Dog in COVID

One day in 2021, I was walking and saw a golden retriever walking towards me on a leash. When his owner saw me coming, he dragged the dog to the grass, and I moved towards the edge of the sidewalk to keep my distance from them. It was a usual practice during COVID. After I walked by, I looked back at them. To my surprise, the golden retriever moved his body halfway to look back at me as well. From the longing in his eyes, I realized how cruel the so-called "politeness" is in a dog's eyes. For a beautiful and gentle golden retriever like him, he was used to being loved and touched by people walking by. Thus, he probably wondered why people did not come close to touch and play with him anymore and why people avoided talking or even standing close to each other. That encounter inspired this book. Also, the book's illustrator Teddy saw a neighborhood German shepherd named Ava walking one day, so he moved to touch her. Ava was so excited, she jumped at him, and exhibited excitement we have never seen. Her owner told us that Ava was longing for some playtime with people because she has not had many interactions from outside family members for a while. Another day, there was a golden retriever named Summer. When she saw Teddy, she dragged her owner to come closer to us. When Teddy put his hand toward her, she rolled over in the middle of the walkway and enjoyed a belly rubbing. This book is for all the dogs like the one who looked back at me, Ava, Summer, and many others who loved people enormously and knew we are long overdue for a doggy touch!