DOG WATCHING

DOG WATCHING Robin Schwartz (Takarajimi Books, $15) Any self-respecting dog lover knows enough to keep her passions to herself: You'll never find a picture of Frou-Frou on her desk, bedecked in a pink rain slicker and matching booties. Photographer Robin Schwartz understands that canine passion has nothing to do with sticky-bun cuteness, and her images in Dog Watching steer clear of anything that might inspire an eye roll. She's a gifted black-and-white photographer; that her subjects happen to be dogs seems almost irrelevant. From the dog leaping joyfully into Central Park's boat pond to the poor, pathetic balding thing featured in Parkslope Dog, 1983, Schwartz acutely captures the nobility and playfulness of these animals. A- -- Rebecca Ascher-Walsh