Katharina Der Leyen

Dogs aren't exactly shy when it comes to expressing their feelings. They do everything we humans are afraid to: dogs are ecstatic and boisterous, tactless, openly enthusiastic, take delight in rolling in disgusting things, sleep when they're tired, and don't care if you snore. Dogs teach us that joy is a way of life and that it does not depend on what happens each day; they always assume something fabulous is going to happen today. This book shows dogs as they truly are-bursting with happiness, tired after a hard play session, chewing on a $300 running shoe, and locked in battle with a roll of toilet paper. It shows puppies so worn out by life's thrills that they fall asleep precisely where they were just standing on their wobbly little legs, and it shows dogs getting slower, older, and wiser, with a gaze that will break your heart.

With a big dollop of humor and affection, Katharina von der Leyen offers her expert advice in 77 Dates with Your Dog, suggesting 77 fun activities to enhance the relationship between dog owners and their four-legged friends—and have a good laugh in the process! For example, the seasoned dog expert recommends sharing a roast beef sandwich with your dog at least once—and sure, it could also be a bologna or cheese sandwich. Why? Because sharing food—or breaking bread together, to use a more biblical turn of phrase—connects not just people, but humans and their dogs. Going rowing together, as another example, is an excellent activity to see if your dog trusts you. The wobbling involved will make your dog a bit uneasy at first, but it will help him learn to rely on you. The book includes other joint activities from “jump in a lake together and swim” to “dig a deep hole together”—yes, actually, together! Von der Leyen explains in the book why these shared experiences can be so beneficial for people and their dogs, as well as provides other tips like the perfect canine massage technique. “Of course, it is only super for your dog at first, but you’ll be amazed at the energy that will suddenly spark between both of you,” promises the author. What to do on rainy days with a bored dog? Build an obstacle course in your living room. The first station could be a box with crumpled newspaper and hidden treats, and the second could be a pot with sunflower oil or an unusual-smelling toy to play with. Don’t worry, you don’t have to sniff along with your dog; you already did your part by building the course. After a good thorough round of sniffing and searching, your dog will be wonderfully tired. Some of the “dates” are funny, some are surprising, but all of them have been field-tested with the author’s own dogs. Entertaining your dog is not the primary goal here—it’s about truly getting to know the living creature you are responsible for and enjoying time together...and occasionally making time to just be quiet and still with him: date number 77. Journalist and author KATHARINA VON DER LEYEN is one of Germany’s most renowned dog writers. She has written numerous books as well as columns, articles, and how-to books about living with dogs that have appeared in Dogs and Bild am Sonntag, among others. She also publishes content regularly on her blog, Lumpi4.de Illustrator Elke Reinhart has insisted on having at least one dog in the house since the day she turned 18. She also creates illustrations with Gerhard Schlegel at her own agency, Laska Grafix, in Munich. She has also published many comics and graphic novels with various publishers under the Laska Comix label. www.laska.com