Books About Dogs-Paw Prints in the Sand and Bark Out Loud

Eventually, we just learned to sleep through it. But if there was really a cause for concern, like a strange man with a gun, I wonder if Mystique would bark in a way that would alert me that there was something dangerous and different about the person approaching the house. Dog vocalizations may not sound very sophisticated. Raymond Coppinger pointed out that most dog vocalizations consist of barking, and that barking seems to occur indiscriminately. Coppinger reported on a dog whose duty was to guard free- ranging livestock.

The dog barked continuously for seven hours, even though no other dogs were within miles.

If barking is communicative, dogs would not bark when no one could hear them. It seemed to Coppinger that the dog was simply relieving some inner state of arousal. The arousal model is that dogs do not have much control over their barking. They are not taking into account their audience, and their barks carry little information other than the emotional state of the barking dog.

Perhaps barking is another by-product of domestication. Unlike dogs, wolves rarely bark. Barks make up as little as 3 percent of wolf vocalizations. Meanwhile, the experimental foxes in Russia [that have been bred to be docile] bark when they see people, while the control foxes do not. Frequent barking when aroused is probably another consequence of selecting against aggression.

However, more recent research indicates that there might be more to barking than we first thought. Dogs might even be altering their voices in ways that are clear to other dogs but not to humans. When scientists have taken spectrograms, or pictures, of dog barks, it turns out that not all barks are the same—even from the same dog. Perhaps they have different meanings. I know two Australian dogs, Chocolate and Cina, who love to play fetch on the beach.

Each throw sends them plunging through the waves, racing for that magic orb of rubber. A quiet growl from Chocolate warns Cina away. Experiments have now shown that dogs use different barks and growls to communicate different things. Curt and I are happy to publish another one of the stories that was a runner-up for the Pepe Prize After months of pouring rain, the sun finally came out and it seemed like all the dogs in the city were at the Riverside off-leash dog park. Pepe had run around in circles with the other dogs, chased seagulls off the beach, dug holes in the sand, played with his little yellow ball, and sniffed lots of doggie butts as he made new friends.

Now he plopped down on the warm sand to soak up the sun next to his fellow Chihuahua, Millie. Pepe was feeling that Life was Good.

He had lost all hope. But then West Coast Dog Rescue arrived and he was chosen, along with his prison mate, Millie, and a few other lucky dogs. They were all put on a plane to Seattle to start new lives. Jennifer had left yesterday for Vancouver, Canada to help her sister, who had just had a baby, so Geri had offered to look after Millie for a while, and Pepe was enjoying the company.

Yes, he was a very lucky dog, he thought. He would never forget his good fortune. His sleepy reverie was broken by the panicked cries of Maureen, a professional dog walker. The other dog owners came running to help. Poppy was the white toy poodle that Millie and I were playing with earlier on the beach. We will help you find Poppy! Everyone quickly agreed on a search plan and then spread out along the trail and the beach to look for Poppy. This is not from a dog. This is coyote scat. I do not like this! Pepe came forward and sniffed the pile as well. This is coyote scat, but it is not fresh.

Do not be afraid. I will protect you! I will scare away any coyotes by barking and snarling like this. Pepe stopped barking and returned to sniffing the area. She went this way. Can you smell it? It is a human scent, so Poppy is not alone and that will give her some protection from any coyote that may be lurking in the woods. Geri caught up to them, a bit out of breath. There is only so much I can do. Maureen was distraught, and the other dog owners tried to comfort her.

I do not think she was a snack for a coyote. They left the dog park in a somber mood. I want to hire you to find Poppy. Can I come and see you right away? Colleen arrived barely forty-five minutes after the call. Or he wants revenge. We had a nasty divorce, and I got the house, the kids and Poppy. She knew her abductor. I bet my ex-wife told you that I took Poppy. Time for a stake-out! Geri showed Pepe and Millie the photo of him that Colleen had provided, and they waited outside to see if he would come out walking a toy poodle.

The woman had dyed blonde hair and wore a very short dress that clung to her curves, and Pepe observed that it was a good thing that Larry held her arm, because her heels were so high, it looked like she was going to topple over if he let go. Larry helped the woman into the car, then got in and drove off. But we need more evidence to be sure.

