The cheery cartoon woman with her colour-coordinated dog on the cover immediately reminds me of Confessions of a Shopaholic and Legally Blond. This impression lasts throughout the book. It reads like a conversation over a no-fat latte with your most sassy female acquaintance. The author’s love and enthusiasm of all things canine oozes from each paragraph. This book specifically targets the pampered pooch-owning woman (and perhaps metrosexual men). The pro-animal rescue theme, stemming from the author’s own experiences with adoption and charity work, is woven throughout the book. The advice-style letters from dogs to the author’s dog Lucky encourage the reader to consider his or her dog’s perspective.
There is a detailed section on exercise for your dog including obesity issues, a simple body condition scoring technique, and the advice to consult with a veterinarian to rule-out a medical cause for weight gain. The breed-based exercise requirements may have been a little off by placing Jack Russell terriers in the low category and Labrador retrievers in the medium, but it hits its mark for the majority.
While the suggestions for throwing a “Howl-o-ween” party and gifting your dog a Christmas stocking are cute, the tips for planning a wedding ceremony were over-the-top.
Traveling with your dog is thoroughly described. Numerous dog-friendly hotels and destinations are discussed, although most are in the United States. Practical travel tips are also offered. Other chapters covered the topics of grooming, choosing the right family pet, and sharing you home with a dog.
I disagree with the fashion tips that when taking a visit to the vet it is not a good time to dress up. I enjoy seeing my 4-legged patients in cute hockey sweater or bling collar. The brief history of dog fashion was surprising. Apparently dogs were dressed up as early as 520 AD to protect them during military operations.
While the rampant anthropomorphism is thick and at times too much, the underlying appreciation for this species as companions and the importance of animal charity work prevails, making this an enjoyable read.