Please note that some posts contains affiliate links & I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links Find out More

Puppies Book & Article Winners at Dog Writers Association Banquet!

by | Feb 16, 2015 | Dog Training & Care | 20 comments

Image courtesy of DepositPhotos.com

Image courtesy of DepositPhotos.com

The Dog Writers Association of America banquet was held last night in New York City. It’s traditionally held the night before Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show and I’ve had the great joy and honor to attend both events several times. But not last night–due to travel constraints *cough-BLIZZARD-cough* and work issues, I wasn’t able to attend, despite knowing that I had a couple of entries in the running.

My book COMPLETE PUPPY CARE was nominated for a Maxwell Medallion in the category of Reference Books. I received the Nomination Certificate some time ago and am deeply honored. You can see all the regular category winners here. I hope that you’ll recommend the award-winning book to anyone with a new puppy in their future!

(Equal time for Complete KITTEN Care!)

Much of the book is based on research and articles I’d written over the past three years for my puppies.about.com site, and so this was particularly sweet for me. As many of y’all know, my contract with that company was abruptly cancelled last summer–for those morbidly curious, details here. Ya know, the best “revenge” is always success, LOL!

So an even sweeter recognition came when I won a DWAA Special Award last night for an article written for the puppies.about.com site titled “AKC Canine Good Citizenship Programs.” The information from that article of course is also included in the book. You can see the list of all the special awards winners here.

AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy and Canine Good Citizen Award

Sponsored by the American Kennel Club, this award is for the best writing about the AKC Canine Good Citizen Program or the puppy level of CGC, AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy.

Recognized as the ‘gold standard’ for family dog manners, CGC and AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy focus on teaching good manners to dogs and responsible dog ownership to dog owners. This award is a $500.00 cash award.

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the nominees and winners! I am very fortunate to live in a world and participate in a community of professional communicators dedicated to sharing life-saving and relationship-saving information about the dogs we love!

Now then–how many of y’all have taken your puppy through the CGC or S.T.A.R. Puppy Programs? Or how about the AKC Community Canine program also mentioned in the article?

And…how many of y’all will be watching Westminster tonight and tomorrow night on TV? *raising paw* Magical-Dawg and I will be rooting for the…well, you know. *s*

YouTube Button

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book give aways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!

20 Comments

  1. Rachel Sheppard
    Rachel Sheppard on February 18, 2015 at 3:18 pm

    Congratulations! You are a RockStar and an inspiration!

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 18, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Thanks so much, everyone! Still floating…

      Reply
  2. Pawesome Cats
    Pawesome Cats on February 17, 2015 at 3:07 am

    Congrats on the nomination and the award…woo hoo!

    Reply
  5. Robin
    Robin on February 16, 2015 at 7:56 pm

    It sounds like it was probably a great night! We are having some pretty wicked winter weather around here too. Congrats to all of the winners 🙂

    Reply
  6. MyDogLikes
    MyDogLikes on February 16, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Congratulations! What an honor!

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 16, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      Thanks so much! Fluffy congrats are the bestest. *s*

      Reply
  9. Susan Bewley
    Susan Bewley on February 16, 2015 at 3:39 pm

    Congratulations on the award! Too bad this stupid snow kept you from the banquet. 🙁

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 16, 2015 at 4:36 pm

      Thanks Susan. Some day I’ll get back to the DWAA & Westminster!

      Reply
  11. Amanda
    Amanda on February 16, 2015 at 11:42 am

    A HUGE congratulations to you! That’s so fantastic! I would love to write a book someday 🙂 We are definitely watching Westminster. Wynston is a spokesdog for Pro Plan so they sent us a bunch of Westminster goodies this year to make our viewing experience that much more fun!! Of course since we compete in agility, our favorite part was the Master’s agility championship yesterday 🙂

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 16, 2015 at 12:39 pm

      Love agility! I think my Magical-Dawg would have loved that but–I’m already so overwhelmed with the to-do lists. Thanks so much for the note, and congrats to Wynston for being a spokesdog.

      Reply
  12. Jen Gabbard
    Jen Gabbard on February 16, 2015 at 10:59 am

    Congrats on the nomination and that awesome reward. And as you say the best “revenge” is success – it’s something that it hard to argue with. Sorry to hear about the weather keeping you in; it’s never fun to try and battle mother nature.

    Reply
  13. Peggy Frezon
    Peggy Frezon on February 16, 2015 at 10:05 am

    Congratulations on the nomination and the special award! What great news! I’m sorry the snow kept you away from attending the banquet 🙁

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 16, 2015 at 10:11 am

      My husband is a tax pro and this time of year he works very long hours which means me being gone requires boarding the pets. So coming to the banquet/westminster would be not only the cost of the plane, hotel and banquet (with risk of weather cancellation and no refund…that’s happened before!), but also boarding costs. When you work for yourself, hard decisions must be made (and my “boss” isn’t very understanding about such things!).

