I know that the Internet and television haven't killed the magazine market when I see a magazine like Bark have a successful launch. This quarterly publication with it's motto, "Dog is my co-pilot," is living by the hair of the dog in a "ruff" marketall puns intended. Bark, in its own words, "is the modern dog culture magazine," and no, that does not mean that it's a magazine read by high-society dogs. It is, rather, an obscure magazine for people who find that keeping a dog is central to their existence.

Inside the pages of Bark, you won't find articles about frisbee training or new variations on the "sit" and "stay" commands. What you will find is a piece about the dog in literature and a lengthy piece by a Dr. Dodman in which great, blinding truths about dogs are revealed. Dodman writes: "The dog is a territorial animal and when he moves into your territory, he'll try to take it over; if you feed him, he might keep you on because you are feeding him." Whew, I bet most Bark readers are glad that Dr. Dodman explains that dogs like food and the people who give them food.

As interesting as Bark might be to most readers, I don't think you'll find this magazine sitting on many coffee tables. However, you may find it in a newsrack inside a vet's waiting room. This way, you can read about the creation of neighborhood "dog parks" while the doctor check's out Spot's limp. It is quite possibly the most specialized title of 1999.