It's time to jump out of the handbag and take control of the lead. From the same kennel as The Dangerous Book for Boys, this hilarious doggy equivalent barks one simple question: What's happened to us?! Designer dog beds? Organic gluten free gourmet doggie biscuits? Spa treatments? Everyone likes to be pampered now and then -- but isn't there more to being a dog than wearing a mini cashmere sweater and riding around in a Louis Vuitton handbag? What about the simple pleasures of life -- feeling the wind in your fur, digging up the grass beneath your paws, smelling another dog's bottom? Isn't that part of the great joy of being a dog?

This book is for good dogs, bad dogs, and the millions of people who love them, either way, but owners will no doubt recognize their own lovable pets, and maybe themselves, in these pages. After all, so many people talk to their dogs, they might as well read to them, and learn a little something in the process. Chapters include: Foul Smells Every Dog Should Roll In, What's Edible?, How to Bury a Bone, Building a Bed out of Laundry, Escaping the Lead, Dogs in Literature, Courageous Dogs in History, Formal Rules of Fetch, Enhancing Your Walk and Amazing Bath Time Escapes. The Dangerous Book for Boys tapped into a male desire to recapture a back-to-basics sense of fun. Now, a boy's sense of fun is perfectly fine, but a dog's sense of fun is hilarious. Leg-humping, bottom-sniffing and tail-chasing -- these are not just the bedrock of dog life; they are the bedrock of comedy.

Review

This gentle parody of the bestselling Dangerous Book for Boys-identical in look and tone to its source material-offers an often funny, surprisingly insightful take on dog behavior that's sure to resonate with the Spot set. With the "assistance" of their human companions, canine authors Rex and Sparky relate practical and authoritative information on topics simple (baths, fleas, bones, poop, "things you can chase") and complex: the rules of fetch (it's not officially over until a player earns 17,572 points), tips on crotch sniffing (under the heading "How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot") and a critical guide to frequently ingested items (vomit and poop receive top marks; rocks and keys rank considerably lower). Among more than 50 short entries, the authors seem to have thought of everything, including escape tips for humiliating costumes, stirring true stories ("Great Dog Battles-Part Two: Pepper vs. A Patch of Light") and even a report on Pavlov (written by his two dogs). Though it occasionally pushes the envelope of good taste, this goofy, gleeful guide to the dog life will tickle anyone with a soft spot for canines. Publishers Weekly

Author Biography

All 5 authors write for The Onion, the award-winning, US-based, parody newspaper published weekly in print and daily online. It features satirical articles reporting on international, national, and local news as well as an entertainment newspaper and website known as The A.V. Club. It claims a national print circulation of 599,000.