The Dastardly Book for Dogs [antikvár]

PREFACE_ I Didn't Have This Book When I Was a Puppy There was a time not long ago when dogs were necessities, not accessories. We corralled wayward sheep in the heartland. We brought warming brandy to climbers in the hinterland. We were a valued asset to every fireman, a faitiiful sentinel for every rag-and-bone man and a slavisiily loyal friend to everyman. We roamed freely because we had earned our keep, and our aggressions and wanderlust were celebrated, not curbed. It was a time when we ran on the ground instead of being toted about in frilly pink satchels, a time when we were simply hosed down in thie garden instead of ferried to the groomer. It was a time b.d. -Before Domestication, when we could be what we are. Dogs. In an age of pampering and pet steps, we seem to have lost touch with the greatest joys of canine existence - instinctive joys that the stoic Great Dane, the scampering Chihuahua and the barky old pound mutt alike could share: finding the nastiest odours to roll in, savoring the subtle earthy flavours of a Jimmy Choo slingback - and, of course, mounting bitches. In these pages you will read great tales of canine bravery and bravado, such as the journey of the first dog to set foot on North America. You will know the glory achieved by courageous dogs of war. You will be awed by the landmark silver screen performances of Cujo, Old Yeller and the ferocious Beagle Pack in Omen III: The Final Conflict. You will know what it means to be a Dog. What is the greatest scratching position in the world? How do you escape a humiliating attack of 'dressing up'? Can you ever catch your own tail? The answers are inside this book. We provide them not just as an instructional guide, but as a way to put you back in touch with your Preface: I Didn't Have This Book When I Was a Puppy vii