Barking Mad taps into the British passion for dogs by bringing together a unique collection of extraordinary, touching and sometimes bizarre but true stories covering sporting dogs (and hounds), military mascots, eccentric companions, war heroes and Royal dogs. Many of the best and most intriguing stories, which date back to the early 19th Century, have been discovered in long-forgotten books and magazines, but all reflect our enduring passion for man's best friend. Stories include everything from the Labrador that saved its master from drowning to the hound that spent years travelling unaccompanied across England by train to the pooch that carried a penny to the local bakery every day to buy its own cakes.