Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou [Hardcover]

Steve Duno (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 22, 2010

The moving story of the author’s adopted Rottweiler mix, Lou, a free-thinking heroic dog who changed his life forever

Born of guard dogs on a secret marijuana farm in Mendicino County, Lou truly was one dog in a million. On the winter day that the ailing, tick-infested feral pup was rescued by Steve Duno, neither dog nor man had a clue as to what they were getting into, or where the relationship would lead.

Last Dog on the Hill tells the story of an indigent young Rottweiler mix who, after abandoning his pack and the hills of his birth, went on to change the lives of hundreds of people and dogs, including the author’s, whose career as a behaviorist and writer was made possible through Lou’s extraordinary intelligence and heart. Lou won the respect of gang members, foiled an armed robbery, caught a rapist, fought coyotes and kidnappers, comforted elderly war veterans and Alzheimer patients in their final days, taught ASL to kids, learned scores of unique behaviors and tricks, amassed a vocabulary of nearly 200 words, helped rehabilitate hundreds of aggressive dogs and saved them from euthanasia. He was also a clown, consummate performer and Steve’s best friend for sixteen years. His story will make readers laugh and cry in equal measures.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lou’s story is an emotional and deeply felt tribute to the powerful bond between dogs and humans. Last Dog on the Hill will make you long for that one special super-dog that can truly change your life. We should all be so lucky to have a dog like Lou in our world.”--Garth Stein, author of The Art of Racing in the Rain

“Last Dog on the Hill is a wonderful mixture of humor, heartbreak, and high jinks. I couldn't put it down. Lou will steal your heart.”--Janet Evanovich, New York Times bestselling author of the Stephanie Plum series

"When making your pile of 'best dog stories ever,' make space for another one.  This book is great!  Lou is a real  working dog, not just a pile of emotive fluff.  His exploits and accomplishments are nothing short of heroic.  You will cheer for this dog and the fullness of his life. The relationship between Steve Duno and Lou is remarkable.  We all want to know a dog like Lou.  Here’s your chance. There is a tear or two, but they are tears of joy for lives well-shared."--Greg Kincaid, author of A Dog Named Christmas

"There's nothing whispery or mysterious about the connection between Steve Duno and his remarkable Rottweiler mix Lou.  It's a full-voiced love story, a vigorous tale of rescue and mutual redemption, and an eloquent human-canine conversation that grows richer and deeper through the years.  Last Dog on the Hill reminds us not only how much dogs can learn, but more importantly, how much they can teach us about the things that really matter -- loyalty, honor, hard work, and plenty of sheer delight."-- Steven Winn, Author of Come Back, Como: Winning the Heart of a Reluctant Do

“Everyone needs to experience a dog like Lou; and every dog needs a person like Steve Duno. Last Dog on the Hill is one of those rare animal memoirs that isn't sentimental, yet moves the reader to tears as easily as laughter.  It also makes me wonder how many vocabulary words my dog knows.”--Susan Wilson, author of One Good Dog

 

“If Jack Reacher had a dog, he’d be Lou. If Jack Reacher were a dog, he’d be Lou.”-- Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series

 

“There are so many accounts and testaments that verify beyond doubt that a dog is man's best friend. What makes this story special is that Lou, in terms of fate, was destined for a rough and unspectacular life. Lou and Steve found each other by sheer chance. Lou's life was richer for being Steve's dog, but the real twist of fate is how Steve’s life and the lives of all those who knew Lou, were enriched forever.”--Nuala Gardner, author of A Friend Like Henry: The Remarkable True Story of an Autistic Boy and the Dog That Unlocked His World

 

“Anyone who has ever loved or lost a dog, or both, will be touched by this spellbinding story about two beings who crossed the human-dog divide and met on the other side.”--Stefan Bechtel, author of Dogtown: Tales of Rescue, Rehabilitation and Redemption

 

“Steve Duno describes Lou and himself as ‘neither dog nor human but family, just family.’  Anyone who has ever loved with their heart wide open will want to come along for this ride.  Unpredictable, heroic and funny…just like Lou.”--Monica Holloway, author of Cowboy & Wills: A Love Story

 

"Memorable from beginning to end, this tribute to a truly great dog will make you laugh, cry, and recall your own memories of special dogs." -- Modern Dog

About the Author

Last Dog on the Hill is veteran pet behaviorist STEVE DUNO’s eighteenth book. He has trained thousands of dogs, and a good number of cats. He lives in Seattle with his family and an ever-changing assortment of rescued pets.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1 edition (June 22, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312600496
• ISBN-13: 978-0312600495
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (71 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #135,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Author and pet behaviorist Steve Duno has trained thousands of dogs, cats and their owners. His eighteen pet care books address a wide variety of topics, including breed-specific behavior, environmental enrichment, basic obedience training, behavior modification and nutrition. His new book, Last Dog On The Hill, tells the story of Lou, a legendary dog and his greatest student. A former school teacher, Steve lives in Seattle with his family, his ditzy shepherd mix Flavio, and Rico, his mixed-breed tornado.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

79 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In Memory of a Star: "Last Dog on the Hill", June 24, 2010

By 

Karen Biehl "MsChiefmaker" (New York, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou (Hardcover)

Lou was found on top of a hill in Mendocino County, with his family, a pack of wild dogs born from guards dogs on a nearby marijuana grow. He was covered in fleas and ticks, had an infected gash on his neck and a limp. But in his eyes, Steve Duno saw his new best friend.

