On the left, Lesley Dormen, the author of The Best Place to Be, presents Eliza, whose hunting instincts aren't limited to fowl: She was forced to withdraw from the Guiding Eyes program when she couldn't suppress her appetite for squirrels. But she makes up for it in literary inspiration—Dormen reports that she's named the lead character in her novel-in-progress after the yellow labrador.

On the right, you might recognize Carlie, one of this summer's featured dogs, and the not-so-disguised star of Alison Pace's novel-in-progress, Things to Do in the City With Your Dog.