Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou


Steve Duno - 2010
    On the winter day that the ailing, tick-infested feral pup was rescued by Steve Duno, neither dog nor man had a clue as to what they were getting into, or where the relationship would lead.Last Dog on the Hill tells the story of an indigent young Rottweiler mix who, after abandoning his pack and the hills of his birth, went on to change the lives of hundreds of people and dogs, including the author's, whose career as a behaviorist and writer was made possible through Lou's extraordinary intelligence and heart. Lou won the respect of gang members, foiled an armed robbery, caught a rapist, fought coyotes and kidnappers, comforted elderly war veterans and Alzheimer patients in their final days, taught ASL to kids, learned scores of unique behaviors and tricks, amassed a vocabulary of nearly 200 words, helped rehabilitate hundreds of aggressive dogs and saved them from euthanasia. He was also a clown, consummate performer and Steve's best friend for sixteen years. His story will make readers laugh and cry in equal measures.

Huck: The Remarkable True Story of How One Lost Puppy Taught a Family - and a Whole Town - About Hope and Happy Endings


Janet Elder - 2010
     Michael was four when his relentless campaign for a dog began. At seven he made a PowerPoint presentation, “My Dog,” with headings like “A Childhood Without a Dog is a Sad Thing.” His parents, Janet and Rich, were steadfast; bringing a dog into their fast-paced New York City lives was utterly impractical. However, on a trip to Italy, a chance happening leads Janet to reconsider, a decision then hastened by a diagnosis of breast cancer.  Janet decides the excitement of a new puppy would  be the perfect antidote to the strain on the family of months of arduous treatments for her illness. The prospect of a new puppy would be an affirmation of life, a powerful talisman for them all. On Thanksgiving weekend, soon after the grueling months of treatments are over, Huck, a sweet, mischievous, red-haired, toy poodle joins the family and wins everyone’s heart. A few months later the family ventures to baseball’s spring training, leaving Huck with Janet’s sister in Ramsey, New Jersey.  Barely twenty-four hours into the trip, Janet receives the dreaded phone call: Huck has slipped through the backyard fence and run away.  Broken-hearted and frantic, the family catches the first plane to New Jersey to begin a search for their lost puppy. It is a race against time, for little Huck is now lost in an area entirely unfamiliar to him, facing the threat of bears and coyotes, swamps and freezing temperatures, rain and fast cars.  Moved by the family’s plight, strangers – from school children to townspeople to the police lieutenant – join the search, one that proves to be an unyielding test of determination and faith. Touching and warm-hearted, Huck is a spirit-lifting story about resilience, the generosity of strangers, and hope.

The Soul of All Living Creatures: What Animals Can Teach Us About Being Human


Vint Virga - 2013
    Vint Virga had a life-changing experience: he witnessed the power of simple human contact and compassion to affect the recovery of a dog struggling to survive after being hit by a car.  Observing firsthand the remarkably strong connection between humans and animals inspired him to explore the world from the viewpoint of animals and taught him to respect the kinship that connects us.With The Soul of All Living Creatures, Virga draws from his decades in veterinary practice to reveal how, by striving to perceive the world as animals do, we can enrich our own appreciation of life, enhance our character, nurture our relationships, improve our communication with others, reorder our values, and deepen our grasp of spirituality.  Virga discerningly illuminates basic traits shared by both humans and animals and makes animal behavior meaningful, relevant, and easy to understand.  Insightful and eloquent, The Soul of All Living Creatures offers an intimate journey into the lives of our fellow creatures and a thought-provoking promise of what we can learn from spending time with them.

Travels with Casey


Benoit Denizet-Lewis - 2014
    "I don't think my dog likes me very much,"New York Times Magazine writer Benoit Denizet-Lewis confesses at the beginning of his journey with his nine-year-old Labrador-mix, Casey. Over the next four months, thirty-two states, and 13,000 miles in a rented motor home, Denizet-Lewis and his canine companion attempt to pay tribute to the most powerful interspecies bond there is, in the country with the highest rate of dog ownership in the world. On the way, Denizet-Lewis, known for his deeply reported dispatches from far corners of American life meets an irresistible cast of dogs and dog-obsessed humans. Denizet-Lewis and Casey hang out with wolf-dogs in Appalachia, search with a dedicated rescuer of stray dogs in Missouri, spend a full day at a kooky dog park in Manhattan, get pulled over by a K9 cop in Missouri, and visit Dog Whisperer Cesar Millan in California. And then there are the pet psychics, dog-wielding hitchhikers, and two nosy women who took their neighbor to court for allegedly failing to pick up her dog's poop.Travels With Casey is a delightfully idiosyncratic blend of memoir and travelogue coupled with an exploration of a dog-loving America. What does our relationship to our dogs tell us about ourselves and our values? Denizet-Lewis explores those questions and his own canine-related curiosities and insecurities during his unforgettable road trip through our dog-loving nation.

