10 Unique Books About Dogs That All Dog Owners Must Read

If you're like me, you like learning as much as you can about your canine companion and how best to care for her. Reading books is a great way to gain knowledge on any subject. These best books about dogs will teach you everything from basic dog care to the importance of the bond between a dog and his family.

Some of these dog books share heartwarming stories that really capture the love that a person can hold for a dog. Trust me when I say that everyone who has ever owned a dog can relate to the stories in these books.

These aren't must-reads in order to be the best dog owner you can be; rather, they are more like must-reads for the dog owners' souls. Whether you're a stressed-out puppy owner questioning your decision to get a dog or trying to cope with the loss of your canine companion, you'll find the support that you need to push through in one of these books.

They're well-written and very easy to read. These best books about dogs also have one other thing in common – they're written from the heart. If you're looking for a feel-good story about a man's best friend, these books are exactly what you're looking for.

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10 Best Books About Dogs
that all dog owners should read

1How it Works: The Dog (Ladybirds for Grown-Ups) by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris

This book is described as a nugget of wisdom from bestselling authors Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris. While this isn’t a novel, this delightful book is part of a series of Ladybird books, which have been specially created to help grown-ups with the modern world learn about them.

How It Works: The Dog (Ladybirds for Grown-Ups) provides a comical yet true representation of all dogs you’ve probably encountered. Hazeley and Morris cleverly do this by comparing dogs to the human issue of existential angst. After all, do you know any dog that isn’t delighted by a simple walk, treat, or cuddle?

Although this book pokes fun, for the dog lovers out there, you’ll be happy to learn that everything written in this book about dogs is true. So you really can learn something!

The synopsis for the book reads:

“The dog is often called man’s best friend. Dogs are reliable, loyal, loving, like all best friends. They also smell like a bobblehat full of corned beef that has been left on the parcel shelf of a locked car for a fortnight. But there are some things you don’t mention to a best friend.”

A quick read with funny text, this book is definitely one to pick up when you need a little bit of cheering up and don’t have a special pup to cuddle.

2Oogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love by Larry Levin

Larry Levin tells the inspiring story of how his dog, Oogy, not only survived a brutal early life as a puppy used as bait for dogfighting but also kept his gentle and trusting nature in spite of it. Rescued on the brink of death in a police raid, Oogy, an Argentine Dogo, goes to live with Levin and his family.

With the wounds of his treacherous life, Oogy is a dog who gets noticed, but not always in a positive way. He has a large mass of scar tissue covering the left side of his face and a missing ear, and passersby fail to see Oogy's adorable and cute nature upfront.

Although Ooogy: The Dog Only a Family Could Love tells the story of this dog's incredible life, Levin also discusses how through Oogy, he’s learned to deal with his own less visible wounds. After all, if a dog can go through the hell he did and emerge capable of giving and generating as much love as he does, so can he.

3A Song of Ice and Fire (Book series) by George R.R. Martin

While not specifically about a dog, A Song of Ice and Fire is a book series that features the character of Ghost. Interestingly, these books were also the inspiration for the popular TV show Game of Thrones.

In this world, Ghost is technically an albino dire wolf, but to the outside world, his doglike tendencies make him a beloved canine character. Through his story, Ghost is loyal to a fault. As Jon Snow’s constant companion, he’s a surprising aid in tough situations.

He received his name from Jon because of his white fur and the fact that he never makes a sound. Ghost is also arguably one of the best fictional canine characters ever written. He is slippery, silent, and pure white with bright red eyes. He is the strongest out of his litter of brothers and exhibits a great deal of intelligence.

4A Dog's Purpose: A Novel for Humans by W. Bruce Cameron

Cameron tells the remarkable story of a loveable dog's search for his purpose through several lifetimes. Moving beyond the realms of adorable dog stories, A Dog's Purpose discusses the universal search for an answer to life's most puzzling question – why are we here?

After a sad and short life as a stray, Bailey’s reborn as a boisterous golden pup. His new search for life's meaning leads him into the loving arms of eight-year-old Ethan. Through their adventures and happy life together, Bailey discovers how to be a good dog.

But his life as a family pet isn’t the end of his journey. When Bailey is reborn as a puppy yet again, he begins to wonder if he will ever find his purpose. Touching, wise, and humorous, this book is not only an emotional and funny story detailing Bailey's many lives but also a narration of a dog’s relationship and unbreakable bond with their human owners.

