Take the true story of a small, brown, pesky but lovable mutt whose funny, frustrating and downright annoying exploits make other canine characters seem seem positively saintly. Add to the mix a "factional" account of the near-demise of a marriage seen, not through the dog's eyes exactly, but through the shifting, changing parallels between this dog's five-year life and the story of a woman's relationship to her husband. Season with the clash of cultures between this woman's English origins and the traditions of her American spouse. Stir the ingredients together in the aromatic pot that is bubbling, up-and-coming Portland, Oregon, and you begin to get the flavor of OF MUTTS AND MEN.