Moosie and Bear — Denise Domning

By noon Moosie has already done all his favorite things on the farm and now he's bored. Then the farmer's gate opens and a big puppy named Polar Bear arrives. But before they can play a game of "Chase Your Tail" they must prove they are both dogs, not a moose and a bear.

This book--one I never expected to write--came about after I took in two rescue dogs. The first dog, Moosie, arrived on the farm on my birthday. He was supposed to have been a Saint Bernard/Huskie mix, and had been given the name "Moose". I soon realized that the breed mix was a little off, because he wasn't growing as big as predicted. He was reassessed as an Akita/Sharpei mix and, with his smaller size, came the new name "Moosie": little moose. About a year later someone contacted me to tell me that a friend had rescued a male Kuvasz from south of the Grand Canyon. The Kuvasz is a massive, thick white furred livestock guardian breed, so it was no surprise that he'd been given the name "Polar Bear." At the time, Bear's rescue family was pretty sure they were going to keep him. What's not to love about a giant couch potato (except that he barks all night). Given his size and his nocturnal habits, they agreed to bring him by the farm "just to see." Within minutes it was clear that Bear had found his forever home. Moosie and Bear remain working dogs, partners and BFF three years after that auspicious meeting.