pet connection

I just had a wonderful phone interview with Kate Eldredge, a talented dog trainer who has recently come out with her very first book on dogs. It happens all the time, of course, that a dog trainer writes a dog book …  except that normally the author isn’t 15 years old.

You read that right. Kate Eldredge is 15, and has been writing about dogs professionally since she was 10. This is her first book.

Kate, you slacker, what took you so long?

The book is "Head of the Class: A Teen Dog Expert Teaches You How to Raise and Train the Perfect Pal," and it’s a good one. Eldredge covers everything from choosing and raising a puppy from how to get involved in dog sports to how to do crafts with a canine theme. There’s even good veterinary information, in chapters written by Kate’s co-author, Dr. Debra Eldredge, who just happens to be a practicing veterinarian and award-winning book author herself. And … ahem .. Kate’s mom.

Most of the writing is all Kate’s, and although the book is geared towards kids her own age, it’s actually a pretty good guide for dog-lovers of all ages.

Geez, I didn’t write my first book until I was 37. I’m feeling a bit of a late-bloomer next to this kid.

Go on, buy the book. Great job, Kate!