I don’t think we need a reason to talk about books with canine companions around here, but if we did: August 26 is International Dog Day. And when book lovers have something to celebrate, of course we’re going to do so with books!
I’m a dog lover: if you’ve hung around here for any length of time, you’ve no doubt heard me talk about our family’s yellow lab Daisy (pictured above in 2021). I don’t think of myself as someone who’s particularly drawn to novels about dogs, and yet I can’t tell you how often a great canine character tops my list of things I loved about a particular novel. (If this sounds suspiciously familiar to what I’ve said in the past about horse books, you’re absolutely right.)
Dogs feature prominently in each of these fifteen stories. Sometimes a dog provides the inciting incident, sometimes the dog is a major character, sometimes the dog serves as faithful companion to the protagonist as they go about their business. Every dog in these pages is beloved.
When it comes to novels featuring dogs, a priority reader question is often, Does the dog die? Regarding the fifteen novels on this list, the answer is: maybe. If you want to know before going in what the fate of the dog is, there’s a website for that: doesthedogdie.com. Please make use of it as/if desired.
There are even more great books featuring dogs coming out this fall, that I’ll get to tell you about soon beginning with Fall Book Preview. And while today’s list is fiction-focused, while putting together this post I thought often of my recently read anthology The Best Dog in the World: Essays on Love, edited by Alice Hoffman and featuring essays from Emily Henry, Roxane Gay, Bonnie Garmus, Amy Tan, Paul Yoon, Elizabeth Strout, Isabel Allende, Ann Leary, Chris Bohjalian, and more.
15 novels featuring dogs in honor of International Dog Day
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Pardon My Frenchie
Rochon kicks off her Doggone Delightful series with this enemies-to-lovers romance between Ashanti, the owner of a dog boarding business and bake shop, and Thaddeus, a customer’s grandson and the man who wants to turn the building next to Barkingham Palace into a sports bar for veterans. Ashanti would be all for supporting this worthy cause if she hadn’t already been eying the building to expand her doggie empire. But when Thaddeus is called upon to take care of his grandmother’s Standard Poodle, Puddin’, that mischievous pup quickly becomes friendly with Ashanti’s French Bulldog Puddin’. Their doggie romance becomes a viral sensation, and forces Ashanti and Thaddeus to see each other in a new light. I so enjoyed my conversation with Farrah in WSIRN #419: Romance is my entire personality; we got to talk romance, dogs, and the book’s broader New Orleans (and briefly, New York) setting. More info →
The Dog Stars
It took me a while to make my way back to Heller’s debut, and once I finally did I wondered why I had waited so long. (It’s one of the books I’m glad I came back to.) Hig is one of the few survivors of a flu pandemic, save for his dog Jasper and a gun-toting loner. Or so he thinks. But when he receives a random transmission on the radio, he begins to dream of what might exist beyond his solitary life on the hangar. While this is ultimately a hopeful book, readers should know—especially in the context of this post—that terribly sad things happen in these pages. I found this to be a captivating story, and a tender examination of the landscape between hope and despair. Jasper the dog is everything I want from a fictional dog: a faithful friend, a loyal compatriot, and instrumental to the plot. Heller’s portrayal of the post-pandemic world is great, sure—but it’s my lingering thoughts of the poignancy of Jasper’s storyline that cemented this book’s place in my readerly memory. More info →
Back After This
Podcast producer Cecily can’t stop thinking about photographer Will after she helped him chase down runaway dog Buddy. But she can’t afford the distraction: her boss finally gave her the chance to host a podcast and more than her career is on the line. Even if she’d rather not be part of a project focused on her own dating life, much less be guided by relationship coach/influencer Eliza Cassidy. I consistently enjoy the sweet, feel-good vibes that pervade Linda Holmes novels, even as her characters work through tough stuff—and the hugely enjoyable wild card element of Buddy the Great Dane wreaking havoc throughout didn’t hurt a bit. More info →
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle
This has been on my TBR for ages: of course I’m intrigued by an atmospheric Midwestern version of Hamlet. Edgar Sawtelle lives with his parents on a farm in northern Wisconsin. Born mute, Edgar communicates via sign language and helps his family raise and train "Sawtelle dogs," a fictional breed known for its faithful companionship. But Edgar’s peaceful world is disrupted when his uncle Claude returns to the farm. After Edgar’s father dies unexpectedly, Claude begins to romance Edgar's mother, and a suspicious Edgar tries to prove his uncle played a role in his father's death. After his plan fails, Edgar flees to the wilderness with three yearling dogs as his only companions, only to turn toward home after coming of age in the north woods. Readers have found this to be literary, atmospheric, and deeply moving; even readers who skipped their Shakespeare homework say they sank right into this novel. More info →
