15 Books About The Love of a Dog

What better way to spend Valentine’s Day then to sit in front of a fire and read a book about the love of a dog and the bond we share with these very special animals. With the help of Amazon we found 15 books that we think match this description perfectly. Some will make you laugh, others will make you cry, and some will make you think about the life you lead and how owning a dog has changed your life. From brand new releases to classic tales of the love a dog has for their owner we hope our list of Books about the love of a dog makes your Valentine’s Day that much more special.

For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we vary. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love.

How Dogs Love Us: A Neuroscientist and His Adopted Dog Decode the Canine Brain

The powerful bond between humans and dogs is one that’s uniquely cherished. Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man’s best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him: What is my dog thinking? How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.

Life’s A Bark: What Dogs Teach Us About Life and Love

Long gone are the days when being “treated like a dog” was a bad thing. Today, our canine companions thrive under our encouragement and love, but surprisingly, we don’t always treat other humans, or even ourselves, the same way. There’s so much our dogs can teach us about living a fun, fulfilling life-if only we’d sit up and listen! In this charming book of woof wisdom, you’ll discover how to play fair, chase adventure, love unconditionally, and unleash your awesomeness by treating yourself-you guessed it-just like a beloved dog.

The Line: A Story of a Hunter, a Breed and Their Bond

William Urseth loves dogs, and even more, he loves what these dogs can do. Striking a perfect point, flushing grouse for hours, retrieving perfectly to hand; moments can steal your breath away. William Urseth loves bird hunting, and spending days in the field with a great dog can warm your heart. William Urseth loves business, and the chance to develop a perfect line of German Shorthair Pointers could not be missed. William Urseth is known for his hunting around the world on his TV show, Quest for the One, on the Outdoor Life Network, and on his Menz radio show in eastern Canada, but his stories center on his Minnesota Horse and Hunt Club, his kennel and dogs there, and their hunts in the northern midwest of the U.S. His decision to breed German Shorthairs brought him to Jäger and Cent, who he bought after hiring an expert to find the best of this breed in the world. From these two, he would create The Line, generations of dogs that would not only win countless tournaments, but also create countless highs and heartbreaks as they spend their lives in the homes and hunts of William, his wife, and his friends. These stories are like the dogs they recount; they will steal your breath away, warm your heart, and should not be missed. You can read our review of The Line from back when our Blog was only a few months old!

Oogy- The Dog Only A Family Could Love

In 2002, Larry Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah, took their terminally ill cat to the Ardmore Animal Hospital outside Philadelphia to have the beloved pet put to sleep. What would begin as a terrible day suddenly got brighter as the ugliest dog they had ever seen–one who was missing an ear and had half his face covered in scar tissue–ran up to them and captured their hearts. The dog had been used as bait for fighting dogs when he was just a few months old. He had been thrown in a cage and left to die until the police rescued him and the staff at Ardmore Animal Hospital saved his life. The Levins, whose sons are themselves adopted, were unable to resist Oogy’s charms. Heartwarming and redemptive, OOGY is the story of the people who were determined to rescue this dog against all odds, and of the family who took him home, named him “Oogy” (an affectionate derivative of ugly), and made him one of their own.

Marley and Me

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life.

Merle’s Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog

Merle and Ted found each other in the Utah desert— Merle was living wild and Ted was looking for a pup to keep him company. As their bond grew, Ted taught Merle how to live around wildlife, and Merle taught Ted about the benefits of letting a dog make his own decisions.Using the latest in wolf research and exploring issues of animal consciousness and leadership and the origins of the human-dog relationship, Ted Kerasote takes us on the journey he and Merle shared. As much a love story as a story of independence and partnership, Merle’s Door is tender, funny, and ultimately illuminating.

Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog

Imagine walking to the same place every day, to meet your best friend. Imagine watching hundreds of people pass by every morning and every afternoon. Imagine waiting, and waiting, and waiting. For ten years. This is what Hachiko did. Hachiko was a real dog who lived in Tokyo, a dog who faithfully waited for his owner at the Shibuya train station long after his owner could not come to meet him. He became famous for his loyalty and was adored by scores of people who passed through the station every day. This is Hachiko’s story through the eyes of Kentaro, a young boy whose life is changed forever by his friendship with this very special dog. Simply told, and illustrated with Yan Nascimbene’s lush watercolors, the legend of Hachiko will touch your heart and inspire you as it has inspired thousands all over the world.