The next day, Geri started to check out the ads on Craigslist to see if any toy poodles were listed for sale. She answered several of the ads, but the dogs were male, or were puppies. Geri, Pepe and Millie were feeling discouraged. Everyone said the same thing: Management is quite strict about it. Geri phoned Colleen to report on her progress… or rather, her lack of progress. Or anybody calling asking for a reward if they find her?

The kids and I are devastated. We miss her terribly! But she was beginning to lose hope. Driving by the park the next day, Geri saw a man put a small white dog in his little red car. She immediately parked and ran up to him, with Pepe and Millie in tow, and demanded to see the dog. The man seemed a bit taken aback by her tone, but he smiled when he saw the Chihuahaus. It was a Toyota Echo, not a Ford Fiesta. I may not be able to see colors clearly, but I know my cars!

Missing posters, with mug shots of beloved pets, began appearing on telephone poles and in shop windows. Pepe was glad that Millie was staying with them for a while so he could keep an eye on her. Geri was such a good person to let Millie stay with them, Pepe thought. One morning at breakfast, Geri was reading the community newspaper and found an article about the missing dogs. She summarized it for Pepe and Millie: They are also disappearing from back yards and off-leash dog parks.

But the dognappings are slowing down, as people are keeping their dogs on leashes. It is too terrible. What is the dognapper doing with all those dogs? I have to get some things and maybe people there will have more news. It was always a good idea to go to the pet store! At the store, while Geri was discussing the mysterious dog disappearances with other pet owners and the staff, Pepe was interested in a middle-aged woman in a Snoopy sweatshirt who was buying two giant bags of dog food and three small bags of liver treats.

Pepe loved liver treats and he went closer to the woman to get a closer whiff. The liver aroma tickled his nose, but there was another scent that caught his attention, too. Her car looked familiar somehow. It was a red Ford Fiesta! It is the car from the dog park. I think this is the human that took Poppy! By the time Geri started her car, the Ford Fiesta was already leaving the parking lot. She was doing a great job until they came to a yellow light — the little red car sped through the intersection, while Geri slammed on the brakes as the light turned red.

We will never find the little red car now! We need to find it. There was no traffic, and Geri was ready to give up. But then Millie spotted the little red car peeking out from a covered carport next to one of the houses. If the SPCA comes and the dogs are not there, we might never find them.

Up to 20 percent of pooches are sensitive enough to need professional help

Maybe she is hiding them somewhere else. Geri took out her clipboard and pen, walked up the front steps, and knocked loudly on the door. The woman in the Snoopy sweatshirt opened the door. Is this your dog and do you have a license for it? They are in the basement! Geri tried to run in after them, but the woman grabbed her arm. Get out of my house! I am calling the police!

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They are in here! After a brief struggle, Geri broke free, raced to the door Pepe was barking in front of, and opened it. A ball of white fur bolted out of the door, followed by a motley crew of small dogs. The dogs were panicked and scared, but Pepe and Millie quickly herded them out of the house.

Geri sighed with relief, then turned around to confront the dognapper, who was standing frozen in shock. Imagine, leaving them all alone in backyards, or giving them to dog walkers, who let the dogs run loose where there are coyotes. I was saving them! Now that the dogs were out of her house, the woman seemed deflated. She sat on the steps, rocking back and forth and clasping Panda to her chest.

Geri called the police and the SPCA. Although it seemed to take forever for them to arrive, it was only 20 minutes. The police took the woman into custody, and the SPCA officers began to gather up all the small dogs. When Geri arrived home, Colleen was already waiting on her front steps. Geri invited the family in for some tea. Poppy was having a great time, rolling and jumping around in the living room with the children while Colleen thanked Geri over tea and cookies.

They only emerged once Colleen finally finished thanking Geri and left with her children and their cherished pet. The next day, the headline in the community newspaper read: Geri read the article aloud to Pepe and Millie. She pulled out a bag of liver treats, and Pepe and Millie happily wagged their tails. Linda McNab is a retired social worker and avid reader. Now that her three daughters have grown up and left home, she is slowly filling her house with more and more books. She volunteers at the Vancouver Writers Fest, leads a mystery book club, and has recently discovered that attending Left Coast Crime mystery fan conventions can be addictive so much so that she is one of the organizers for the Left Coast Crime conference in Vancouver, B.