The Happy Ever After Playlist
The dog makes the magic happen in Jimenez’s sophomore novel. After an adorable (and extended) meet-cute involving a rambunctious stray pup, Sloan strikes up a flirty text thread with the dog’s owner, who’s out of the country for work. The texts turn into emails, and then hours-long phone calls; the two haven’t met in person but the connection is undeniable. It’s the first time Sloan has felt excited about anything since her fiancé died two years ago. But can a touring musician make a relationship work—and does Sloan even want it to? You’ll have more context if you read The Friend Zone first, but this novel stands on its own, and the witty banter made this an absolute delight—as did the beginning-to-end presence of Tucker the dog. Audiophile alert: this is especially good in that format, as narrated by Zachary Webber and Erin Mallon. More info →
Lessons in Chemistry
A life-affirming tale of a chemist ahead of her time, a life-changing love affair, a dog named Six-Thirty who has a huge vocabulary, and the combustible combination of chemistry, cooking, and afternoon television. Elizabeth Zott only ever wanted to be a scientist—but because she’s a woman in the 1960s, she has to go begging for beakers despite being the smartest researcher in the building. After Elizabeth is ostensibly fired for being unwed and pregnant (but really for being smarter than her boss and dating a rival scientist he loathes), she can’t make ends meet. Out of desperation she accepts a job hosting a TV show called Supper at 6. She loves to cook, because cooking, after all, is chemistry. The producers want her to smile and look pretty, but Elizabeth is much more interested in teaching housewives not just how to make dinner, but how to change their lives. If your favorite chapters are those narrated by Six-Thirty, know that you’re not the only one. More info →
Lark Ascending
This dystopian novel with echoes of The Dog Stars and The Road is set in the not-too-distant future, where fires have ravaged the globe and religious extremists have seized control of governments. Lark, a teenage refugee and the sole survivor of a trans-Atlantic voyage, fled Maine with his family hoping to find sanctuary in Ireland, the last country rumored to be accepting refugees—only to discover upon arrival that the borders have closed and his perilous journey has only just begun. Dejected, starving, and alone, he sets out for Glendalough, the "thin place" his mother told him about before she died. Along the way, he befriends Seamus, a trustworthy beagle who somehow managed to survive even after dogs were eradicated, and encounters others who wish to both help and harm him. More info →
Kamila Knows Best
I’m intrigued by the praise I’ve often heard for this dog-centric novel that reimagines Jane Austen’s Emma. Kamila Hussain throws weekly Bollywood movie parties, looks after her dad’s health, runs a successful #dogstagram account featuring her bichon frise named Darcy, on top of working as an accountant, and she plays matchmaker for her friends. Where would they be without her? That includes Rohan, a longtime family friend, whom Kamila is suddenly seeing in a brand-new light…and it has nothing to do with her secret nemesis reappearing in town. Nothing at all! Heron frames Kamila as a people-pleaser, making for an interesting compare/contrast exercise for those familiar with Austen’s original. (Closed door.) More info →
When the Cranes Fly South
This international bestseller, translated from the Swedish by Alice Menzies, introduces the reader to an elderly man named Bo who is living out the final months of his life in his small rural village. Throughout, Bo narrates the events of his day to his wife Fredrika, though she's not there to hear him—she's living in a care home nearby, because of her advanced dementia. In the opening lines, we learn that Bo's son Hans believes Bo can no longer care for his beloved dog Sixten, which prompts a reckoning of sorts for Bo—about the reality of his declining physical capabilities and his relationships with his loved ones, particularly his imperfect relationship with Hans and his heartbreaking relationship with his abusive father. Most of the book is from Bo's perspective, but the intercut care log notes from Hans and members of Bo's elder care team made the book for me. More info →
Land
