So, have you ever run into an unreasonable or foolish human at the dog park? These are often individuals who haven’t quite figured out the amenities and dynamics of the “dog park” venue.  Often these people are a little uptight and oblivious on how to appropriately act in what is considered to be a  mutual, “free for all” and incredibly dog hospitable environment. You badly want to say something to these individuals but think to yourself “nah, better not” because you’re not one to start confrontation at dog park.

Ladies and gents, allow me to introduce “True Tails from the Dog Park” . A hilarious canine enthusiastic book intended for adults, but containing awesome child like illustrations by Julie Ann Stricklin. The book addresses those uncomfortable situations at dog park with people who don’t follow dog park etiquette therefore creating those awkward that could have been easily avoided had they known the information inside this book.

Authors Kari Sherman and Carey Laubenberg paint the real life scenarios we encounter at dog park from the perspective of their dogs Max and Luther. The scenarios range from the day to day ones that frustrate us, as well as the ones that bring us amusement and laugher. Holy moly did these girls get it right on the money! I must have laughed out loud 10 times within the first 10 minutes of reading the book due to how often I see the stories from this book take place at dog park ALL. THE. TIME. It’s so relatable to the everyday dog park goer- this book is comedy!

Before every chapter, we are introduced to a set of “dog rules” that chapter is based on. In Chapter 3 “Dog Park Rules: Dogs over Kids” one of the rules states: “Kids toys are terrible idea at the dog park. We will attempt to take them, we do not know the difference between dog toys and kid toys. They all look the same.” I couldn’t agree more with this rule! I related a lot to this chapter in particular because it was only a few months ago I blogged about wishing pet parents knew how to better share toys at the dog park.

That said -True Tails is as funny as it is informative. I suggest EVERY dog parent read it, and every NEW dog parent use is as a “Go To Guide” on what to expect at dog park and how to prepare for the lifestyle change- because let’s be frank – new puppy parents are bound to have struggles so it’s better they understand early on what to expect at the dog park. This book is PAWESOME! It brings laughter and joy while at the same time enlightenment with tips and advice on dog park courtesy.

True Tails from the Dog Park was released October 15th. Click here to order yours online! A True Tails book signing will take place this Saturday October 25th at Unleashed in the Del Mar Highlands Town Center from 1-5pm and Sunday at Camp Run a Mutt in Kearney Mesa from 12-4pm.

I had the chance for some Q&A with author Kari Sherman as there have been dozens of wonderful reviews on True Tails since its launch. Sherman has been very interactive with the community talking about her new book.  Here is what she shared with Barking Beast:

Q:  What inspired True Tails from the Dog Park?

A:  Our dogs really inspired this book. Carey and I go to the dog park daily and have seen the entire spectrum of good and bad in both dogs and dog owners. We thought that it would make for a great story and at the same time be educational as well. There is no better way to make a point than to lace it with some humor!

Q: This book paints the realities of what we live and see as real life dog owners.  I find it very useful to helping dog parents better understand park rules and dynamics. Was that your intention when you wrote it?

A:  It was definitely our intention to lay out some simple rules for proper dog park behavior. Our dedication in the book says it all ” this is for the 95% of our fellow dog friends whom we love and adore, the other 5% are the inspiration.

Q:  This book addresses all the real life dog park situations that no one talks about because they don’t want to start confrontation with other dog parents. How did you manage to incorporate so many significantly relatable scenarios into this book?

A:  I am not sure how we managed to incorporate so many scenarios in our book. It’s sad that there are so many scenarios to address. We have actually witnessed some nasty confrontations between dog owners that I think could be avoided if people calm down and better understood their dogs. Hopefully, these tips could help alleviate some of these situations. There is a reason that these situations are so relatable. Dogs are much easier to understand than people.

Q:  This book made me laugh while at the same time challenged me to think how I can be a better parent and respect the boundaries of others at dog park. Was that the message you were going for when writing the book?

A:  Our main goal was to entertain with a little education on the side.

Q:  I know you have another book in the works?

A: We are currently 2/3 of the way through book II. It will be similar in that there will be funny true stories but we are structuring it differently. Each chapter will have a section on the various jobs that dogs hold/can do, funny stories and then followed by interesting /quirky dog facts. We hope to continue with the theme of entertaining the readers and providing some education. Carey and I have learned a lot in our research already!

To learn more about the book authors Kari Sherman and Carey Marks Laubenberg visit their website www.kariandcarey.com and be sure to LIKE their page on Facebook!