Pet Tricks

TITLE: WHAT THE DOGS HAVE TAUGHT ME

AUTHOR: MERRILL MARKOE

PUBLISHER: VIKING; 233 PAGES; $18

THE BOTTOM LINE: Flimsy when she talks about horoscopes and cute guys. But where the dogs reign, Markoe shines.

TOP 10 REASONS TO READ THIS book: 10. These funny essays were written by the woman who invented Stupid Pet Tricks for the David Letterman show (and won four Emmys) -- a woman who was Letterman's longtime companion and who certainly deserves our support.

% 9. During an election year, how novel to find someone who is intentionally funny (and who also inhales).

8. Readers are taken...