Books Worth Barking About

Angel Come Home
By Stuart Wisong

Angel Come Home is a love story about a dog with extraordinary powers of communication, the man who shares her world, and a lost love. Little Angel enters the lives of the rich and famous, the criminal and the redeemed. She learns their scandals and deepest secrets and through her the lives of all those she has touched are changed. Angel Come Home is a story with wisdom, adventure, and sincerity. It is a story that will touch you heart.

A Small Furry Prayer:
Dog Rescue and the Meaning of Life
By Steven Kotler

Ever wonder why people go into dog-rescue work?  This memoir not only answers that question, but follows the author’s odyssey from urban money-grubber to enlightened dogrescuer reveling in the universal web of life.  How does this metamorphosis come about?  Through interaction with several unique dogs, and through the author’s love for and marriage to a very special woman. The deep inspiration and humanitarianism that is depicted throughout this brilliant book will have you looking at your dog in a totally different way, while at the same time realizing what it means to be a truly enlightened human being.

A Modern Dog's Life
By Paul McGreevy, PhD, MRCVS

In this new book, Dr. McGreevy, award-winning researcher, animal behaviorist, veterinarian and author of five previous books, shares the techniques he uses with his own dogs (pictured on the cover) and helps readers understand the challenges and confusions dogs face living in the modern world. Drawing on the latest research as well as his own expertise, he explains what motivates dogs, what it is they value, what they don’t like and the process by which they learn about the world. He relates why certain aspects of our behavior are mystifying to dogs and why dogs may never comprehend some of our very human tendencies.

An I Boring My Dog?And 99 Other Things Your Dog Wishes You Knew
By Edie Jarolim

Lighthearted but packed with useful information for dog lovers of all levels of expertise, Am I Boring My Dog? is a must-have for who want to be socially responsible but also indulgent with their pet, and those who want to be informed about the latest ideas in care and training. Articulating the questions that many people have about all things canine-related but are afraid to ask, this book reassures, informs, and always amuses.

Barking Her Way to the Top
By Howard Rowland

Anyone who loves dogs, lives on the Monterey Peninsula, has ever tangled with the civil service, or has learned/taught a foreign language will love this book! It tells the story of how a beautiful, smart blond lady----Collie, that is-----became head of the Defense Foreign Language Institute (DFLI). The pointed parallels to the Monterey area (Montevista for Monterey, Pacific Forest for Pacific Grove, etc.) really tickled me. And just when the story would start to go off the deep end (talking dogs? werewolves? New Orleans voodoo?), a very logical explanation would set it all straight. I think you will enjoy this humorous novel as much as I did!

Dogku: Dog Haiku Poems
By Diane Grindol and Ginny Tata-Phillips

(Poetry) Dogku is filled with delightful haiku poems about living with dogs. Each haiku is illustrated with a photo.

Dog Lover's Guide to Massage: What Your Dog Wants You to Know By Megan Ayrault

(Health) This book will help you understand the many benefits of canine massage and bodywork. Learn basic techniques to support the physical as well as emotional health of the animals you love.

Dog Sense By John Bradshaw

(Non-fiction) In Dog Sense, animal behavior and welfare expert John Bradshaw sets the record straight, using groundbreaking research into human-animal interactions to show us the world from a dog’s perspective. Bradshaw debunks a range of popular dog advice, explaining that, far from being domesticated wolves driven by a need for dominance, dogs are unique creatures that have evolved to socialize—and live in harmony—with other species, most notably our own. Bradshaw uses the latest scientific research to show how humans can live in harmony with--not just dominion over-- their four-legged friends.

Dogs: Messengers of Inner Peace By Tootie Hagan

(Inspirational) Learn about the precious gifts that people receive from their dogs. This intimate human-animals connection is depicted through fine art photography and anecdotal stories. 

Dogs Can Sign,Too: A Breakthrough Method for Teaching Your Dog to Communicate to You
By Sean Senechal

(Informational) Imagine being able to ask your poodle, "Who's at the door?" and having her respond, "It's Katy." Or asking your golden retriever, "Do you want a treat?" and him responding, "No, water." Or asking your Border collie, "Which toy do you want?" and getting the response, "Stick."
If you've ever wondered what dogs would tell us if they could, now you can find out. The K9Sign system teaches dogs to communicate to us-making it a first in any dog training book category.

This extraordinary education tool, developed by the creator of AnimalSign Language exclusively for the canine community, teaches people and their pets a unique mode of communication that employs an extensive lexicon of specific signs. Sample signs range from general concepts, such as "Food" or "Play" to identifying special treats, such as "Liver" or "Cheese" and specifying a favorite toy, such as "Ball" or "Frisbee." Signs also include useful questions such as "Who's that?" or "What type?" to naming a particular friend or family member, or even indicating a stranger.

