The Dangerous Book For Dogs: A Parody By Rex & Sparky

December 3, 2010 5:33 pm | By Zootoo Editor Flinn D.

The Dangerous Book for Dogs is a parody of a self-help book written from a dog’s point of view. The premise is simple – that once upon a time dogs were “necessities, not accessories” to humans, and that in today’s dog-eat-dog world, dogs need to be reminded of the simple pleasures in life.

The Dangerous Book for Dogs catalogs those pleasures – from sticking your nose out the window to sticking it, well, somewhere else – in prose that is always witty and clever. The book’s strength is that it is written entirely from the perspective of a dog. The author(s) have amusingly put themselves in the shoes of dogs as they go about their day-to-day activities and interact with humans and other dogs.

Some of the topics covered include: How to Escape a Hideous Costume, Squirrels and What to do During a Thunderstorm. Amidst similar chapter headings, the authors relate stories of “Courageous Dogs in History” as well, such as the first dog to set foot in North America and dogs who have assisted humans in war. There are also stories about dogs in showbiz such as Old Yeller, Cujo and “The Beagle Pack in Omen III.”

What kept me turning page after page was the way the authors so perfectly captured one of the biggest feelings that humans and dogs have in common – the conflict between doing what is in our nature and doing what will please those around us. I never realized that my dog felt the same way.

Pros: Amusing and thoughtful; varied types of article content.

Cons: None.