The Company of Dogs: 22 Stories by Cont

Companionship between a human and a dog connects these entertaining stories, many by well-known contemporary writers. The relationship is explored in a variety of ways. David Updike in ``Out on the March'' reflects on aging--a dog's and his master's: ``I realize he has grown old without me.'' Bobbie Ann Mason (``Lying Doggo'') traces the evolution of a marriage that owes its origin to a German shepherd. ``Seeing Eye'' by Michael Martone takes us to a town where guide dogs are trained. The limits of life, the inexorability of dying are experienced by people and paralleled by their canine companions in stories by Thomas McGuane, Robert Gillespie and Wright Morris. Supplemented by cartoons and photos (not seen by PW ) and a perceptive editorial overview, the volume, whose profits are earmarked for dog welfare agencies, is a treasure for dog lovers. Rosen is literary director of the Thurber House in Canton, Ohio. (Oct.)