The Nicholberry Dispatch
The paperback release and all sorts of brainy rabbit holes
BOOK NEWS
After missing Bark!Fest in September, I am delighted to announce that on March 13th, I’ll be appearing on The Pawsitive Post in Conversation with Zazie Todd to discuss Puppy Brain. The episode will air on the podcast itself and be available on YouTube, so I’ll post the links as soon as we’ve recorded. Zazie has asked me to read an excerpt - any suggestions?
As for the paperback release (April 30th), I’m working on dates and locations for events similar to those we did at Zibby’s Bookshop and Hummingbird, as those were two of my favorites. Stay tuned!
Last, for those of you who have taken the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads, thank you. Not only do reviews make a huge difference with online retailers, they make a huge difference to the author who poured a couple of years of their life into writing a book. Reviews like this make it all worthwhile:
Where do I start? I purchased this book about a month before picking up our Wheaten puppy, and it has been my lifeline in socializing her, using positive enforcement training, and generally understanding how a puppy develops physically and mentally. I wish I had read the book sooner to be able to better evaluate my choice in breeder. This is a must-read for all those who are thinking about getting a puppy, have a puppy, and/or just love dogs. The writing is exceptional, stories and real-life examples and clinical studies referenced throughout. It reads more like a non-fiction memoir than a how-to book, and I blew through it in a few days.
SOMETHING TO LEARN
What happens in our brains when our ideas are challenged
When I wrote my Instagram bio, I spent a lot of time thinking about words that describe me. Ultimately, I chose “Author. Educator. Advocate.” But foundational to each of those is one that matters most: learner. It is chief among the words that I hope will always apply to me in this life.
While I love critical thinking and deep conversations, I recognize that I am also housed in a body that has certain propensities, including a brain that is wired to work in a way that favors predictability and safety. This animated explanation offers insights into how our thinking can be rigid and defensive, preventing us from changing our thinking despite evidence to the contrary. May we all endeavor to understand our limitations and, at a minimum, recognize that we have blind spots in our belief systems.
SOMETHING TO LISTEN TO
Josh Waitzkin: The Art of Learning & Living Life
His name may not be familiar to you, but you might remember a movie based on his life — Searching for Bobby Fischer (the story of Josh as a child chess prodigy). It was of course fun to hear the stories of six year old Josh learning chess in New York’s Washington Square Park (“it was as if I was rediscovering a lost memory”), but this is a guy who lives with deep intention and from whom we can learn so much about living in a considered and paced way. I especially loved the discussion about learning as a process and the neuroscience of plasticity. As always, I hear so much that applies to puppies, helping me approach them with even more thoughtfulness and care.
SOMETHING TO CONSIDER
Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow.” – Mary Anne Radmacher
SOMETHING TO LOVE
For me, my favorite paragraph is:
During the first fourteen weeks of a puppy’s life, we are teaching him how to feel about the world. During the rest of his life, he lives out those feelings.
I find this profound! It definitely changed my thinking and actions with my pup.
Another part of Puppy Brain I love are your photographs and videos of puppy life. They totally reflect your beliefs and for those of us who are working on being better guardians, they show us the path.
Always enjoy hearing about your next adventures! ❤️
Oh Kerry that’s wonderful! I can’t wait to listen to the podcast! It has to be so difficult to select what to read from your book. I have learned and used so much of the book, I have post-its and notes throughout. My personal favorites are when you share a story about one of your pups being imperfect, and how you later incorporated that experience into something positive.