A four-paws rating system helps you identify just how dog-friendly each place happens to be. Avoid the fire-hydrant icon, which translates into "worth a squat"--and just barely; these should be visited only under the fullest of bladders. As for the paws, a "one paw park isn't a dog's idea of a great time. Maybe it's a tiny park with few trees and too many kids running around. Or perhaps it's a magnificent-for-people national park that bans dogs from every inch of land except paved roads and a few campsites.... Four-paw parks, on the other hand, are places your dog will drag you to visit again and again. Some of these areas come as close to dog heaven as you can get on this planet. Many have water for swimming or zillions of acres for hiking." Some listings even come with a foot symbol, indicating the coincidental good fortune of a place that happens to thrill the biped at least as much as her best friend. --Kathryn True

Book Description
This special breed of guidebook provides all the information you and your canine companion need to "ruff" it in and around Seattle. With each entry rated from a pooch's perspective on a one- to four-paw scale, author Steve Giordano and his four-legged assistants sniff out the best spots for romping and relaxing. Includes illustrations by San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank and tips on the dog-friendliest parks, hotels, and shops. "This book is indispensable to dog owners, lovers, or indulgent onlookers, and vastly entertaining as well." -- Sierra Club