Don't Dump the Dog: Outrageous Stories and Simple Solutions to Your Worst Dog Behavior Problems
By Randy Grim

Don't Dump the Dog is written by dog rescuer, Randy Grim. Grim has heard every reason under the sun. But before you load Fido into the back of your car, read this book. In it, Randy addresses the concerns of dog guardians everywhere by responding to letters that he’s actually received. With humor, and from his vast experiences with abandoned dogs, he reveals exactly what you can do to remain calm and fix every bad behavior problem.

Everyday Dogs: A Perpetual Calendar for Birthdays and other Notable Dates
By Mary Scott and Susan Snyder

Everyday Dogs celebrates the powerful connection between people and their canine companions through images and literary quotes. The images are of ordinary and extraordinary people and their pooches at home, in the wild, on the farm, atop a Yosemite waterfall, and occasionally even in a formal photo studio.

Accompanying the images are literary tributes and warm, often humorous and insightful observations and quirky quotes about the human-canine relationship by letter writers, journal keepers and famed scribes.

Freddi the Dog
By Lisa and Randy Herman

Freddi the Dog is a delightful children's book. Every kid will identify with Freddi. She is the nicest, sweetest mose lovable dog, but she has one teeny, weeny, itsy, bitsy, tiny, naughy bone that gets her in loads of trouble.

Genevieve: Small Dog, Big Life. Memoirs of a Furry Genius
As Barktated to Dr. Dennis Fried

It’s hilarious, it’s unusual, and it’s the first ever tell-all by a dog. Introducing Small Dog, Big Life: Memoirs of a Furry Genius. In "Small Dog, Big Life" Genevieve invites you into the inner sanctum of dogdom, revealing canine secrets never before shared with humans, while also passing on her devious tricks-of-the-trade to her legions of furry fans. It is insightful, entertaining, and peppered with sophistication, wit, and charm.

Help Your Dog Fight Cancer
By Laurie Kaplan

A crash course on canine cancer, for all dog lovers. Covers prevention, diagnosis, treatment options, side effects, diet, supplements and home care. Medical animal writer Kaplan shares journey with her own lymphoma survivor, Bullet. A must read for those who have a dog with cancer.

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
By Alexandra Horowitz

The relationship between dogs and humans is arguably the most fascinating animal-human bond because dogs evolved from wild creatures to become our companions, an adaptation that changed their bodies, brains, and behavior. Yet dogs always remain animals, familiar but mysterious. With a light touch and the weight of science behind her, Alexandra Horowitz examines the animal we think we know best but may actually understand the least. This book is as close as you can get to knowing about dogs without being a dog yourself.

K-9 Nation Biscuit Book
By Klecko

Master bread baker Klecko combines decades of international baking experience with a lifelong love of dogs to bring you a straightforward, no-nonsense cookbook that puts your dog’s tastes first.

Let's Have a Dog Party!
By Ingrid e. Newkirk, Founder of PETA

Let's Have a Dog Party!, gives dog guardians oodles of tips and tricks on how to celebrate your canine every day! Packed with anecdotes from PETA's president and many other dog-friendly folks, this book is a "must-have" for any dog parent and includes Party plans and themes, scrumptious celebrity recipes for four- and two-legged party guests, gift suggestions, party games, and loads of tips for finding Fido's next favorite toy!

Love Heels:Tales from Canine Companions for Independence
By Patricia Dibsie, Foreward By Dean Koontz

Witness the true definition of unconditional love revealed in the remarkable stories featured in -LOVE HEELS-Tales From Canine Companions for Independence, a beautifully designed and illustrated book celebrating people and dogs. The organization, Canine Companions For Independence (CCI) is a not-for-profit organization that -- with the help of so many volunteers-- breeds, raises, trains, and then places it’s exceptional canine graduates with disabled children and adults who are in need of their assistance. Then a very special bond between human and canine companion is established.

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog By John Grogan

(Autobiographical novel) Who hasn’t read this book yet? It’s a sweet, funny, and poignant story about Marley, a hyperactive, mischievous, yellow Lab and the family that loves him.

Moments with Baxter By Melissa Joseph

(Nonfiction) Moments with Baxter is a collection of touching, true stories about the poignant connection between Baxter, an 19-year-old therapy dog, and the hospice patients and their families to whom he brings comfort and love. During the last six years, Baxter has helped hundreds of patients ease out of their lives with dignity and peace. His uncanny intuition and almost human responsiveness demonstrates the unique and inextricable bond between human and dog.

