Old Dogs: Are the Best Dogs (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Michael S. Williamson (Photographer)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Anyone who has ever loved an old dog will love Old Dogs. In this collection of profiles and photographs, Weingarten and Williamson document the unique appeal of man's best friend in his or her last, and best, years.

This book is a tribute to every dog who has made it to that time of life when the hearing and eyesight begin to go, when the step becomes uncertain, but when other, richer traits ripen and coalesce. It is when a dog attains a special sort of dignity and a charm all his own.

If you've known a favorite old dog, you'll find him or her on these pages. Your dog might go by a different name and have a different shape, but you'll recognize him or her by the look in an eye or the contours of a life story. There is the dog who thinks he is a house cat; the herder, the fetcher, the punk and the peacock, the escape artist, the demolition artist, the patrician, the lovable lout, the amiable dope, the laughable clown, the schemer, the singer, the daredevil, the diplomat, the politician, the gourmand, and the thief. Plus, as a special bonus, you will find the first Latvian elkhounds ever photographed.

Old Dogs is a glorious gift book and a fitting tribute to that one dog you can't ever forget.

About the Author

Gene Weingarten, pictured here with Murphy, his Plott Hound, is a nationally syndicated humor columnist and a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer for The Washington Post. He has written two books: The Hypochondriac's Guide to Life. And Death. and I'm with Stupid (with Gina Barreca). Weingarten lives in Washington, D.C. He has instructed his family that he wishes to be buried in Washington's Congressional Cemetery, because it allows dogs to run free. He wants his tombstone to include only his birth and death dates, and this: "A funny man who loved dogs." The stone will be carved in the shape of a fire hydrant.

Washington Post photographer Michael S. Williamson was born and raised in Washington, D.C. A two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, Williamson has covered a variety of global events over the last thirty years, including the wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua, the Philippine revolution, strife in the Middle East, the Gulf War, and conflicts in Africa and the Balkans. At the Post, Williamson works as both a photographer and a photo editor. He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with his daughters, Sophia and Valerie.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster; 1st Simon and Schuster Hardcover Ed edition (October 7, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416534997
• ISBN-13: 978-1416534990
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,200 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Heartfelt Celebration of Gray Muzzles!, September 25, 2008

By	C. O. Aptowicz (NYC, NY) - See all my reviews

I have nothing against the cuteness of puppies, but that territory has been well covered in the book world. Hence, I was thrilled to stumble upon this book, which perfectly spotlights the extraordinarily charm of old dogs. Marrying together wonderful photographs with witty biographies, the book captures what makes old dogs so great: their unapologetic quirks, their enduring mischievousness and their rock-solid love. Every type of dog imaginable is covered in this book, and every type of owner is allowed to give their unique testimonies about why old dogs truly are the best dogs.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Dogs are the Best Dogs, October 6, 2008

By	Dr. Deborah Day - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My Stanley, who is on page 18, died this year on July 31. I wasn't certain the book was being published, nor if Stanley had "made it". If he hadn't, it would not have changed my love of this homage to our best old friends. I took the book with me to give to my 86 year old mother, living in Assisted Living, and I read aloud the introduction. My mother cannot see well, but knew my Stanley and rescued close to 20 dogs in her life.
Together we cried as I read "Remembering Harry".

Thank you Gene and Michael!!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Old Dogs are unforgettable, October 11, 2008

By	Carolyn E. Golding "Labtails" (Ithaca, NY.) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Have just bought this book because Harry reminds me of my previous Lab "Jay" who was put down at 13 1/2. It was the most wrenching decision I have made, but the most right decision. If you own a dog, have loved a dog or have a friend who IS a dog, then this is a must have book for you.
Harry's story made me cry too. Have the Kleenex handy.