Maggie O’Farrell’s latest is lush and lovely, and while the novel is in no way about a dog, the book is richer for it. In 1865, not long after The Great Hunger ravaged the land and its people, skilled laborer Tomás and his son Liam traverse a remote part of Ireland, mapping the land for the British colonizers. But their work is thrown off course when Tomás stumbles into an enchanted copse—and comes out a changed man. In myriad inventive points of view, including that of the family dog, O’Farrell tracks the impacts as they tumble down through decades and across continents, changing the lives and fates of Tomás and his family. I relished the enchanting details of this 2026 Minimalist Summer Reading Guide pick : the intricacies of travel, the love of music, the maps. More info →
Lily and the Octopus
This autobiographical fiction from screenwriter Rowley is at once poignant and kooky. It’s the lightly fictionalized tale of the author's last six months with his beloved dachshund and the brain tumor ("octopus") that ended her life at age twelve. Many years after reading this book for the first time, I still look back on my first meeting with it as delivering one of my most uncanny reading experiences, because of the great similarity between Lily and my own beloved then twelve-year-old lab (this was Daisy’s predecessor, Harriet) were uncanny (even if Harriet and I never played board games or compared the two Ryans, Gosling and Reynolds), so much so that when I described the book to my husband right after finishing it (with tears streaming down my face), we both collapsed in helpless laughter. Definitely a strange book, but a peculiarly powerful one for anyone who's loved and lost a dog. More info →
Country People
What a snarky, delightful romp! Mason says his intention was to write a “serious” novel about Chekhov, but ended up with this: a sharply comic novel about the absurdities of city people packing up their lives and moving to the country. When the Krzelewski-Petrosian family travels from California to Vermont for Kate’s visiting professorship, they’re excited to embark on a year-long adventure—and they have no idea what they’re getting into. The story holds more than a whiff of the absurd, with its small town scandals, conspiracy theories, family dog with a turbocharged sense of smell, and a ski instructor so handsome he’ll scramble your senses. A smartly written, but also silly, escape into the country, plus a serious midlife reckoning. A 2026 Summer Reading Guide selection. More info →
The Accidental Tourist
If my memory is correct, this book—Tyler’s tenth—was my introduction to her work. I’ve come to learn that the combination of ordinary and absurd on display here is typical of her work. Case in point: her protagonist Macon Leary, a travel writer who despises travel. We meet him as he’s in the midst of a divorce; he and his wife are separating a year after their 12-year-old son died tragically. When he falls and breaks a leg, he and his naughty dog Edward move back into the family home with his adult siblings. When dog trainer Muriel sweeps into the picture, Macon is hopeful she’ll help Edward behave … but she ends up turning Macon’s entire life upside down. And to his great surprise, that turns out not to be entirely unwelcome. More info →
Fairy Tale
I don’t read much horror but I’m so glad I listened to readers who described this as “a good story, well told.” Seventeen-year-old Charlie Reade has had a tough life: his mother was killed in an accident when he was young and his father retreated into alcoholism before finding a path to recovery. He ends up befriending a lonely old man named Mr. Bowditch and his dog Radar. When Mr. Bowditch is hospitalized, he pays Charlie to watch his dog and tend to the property. And when Mr. Bowditch dies, Charlie is shocked to learn that he’s inherited the house, a heap of gold, and a cassette tape telling an unbelievable story. Charlie now has access to a portal to a fantastical world and piles of gold. But Charlie’s not the only one who knows about either, which puts him in grave danger. Readers can trust that Radar will stick faithfully by his side through it all. (There are a handful of horror elements but this is not pure horror and it worked just fine for this scaredy cat.) More info →
The Late Bloomers’ Club
Pastry chef and author Miller takes her readers to Guthrie, Vermont in her feel-good novel about following your dreams … after finally figuring out what it is you actually want. Nora Huckleberry (that name!) has lived in the same small town all her life, where she raised her baby sister and ran the family diner alongside her dad. When Peggy the cake maker unexpectedly dies, Nora and her sister inherit a house, land, and a host of complications——including finding Peggy’s missing dog Freckles and dealing with the handsome man who wants to buy Peggy's property to build a big-box store. Everyone in town has an opinion about what Nora should do. If you like the sound of two headstrong sisters, small town vibes, plenty of food, and a playful pup spurring on the action, this may be your perfect novel. More info →
What are your favorite novels featuring dogs? Please share in the comments.
P.S. Love, loss, and our new pup.