Dogs Never Lie About Love: Reflections on the Emotional World of Dogs


Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson - 1991
    Like the dogs he loves, Masson's writing--drawn from myth and literature, scientific studies and true accounts--will capture readers with its playful, mysterious, and serious sides.

Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey


Dion Leonard - 2017
    The lovable pup, who earned the name ‘Gobi’, proved that what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in heart, as she went step for step with Dion over the treacherous Tian Shan Mountains, managing to keep pace with him for nearly 80 miles.As Dion witnessed the incredible determination of this small animal, he felt something change within himself. In the past he had always focused on winning and being the best, but his goal now was simply to make sure that his new friend was safe, nourished and hydrated. Although Dion did not finish first, he felt he had won something far greater and promised to bring Gobi back to the UK for good to become a new addition to his family. This was the start of a journey neither of them would ever forget with a roller coaster ride of drama, grief, heartbreak, joy and love that changed their lives forever.Finding Gobi is the ultimate story of hope, of resilience and of friendship, proving once again, that dogs really are ‘man’s best friend.’

Oh My Dog: How to Choose, Train, Groom, Nurture, Feed, and Care for Your New Best Friend


Beth O. Stern - 2010
    Before you get to the end of your leash, turn to this friendly and relatable reference that’s the next best thing to talking to a dog-owning friend who's seen it all. In Oh My Dog, animal rights activist Beth Ostrosky Stern has compiled tips and invaluable advice from experts—and from her own experience as dogowner—to sooth concerns, answer questions big and small, and help you and your dog get the most out of your relationship. From the moment you even consider getting a dog, to caring for your old friend when his puppy years are far behind him, Oh My Dog covers every angle of dog ownership, including: - Which breeds would be good match for me? - What do I look for in a vet? - How do I make sure our first night together is as stress-free as possible? - What activities will help me bond with my dog?- Is my dog showing sign of illness?- What should I know before I head to a doggie day care or park? - How do I read pet food labels? - What should I do in an emergency?Choc full of informative side bars, questionnaires, to-do lists, and much, much more, Oh My Dog is the answer-filled field guide for anybody who owns a dog or is considering getting one. Beth Ostrosky Stern

Buster's Diaries as told to Roy Hattersley


Roy Hattersley - 1998
    Buster - an Alsatian and Staffordshire Bull terrier crossbreed owned by Roy Hattersley -shares his wit and wisdom on a wide range of canine dilemmas.

Let Me Tell You about Jasper...: How My Best Friend Became America's Dog


Dana Perino - 2016
    Dana Perino is back with stories of friends, family, and how America's love for a dog named Jasper is a place where even political opponents can find common ground. Dana Perino is a popular and beloved host on Fox's The Five, with over two million followers on social media. While readers admire Dana for her charm, warmth, and insight, she also knows who the real star in her family is: her Vizsla, Jasper-A.K.A. America's Dog. In this new book, Dana tells stories about life and politics-and how dogs can transcend rancor and partisanship. She also talks about how dogs bring families together -like Dana's own, from her career in Washington through her life as a TV star. In addition to all the fun and fabulous dog tales, Let Me Tell You About Jasper... is fully illustrated with hilarious photoshops so clever they will make you laugh out loud. These photoshops bring Jasper's adventures to life through pop culture, art, sports and history.

