Meet the Hunter family: Adam, Kate, and their children Hal and Charlotte.
And Prince, their black Labrador.

Prince is an earnest young dog, striving hard to live up to the tenets of the Labrador Pact (Remain Loyal to Your Human Masters, Serve and Protect Your Family at Any Cost). Other dogs, led by the Springer Spaniels, have revolted. Their slogans are "Dogs for dogs, not for Humans" and "Pleasure not Duty". Mentored by an elderly Labrador called Henry, Prince takes his responsibilities seriously, and as things in the Hunter family begin to go badly awry -- marital breakdown, rowdy teenage parties, attempted suicide -- his responsibilities threaten to overwhelm him. And down in the partk it's even worse: Henry has disappeared; Falstaff the Springer Spaniel wants to lead Prince astray; Joyce the Irish Wolfhound has been murdered. In the end Prince is forced to break the Labrador Pact and take desperate action to save his Family.

I've enjoyed every Matt Haig book that I've read since discovering his quirky style in The Humans. Here, the dog has the advantage of his keen sense of smell providing all of the additional clues he needs for him to feel that he is in control, protecting his family, but in reality, he's out of his depth. You are warned right at the beginning how the story will end, but that doesn't make it any less poignant.

If you liked Prince, you might also like Enzo in Garth Stein's Art of Racing in the Rain.

relocated from Kapper Eric to the bookshelf under the stairs

Ooooh a Matt Haig book, can't resist.
Oh hi engelsman! Good to see you around!