It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump: And Other Life Lessons I Learned from Dogs » (Bargain)

JOHN O'HURLEY is the host of NBC's The National Dog Show. He is well-known for his role of J. Peterman on Seinfeld, and as the first champion of ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

A funny, profound book about the enduring wisdom of dogs, from the host of the enormously popular National Dog Show

Charming and hilarious, It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump is more than a mere celebration of man's best friend. In this lighthearted and reflective exploration of how and why dogs have served as some of our most valuable and enlightened teachers, well-known and well- loved actor/show host John O'Hurley (Seinfeld, Dancing with the Stars) shares lessons learned from his life with canine companions, including: Every 15 Minutes Is a New Day; Never Miss a Nap; When One Person Stops Petting You, Move On; A Cold Can of Meat Is Still a Feast; and You're Only as Big as You Think You Are, to name a few.

"Dogs, after all, have pure hearts, trusting natures, a zest for living, noble characters, and an ability to take things in stride," writes O'Hurley in the book's introduction. "They can be counted on, and are pleasant companions. They know what's important, always. How many humans do you know about which you could say the same?" At once poignantly moving and laugh-out-loud funny, It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump is a book for the dog lover on everyone's holiday shopping list.

Library Journal

O'Hurley, host of the NBC program National Dog Show, champion of Dancing with the Stars, and an Emmy award-winning actor (for his role as J. Peterman on Seinfeld), reflects on the many life lessons dogs teach us. He interweaves memories of his youth including childhood dogs, his first love, homecoming games, and acting dreams with reflections on the simplicity of a dog's life. In such chapters as "Never Miss a Nap" and "Own Your Own Fur," he offers lessons he's learned from his own dogs, Betty and Schoshi. Unlike John Grogan's Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog or Jon Katz's A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life, this breezy and lighthearted look at dog behavior has no sad endings or sentimentality. Although O'Hurley's love for dogs is genuine, the recollections of his youth are somewhat uninspiring, and there really isn't much new here. An optional purchase. Eva Lautemann, Georgia Perimeter Coll. Lib., Clarkston Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.