Who it's for
Anyone who loves a dog and likes a good word search, and anyone buying for one. Nobody is happier to see you than a dog, and this book is built around that feeling: ninety large print puzzles, each one hiding a warm little line about life with a dog, to enjoy a page at a time in a favorite chair, ideally with a dog at your feet.
The print is large all the way through, the puzzles start gently, and the How to Play page tells a beginner to start with Puzzle 1. Solve the puzzles in order and the hidden lines add up to one happy keepsake, a love letter to life with a dog: the day a pup arrives, the first night, the walks and the park, fetch and zoomies, muddy paws forgiven by morning, the welcome at the door, and the seasons shared side by side.
Inside the book
- How to Play, first. One page explaining the three levels, where each section starts, and how the hidden message works.
- Easy, puzzles 1 to 30. 11 x 11 grids. Words run left to right, top to bottom, or diagonally down to the right.
- Medium, puzzles 31 to 60. 12 x 12 grids. Words may also run right to left and diagonally up to the right.
- Harder, puzzles 61 to 90. 13 x 13 grids, with words in all eight directions, even bottom to top.
- Dog words and real breed names throughout the puzzles: Labrador, Dachshund, Papillon, Schnauzer, Shih Tzu and Weimaraner appear alongside words like walkies, zoomies, muddy and squeaky.
- A hidden message in every grid. When every word is circled, the leftover letters spell that puzzle's line, and the label under the grid tells you how many letters to expect.
- The answers at the back, in large print, with each hidden line printed under its solved grid.
- The whole keepsake gathered at the end: all ninety lines printed together on five pages, to read straight through.
How to use it
- Read the How to Play page first, even if you have done word searches for years. The hidden message is what makes this book different.
- Circle every listed word, then read the leftover letters left to right and top to bottom, and write them on the lines under the grid. If they don't make sense, one word is still hiding.
- Go in order if you can. Each hidden line picks up the feeling of the one before. If you skip a puzzle, its line is on the answer pages.
- Take it at your own pace. One puzzle over a morning coffee is plenty; there is no clock.
Curious where all those breed names came from? Dog Breed Name Origins tells the stories behind the Dachshund, the Doberman, the Great Dane and more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hidden message?
In every puzzle, once you have circled all the listed words, the letters left over spell one short line about life with a dog. Read in order, the ninety lines become one continuous keepsake, printed in full at the back of the book.
How large is the print?
Large throughout. The grid letters are about 20 to 24 point, the word lists are 16 point, and the answers at the back are 16 to 18 point.
Is it for beginners?
Yes. The first thirty puzzles use smaller 11 x 11 grids and only three directions, and the How to Play page tells new solvers to start with Puzzle 1.
Is it a book about dog care or training?
No. It is a puzzle book for enjoyment. The word lists are breed names and happy dog words, and the hidden lines are about the everyday joy of sharing life with a dog.
Is it a good gift for a dog lover?
It suits anyone who loves dogs and enjoys word puzzles, including readers who prefer larger print. It is not tied to a season, so it works for a birthday, a holiday or just because.
How big is it?
8.5 x 11 inches, 122 pages, printed in black ink on white paper.
See it on Amazon
