Book excerpt: Fascinating stories abound in this magnificent treasure trove of dog stories, ranging from beloved shaggy dog tales to rare references from 7th-century Tibet to the works of John Steinbeck and Rudyard Kipling. Includes accounts of the Maltese who hid under the skirt of Mary Queen of Scots at her beheading, a Newfoundland who valiantly tried to save his owner as the TITANIC went down, and much more. Illustrated throughout.