The Best Worst Dog I Ever Had

1. All dogs are smart, even the dumb ones.

2. Walking on all fours requires extreme skill; no human can do it.

These are the first two of twelve inbred guidelines that make a dog what it is.

The Best Worst Dog I Ever Had shares the happy and sad times of a young couple (Larry and Iowa Becky) and their five dogs through fifty years. Chapters alternate between human stories followed by canine interpretations (written in italics) of the same events. Back stories of each dog (written with the author's help) begin with Macbeth, the first mutt, life born on an Amish farm and purchased from a pet store window in Madison, Wisconsin. Then there was the epileptic border collie, Macduff, who only lived five years. Dickens, a black cocker spaniel, became a reluctant show dog (What am I doing here? I'd rather play!) Then there was the six-pound poodle mix who spent his entire life as a service dog -- home companion, elementary school students calming factor, seizure alarm, whatever he could do anywhere. Small dog, big heart. Finally was Ernie, a silky terrier who survived a "puppy mill" and Hurricane Katrina. Jack, the current rescue dog from Houston, "wrote" the epilogue that addresses several worldwide problems of dog and cats, such as over-population, abuse from some owners and pseudo veterinarians, homelessness and more.

These listed dogs came into the lives of Larry and Iowa Becky and always brought joy and despair with their adventures, as do all pets during their lives. If you own a pet, you know what that means. If you don't, consider getting one to change your and the pet's lives. You choose which is the worst dog, then the best. There's a definite answer.