The Dangerous Book for Dogs: A Parody [Hardcover]

As we look back on the good old days, BD- Before Domestication- canine life was simpler, this humorous book a parody of the best-selling The Dangerous Book for Boys. If only they could speak in human tongue, today's dogs would explain how they yearn for those halcyon days of freedom, before they were forced to parade around in precious costumes or hide inside the designer bag of an owner- necessities, not accessories. And if they had a voice, these canines would demand a return to the times when dogs were dogs, frisky, smelly and joyful tail-wagger's, not those pretentious, over-dressed toys of those who would elevate them to people status. With such purity in mind, The Dangerous Book for Dogs addresses a history as childhood companions, fearless journeyers and the courageous dogs of war- essentially what it really means to be a "dog".

In an age defined by excess and the boredom of routine, here is a call to rediscover adventure: "Things You Can Chase"; "Begging- A Primer"; "Courageous Dogs in History"; "How to Escape Humiliating Costumes"; "How to Choose and Bury a Bone"; Dog Jobs"; and "Five Things Every Dog Should Have". Lest any canine forget his responsibility as family entertainer, there are instructive chapters on "How to Make Your Owner Look Like an Idiot", "Creative Pee Stains" and "How to Ruin a Perfect Dinner Party". Sprinkled with lively illustrations by Emily Flake, "Rex and Sparky" have no great mission other than to remind we very goal-oriented humans to take time out from busy schedules and sample the basic joys of life- the welcome of a salivating pet after a long day at the office, a country walk with your best friend at your side and the unconditional love offered by a pure-hearted pet, sans costume and picky eating. Real dogs don't care how they look, they just want to "be" with their owners. There's a lesson here for all of us. Luan Gaines/ 2007.

This summer we had the Dangerous Book for boys. It's been commented that the book was written more for parents or even grandparents of a certain age, than for the boys it's supposedly intended for. That being said, this current book is clearly intended for adults, also. Dogs don't understand parodies.

This is one of the funniest books I've read through in a long while. There are marvelous parodies of parts of the Boys book, from a "Famous Battles" section that tells of legendary conflicts with mailmen and (in one case) a rogue patch of light, all the way around to a series of diary entries from the dogs who trained Dr. Pavlov to give them food when they salivated. The illustrations are rudimentary, but add to the overall effect of the book quite nicely.

I enjoyed this book a great deal, and expect that I'll be going back to read it in pieces in the future. The part about "How to escape a humiliating costume" was wonderful, and I'm sure there are other gems in the book.

I happened on this little gem while I was looking at new books that I might get my kids. Dangerous book for Dogs! My son had recently received the Dangerous book for Boys from my brother. I took a peek and it looked like a very well done parody. I was right. This book has met and surpassed my expectations. It is wickedly funny, so very funny because it really breaks dogs down to how you know they are thinking. Any dog owner/lover will understand that this book really was written by Rex and Sparky. Bravo! Good boys, what good boys you are!!