Boy does Ms. Lawson know dogs Fantastic book for dog lovers and anyone who wants to stay in shape and lighten up their lives to boot --Richard Simmons We live in a diet-obsessed age, when we lose five pounds just to gain ten, delude ourselves that the next exercise contraption we buy from that midnight infomercial will finally take that extra inch off our thighs, and become convinced that the latest diet fad of beet soup and goat's milk will help us look good in a bikini. But now you can forget the Zone, Atkins and South Beach It turns out that the ultimate weight-loss plan is owning a dog: Man (and woman's) best friend is the fail proof personal trainer-dietician-nutritionist you've been looking for you all your life. That's just what Patti Lawson found in her dog, Sadie. A diet-obsessed, single lawyer, Patti spent the winter indulging in multiple brands of chocolate while mourning the demise of her latest relationship. Spring found her pudgy and pitiful, when Fate - and a fortuitous trip to PetSmart - brought rascally puppy Sadie into Patti's petless, pristine, if a bit sterile, life. Since that day life hasn't been the same for Patti or Sadie. A life that began together with 3:00 a.m. walks through the park, incessant barking and stolen moments of trying to eat just a crumb of breakfast without puppy-interference soon morphed into a partnership of exercise and healthy eating with the added bonus that Sadie taught Patti a thing or two about letting go and stopping to smell the roses. A memoir-cum-diet, The Dog Diet takes a tongue-in-cheek look at our obsession with weight loss and will have you laughing out loud as you recognize your own dysfunctional relationship with food. In the process you'll learn a simple and natural method for shedding unwanted pounds without the usual stress and disappointments that go along with typical dieting regimens.