Two great new eBooks available!

Two more of our great books, You and Your Cockapoo and Dieting with my Dog, are now available as eBooks!

Now available from the iBookstore and the Kindle store!

Crossbreeding between different types of dog is not a new phenomenon, and, over recent years, interest in crossbreeding has grown, partly due to curiosity but more significantly because the role of dogs in our lives has undergone a dramatic change as they have become one of the family. As a result, breeders are seeking to create new, distinctive, friendly companion dogs that will thrive in domestic surroundings. 

The lovable Cockapoo is one of the oldest members of the so-called ‘designer dog' group, and, ion this essential guide, you will find everything you need to know about choosing, buying and enjoying your Cockapoo, including breed background, settling in your new arrival, establishing a daily routine and what to expect as your canine companion grows up. Over 100 illustrations – many specially commissioned – colourfully illustrate and describe these captivating dogs. 

You and Your Cockapoo is now available through the iBookstore and the Kindle store.

The veterinarian rubbed Kelly’s sides for emphasis. “She needs to lose weight. If not ...” Peggy Frezon recognized the list of serious ailments that followed. It was the same one her own doctor had given her.

Dieting With My Dog is the honest and heartfelt story of how one overweight woman and her chubby spaniel struggled to get fit and healthy together. Theirs was a comfortable routine. While Frezon’s children were flying the nest, her loyal rescue pup snuggled close. Sneaking M&Ms from her secret stash, she would slip Kelly extra doggy cookies too. Why not? Food is love. But then, Kelly became the motivating factor that led Frezon to face down the physical and emotional reasons for her overeating, and for overfeeding her dog. She learned that embracing change is healthy, and everything is easier with unconditional love.

Join Frezon and Kelly on their journey to weight loss with a wag. Dieting With My Dog celebrates our close bonds with our pets in times of both need and triumph. This book is for anyone who has ever loved a pet – through thick and thin.

Dieting with my Dog can now be found over at the iBookstore and Kindle stores.

As always, you can purchase a physical copy of both books over at the Hubble & Hattie website! Don't forget, we're still offering 40% off with free UK p+p, so get your copy in time for Christmas!

Animal Grief gets a great review!

Marc Bekoff is a leading light in the world of animal welfare, behaviour, etc, and known the world over, and now he's written an article dealing with the subject of animals and grief.


Not only that, but he was kind enough to mention our fantastic book, Animal Grief, within his article:


'We really don't need more data to know other animals grieve and mourn the loss of family and friends and I'm sure as time goes on more and more species will be added to the list of animals who grieve. But for those who do want more, a book called Animal Grief: How Animals Mourn was recently published that contains new information on how a wide variety of animals respond to death. Accompanied by striking photographs of a wide range of animals is a text filled with new information about animal grief. Topics covered include animal souls, self-awareness, the neurobiology of grief and mourning, mourning rituals, stages of grief, and numerous examples of grief in a wide variety of animals, including elephants, chimpanzees, cats, dogs, and various birds. A large amount of information is packed in its 80 pages and it's an easy read' - Marc Bekoff, Professor Emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

You can read Marc's full article over at the Psychology Today website... go and check it out, it's a great read!


What's more, if you'd like your own copy of Animal Grief, there's never been a better time to get your paws on a copy... Hubble & Hattie are offering a whopping 40% off all of our books this Christmas, with free p+p if you're within the UK! (excludes Special Delivery)

Head on over to the H&H website to take a look at Animal Grief, plus a whole host of other animal books that will make great gifts this Christmas.

Hoglet Watch 2011: The Hoglet Diaries part 1

You might remember last Autumn we went hedgehog mad and gave you updates about the baby hedgehogs, or 'hoglets' that Hubble & Hattie director, Jude, looked after in her home and garden.

Well it's that time of year again, and Jude's got another batch of hoglets to care for this year! Follow the Hoglet Diaries here at the H&H blog to find out how they're getting on!

Lodgers at Winkle Cottage

The one that got away...

'Back in early July I had a call from a lady who had found four very young hoglets, whose mother she believed had been killed in the road. When she brought them to me in a big green crate, I found they were very young indeed, probably 4-5 weeks. Even so, they seemed in good condition, possibly because their mother had only recently been killed. The runt of the litter was considerably smaller than her siblings, and much less active. She took some food that evening, however, so I was reasonably optimistic. 

Interesting!

'I settled all of them in the crate after adding newspaper and hay to make a warm bed, plus, of course, water and food. My dog, Imani (Immie), is always extremely interested in our temporary lodgers and will stand, fascinated, over whatever receptacle they are in and just watch them. 

'The next morning I was saddened to find that littl'un hadn't made it through the night. When I picked up each hoglet to check them over, she was  at the bottom of the pile, and I feel she may well have suffocated beneath her siblings. Poor little thing. I weighed the remaining three hoglets and noted the date; from now on, weighing would need to be done on a regular basis, to ensure that each was gaining the weight that they needed to. I also sexed the babies: two girls and a boy. Weights ranged from 110 to 138 grams; they'd need to be at least 500grams before release could be considered. 