5 The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle is a contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tragedy, Hamlet. Set on a farm in remote northern Wisconsin, the mute and brilliant Edgar Sawtelle leads an idyllic life with his parents, Gar and Trudy.

For generations, the family has raised and trained a breed of dog whose thoughtful loyalty is encapsulated by Edgar’s furry companion, Almondine. However, when Edgar’s father dies unexpectedly, Edgar blames himself for his muteness, leaves him unable to call for help.

Overcome with grief and confusion by his mother's affair and growingly close relationship with her dead husband's brother, Edgar's world unravels. This is a book of incredible power. It is beautifully, almost poetically written, yet it’s also very raw and personable. David Wroblewski writes the story with great depth of detail and passion to create a poetic and atmospheric read.

6Texts From Dog by October Jones

A book to bring a smile to your face and tears of laughter to your eyes, Texts From Dog is a classic tale of a man and man’s best friend for the gadget-driven internet generation. In April 2012, English animator Joe Butcher discovered he could send text messages to himself on his phone.

After making this stark realization, Butcher decided that the best way to use this feature would be to send passive-aggressive messages to his fictional alter ego, October Jones, under the guise of Cooper, his British Bulldog. Butcher took screenshots of the “conversations” between October and Cooper and posted them on social media to his 10,000 followers.

He then created a Tumblr and brought in 80,000 followers in a month with his hilarious doggy messages. Taking these messages offline and into book form, the further exploits of Cooper and his weary owner, October, have been brought together in this hilarious book, which includes over 100 texts that cannot be read online.

7The Dog Who Dared to Dream by Sun-mi Hwang

This is a Korean story, translated into English, about a dog named Scraggly. Born the odd one out of a litter of pups, she gradually sees her family become smaller until she is on her own. Alone, she sets off to see the world outside the gates of her home, and it’s a sunny yard. We follow her as she encounters other animals and humans and grows up with her owner, Grandpa Screecher.

Scraggly has dreams and aspirations just like the rest of us. However, The Dog Who Dared to Dream is a parable about the oddities of life, hardship, sacrifice, and love. We follow the trials of life through the eyes of Scraggly and the relationship between dog and man.

A short but strong novel with only 160 pages, it packs in a lot of stories but is perfectly paced throughout. This is a book that will keep you pondering its meaning as well as its impact on your reflection on life.

8Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home by Mikael Lindnord

This is the incredibly heartwarming story of love and tenacity between a kind young man and a sad and homeless pup. Mikael Lindnord, the captain of a Swedish adventure racing team, tossed a meatball to a scruffy, injured, and hungry hound one afternoon. The simple act of kindness meant Lindnord couldn’t shake the dog, whom we come to call Arthur, for the rest of his journey.

Through 435 miles of the jungles and mountains of South America, the stray pup tagged along. Lindnord recounts the entire story in Arthur: The Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home. As much as he tried, Lindnord couldn’t shake him. After a short while, he soon realized that he didn’t want to either.

Crossing rivers, battling illness and injury, and struggling through some of the toughest terrains on the planet, the team and the dog walked together toward the finish line. Afterward, Mikael decided that he would do everything he could to save Arthur and bring him back to his family in Sweden.

9Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog by Josh Grogan

Most of you are probably familiar with this heart-wrenching and classic doggy tale. For this reason, we could not not put the story of Marley on this list. Young and in love, Jon and Jenny decided to make their lives a little more perfect. So they brought home Marley, a boisterous golden rascal of a puppy. From then on, life wasn’t the same again. What ensues is a story of the couple’s life as they grow with Marley.

The book is a tearjerker and will have you crying from a mixture of laughter and sadness. Marley & Me perfectly captures how each dog has a unique personality as well as the joy and pain involved in having a faithful furry family member.

10Following Atticus: How a Little Dog Led One Man on a Journey of Rediscovery to the Top of the World by Tom Ryan

Following Atticus is an emotional true story of a man and his extraordinary dog. Tom Ryan is a middle-aged, no-nonsense newspaper editor, but when Atticus M. Finch, a Miniature Schnauzer, walks into his life, he begins to question everything. To raise money in memory of his friend who died of cancer, he and Atticus climb 48 of New Hampshire's mountains during the frosty winter not just once but twice.

They spark a lifetime of adventure as they both battle blizzards, frostbite, and storms in this soul-searching journey. For anyone who loved Marley & Me, Following Atticus is a heartwarming story of friendship, redemption, and, above all, love.

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