My Dog is Blind, but Lives Life to the Full
By Melissa Joseph

(Nonfiction) It can seem like the end of the world when the vet tells you that, sadly, your beloved dog is going blind; it’s natural to put yourself in that situation and imagine how catastrophic this news would be. In My Dog Is Blind, author Nicole Hosky shares advice, guidance, and practical information about living with and supporting a blind dog.

97 Ways to Make Your Dog Smile By Jenny Langbehn

(Inspirational) Learn about the precious gifts that people receive from their dogs. This intimate human-animals connection is depicted through fine art photography and anecdotal stories. 

Protect & Serve By Maria Larsen

(Fiction) Retired police officer and award-winning author Maria Larsen tells a new, captivating tale about the unbreakable bond between a female K-9 handler and her dog.

Come on a ride-along with Officer Angela Howland and her black shepherd partner Radar (aka Ray). Feel the thrill, frustration and grief police officers go through at work and in their personal lives. Nobody can hide from Ray’s superior nose.

This is a must-read crime thriller for dog enthusiasts.

Resku: Haiku Poetry By Diane Grindol and Ginny Tata-Phillips

(Poetry) Diane Grindol and Ginny Tata-Phillips have done it again with another beatuiful and clever book of haikus. RESKU: Haiku Poetry celebrating the love between rescued dogs, their people and the shelters and angels who make it possible. The earlier books of haiku include Dogku and Catku.

Rin Tin Tin - The Life and the Legend By Susan Orlean

(Nonfiction) A litter of German Shepherd puppies is found by a young American soldier amidst the carnage of World War I. This is the inspiring true story of Rin Tin Tin, told by Susan Orlean (The Orchid Thief.) From silent film star to a television show during the 50s, to Rinty’s present-day descendants, the story of this immortal canine and those he touched is unforgettable.

Rufus Rhymes By Ron Burns

"The concept for Rufus Rhymes came from my simple daily interactions with my dogs. Like so many other people, I have always talked to my pets and commonly refur to myself as ‘Dad’ and my wife Buff as ‘Mom.’ So, for me it was natural to do a book you can read to your dog. I wanted it to have that same cozy feel that nursery rhyme books have for children, but of course the words needed to be dog-related. I asked my good friend Andy Demsky, a writer, to take a few common nursery rhymes and write new dog-centric lyrics. He wrote two great lullabies that I instantly connected with – Rock-a-Bye Rufus and Twinkle, Twinkle I’m a Star. And so started the journey of Rufus Rhymes..."

Saving Gracie By Carol Bradley

Puppy mills have been around for decades, and it is one of America's most shameful secrets. It is a hidden world of substandard kennels, where dogs are caged like chickens and forced to produce puppies over and over, until they can produce no more. 

SAVING GRACIE chronicles how one little dog is transformed from a bedraggled animal worn out from bearing puppies into a loving, healthy member of her new family; and how her owner, Linda Jackson, is changed from a person who barely tolerated dogs to a woman passionately determined not only to save Gracie's life, but also to get the word out about the millions of American puppy-mill dogs who need our help.

The Complete Singles Guide to Being a Dog Owner
By Betsy Rosenfeld

Betsy Rosenfeld, is an expert when it comes to dog rescue. The go-to girl for all things dog in LA, she's rescued dogs for everyone from singles and married couples to celebrities. Seeing too many dogs given up for reasons that could have been avoided inspired her to write The Complete Single's Guide to Being a Dog Owner. A 'single' herself, the book gives the answers to everything when it comes to being a ‘single’ dog parent: what to consider before getting a dog, the cost of raising a dog, what breeds are best for ‘singles’ and your lifestyle, dating with your dog, what to feed your new dog/puppy, what do with your pooch while you work all day or travel, traveling with a dog, saying goodbye when the dogs time is up.

Speaking for Spot By Dr. Nancy Kay

(Non-Fiction) Dr. Nancy Kay, fueled by her passion to teach people how to be effective medical advocates for their four-legged best friends, has written an important and unique book. Gone are the days of simply following doc’s orders-today’s dog lovers are confronted with health-care decision-making on many levels.
With warmth, candor, and humor cultivated over 20-plus years of working with dogs and their human companions Dr. Kay provides an insider’s guide to navigating the potentially overwhelming, confusing, and expensive world of veterinary medicine. The result is everything you need to know in one fabulous, fully illustrated book. Speaking for Spot is the consummate guide on how to be your best friend’s medical advocate!

The Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook Kit
By Jessica Disbrow and Eric Talley

It's so easy to please your best pal with a special treat-now how about some that are super-yummy, easy to make, and organic? The very best! With the Organic Dog Biscuit Cookbook Kit from Bubba Rose Biscuit Company, you'll find 25 ways to do it- and all of the treat recipes are free of wheat, corn and soy. The kit even includes cookie cutters to make fun shapes.