It’s Just A Dog

This is the premise of IT’S JUST A DOG, a new novel about love, loss, and one man’s dog who rises up yapping from the grave as a talking dog. Charlie’s beloved muse, Pete, his lovable Jack Russell terrier, has just died. And he’s totally devastated by the loss of his furry best friend. So, after months of grieving over his dearly departed soul mate and wondering if he ever made it to The Rainbow Bridge, Charlie reluctantly agrees to foster a new puppy — a cute Cavalier King Charles named Brownie from the local animal shelter. Soon after, Charlie is surprised to find himself falling head over heels with this new puppy girl, his ‘Rebound Dog’, as he calls her — as well as being romantically attracted to Janelle Jordan, the head hound at the dog rescue. But then complications arise when the ghost of his old dog, Pete, mysteriously reappears one night and comes back to haunt him and the new puppy — setting off a bizarre chain of events that throw Charlie’s life, career, and entire belief system into chaos! Check out what our Reviewer thought about It’s Just A Dog!

Dog Love – An Unbreakable Bond: Inspirational Stories of Devotion, Loyalty and Courage

The bond between humans and dogs is more intense than our bond with any other species―there’s not even a close second. Dogs are more than just a pet; they are trusted companions. They help us hunt, guard our homes, look after our livestock and even our children and, over time, do so many useful and wonderful things that it boggles the mind. This compilation of heart-warming dog stories illustrates the pure love of these amazing creatures, including extraordinary instances and first-hand accounts of bravery, friendship, loyalty, devotion and companionship down to their very last breath.
There’s a reason we call them man’s best friend. No matter the situation, your dog is happy to see you. You are greeted with the same enthusiasm each and every time you walk in that door. A dog has the ability to live in the present moment. They don’t regret the past or worry about the future.

Devoted: 38 Extraordinary Tales of Love, Loyalty, and Life With Dogs

Unlikely Friendships meets Marley and Me. In this heartwarming gift book, author Rebecca Ascher-Walsh presents a collection of inspiring dog stories and touching photos–dogs who comfort veterans, dogs who learn to surf, dogs who detect cancer, and dogs who save the day: Each one is devoted. These 38 uplifting dog stories showcase the most amazing dog rescues, accomplishments, and abilities that fascinate us and touch our hearts.

A Dog’s Purpose

Heartwarming, insightful, and often laugh-out-loud funny, A Dog’s Purpose is not only the emotional and hilarious story of a dog’s many lives, but also a dog’s-eye commentary on human relationships and the unbreakable bonds between man and man’s best friend. This moving and beautifully crafted story teaches us that love never dies, that our true friends are always with us, and that every creature on earth is born with a purpose.

Heart to Heart, Hand in Paw: How One Woman Finds Faith and Hope Through the Healing Love of Animals

Luanne and her husband share a dream of living a simple life in the beautiful Vermont countryside. They stumble through building their own log home, gathering sap to make real maple syrup, and filling their little farm with animals. But these middle-aged homesteaders soon discover that their piece of paradise isn’t without challenges. Heart to Heart, Hand in Paw is a true tale of faith and the healing bonds of animals. Luanne’s story shares how our pets can love, comfort and teach us as we take our own journey through life.

Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul: Stories About Pets as Teachers, Healers, Heroes and Friends

Animals bring out the goodness, humanity and optimism in people and speak directly to our souls. This joyous, inspiring and entertaining Chicken Soup collection relates the unique bonds between animals and the people whose lives they’ve changed.

Shaggy Muses: The Dogs who Inspired Virginia Woolf, Emily Dickinson, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Edith Wharton, and Emily Brontë

In Shaggy Muses, Adams explores the work and lives of these authors through the various roles played by their most devoted companions. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was rescued from a life of passivity and illness by Flush, a lively, possessive (and frequently dog-napped!) golden Cocker Spaniel. Emily Brontë’s fierce Mastiff mix, Keeper, provided a safe and loving outlet for the writer’s equally fierce spirit. Emily Dickinson found companionship with Carlo, the gentle, giant Newfoundland who soothed her emotional terrors. A troop of ever-faithful Pekingese warmed Edith Wharton’s lonely heart during her restless travels among Europe and America’s social and intellectual elite. And Virginia Woolf developed a deep attachment to Pinka, a black Cocker Spaniel who was both gift from her lover, Vita Sackville-West, and a link to her husband Leonard. Based on diaries, letters, and other contemporary accounts—and featuring many illustrations of the writers and their dogs—these five miniature biographies allow unparalleled intimacy with women of genius in their hours of domestic ease and inner vulnerability.

This list of 15 Books About the Love of a Dog includes Amazon Affiliate Links. You are free to do a search for the books on your own and not click through with the links provided.