A Dog’s Life

By Brianne Harrison

It’s a dog’s life—or, at least, it should be, according to the author/photographer team behind Dogplay: The Canine Guide to Being Happy, a charming little gift book that urges people to approach life the way our canine companions do (example: “Explore new backyards, but know your way home.”) The platitudes, while cute, aren’t exactly groundbreaking; the photography, by Little Silver-based pet portraitist Kim Levin, is the real winner here. Levin’s black and white pics catch man’s best friend at its cutest, happiest, and sweetest. It’s impossible not to have your heart warmed at least a little by this quick read.

The book is coming out in March (but can be preordered here), and Levin will be signing copies from 1-3 p.m. at the following locations:

Barnes & Noble, Holmdel, March 6
River Road Books, Fair Haven, March 13
Barnes & Noble—Monmouth Mall, Eatontown, March 20

Meanwhile: St. Hubert’s has taken its pet adoption campaign to the streets—literally, by posting digital billboards on some of the state’s major highways, touting the benefits of pet ownership and adoption. The new billboards, which were created by Branchburg-based Mint Advertising, can be seen on Routes 80, 287, 78, 280, and the New Jersey Turnpike.

Training People

By Brianne Harrison

For anyone who’s ever wondered what their dog is really thinking (and up to during the day when you’re not home) Training People is for you. This book is also for you if you need a really good laugh (and who doesn’t, these days?) The slim tome, written by Tess of Helena, teaches dogs how to bring out the best in their humans, and includes instructions that range from choosing a human (with the pros and cons of men vs. women vs. couples) to training your human to give you want you want (the head-tilt is frequently cited as being an excellent tool, which it is, for my dogs, at least.) Along the way, there’s plenty of advice on dealing with cats (get rid of them, whenever possible) and children (learn to love them—your humans will be thankful), getting what you want, and punishing your humans when necessary. This book is completely adorable, and I’d highly recommend it to any dog lover (or, as I said before, anyone who needs a laugh).

Find out for yourself: Enter to win one of three copies of Training Humans!

In other news, a rescue team from St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center recently set out to rescue 100 puppies and dogs from several Midwest puppy mills. The dogs will eventually be transported back to New Jersey and put up for adoption, but if you’re curious to know how they’re doing, St. Hubert’s is reporting its progress on Facebook. Good luck, team!