      Reply
  14. M. K. Clinton
    M. K. Clinton on February 16, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Congratulations!! What an outstanding honor! I am hoping to become a member of the DWA this year. ☺

    Reply
    • Amy Shojai
      Amy Shojai on February 16, 2015 at 8:50 am

      Thanks so much! I’ve been a DWAA member for …well, several doggy lifetimes. *S*

      Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories:

Recent Posts

National Adopt a Dog Month: Top 6 Popular Puppy Posts

It’s NATIONAL ADOPT A DOG MONTH! How will you spend your celebration? Wait, your dog didn’t tell you? Well, for Shadow, it’s “dog week” every week of the year, but the “official” celebration takes place the 4th week of September every year — and has been celebrated since the first event in 1928. But October celebrates dog adoptions all month long. Check out my most popular dog-centric blogs in this post.

BITE Prevention for Halloween: 9 Ways to Keep Fangs At Bay

Have you thought about dog bite Halloween safety? and I’m not talking about vampires, either. Many dogs enjoy the howl-idays. But dogs biting kids happens more often at this time of year than any other.

This is a timely subject so I try to revisit the information every year. I write about this every year because it’s so darned important. With Halloween in the offing, this is the perfect time to brush up on dog safety issues and protect your kids, too.

To give equal time, there are many kitty-centric Halloween myth-teries you’ll find fascinating, especially about black cats.

While nonstop doorbell rings and visitors showering attention may be doggy bliss for your pet, even friendly laid back pooches get their tails in a twist over the disruption to routine. That can be dangerous for the pet—and for the human. Learn more about dog bites and kid safety here…

Black Cat Appreciation Day & Halloween Black Cats

August 17 is Black Cat Appreciation Day to counter the Halloween black cat negative myths. Of course, those folks who share their lives (and pillows!) with a special black cat know better. Sadly, too many black cats remain in shelters rather than being adopted.

In fact, some evidence supports the notion that black cats (one of the first “mutations” of wild coat color), enhanced what I call the feline friendly factor. Black cats often seem to be much more agreeable and love spending time with their chosen human. Maybe that’s why so many of the so-called witches were associated with black kitties.

People have more difficulty picking cats because they assume all felines are the same. And because usually, cats pick us.

Halloween Pets Safety: Protect Pets from Halloween Goblins

Halloween pet safety is needed every year. Halloween at its best is a night of mystery, fun, and thrills for human children and many adults. It’s important to keep your human kiddoes safe with these tips, but no less important for the pets. I write about Halloween pets safety every year because it can be a nightmare for your furry kids.

Halloween Pet Costumes: How to Dress Dogs in Costumes

Do you enjoy dressing up the house—and yourself—for the holidays? If you want to include Halloween pet costumes, start now to get them used to the notion. Most of the costumes don’t fit Bravo-Dawg, and I’ve not yet tried Shadow-Pup. I’ll share pictures if/when that happens.

Meanwhile, be sure to keep pets safe over Halloween, though. Dogs and cats aren’t always fans of wearing Halloween costumes, but with these tips, you can help pets accept the notion.

Halloween Pet Costumes

Some pets enjoy dressing up, particularly the small dogs already used to wearing coats and sweaters in cool weather. There are many pet costumes available from pet products stores, from fancy to plain. If your outgoing, confident pet is willing, you can have great fun with costumes. But if your pets don’t care for dress up, don’t press it. Many pets may bite over Halloween out of fear of change.

Even reluctant pets may be persuaded to wear a fancy collar or bandana or painted toenails.

Celebrating Old Cats: What Is Old?

Every year, I write about our old cat needs. While Karma-Kat has just reached middle age, cats age at different rates. When do you consider your cat old? Is your old cat a senior kitty by age 8, or 13, or…when? For cats, what is old? Here’s how the experts define ‘old age’ in cats…

Visit Amy's Website

Amy Shojai CACB is an award winning author.  You can find all her publications and book her to speak via her website. 

Visit the website

On Demand Writer Coaching

AmyShojai.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com http://amazon.com/.

Awards

CWA Muse Medallion Award

CWA Muse Medallion Award

Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Award

Dog Writers Association of America Maxwell Award

Fear Free Certified

Fear Free Certified

CWA Muse Medallion Award

CWA Muse Medallion Award

Cat Writers Muse Medallion Awards

Cat Writers Muse Medallion Awards

Memberships