Every evening, a group of Dogs meets under the old oak tree to discuss matters of importance.

Their Special Relationship with The Owners is a regular subject.

Another, hardly surprising, is cats (please note the small 'c').

But topics as far-ranging as Advertising, Space Travel and Social Networking all receive their unique canine insight.

Here, then, are the conversations of Whitman, Pippa, Anton, Butch, Malcolm and Obi.

It has been my pleasure to write them down.

- Nick da Costa, 2017

Dogs are our oldest, closest companions.

They're also our keenest observers, well aware of our strengths, our weaknesses and our frequently strange behaviour.

We may be 'The Owners,'  but they regard themselves as equal partners in what they refer to as The Great Owner/Dog Enterprise that began in the dawn of time, when the first Wolves slipped out of the forest to enjoy the warmth of the fire…and roast meat.

Much of what we do leaves them in awe, but they are often puzzled by how easily some of us can be fooled.

By cats for example.