The Dog Listener: Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation By Jan Fennell

(Training) Jan Fennell teaches that one can best train dogs by emulating natural behaviors. Her methods are intelligent, straightforward and humane. Her knowledge and love of dogs is expansive and her concern for their wellbeing balances kindness and appropriate discipline.

The Other End of the Leash By Patricia McConnell, PhD.

(Training) Patricia McConnell is an animal behaviorist and professor of zoology at the University of Wisconsin Madison. McConnell teaches dog owners to pay attention to their own behavior. Drawing on anecdotes from her professional practice, research into the work of other dog trainers and personal experiences with her beloved Border collies, she explains how a dog might be misinterpreting signals from its owner. 

Thunder Dog By Michael Hingson with Susy Flory

(Non-fiction) In Thunder Dog, follow Michael and his guide dog, Roselle, as their lives are changed forever by two explosions and 1,463 stairs. When the first plane struck Tower One, an enormous boom, frightening sounds, and muffled voices swept through Michael’s office while shards of glass and burning scraps of paper fell outside the windows. But in this harrowing story of trust and courage, discover how blindness and a bond between dog and man saved lives and brought hope.

Training People: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Human By Tess of Helena

(Informational, Humor) Training people is a cute little book written from a dog’s perspective. This book turns dog training on its head and describes choosing your human, basic training, discipline, getting the food you want, the human pup, and what to do when your human gets old.

Underdogs By Caryn Casey

UNDERDOGS was written in part to illustrate how dogs really end up in rescues- so often through the decisions and choices made by human beings, and to offer useful information to assist in protecting dogs we might adopt, those we already love, and those in the community. Understanding the ways in which our dogs might be at risk, how some laws have changed, designed to garner greater protection for our animals, as well as hands on tips to make good proactive decisions for our pets are just some of the elements found in UNDERDOGS that will keep dogs out of shelters and rescues. Shockingly, this can happen even if it is unintentional; the chapter that exposes Class B dealers who steal small dogs for use in laboratory testing is an example of this. The dogs featured in the book symbolize counterparts all over the world that have found themselves in similar hopeless situations, but UNDERDOGS is at the heart, a celebration of the immeasurable value that can come when adoption is done well. It reminds us no matter how bleak the future looks, change can come. A new reality might only be a moment away.

Unlikely Friendships By Jennifer Holland

Nature journalist and senior writer for National Geographic magazine, Jennifer Holland, has written a beautiful new book titled Unlikely Friendships. The book is filled with stories of remarkable interspecies friendships from around the world. As if giving voice to the animal kingdom, this book speaks volumes and sets an inspiring example of how just about anybody can get along.

Despite such differences as size and appearance, predator/prey instincts, and even habitat restrictions, the many vastly different creatures in this book have developed ongoing friendships with other species, including some who would normally be at odds with each other. Among the forty-seven stories in the book, many include unusual friendships forged by canines. There are dogs who have befriended owls, cheetahs, dolphins, elephants, and pandas, and even a koi fish and Golden Retriever who look forward to their regular visits with each other.

When it Reigns, It Pours: Dog Tales By Maria Larsen

(Memoir) San Diego policewoman, Maria Larsen, opens her heart, bares her soul, and shares her horror at the abuse and neglect she witnessed as well as the healing that takes place when a human and a dog share a bond and trust that go far beyond any other relationship on earth. For anyone who has ever temporarily lost their way, Maria’s story will resonate with you and will inspire you.

Winery Dogs of Central California

(Table Top) Winery dogs are immortilized with stunning photos in the Winery Dogs of Central California book. Enjoy a table top book of many of the adorable canines of central california wineries in this hard cover book! You will spot dogs from Chumeia Vineyards, Bianchi, Eberle, Firestone, Martin & Weyrich and Tobin James!

Your Adopted Dog: Everything You Need to Know about Rescuing and Caring for a Best Friend in Need By Shelley Frost and Katerina Makris

(Informational) Your Adopted Dog provides families adopting/rescuing dogs with clear-cut advice and step-by-step guidance and support to help make the adoption process successful for you and your dog.

Your Dog is Your Mirror By Kevin Behan

(Informational) Kevin Behan proposes a radical new model for understanding canine behavior: a dog's behavior and emotion, indeed its very cognition, are driven by our emotion. The dog doesn't respond to its owner based on what the owner thinks, says, or does; it responds to what the owner feels. And in this way, dogs can actually put people back in touch with their own emotions. With thirty years experience working with dogs, Behan demonstrates that dogs and humans are connected more profoundly than has ever been imagined — by heart — and that this approach to dog cognition can help us understand many of dogs' most inscrutable behaviors. This groundbreaking, provocative book opens the door to a whole new world of communication and understanding between species, and perhaps a whole new understanding of ourselves.