The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived

SOUTHWEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR, 2025

I am a dog but I do not die at the end of this book. Who else could have written it?

The woman who saved me offers food, shelter, and affection. But I'm nobody's pet. Because I have the intelligence of a human. And I aim to find out why.

Accompanied by Shakespeare, a Pug with the intelligence of a Pug, I strike out into the desert. Cannibal coyotes. Stray humans. A city of sin. The dangers are real. So are my questions: Where did I come from? And is a human life really worth more than mine?

My name is Rousseau. I seek the truth. Even if it means I lose my mind…

Equal parts dark comedy and quixotic quest, The Second-Smartest Dog That Ever Lived delivers sharp humor, unexpected tenderness, and big, unsettling questions—all narrated by a dog who knows our deepest secret: we're animals too.

Readers are saying:

★★★★★ "I quickly realized that this is not a cute little doggy tale but a very serious adventure."

★★★★★ "I did not expect the complexity, the humor, the philosophy, and the humanness that exist in these pages."

★★★★★ "A strange and wonderful tale."

★★★★★ "Insanely creative."