How Stella Learned to Talk: The Groundbreaking Story of the World's First Talking Dog


Christina Hunger - 2021
    During the day, she worked with toddlers with significant delays in language development and used Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices to help them communicate. At night, she wondered: If dogs can understand words we say to them, shouldn't they be able to say words to us? Can dogs use AAC to communicate with humans?Christina decided to put her theory to the test with Stella and started using a paw-sized button programmed with her voice to say the word "outside" when clicked, whenever she took Stella out of the house. A few years later, Stella now has a bank of more than thirty word buttons, and uses them daily either individually or together to create near-complete sentences.How Stella Learned to Talk is part memoir and part how-to guide. It chronicles the journey Christina and Stella have taken together, from the day they met, to the day Stella "spoke" her first word, and the other breakthroughs they've had since. It also reveals the techniques Christina used to teach Stella, broken down into simple stages and actionable steps any dog owner can use to start communicating with their pets.Filled with conversations that Stella and Christina have had, as well as the attention to developmental detail that only a speech-language pathologist could know, How Stella Learned to Talk will be the indispensable dog book for the new decade.

101 Salivations: For the Love of Dogs


Rachael Hale - 2003
    Rachael Hale's signature style catches the eye of everyone who comes across it. Featuring 101 color photographs of Chihuahuas, Great Danes, and everything in between, 101 SALIVATIONS presents dogs in all sorts of wonderful poses that bring out their most endearing characteristics. Rachael's secret to capturing a dog's soul is to focus on his eyes-whether they are wide and shining, or heavy-lidded, in the throes of slumber. Within this book we can see the soul of our own best buddies staring back at us. The book is peppered with humorous and touching quotations from well-known authors such as A.A. Milne and Fran Lebowitz.

Beagles For Dummies


Susan McCullough - 2006
    They're cute, compact, fun-loving, and great with kids. (Not to mention those soulful eyes!) But their sense of humor, independence, and stubborn nature isn't for everyone. So whether you're thinking about getting your very own Snoopy-dog, or if you've already opened your heart and home to one, Beagles for Dummies answers important questions like: What are Beagles supposed to look like and how should they behave? Should I choose a puppy or an adult dog? Male or female? How do I correct my Beagle's behavior problems? What do I need to do to survive my Beagle's puppyhood? How can I Beagle-proof my house to keep him (and my stuff) safe? What should I teach my Beagle to do? How do I teach him? What health problems is my Beagle likely to have when he's young? How about when he grows up--or gets old? Life with these little hounds can lead to years of merriment, entertainment, and love--but if you think Beagles are just another hound dog, think again! Whether you want to know everything there is to living with a Beagle, or just want to skip to a relevant subject (like how to keep him out of the hamper), Beagles for Dummies gives you everything you need to choose and raise your Snoopy soul mate.

Almost Perfect


Diane Daniels Manning - 2014
    Despite her decades-long career as one of America’s top Standard Poodle breeders, she has decided she’s too old to hold on to her foolish dream. She sells off all the dogs in her once famous kennel except for the aging champion McCreery and his mischievous, handsome son Breaker. Part of her senses they might have been the ones to take her to Westminster, if only she’d dared to try.Bess meets Benny, a teenager with mild autism who attends a therapeutic special school, and learns he has a dream of his own: to impress his self-absorbed mother. Benny is drawn into the world of dog shows and becomes convinced he has found the perfect way to win his mother’s attention. If he can win Westminster with either McCreery or Breaker, he just knows she will finally be proud of him. Getting Bess to go along with his plan, however, is not going to be so easy. . .Up to 100% of the author’s profits will be donated to charities serving animals and children. Visit www.dianedanielsmanning.com.

Everyday Blessings: 365 Days of Inspirational Thoughts


Max Lucado - 2004
    Each day includes a Scripture verse and short devotional that reminds you to be grateful for the everyday blessings God provides. Max Lucado will remind and teach you:God is always by your side, in the good and the badTrust God because He has you at the forefrontGod is listening and your voice mattersEveryday Blessings is a great self-purchase for anyone needing daily encouragement, seeking a closer relationship with God, or wanting an inspirational devotional to read. This yearlong devotional also makes a great gift for birthdays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or holiday gift giving.

Developing Engagement and Relationship (Dog Sports Skills, #1)


Denise Fenzi - 2013
    This first book will focus on developing a competition foundation based in “Engagement and relationship”It doesn’t matter what genetic package or temperament your dog is born with; you can bring out the best in your dog! To train your dog, you must develop a relationship that encourages a willingand happy attitude with natural focus while eliminating undue stress in both training and competition.If your goal is to create a world-class performance dog, then this book is for you – we can help you refine your engagement and relationship skills to a higher level.Special note: This book won the prestigious Maxwell award for Book of the Year in the Category of Behavior and Training - 2013.