This book is a celebration of happy dogs and the happy people who own them. At once a companion, a manual and a repository of useful information, The Goodness of Dogs also contains avid dog-lover India Knight's reflections on the sheer brilliance of dogs and the life-enhancing delight of dog ownership. If you have reached dog nirvana, you will recognize yourself. If you haven't yet - this book will help you. With chapters ranging from how to choose a breed (and where to get it from), to the joy and chaos of puppies, to feeding and training your dog, to choosing a vet and even how to cope with illnesses and death, The Goodness of Dogs will take you through every facet of dog ownership. Full of India Knight's inimitable wit and the sound advice she is famous for, and beautifully illustrated by artist Sally Muir, this book will make the perfect gift for any dog-lover.

In this heart-stealing picture book, fine artist Robert Rahway Zakanitch gives us 16 masterful, soulful, impossibly expressive portraits of dogs, and Maya Gottfried wonderfully captures their voices and inner personalities in 16 enchanting poems. It’s a doggie delight! These dogs beg to be patted, tickled, scratched, and ruffled. Which one will be your best friend?

Calling the toughest canine questions! Owning a dog is one of life’s great joys, but sometimes the challenges it brings can make even the most devoted dog lovers panic, throw up their hands, or feel completely overwhelmed. 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

“Bella, Bella, Bella! A wonderful, funny, heartfelt tale of a very good ‘bad’ dog, and her enduring quest for that thing we all seek: a place to call home. I loved this book! I love Bella!” —Garth Stein, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Racing in the Rain Perfect for fans of Racing in the Rain and Because of Winn Dixie! Ali Standish, author of the critically acclaimed The Ethan I Was Before and August Isle, delivers a rebarkable tale of one extraordinary pup’s search for a new family, inspired by her real-life rescue dog Bella. Bella is the very best dog a family could ask for. Only her family, the McBrides, don’t see it that way. Ever since Mrs. McBride’s belly started growing, they don’t seem to appreciate the way Bella cleans the crumbs from the kitchen floor or how she’s always willing to play fetch after a long day. And when Bella’s valiant attempt to save the Christmas tree ends in disaster, she finds herself being swiftly abandoned at the pound. As the reality sinks in that she is unwanted, Bella is heartbroken. Where did she go wrong? Things look bleak until a kind couple, the Roses, take Bella in. Her new life is filled with wonderful things like parks and snowballs, vanilla ice cream, and the National Geographic Channel. But as the weather turns cold again, the Roses start acting strangely and Bella wonders if she can really trust them. Do they actually love her, or is history about to repeat itself? And will Bella be able to find a true home in time for Christmas this year?

A layabout mutt turned therapy dog leads her owner to a new understanding of the good life. At loose ends with her daughter leaving home and her husband on the road, Sue Halpern decided to give herself and Pransky, her under-occupied Labradoodle, a new leash—er, lease—on life by getting the two of them certified as a therapy dog team. Smart, spirited, and instinctively compassionate, Pransky turned out to be not only a terrific therapist but an unerring moral compass. In the unlikely sounding arena of a public nursing home, she led her teammate into a series of encounters with the residents that revealed depths of warmth, humor, and insight Halpern hadn’t expected. And little by little, their adventures expanded and illuminated Halpern’s sense of what virtue is and does—how acts of kindness transform the giver as well as the given-to. Funny, moving, and profound, A Dog Walks into a Nursing Home is the story of how one faithful, charitable, loving, and sometimes prudent mutt—showing great hope, fortitude, and restraint along the way (the occasional begged or stolen treat notwithstanding)—taught a well-meaning woman the true nature and pleasures of the good life.

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. Now with photos and new material. Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans. John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same. Marley grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, and stole women's undergarments. Obedience school did no good -- Marley was expelled. But just as Marley joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley remained a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms. Marley & Me is John Grogan's funny, unforgettable tribute to this wonderful, wildly neurotic Lab and the meaning he brought to their lives.

The gold standard guide to caring for your older dog.