Book Nook: Chew This Journal

 I have a pet, so I was happy to get a chance to review Chew This Journal - An Activity Book for You and Your Dog. This book had a little bit of everything - activity ideas, places to keep track of milestones and memories with your dog, tricks to try, and other fun things.

With all the different elements in the journal, it almost seems like it would be really disjointed or too busy, but it isn't. The parts work together and transitions are smooth, the font and design of the book are fun and great for any dog owner who is interested in keeping a fun record of their pet, as well as looking for ideas to do more. There are easy crafts to do to make toys and games for your pup, and training tips for a well-mannered pooch.

About the authors:

Sassafras Lowrey is the 2013 winner of the Lambda Literary Emerging Writer Award. Sassafras’ books (Lost Boi, Kicked Out, A Little Queermas Carol, Leather Ever After, and Roving Pack) have been honored by organizations ranging from the National Leather Association to the American Library Association. Sassafras’ fiction and nonfiction has appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals including Catapult, Narratively, and The Rumpus. She has taught for Lit Reactor, The NYC Center For Fiction and regularly teaches writing at colleges, conferences and for community groups across the country.

Sassafras has been involved with dog sports and dog training for over twenty years including Competition Obedience, Dog Agility, Tricks, Rally Obedience, and service dog training. In the early 2000s Sassafras competed at top levels of Dog Agility and is an All-Star Trainer of The Year Certified Trick Dog Instructor (CTDI). Sassafras currently competes with her own dogs in tricks and canine parkour and trains in rally obedience and dog agility. Her dogs have achieved Champion Trick Dog (the highest level of trick competition), and Trick Dog Performer titles.

Zazie Todd, PhD, is the author of Wag: The Science of Making Your Dog Happy. She is the founder of the popular blog Companion Animal Psychology, where she writes about everything from training methods to the human-canine relationship. She also writes a blog for Psychology Today, Fellow Creatures, and received the prestigious Captain Haggerty Award for Best Training Article in 2017. Todd lives in Maple Ridge, BC, with her husband, one dog, and two cats.