Book Review & Author Giveaway~Service Tails: More Stories of Man's Best Hero

About the Book: 
Heart-tugging true stories of the courage, faith, and loyalty of remarkable service dogs. Not all heroic dogs wildly toss themselves into lifesaving situations. Some save lives simply by their incredible commitment to duty and service. Some lead the way to independence for people whose disabilities were supposed to limit their lives.

In Service Tails: More Stories of Man's Best Hero, prolific author Ace Collins introduces us to leaders whose entire lives are wrapped in the banner of service. Their stories are remarkable snapshots of the value of vision and teamwork, as well as devotion to duty and unconditional love and acceptance---stretching the way we see both canine and human potential. Their training was intense, their loyalty unquestioned and each step of the way they constantly adapt to better serve those they lead. These unforgettable dogs are more than heroes; they are models from which we can learn how to love and serve unconditionally.

Purchasing Link: You can purchase your own copy of Service Tails at Abingdon Press. 

 About the Author: 

Ace Collins defines himself as a storyteller. He has authored more than sixty books that have sold more than 2.5 million copies. His catalog includes novels, biographies, children's works as well as books on history, culture and faith. He has also been the featured speaker at the National Archives Distinguished Lecture Series, hosted a network television special and does college basketball play-by-play. Ace lives in Arkansas.

Connect with author Ace Collins:
 Website
 Facebook
 Twitter

What I Thought: 
I love animals, especially dogs, so I was thrilled to review Service Tails: More Stories of Man's Best Hero. I had not read Man's Best Hero, but had read great reviews on it, so I was hoping Service Tails was great as well.

Service Tails has an Introduction, then twelve chapters that are each individual true stories of service dogs and their people. The first chapter, Beginnings, tells the fascinating story of how the first service dog came to America in the 1920s. The other eleven chapters are all more recent stories. Each chapter is between 15-20 pages, making it easy to set down between chapters and pick up later without having to remember the story you were reading.

I loved each and every chapter in Service Tails. I knew service animals could do amazing things, but did not realize the depth of their service. These incredible animals become their owner's eyes, ears, hands and feet, while providing companionship and love. Again and again, the stories expressed the huge increase in self-worth these people would gain with their guide dogs assistance.

Each and every story in Service Tails: More Stories of Man's Best Hero touched and amazed me in a different way. I am looking forward to passing this book on to my parents, who are also dog lovers and I know will thoroughly enjoy reading it. I also plan to read Man's Best Hero right away! Thank you to author Ace Collins for a wonderful book!

You can read more reviews of Service Tails at Litfuse.

Author Giveaway
 
Fall in love with these remarkable service dogs and their stories of courage, faith, and loyalty in Ace Collins' new book, Service Tails. Their training was intense, their loyalty unquestioned and each step of the way they constantly adapt to better serve those they lead. These unforgettable dogs are more than heroes; they are models from which we can learn how to love and serve unconditionally.

Celebrate the release of Service Tails with Ace by entering to win the Take-Your-Dog-to-the-Park Pack!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of Service Tails
• A copy of Man's Best Hero
• A dog blanket
• A dog leash
• A dog-cape towel
• A dog bandana
• A dog toy
• Dog treats

 

Enter today by clicking the icon below, but hurry! The giveaway ends on August 30. The winner will be announced August 31 on the Litfuse blog.

*Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Product Review~Cujo Control Remote Dog Training Collar

We have two dogs living in our home, our Miniature Schnauzer Tulip and our daughter's Schnauzer/Maltese mix Java. They are both still young, but not puppies anymore. Of course when we got them, we had every intention of training them, and then life happened. So now we have two dogs with different behavior problems that need to be addressed.  Our issues are: excessive barking, jumping on people, and running away. So I was excited to have the opportunity to review one of the top rated training tools, Cujo Control Remote Dog Training Collar.

Included in the box I received is everything you see in the picture at the top-one collar/receiver, one wireless remote, two batteries, a test light, and contact points, plus a very detailed instruction booklet with training tips. There are three training tools to choose from - tone, vibrate, or shock.This collar is for any breed dog, from 10 to 200 pounds. It is waterproof, and has a range of up to 300 meters. You can train up to two dogs. There are 16 levels of stimulation and vibration, and individual buttons for tone, vibration, and stimulation.

Here are pictures of Java and Tulip wearing the collar. We have only tried it on Java so far, as Tulip is expecting a litter of puppies and we did not want to take any chances stressing her out.  Her training will begin in a few months. The collar appears to be comfortable on them. We have only tried vibration and tone on Java so far, and I'm amazed at how quickly Java is responding! The instruction book gives detailed instructions on how to train with the collar for different behavior problems, as well as teaching basic commands.

I previously looked into other training collars, and by far Cujo Control is the best. Compared to the other kits I looked at, the range is farther, there are many more levels of vibration/stimulation, and being able to customize it for two dogs is a plus. The remote display is bright and easy to read.

As we have already had some success with Java using our Cujo Control collar when it comes to him jumping on visitors, I'm looking forward to further training with him and training Tulip. You can purchase your own Cujo Control Remote Dog Training Collar at Amazon.

*Disclosure: I received this product free in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Product Review~I Love My Dog Shampoo

Our dogs are part of our family.  They give so much unconditional love, and I want to make sure they are as comfortable as they can be.  Although we don't have fleas where we live, our dogs can still get dry, irritated skin.  Have you ever tried to sleep while your dog is scratching?  Not fun for either of you!

We have a purebred Schnauzer, Tulip, and a half Schnauzer/half Maltese, Java.  They seem to go through periods of itchiness, and I've used some shampoos that seem to make it even worse.  Many dog shampoos are very hard to rinse out, and often they are itching after a bath because they still have shampoo on them. 

I Love My Dog Shampoo by Lovely Fresh is a high quality, natural dog shampoo that is free of soap, detergent, and alcohol.  It contains oatmeal and neem, to clean, moisturize, and relieve irritation.  It also nourishes the dog's coat so it will be thicker, shinier, and healthier looking.  It is biodegradable and comes in a recyclable bottle.

Here is Java trying out I Love My Dog Shampoo for the first time. First of all, let me tell you it smells heavenly!  I can't quite distinguish the scent, but it reminded my of orange creamsicle.   The scent lasts long after the shampoo too!  It got sudsy into a rich lather quickly, and did not irritate Java's eyes.  Best of all was how easily it rinsed out.  Java is not a fan of baths, and by the time you are at the rinsing stage of the bath, he is scrambling to get out of there!  So a quick rinse was very helpful. 

I was completely pleased with I Love My Dog Shampoo.  It works great, and I love that it is natural.  You can purchase your own bottle at Amazon.  Lovely Fresh offers a money back guarantee if you are not satisfied with your purchase! Check out Lovely Fresh at their website.

 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.