RUFF: A Lost Dog Tale

Ruff: A Lost Dog Tale is a contagiously optimistic, fun, inspiring and thought-provoking story that will linger in the mind and heart of anyone feeling overwhelmed by change in their personal life or at work.

Ruff: A Lost Dog Tale5 Great Strategies to Manage Change at Work and Beyond
By Penelope Wong and Suzanne Peck

Ruff: A Lost Dog Tale is a humor and wisdom packed story of three dogs who find themselves shipwrecked together on a tropical island in the middle of nowhere where everything is PURPLE!

“Oh dear, oh dear, wherever are we?” moans Winston, the quivering Lahteedahdoodle…

“I haven’t got a clue, dude,” answered J.D., the mixed-breed terrier, in a husky growl.

And so begins the tale. Will each dog be part of the problem or part of the solution?

Each chapter of this delightfully told 106-page book is short and mesmerizing, packed with snappy and witty delight and insight. Tense verbal confrontations and adventurous situational challenges move the story along briskly, as the dogs learn to work together in a totally unfamiliar and sometimes hostile environment. Lessons learned are shared by way of both hilarious dialog and touching revelations as the dogs encounter a wildly unpredictable terrain and learn to collaborate to achieve their goal of getting home.

“We should sniff out the situation…and figure out what we’re dealing with here,” conceded J.D.

“And not just run around like a couple of crazy dogs chasing our tails?” confirmed Winston.

The end of each chapter allows one to Paws for a Second … and poses a series of short, profoundly simple questions designed to help even the most intelligent and well-trained human get un-stuck and start moving forward through change.

The story is told in the first 61 pages. The second part of the book contains a Get Going Guide that identifies the 5 Great Strategies utilized by the charming canines in the fable:

1. Sniff Out the Situation – take some time to think through the complexities of the problem and consider different strategies before jumping to a solution.

2. Perk Up Your Ears –listen to people with very different backgrounds to get unstuck in your thinking.

3. Take a Bite – even one little chew can open up a whole new world of possibility.

4. Bark Smart – look at the situation through your audiences’ perspective and frame your pitch to support their priorities.

5. Focus on Mutual Success – focus on a positive outcome and use each other’s unique strengths to contribute to making that happen.

About The Authors:

Penelope Wong has over 25 years’ experience in marketing and advertising for top companies such as Nike, Cisco Systems, HP, Nestlé, Mattel, Intuit, and Amex. She has been a senior executive at Ogilvy & Mather and Brann Worldwide, lectured at major universities, spoken at conferences in the U.S. and abroad, and created innovative training programs in branding for non-profits (San Francisco Film Society, Dominican University, Oakland Museum of California, SF Asian Art Museum, USF Center for Pacific Rim).

An award-winning screenwriter for The Shanghai Café, Penelope began her writing career at age nine with her Chinese-American version of Little Women. She has written about food, fitness, fashion, the arts, decision-making, problem-solving and meeting facilitation, and more. She currently heads Penelope Wong & Associates, providing branding consultation for elite companies and start-ups.


Suzanne Peck, President of Peck Consultants, has worked with Fortune 500 companies to manage diversity and change for over 30 years. At organizations from McDonald’s to Disney to University of Chicago Hospitals to GE, she has partnered with executives to develop educational programs, to design external strategies to attract specific demographics, and to create team approaches for culturally diverse workforces both nationally and internationally. Prior to starting her own business, she was a principal and diversity practice leader of Towers Perrin, a management consulting firm with 9,000 consultants in 80 offices around the world.

Suzanne founded the Corporate Diversity Alliance, a network representing 28 Fortune 500 companies committed to the successful integration of diversity initiatives and promoting diversity and inclusion in the Chicago area. She has taught diversity at Northwestern University’s Media Management Center, co-authored and/or participated in the development of I'm In Charge, a consumer-assertiveness education program used by over a million employees in 400 companies; Expect The Best, starring Phylicia & Ahmad Rashad; How to Make Meetings Work! (now in its 9th printing); and Boomerang, an EEO training program used by half of the Fortune 500.

Available through Blue Point Books

Coming soon: Our Review of Ruff: A Lost Dog Tale

For more Great Dog Tails, BUY WOOF: Women Only Over Fifty!

Submission guidelines for:
"Dog Tails:
Stories About Women & Their Best Tail-Wagging Friends”

How to tell your story:
Whether your special canine buddy is still with you or not, we’re looking for nonfiction stories told in first person with action, dialogue and an emotional pivotal ending. Make readers laugh, cry, get chills!

How not to tell your story:
Stories should not be political in nature or preachy. We want original, unpublished stories that are 400 words or less.

How to submit your story:
A Word document e-mailed to GreatDames@WoofersClub.com

(Remember to save a copy for yourself!)

How to submit your picture:
Jpeg or Gif submitted to GreatDames@WoofersClub.com