Dog Wars, by Michael Wagner

FINE! BE LIKE THAT! I’ll tell you the whole story, the full, complete story—the flea wrestling, Mum and Dad, the fights, all the trouble I caused, the war, everything! THEN WE’RE OUTTA HERE! OKAY?

The humans might call it Grandview, but to the dogs who live there, their suburb is known as Dogland. The dogs have their own sets of rules and their own way of sorting out problems and the humans are none the wiser. But when a flea on the lookout for adventure and excitement lands on Strongdog, the toughest dog of all, things start to change.

Dog Wars is a hilarious dog story with a very big difference – it is narrated by a flea. This sassy character, Faydo T. Flea, tells the story of his adventures onboard Strongdog, who he controls through subtle direction in his ear. Wagner uses this device for maximum silliness. Kids will love it and even adults will laugh out loud.

Each dog character is distinct and dog lovers will recognise their own dog breeds there, from the feisty poodle to the shifty dachshund and the dirty, but happy, mutt. Dog Wars is a dog-lover’s delight.

Dog Wars, by Michael Wagner
Black Dog Books, 2004