Dog Only Knows. The Dog Portraits of Alison Friend

A National Bestseller!

Dog Only Knows is the perfect gift for dog lovers, featuring over 125 irresistible portraits by acclaimed artist Alison Friend—each uniquely mischievous, funny, and full of personality.

Meet Midge, who keeps her mind sharp with a Rubik’s Cube. Alan, who looks like a million dollars in his new harness. Lola, whose motto is “People to see, bums to sniff.” Chupa Chops—how did he unwrap that lollipop? The oh-so-earnest Clive, who does everything—biscuit eating, squirrel chasing, ball fetching—with a single-minded focus. Irrepressible Debbie, who loves cocktail night, and Little Louis, a chain-smoking existentialist who can’t stop chewing over the canine condition. Usually with an espresso.

Welcome to Alison Friend’s world of dogs, a singular and very special place created by an artist with a unique gift for depicting that ineffable thing we call “character”—dog characters, actually—using oil paint, empathy, techniques of the Old Masters, and an imagination like no other. With their big expressive eyes and Mona Lisa smiles, charming habits and childlike pleasures, the subjects of these portraits seem all too human yet fantastically doglike.

Perfectly capturing—as Little Louis would tell you—the canine condition, like you’ve never seen it before.

“With its humor, heart and unmistakable personality, Dog Only Knows is a delightful reminder that our four-legged friends might just understand us better than we think.” - People

“If anything is wrong with you, this book will fix it.” - Ann Patchett, novelist and owner of Parnassus Books

“Dogs, they’re just like us! Perpetually anxious pizza lovers. The pups taking center stage in Alison Friend’s beloved paintings sport a range of personalities that feel all too familiar: several hungrily snack on pastries, sip cocktails, and even present their self-portraits on everyone’s favorite toy, the Etch A Sketch.” - Colossal