Last Dog on the Hill: The Extraordinary Life of Lou »

Animal behaviorist and freelance writer Steve Duno has authored 11 books covering a wide variety of subject matter, including pet care, professional sports, celebrity memoirs, and fiction. Among his books on pets are Plump Pups and Fat Cats (St. Martin's), No Kitty! (St. Martin's), and Show Biz Tricks for Cats (Adams). He also writes for Petsmart.com and has authored a series of articles on cats versus dogs, published by Slate, Microsoft's online magazine.

The moving story of the author’s adopted Rottweiler mix, Lou, a free-thinking heroic dog who changed his life forever

Born of guard dogs on a secret marijuana farm in Mendicino County, Lou truly was one dog in a million. On the winter day that the ailing, tick-infested feral pup was rescued by Steve Duno, neither dog nor man had a clue as to what they were getting into, or where the relationship would lead.

Last Dog on the Hill tells the story of an indigent young Rottweiler mix who, after abandoning his pack and the hills of his birth, went on to change the lives of hundreds of people and dogs, including the author’s, whose career as a behaviorist and writer was made possible through Lou’s extraordinary intelligence and heart. Lou won the respect of gang members, foiled an armed robbery, caught a rapist, fought coyotes and kidnappers, comforted elderly war veterans and Alzheimer patients in their final days, taught ASL to kids, learned scores of unique behaviors and tricks, amassed a vocabulary of nearly 200 words, helped rehabilitate hundreds of aggressive dogs and saved them from euthanasia. He was also a clown, consummate performer and Steve’s best friend for sixteen years. His story will make readers laugh and cry in equal measures.

Library Journal

This memoir about a wonderful dog begins in 1989 as Duno and his girlfriend spot feral rottweiler-mix puppies, the offspring of marijuana farm guard dogs, on a hill ridge in California. One makes a beeline toward them, and the puppy soon to be named Lou becomes the catalyst for Duno's new career as a pet behaviorist and well-known author of 18 books (e.g., Be the Dog: Secrets of the Natural Dog Owner). Clearly, Lou was one of a kind; brilliant and brave, he not only saved Duno's life twice but also helped train (and so save the lives of) last-chance dogs. VERDICT Although somewhat marred by repeated foreshadowing, this will be greatly enjoyed by lovers of animal memoirs like John Grogan's Marley and Me and Vicki Myron's Dewey as well as other books exploring the human-canine connection. Equally humorous and serious, the book portrays the duo's heartwarming bond of love. [For more dog memoirs, see also "Short Takes: Pet Memoirs," LJ 2/1/10, p. 88.—Ed.]—Susan Riley, Mt. Kisco P.L., NY