'Hedgehogs are incredibly messy animals, who take particular delight, it seems, in using their food and water bowls as toilets. And in this respect, they're also quite smelly, which may be due to the fact that they are fed cat food usually. Having three in a crate meant that a clean-out every day was a must, especially as they were residing in my dining room! I usually did this each evening when I got home from work, just before they were up and about, looking for their supper, as it meant that I could lay out a couple sheets of newspaper and transfer the hogs onto this in their nest of hay, allowing me to wash out, dry and re-prepare their crate. Each time, Immie would sit as close as possible to the bundle of hay, watching intently for any sign of activity. 

'Once reinstated in their clean home, I would prepare supper for them. Cat food, or some of the organic chicken that I give Imani, would comprise the bulk of the food, with maybe a little scrambled egg or mashed banana. I was always concerned that each got enough to eat so would usually put the food in two servings at the end of the crate, together with fresh water.  

'An important point with rearing hedgehogs that are intended to return to their natural habitat (which, of course, should always be the case if possible) is not to let them become too familiar with people, and this means handling them as little as possible. They are not pets and will only truly be happy if allowed to live their lives as nature intended, even if this means that they have to take their chances out there in the big, wide world.

'Life for the hoglets continued in this way for a further week or so, and they steadily gained weight and strength.

'Then I got a call from the local vet: could I take in another homeless hog ...?'


Next month: And then there were four!

We'd love to get to know your pets!

Hi there

I'm Jude Brooks, publisher of our Hubble and Hattie books, and this is my best friend and constant companion, Imani (Immie).

Regular readers of our Hubble and Hattie Newsletter may have noticed that some of our animal-loving staff have contributed articles about their companion animals and their lives together. 

If you're anything like me, you'll love to hear how our adored animals – be they dogs, cats, rabbits, horses or rats – have made such a difference to our lives, and so I'd like to invite you to write in and tell Immie and I about you and YOUR best friend.

Simply email me – jude@veloce.co.uk – or write to me at Hubble and Hattie,Veloce Publishing Ltd, Veloce House, Parkway Farm Business Park, Middle Farm Way, Poundbury, Dorchester, Dorset DT3 1AR – and don't forget to include a picture!

Each month we'll feature a reader's article in the Hubble and Hattie Newsletter, so get writing now as Immie and I can't wait to hear from you!

Best wishes.

Jude and Immie

Not all cats hate water!

Mog the cat is breaking cat convention after being in an accident that left his front legs paralysed. 
The treatment? Take a dip!



It's not just cats that can benefit from hydrotherapy. Our new book 'Swim to Recovery: Canine Hydrotherapy Healing' explains it's fantastic for dogs too!

Swim to Recovery is available next month!

This unique book explores canine hydrotherapy, rehabilitation and weight management, and how these can improve your dog’s well-being.

A type of aquatic exercise, hydrotherapy can help prevent and treat medical problems and pre-/post-operative conditions in dogs, and can also be used for rehabilitation and maintaining health and fitness in your dog.

Obesity is one of the most common issues that domestic dogs face today, and this book brings awareness to the matter, suggesting preventative measures and simple husbandry tips that the owner can use to safeguard their dog’s welfare.

Supplemented by illustrations and colour photographs of patients undergoing rehabilitation, this book is ideal for all dog owners.

Swim to recovery will be available next month priced at £12.99 (plus p+p). You can find out more, as always, over at the Hubble & Hattie website!

Lost and Fond tributes and giveaways

It's always a heartbreaking experience to lose a pet, the gaping hole left by their absence is often impossible to fill.


At the Lost & Fond blog, you can write a tribute and share your memories and photos of the pets you have loved and lost. The blog aims to provide 'a warm and welcoming place where we can all remember the pets who have enriched our lives and find friendship and support from the huge community of animal lovers who understand how we feel', and it certainly does just that.

Hubble in the garden

Our directors, Rod and Jude have written loving tributes of their two westies, Hubble and Hattie; the namesakes of our animal imprint. You can read these tributes and view photos of both Hubble and Hattie over at the blog now.

You can also read a feature about the company here, and discover why naming the imprint Hubble & Hattie is the greatest tribute of all.




It's a well known fact that we grieve for our pets when they pass away, but it's a relatively knew idea that animals also experience grief with the loss of a close companion or loved one.


It's an idea explored in our new book, Animal Grief by award winning author David Alderton:




Science is now providing some remarkable insights into animal behaviour, with crocodiles, for example, emerging as devoted parents, and elephants – like whales – able to communicate with each other across long distances by ultrasound, which is inaudible to our ears. There seems little doubt that animals experience a range of emotions, just as we do; but can they grieve, too ...? 

The lovely people at Lost and Fond are currently giving away TWO copies of Animal Grief, simply follow this link and follow the instructions to be in with a chance of winning your own copy! The lucky winners will be chosen at random after the closing date of 12pm on the 12th November.

You can also purchase a copy of the book over at the Hubble & Hattie website, priced at £9.99 plus postage.