A Book Review: Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know

Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know
by Jeff Johnson & Hy Conrad
Pub:Sourcebooks
232 Pages

This book is FUN!  It is fun to pick it up and read a vignette while waiting on a sluggish browser.  It is fun to read selected paragraphs aloud to a friend or spouse.  It works well as a coffee table book or ...urrm a bathroom book...because it lends itself well to brief browsing.

It is FUNNY.  Howling funny.  With 11 dogs with distinctive personalities true to breed confessing all in ROFLOL monologues.

It's UPLIFTING.  There is no way your mood can stay in the dumps after reading even a single one of the over 100 messages.

It's EDUCATIONAL.  At least I'm assuming there is plenty of truth tucked in among the funny, insights into how dogs really do think.  It feels true to what I have known of the handful of dogs I've had closish relationships with.

My copy somehow migrated out to the porch soon after it arrived where it remained for weeks as my husband's cigarette break and BBQ monitoring read.

I just about insisted he write this review.  But when I suggested it he said something to the effect fun, funny, mood lift, educational, there,  done.

From the Publishers:

Why do dogs eat furniture when there are endless chew toys nearby?
Why do they always dash to a rug when they have to throw up?
And why are they always absolutely starving?

Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know answers the questions that dog owners have asked for centuries. The book is a collection of 115 humorous essays that reveal the truth behind some of the most baffling canine behavior, their hopes and dreams, their grudges and pleasures, and what they really think about us humans. Peppered with lively, clever stories and visually appealing photographs, Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know is a verbal and visual delight that is laugh-out-loud funny. If you have dogs, love dogs, or have ever been baffled by a dog, this book is a must-have.

Topics include:

• My Life in Your Purse by Tinkerbell, the Chihuahua

• Waiting by the Table (for food scraps, of course!) by Orson, the bulldog

• The Bed Rules (Rule #1-It's my bed) by Dimples, the boxer

• The Reason I Ate the Sofa (leather tastes a lot like rawhide) by Axelrod, the yellow lab

• I Can Poop the Second I Start My Walk (but choose not to) by Sophie, the cocker spaniel

What they are saying:

"A whimsical delight for dog lovers everywhere, this book will charm and remind readers why they fell in love with Rover to begin with." (Publishers Weekly Starred Review)
"I laughed, my dog howled." (Steve Martin)

"This is the perfect book for anyone who owns a dog, has ever owned one, or knows what a dog is. These guys made me laugh out loud-and captured my heart at the same time. The book is simply irresistible." (Tony Shalhoub, star of the TV series Monk)

"If you love dogs and enjoy humor, you'll love Things Your Dog Doesn't Want You to Know. I did. Dog lovers will go crazy with this book!!" (Kah Cherub, Not Just Nonsense)

"ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!! Overall, this fun read is perfect to leave on your coffee table and it is easy to pick up, read a few pages and then come back to it, sort of like your dogs attention span when food isn't involved." (Mary, BookHounds)

"We LOVE this book. Written by 11 dogs to their owners, each dog's personality shines through on colorful, journal like pages. This is the perfect book for dog lovers of all ages. Even my kids have started asking me to read the book to them. A+ for a fun, beautifully crafted book."(M. G. Gagliano "Maria", Amazon Reviewer)

"This book was delightful to read because it was so accurate to the many breeds described. It would make a great gift for anyone considering a dog to help pick the breed. It was a funny, easy-to-read, laugh-out-loud book that dog owners will enjoy, yet dogs may have a cause of concern as now their secrets are out to us humans." (Motivevotives, Amazon Reviewer)

Best known for his work in mysteries, Hy Conrad was one of the original writers for the groundbreaking series, Monk, working on the show for all eight seasons, the final two as Co-Executive Producer. In a related project, Hy was Executive Producer and head writer of Little Monk, a series of short films featuring Adrian Monk as a ten-year-old. His latest TV work was as writer and Consulting Producer for White Collar.

Hy is also the author of hundreds of short stories and ten books of short whodunits, which have been sold around the world in fourteen languages. Hy's first mystery novel series, Abel Adventures, will debut in 2012 with the publication of Rally 'Round the Corpse. And his first full-length comedy/mystery play, Home Exchange, premiered at the Waterfront Playhouse in May 2012. He lives in Key West with his partner and two miniature schnauzers. (www.hyconrad.com)



Jeff Johnson spent most of his working life in advertising agencies, currently as General Manager of Cramer-Krasselt in New York City. He is the author of The Hourglass Solution: A Boomer's Guide to the Rest of Your Life and co-authors (with Paula Forman) a national online advice column called Short Answers, which also appears in newspapers all along the east coast (from Massachusetts to Florida). Jeff lives in Vermont and Key West and is on the Board of Directors of the Waterfront Playhouse and the Florida Keys SPCA.


www.ThingsYourDog.com

Giveaway

The book giveaway is for the print version. It is open to U.S. only.

Deadline is September 29 at NOON Pacific Coast Time

Enter by leaving a comment expressing interest on this post along with your @ so I can contact you.

Extra entries can be had by:

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 Remember leave a separate comment for each task as the individual comments will be the entries that I assign numbers to in the order they are made and then use random.org to select the winner. The @ need only be in the first entry as long as the rest are easily attributed to the same entrant.

I will email the winner who must respond withing 48 hours or forfeit.

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