Dog Only Knows

The Word of Dog

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Pub Date 19 May 2016 | Archive Date 20 May 2016

Description

"People aren't stupid, they're just wired differently. But it's okay...they can be trained."

That's Belle's story, and she's sticking to it. This smart, sassy rescue dog from the streets of Los Angeles worked hard to figure out how to get the most out of life. Now she is sharing her wisdom with all dog--and person--kind.

Ever wonder what your dog is thinking, or why she behaves the way she does? Belle has the answers, and they may surprise you. Spoiler alert: as much as you train your dog, she trains you even more--and you don't even realize she's doing it.

Dog Only Knows: The Word of Dog is the ultimate relationship guide for dogs and their people. When we communicate better, we can love each other better. And Dog Only Knows, that's what life is all about.

Praise for Dog Only Knows:

"I had no idea you could do so much without opposable thumbs."--Houdini the Jack Russell Terrier

"Definitely the tastiest book I have ever eaten."--Tonka, a.k.a. "The Destroyer," breed unknown

"People aren't stupid, they're just wired differently. But it's okay...they can be trained."

That's Belle's story, and she's sticking to it. This smart, sassy rescue dog from the streets of Los...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781635051537
PRICE $11.95 (USD)

Average rating from 11 members


Featured Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley and Mill City Press. Inc for a free digital copy of this book.

This book is quite unique as it is written by Belle, a dog, her human acts as translator from doggish to english and added a few notes while doing the translation work.

Belle tells us some secrets about the world from the eyes of a dog. Dreaded alone time, refined face licking technique, the art of mud bathing or (fake if need be) remorse after acts that went unappreciated by the human are her topics.

I liked the point of view of the book and some bits were truly hillarious but overall the themes and insights were a bit shallow, anybody who deals with dogs on a regular basis knows these things, nothing is enlighting or very useful.

There are some drawings throughout the book by an awarded artist as I learned, but to be honest the style was very simple and not special at all and had the feel of a talented high-school-student about it to me.

It is quite entertaining and a nice quick read though and surely a nice present for dog lovers.

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Belle is our narrator and she's as darling as she is wise. The communication lines between owner/translator Terry Kaye and Belle the dog are clearly, well, clear. The author/translator notes are helpful too. And, funny, most importantly.

We appreciate the light-hearted innocence of this book. We also appreciate the fact that we now know why dogs shred things when we leave them. We thought that they were simply re-decorating. Not so. We won't spoil it for you. You'll have to read for yourself.

We've gained some really useful insight. We no longer have to wonder, "Why did he/she do that to that with that?" Some of the covered topics include face licking, licking strangers, toys, the law of supply and demand, dog park norms, canine stubbornness, mudding nuances, bathing, opposable thumbs, fighting, seat stealing, etc.

However, reader beware, there is a small section which, engages an adult topic. But, it's short, has no profanity and is surely an integral part of a dog's mental agenda. We also spotted a bad word in a subsequent chapter. But, only one. That we remember. We aren't big on remembering things. These instances will not spoil your overall reading experience.

Otherwise, this is a witty and a quick read. We like that. Sweet. Just like Belle.

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This book is different as it is written by a dog, Belle. Her human acts as translator from dog speak to English and added some footnotes. I liked the idea of the point of view of Belle, it was quite cute and some parts were laugh out loud funny. It covers many of the things we “people” often wonder about or often do not pick up about dogs. Belle shares doggie secrets such as punishing their humans, faking remorse or ignorance, showing off their smarts at just the proper time and licking/sniffing. She then shared some of the things that dogs hate such as being left alone, baths after mud-time, being reprimanded when they do good things and being under-appreciated by their humans.

There are some drawings throughout the book, usually at the beginning of the chapter, that added a little to the story, but not a lot. It is quite entertaining and a nice quick read. This would make a great gift for dog lovers everywhere. I enjoyed reading a book “written” by a dog.

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This little book is authored by Belle, a rescue dog who is now a therapy dog. She loves her human very much and likes to train her person to establish better dog-human communication and relationships. It was an entertaining, quick read covering dog basics such as face licking, rolling in dirt, chewing, the art of showing remorse and the pain of being left alone etc.
It might be quite a nice present for anybody who is considering becoming a dog owner for the first time. But if you have any experience of sharing your house with a dog, there is nothing really new and it's all pretty basic. The frequent mentioning of book/paper chewing became a little repetitive. Cute idea to provide a dog's point of view, though and it did make me smile several times.
Thanks to Mill City Press for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Interesting book written by a dog and translate so humans can understand. Great way of looking at what dogs know, what they don't and how we can bridge that gap.

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Published by: Mill City Press, Inc. (19th May 2016)

ISBN: 978-1635051537

Source: Netgalley

Rating: 4*

Description:

“People aren’t stupid, they’re just wired differently. But it’s okay…they can be trained.”

That’s Belle’s story, and she’s sticking to it. This smart, sassy rescue dog from the streets of Los Angeles worked hard to figure out how to get the most out of life. Now she is sharing her wisdom with all dog—and person—kind.

Ever wonder what your dog is thinking, or why she behaves the way she does? Belle has the answers, and they may surprise you. Spoiler alert: as much as you train your dog, she trains you even more—and you don’t even realize she’s doing it.

Dog Only Knows: The Word of Dog is the ultimate relationship guide for dogs and their people. When we communicate better, we can love each other better. And Dog Only Knows, that’s what life is all about.

Praise for Dog Only Knows:

“I had no idea you could do so much without opposable thumbs.”—Houdini the Jack Russell Terrier

“Definitely the tastiest book I have ever eaten.”—Tonka, a.k.a. “The Destroyer,” breed unknown

Review:

A really fun, interesting look at our relationships with dogs, and what we can learn from our four-legged friends about communication. Insightful, amusing and informative - a must for everyone who is owned by a dog!

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