He took Lou to a nearby vet who treated his injury, removed half a cup full of ticks, vaccinated and de-wormed him. The vet warned Steve that his bowel movements would be interesting, and was right: during their first day together, Lou eliminated a squirrel skull, sock string, foil, pebbles and a gum wrapper.

This was the beginning of their friendship, as told by Steve at his book signing for "Last Dog on the Hill" at Barnes & Noble last night. I attended assuming it would be the usual book signing, i.e. "buy my book" with little talk of the book itself. Instead, I left feeling transformed by the bond of love between Steve and one very special Rottweiler/Shepherd mix.

After a childhood of hunting for road kill and trash, Lou was not used to being confined to a house. The first time Steve left him alone for a five minute trip to the store, he returned to find the carpet ripped from the floor, a door unhinged, and the kitchen window shattered. On this day, Lou taught Steve his first lesson - that he needed to become a dog trainer. Since then, Steve has trained 8000 dogs and become an expert behaviorist and author. During his 16 year life, Lou also helped teach deaf children sign language and helped train other wild dogs how to behave in society, saving hundreds from euthanasia.

Steve was an in-house tutor for celebrity children, including Allysa Milano and Sidney Poitier's children, but the real star was Lou, whom he compared to Antonio Banderas and Al Pacino. A real Rin Tin Tin, Lou saved Steve's life twice, prevented a rape, foiled a robbery, survived cancer, comforted war veterans and sick patients during their last days, acted in a Washington State Lottery Commercial, graced the cover of a book, and knew over 200 words and commands. Even some of his friends were celebrities, like Jonathan Harris, Mr. Smith in "Lost in Space", who befriended him while tethered outside Steve's health club.

In the opening paragraph of the book, Steve relates how he could invoke the presence of the departed Lou from the smell in the carpet, his furs in the floor. I felt this way at the book signing, as if I had met Lou. His spirit lives forever through the memories of his owner, which are now being expressed in book signings across the US. In the words of Lou, "Arugula" (the sound of his bark).

"Last Dog on the Hill" is a wonderful tribute to a dog with a very powerful soul, the tale of the purest of love between dog and man and their mission together. You may want to include a box of tissues in your order. My eyes welled up three times in reading just a few pages.

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Dog's Life, Yet So Much More, July 7, 2010

By 

A. Taylor (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou (Hardcover)

"Last Dog on the Hill" goes beyond the bounds of a typical dog story. This book touches on more ethereal concepts of fate, love, kinship, life mission, and the eternal bonding of linked-souls. I bought this book anticipating a canine adventure. What I experienced was much greater, deeper, more spiritual.

First, Steve Duno is a wonderfully warm, yet sharp-witted writer. Throughout the book, I found my self pausing to muse over an observation or comment that required a double-take of reflection. Throughout Duno's pithy and light-hearted prose is a scattering of deeply emotional gems - life issues succinctly phrased in just such a way as to give the reader an experience of shared epiphany.

Second, the life of Lou is extraordinary, not just because of the amazing work that this heroic canine accomplished throughout his long and well-loved life, but because of the amazing bond that this brave and empathic pooch forged with with his uniquely quirky, ethical and devoted human partner. This is not a linear, 'Dog as Hero' saga. On the contrary, throughout the book I cringed, laughed, whooped and cried. Lou starts off like an angelic flea-bag foundling, reveals himself as an uber-Marley and then, with his master's limitless patience and determination transforms into the well-trained, thinking, master-redeemer of death-row dogs. One of the big questions that one might later debate is whether Steve Duno rescued Lou or whether it was Lou who rescued Steve Duno.

Of course dog-lovers will find inspiration for raising the bars on their relationships to their canine companions, in terms of training, approach and appreciation. Readers will also delight in the various colorful human and canine personalities who appear like special treats within each chapter. However, these goodies are secondary to the much greater depth of this book.

Yes, "Last Dog on the Hill" is a dog book; but it is so very much more.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and heartwarming, June 22, 2010

By 

Heidi Lang - See all my reviews

This review is from: Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou (Hardcover)

I loved this book! It's a story about a very special dog but also about much more: love, friendship, loyalty, redemption... It is extremely well-written and the author's sense of humor comes through loud and clear. An easy, engaging read after which you wish you could have met Lou the wonder-dog yourself.