Her non-book activities include spoiling her grandchildren, playing Scrabble, swimming, and learning languages Greek and Spanish. Linda lives in Richmond, B. She began her career in the Canadian book publishing industry, working at publishing houses in Vancouver and then Toronto. She now works in internal communications and lives in Toronto with her husband, son, and two cats.

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Her non-book hobbies include swing dancing and learning new languages current project: We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did. Sorting through the delivery, he sniffed out a particular envelope with a canine odor. But I wanted to expand our business any way I could, so I took out a national newspaper ad.

Harry the Dirty Dog read by Betty White

As you know, dogs spend a lot of time on the paper. They are bound to see our ad. This is very bad. Dogs have been disappearing from the beach. A fellow Chihuahua needs my help. His name is Rex, and his sister Sassy is one of the missing dogs.

The sound of fear: Noise phobias torment dogs

We go to the beach. I will go and meet with Rex. We might even be related. Geri took the letter from Pepe and looked it over. After landing at Newark Liberty International Airport, Geri rented a mid-size sedan, loaded Pepe into the passenger seat, placed a suitcase in the trunk, and headed down the New Jersey Turnpike looking for the Garden State Parkway.

Forty minutes later, Pepe commented on the change of landscape. Why do people make fun of this state? Look at the colorful trees. The fall foliage is beautiful. Some people think Chihuahuas are yappy little dogs. Pepe sat silently for a while, thinking about the missing dogs. A beach should be a happy place.

He and Geri went to their own beach on occasion where he flirted with the lady dogs and played ball and Frisbee. Pepe had had many jobs before coming to live with Geri and never ceased to amaze her with tales from his brightly colored past. I was part of the hotel team. That is why on one terribly hot summer day, I was lounging by the pool supervising the hotel guests. I must have dozed off because when I awoke, all the adults had left the pool and now stood around an outdoor barbecue pit. I could not let that little girl drown, so I ran to the end of the pool, grabbed a floatie and dove in.

My barking caught the attention of her father and he helped me pull her out.



They thought the girl had followed me to the pool and jumped in after me. I lost my home that day. Pepe dried his eyes on a hoodie that Geri had draped on the seat. I know the truth. And we will also find the truth where the missing dogs are concerned. I will not let Rex down. The three-story structure was clad in shake-shingles painted white, with grand columns for an entrance and a gray slate roof sporting several chimney stacks.

Pepe shivered in agreement. I am not used to October in New Jersey. We have a small bed for Pepe in your room. And some special treats. Eileen assigned them a room on the second floor, and Matthew carried their suitcase up the stairs. Geri noticed a courtesy newspaper on a wicker table. A small headline read, Dogs Stolen from Beach. Matthew noticed her concerned look. A few dogs have gone missing recently.

She lives two blocks over, third house from the ocean. Poor Catherine is just devastated. Pepe and Geri climbed the brick steps and stepped onto the mahogany porch of a Victorian-style home. Geri pressed the buzzer and a Westminster chime echoed within. Seconds later, a tiny woman with shoulder-length white hair peered out through the glass storm door. My name is Geri Sullivan and this is my Chihuahua, Pepe. I understand your dog Rudy is one of the dogs taken from Manasquan Beach.

May I speak with you for a moment? Do you have any news? She ushered them into a cozy living room where a fire blazed in a brick hearth. Once Geri situated herself on the couch, Pepe jumped into her lap. He, like Geri, was eager to hear first-hand about the dognappings. Also, a Yorkshire Terrier, a Maltese, and a Chihuahua. My Poodle is a toy, and it seems whoever is doing this is targeting small dogs.

Catherine pulled a tissue from her cardigan pocket and wiped at her eyes. Or maybe he was microchipped? I think only the Yorkie was microchipped. But none of us has heard a word. Pepe wondered if perhaps the dognappers were planning to sell the pedigreed dogs.

If so, they could be half way across the country. It would be difficult to sell them locally without getting caught. It was sad seeing Catherine cry over her beloved pet. Framed pictures of Rudy, some with Catherine, decorated the walls and table. Pepe wondered if Rudy was her only fur-child. Some people preferred fur-children to the human kind. As they walked back to the bed-and-breakfast, Pepe said. If I have to, I will act as a decoy and see if we can lure the dognapper out of hiding. Most days, dogs had to be leashed, but instructions were posted that, for a few hours each week, they could have the run of the fenced-off area.