Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet? (©2006 by Marty Becker, DVM, and Gina Spadafori, published by Health Communications, Inc., $12.95)

By Daisy Okas

The canine version of the popular best-seller “Why Do Men Have Nipples?” has arrived and aims to answer the most perplexing questions about “canine conundrums, medical mysteries and befuddling behaviors.”

Pet experts Dr. Marty Becker (Good Morning America) and Gina Spadafori (nationally syndicated weekly pet-care columnist) have put together a whimsical and entertaining read meant to sort out all those fallacies about Fido and quench our never-ending curiosity about the canine kind.

One of the best things about Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet? is the reassurance that you are not the only one wondering strange things, or for that matter, the only owner of a strange dog! The book delves into questions such as:

wCould my dog be gay?

wWhy is my dog humping a teddy bear?

wDoes my dog recognize her parents after years of separation?

wWhy do dogs like to roll in stinky stuff?

While the book asks all the right questions, it doesn’t always provide satisfying answers. But that’s because in many cases there are no definitive answers to the multitude of mysteries surrounding man’s best friend.

We ALL want to know why dogs eat grass but the bottom line is there are numerous theories. And if Becker and Spadafori – one of the most knowledgeable, credible and engaging duos around – haven’t found a concrete answer then one must feel confident it just doesn’t exist.

Plus, they provide lots of very practical and helpful information such as you can break up a fight by picking a dog’s hind legs off the ground or to prevent a wet dog from shaking at an inopportune moment by holding his snout.

In addition to the questions, the book features other sidebars on useful and humorous topics such as dog libido, kissing your dog and recovering from Rover’s run-in with a skunk. And, of course, we were especially pleased to see questions about dog breeds developed in U.S. and hypoallergenic dogs which reference information provided by the AKC.

This book is fun to flip through and read aloud with friends or family, and with its compact size and scannable format, it would make an ideal stocking stuffer or a good conversation piece for any gathering of canine enthusiasts.

Owners may still be left wishing their dogs could talk so they could finally know what makes the canine mind tick, but until that happens “Why Do Dogs Drink Out of the Toilet?” is the next best thing.