Are You A Pineapple? by Kathryn A. Zolman Book Tour, Guest Post & Giveaway! {Ends 12/17/22}

Review By LAWonder10:

Are You a Pineapple is a fun, beautifully illustrated book by Kathryn A. Zolman. s unique as the puppy’s name, this is a fun story about naming one’s dog.

This is a simple, easily-read book that a very young child can understand.

The illustrations by Walter Policelli are well-defined, fun, and full of expression. The hard copy book is very well made with quality, glossy pages. This book will surely endure many hours of reading for many years. It is a sturdy book for any library.

I offer a Five Stars rating.

This book was gifted me with no pressure for a positive review. This is my honest review.

Best Dog Life by Kathryn A. Zolman

I’m really not sure what my husband and I were thinking. We had just moved into our newly built home; no yard to speak of, just dirt. Yet somehow, we thought this was the perfect time to get our first puppy together. A six-week-old Doberman Pinscher. This began my love affair with the breed. For some reason, we wanted to be original and used a Nordic-origin name, which no one could ever pronounce correctly.

We named our bundle of joy Wotan. Pronounced Vō-tawn. He was a big boy, over 100 pounds at his heaviest. Very much a loner personality, that is, until we had our daughter. He rapidly became her protector, ensuring his paw was always touching her blanket. He still wanted his space, but he also wanted to keep an eye on this new little human. Because his height was the same as the high chair, he quickly figured out where to position himself for her little fingers to reach his mouth. Wotan lived a long life, passing at ten and a half years old. He was registered in the Doberman Longevity Program.

He was my first baby. Losing a dog is such a painful experience. We waited a couple of years before getting another puppy, but I definitely wanted my daughter to grow up with a dog in our house.

Our second Doberman Pinscher puppy was named Titan. His personality was the polar opposite of Wotan’s. Titan was a cuddler. He may have been ninety pounds, but he was a lap dog in his mind. He and my daughter were close. He did everything with her, including riding shotgun in her go-kart. When Titan was eight and a half years old, he had a heart attack. He survived it; however, we now knew our time with him was limited. He was diagnosed with Dilated Cardiomyopathy and passed two months later.

My husband was against us getting our third Doberman Pinscher puppy. He didn’t think he could go through losing another pet, which I completely understood. But I felt like we had so many great memories with our dogs which I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. This was when we welcomed Ivan into our lives. Ivan was defiant; he quickly tried to become our household’s alpha. I had read many books about training and obedience before our first Doberman puppy, and we weren’t new to this; we’re experienced Doberman owners, but I should have just thrown all those books out the window. It took some time, but Ivan became a wonderful pet. He was a practical joker and had a trickster personality.

One Spring evening, I was watching Ivan in the backyard from the kitchen window. Hell fell over on his side. It very much resembled how Titan reacted during his heart attack. I yell to my husband, and we run outside and push on his chest. Ivan looked at us, dazed and confused. We attempted to take him to a veterinarian but didn’t have time. Ivan was young, only six years old.

This is where I introduce you to our current Doberman Pinscher puppy named Kona, aka Goofy.

We just celebrated Kona’s first birthday. He, unfortunately, has separation anxiety, which I believe is a result of my working from home for the first few months of getting him. He’s a handful but has the potential to be a loving member of our family. We’re excited to watch his personality come out as he grows up.

I have loved each and every one of our dogs for their own unique personality. As I look back over the years, I’m reminded of countless fond memories. I know that our dogs were happy and lived a wonderful life. Yes, we have experienced grief, but the joy in my heart outweighs the pain that I have felt. I’m thankful we were able to give them their best dog life.