The series
Everything in Life, I Learned at the Dog Park
One acre of magnificent dog heaven.
At the base of Fitch Mountain in Healdsburg, California sits Villa Chanticleer Dog Park — large open spaces, golden wood chips, oak-canopied hills, wide open sky, and lovely blue benches for human friends. Every day the gate swings open and the dogs arrive. And every day, without anyone planning it, something true happens.
The books
Eight books. Eight narrators.
Each story is told in first person, from the perspective of a different dog breed, making complex emotional experiences immediate, accessible, and deeply felt. And in every book, watching quietly from somewhere nearby, is Bruce — the park's wise, goofy, ring-obsessed Boxer.
- 01
Daisy Finds Her Courage
Courage & first-day jitters
- 02
The Ball Isn't Always Mine
Sharing & fairness
- 03
When They Didn't Pick Me
Inclusion & rejection
- 04
The Big Bark
Handling big feelings
- 05
Mud Happens
Mistakes & resilience
- 06
The Slow Lap
Patience & aging
- 07
Too Many Treats
Self-control
- 08
The Day I Helped
Empathy & kindness
The heart
These are not small problems. They are the first big ones. And the dogs of Villa Chanticleer know exactly how that feels.
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