Think M.J. Rose is writing books all by herself? As it turns out, she's got help in the form of Winka, a seven year old maltese who "writes my blogs and most of my books and demands no credit at all." Winka entered Rose's life at a difficult time in her life, where "she learned to make us laugh because we needed a lot of laughs back then." But the laughs come regularly now because "she can jump four feet in the air - which for a six pounder is incredible. And she chases flocks of geese each of which is twice her size."

John Warner won't say if his dog, Sam, is the "cutest dog in the world," but she's gone above and beyond the call of duty, "a loyal friend from the moment I quit my job to pursue an MFA when she was forced to ride in a puppy-shaped nook in the front seat of my overstuffed car on the way from Chicago to Lake Charles, Louisiana. She's slept at my feet for at least 90% of what I've written over the last twelve years, roughly mirroring the reaction of most readers to my work." Now that's loyalty!

It took some doing to get Lily Burana's English-style Labrador, Chief, to sit still - "getting a big, active dog to sit still for a photo is like stopping a speeding train," she comments - but after playing "the Pig stays in the picture," Burana managed just fine. And if you have a Lab ladyfriend, sign up now! "We want a tribe of little Chiefs to spread the English Lab goodness to would-be owners."