death. The vet who put me on a drip said it would have been curtains if I'd stayed out another 48 hours. You wouldn't know now, and within days I had developed a very special, Superman-style leap, which finished by burying my font paws in my owner's crotch. Needless to say, he's pleased that I've retired from that now.

As for the book, it's aimed at 0-5 year olds, and 25p per copy is going to Dogs Trust, the UK's largest dog welfare charity. It has 17 rehoming centres in the UK which help stray and abandoned dogs to find new, happy homes. Dogs Trust is exactly the sort of place that would have taken me in if I hadn't found a home first.

I've also got a website, whatever that is. It's stuffed with everything you need to know about a certain neutered, bearded male and his literary debut - including how to buy it.

Well, Gravy Bones don't pay for themselves.

You can watch a video of Hoover playing on our YouTube channel!