I am not a big dog person (have four cats) and rarely read books about dogs. However, my niece loves dogs and recently received a book called Love That Dog! which moved me to tears when I read it to her. Its marketed as a childrens book, but I suspect any adult who loves reading will fall for it. Its a book about the power of poetry to express deep emotions, and the power of a good teacher to show the love of writing and reading. Oh, and about loving a dog.

Here is a link that might be useful: Love that Dog by Sharon Creech

John Marley was the speaker at a luncheon I attended last November. He was fun-he did pretty much tell us the book all over again, but he is a good presenter.
There is a mystery series about show dogs by Susan Conant set in Boston. The dogs don't talk or anything (although I love Rita Mae Brown's books) it is about dog shows, the people who show and breed dogs, etc. Interesting.

THURBER'S DOGS - by James Thurber

The dog books I have read usually are travel books: John Stienbeck Travels with Charley, and Ella in Europe. There is also another one written by a homeless man, talking about his journey with his dog, but I can't find it anywhere.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ella in Europe.

Once I read a funny and poignant book that tells the friendship between a crazy poet and his dog, Mr
Bones, which thinks that one day it will be able to re-joins his owner in Timbuktu , an hazy land, in
mr Bones mind, where humans-being and dogs share the same language. The book is titled
Timbuktu and the author is Paul Auster

grelobe

I found "Marley & Me" laugh-out-loud funny. I also recommend some of the books by Jon Katz, but cannot recall exact titles.

I'm currently reading Jon Katz's Dog Days-very enjoyable so far.(new book)

The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat -very funny and The Dog Who Came to Stay by (I think)Conrad Richter. Both are non fiction.

I highly recommend a collection of stories, Woman's Best Friend - Women writers on the dogs in the their lives edited by Megan McMorris. When I finished this book, I immediately re-read it. Several stories got read multiple times, including Marion Winik's Seven Reasons Not To Get a Dog, which had me both laughing and crying. Despite the title, these stories are not limited to women, or even especially about women. They are about dogs and how they affect our lives and are without exception beautifully written and entertaining.

I like books that have sympathetic depictions of dogs in them. You can usually tell if the author has knowledge of the dog that they are writing about. Jennifer Cruisie is usually good at describing animals but in "Welcome to Temptation" the male abandoned dog became a female half-way through the book, which spoilt it for me somewhat.
Jerome K.Jerome has a lovely scene in "Three Men in a Boat" recounting a standoff between the dog that 'came to live at his expense' and a cat.

All The Dogs of My Life-E. Von Armin

I'll second Grelobe's rec of "Timbuktu" by Paul Auster. A wonderful book....

Ok all you dog lovers - I found the book for you

Here is a link that might be useful: Shaggy Muses: The Dogs Who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Brontë

How about sobbing over 'Old Yeller' or 'Greyfriars Bobby'?
The latter is a true story and there is a statue to Bobby in the kirkyard in Edinburgh.

Here is a link that might be useful: Greyfriars Bobby

His Apologies
by
Rudyard Kipling

Master, this is Thy Servant. He is rising eight weeks old.
He is mainly Head and Tummy. His legs are uncontrolled.
But Thou hast forgiven his ugliness, and settled him on Thy knee...
Art Thou content with Thy Servant? He is very comfy with Thee.

Master, behold a Sinner! He hath committed a wrong.
He hath defiled Thy Premises through being kept in too long.
Wherefore his nose has been rubbed in the dirt and his self- respect has been bruised.
Master, pardon Thy Sinner, and see he is properly loosed.

Master, again Thy Sinner! This that was once Thy Shoe,
He has found and taken and carried aside, as fitting matter to chew.
Now there is neither blacking nor tongue, and the Housemaid has us in tow,
Master, remember Thy Servant is young, and tell her to let him go!

Master, extol Thy Servant, he has met a most Worthy Foe!
There has been fighting all over the Shop -- and into the Shop also!
Till cruel umbrellas parted the strife (or I might have been choking him yet),
But Thy Servant has had the Time of his Life -- and now shall we call on the vet?

Master, behold Thy Servant! Strange children came to play,
And because they fought to caress him, Thy Servant wentedst away.
But now that the Little Beasts have gone, he has returned to see
(Brushed -- with his Sunday collar on) what they left over from tea.

Master, pity Thy Servant! He is deaf and three parts blind.
He cannot catch Thy Commandments. He cannot read Thy Mind.
Oh, leave him not to his loneliness; nor make him that kitten's scorn.
He hath had no other God than Thee since the year that he was born.

Lord, look down on Thy Servant! Bad things have come to pass.
There is no heat in the midday sun, nor health in the wayside grass.
His bones are full of an old disease -- his torments run and increase.
Lord, make haste with Thy Lightnings and grant him a quick release!

thanks for the poem Vee-but the ending is so very sad and also sadly, far too often true

Any short stories by Ckeveland Amory. He truly loved dogs.

"From Baghdad with Love: A Marine, the War and a Dog named Lava". Great book.

Get your self a big box of tissues when you read "Where the Red Fern Grows"! it is one of my favorite dog books of all time. When I was a kid I loved the "Lad of Sunnybank" series about collies! I don't know if you can even find them anymore though.

How could we forget Albert Payson Terhune! I read several of his stories/books, including Lad: A Dog last summer. In addition to being great stories, they provide a snapshot of bygone life. They are still widely available and should be on the shelves of your local library.

I got The Dogs Who Came To Stay by George Pitcher at the library yesterday afternoon and read it in one sitting! Wonderful book. Not many people can write in such detail about their pets without being overly sentimental. The book also beautifully illustrates what we as humans receive from dogs.