Whether you know him as J. Peterman from Seinfeld or for being crowned champion on Dancing with the Stars, John O’Hurley is a constant presence on the small screen. What you don’t see off-camera are the furry faces that round out his life.

Since childhood, O’Hurley has been an avid dog lover. Looking back on the canine friends he’s had through the years, he has learned valuable lessons that he shares in his new book, IT’S OKAY TO MISS THE BED ON THE FIRST JUMP: AND OTHER LIFE LESSONS I LEARNED FROM DOGS. Combining gentle wit with obvious affection for “man’s [and woman’s] best friend,” O’Hurley illustrates surprisingly simple attitudes that humans would do well to emulate.

Each chapter is dedicated to a lesson. Some chapter names are; “Precious Gifts Come in Small Packages,” “When a Dog Barks—Listen,” “Own Your Own Fur,” and so on. While each “lesson” may be apparent from its title, O’Hurley provides examples from both his life and the life of a dog (or three) he has known.

Sometime we, as humans, forget about the simplest, truest aspects of life. We get worked up over things that dogs know don’t matter. There are eleven lessons in this book. If you glean even a little from it, maybe you’ll be a bit happier. And: “If you’re happy and you know it, wag your tail!”

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer
11/12/2006

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