A unique look inside the mind of the family pet from bestselling cartoonist Adrian Raeside.

We humans spend an awful lot of time thinking, talking and writing about dogs—and watching funny dog videos online. But have we really figured out these strange, hairy creatures that have invaded couches and beds around the globe? Fortunately, The World According to Dogs is here for you, sharing your pet’s unvarnished opinions about what you don’t really get about them. It turns out that dogs have a sense of humour when it comes to human antics and are willing to open up about the many ways we’ve got them all wrong.

Adrian Raeside has created a magical tale of adventure for pet lovers of all ages in The Rainbow Bridge. Using his gift for creating spunky characters, Raeside has created a valuable fable for anyone who cherishes the companionship of a family pet.

Seven-year-old Rick and his beloved dog Koko are inseparable. They cavort in the swimming hole, chase each other through the fields, play fetch and wrestle. But their relationship changes as Koko grows old and his health declines.

Amy and Rocky are best friends, as close as a girl and a cat can be. They have been by each other’s side since Amy was born, and seasons pass happily in companionship with tea parties, yarn chasing and warm naps. But as Rocky grows older, her purrs grow fainter―and one night, Rocky disappears. Amy is heartbroken until a helpful but flatulent friend of Rocky brings her to the Rainbow Bridge, a magical paradise for pets of all kinds.

There, Amy finds Rocky again and together they explore the Rainbow Bridge, a place where there are fields of catnip and cats never run out of fragile things to break, and where the feline inhabitants have formed a truce with pet birds, mice and hamsters.

Prepare to walk on the wild side with 340 full-colour Raeside cartoons, now collected for the first time into a single volume. Here is a menagerie of garbage-rummaging bears, squabbling eagles, philosophizing wolves, pre-handbag alligators, artistic elephants, shedding mammoths and many more from the animal kingdom.

Dogs are tops--35 percent of Canadian households include at least one canine--and anyone who's been owned by one (yes, that's right) will tell you why: we share in each other's joy and pain; they cheer us up when we're blue; they strive to please us and are indispensable workers, serving us even at their peril; we pamper and play with them, train them and take them for walks (actually, they take us); they sleep in our beds; sit on our laps; and if we let them they will follow us to the ends of the earth. But do we really know what they think?

A dog's tail is incredibly versatile. They use them to communicate everything from the furious, full-body wiggling "I'm so happy to see you I could burst!" to the tucked-under-the-bum "N-O-O-O! Is that the vet's office we're pulling up to?" They also keep noses warm on cold nights and conveniently sweep food off coffee tables.

From yoga devotees to redneck fishermen, political potheads to bloated bureaucrats, plus provincial pet peeves like leaky condos,ICBC premiums and smart meters, no stone is left unturned, particularly when it comes to the politically slanted stereotypes of Left Coasters.

Hot topics such as the Northern Gateway pipeline, carbon taxes and the hidden perils of electric cars are pondered alongside the subtle difference between Saskatchewan's wheat harvest and BC's second-largest industry: cannabis production. Addressing often-touchy issues with his clever and amusing West Coast characters and critters, Raeside casts his spotlight on bear awareness programs and the current role of conservation officers, the increase of wildlife-human encounters (at your local watering hole) and the lack thereof (at wilderness retreats).