It's a Dog's Life

Try these books if you're looking for:

• Nonfiction
• Animal stories
• Books about dogs

What My Dog Has Taught Me about Life
By Gary Stanley
242.68 STA
Winsome dog photos give a sense of cheer in this “dog teaches man” philosophy book. It is divided into short tales of man and his best friend; “Something To Chew On” (words of wisdom from a dog’s viewpoint), “Paws for Prayer” (prayers from a dog’s perspective) and “Mutterings” (quotes by the author and other humans).

Shaggy Muses
By Maureen Adams
820.9 ADA
Through letters, journal entries and contemporary writings, the author offers a unique perspective into the lives of Emily Bronte, Edith Wharton, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Emily Dickinson and Virginia Woolf. Each chapter explores the life of one of these women giving us insight into how their dogs influenced their creativity, and offered fragile mental and social stability.

Good Dog. Stay
By Anna Quindlen
Biography Quindlen
A memorial to Quindlen’s beloved dog Beau, she reflects on the influence the dog had both on herself and her growing family. Quindlen learned from Beau to “roll with the punches, take things as they come, measure herself not in terms of the past or the future but of the present, to raise her nose in the air from time to time and, at least metaphorically, holler, ‘I smell bacon!’”

A Big Little Life
By Dean Koontz
636.7527 KOO
This is Dean Koontz’s memoir to his beloved dog Trixie. From the moment Trixie entered the Koontzs lives she began teaching--teaching of how to live in the present, what unbridled joy felt like and the meaning of love and loyalty.

Merle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
By Ted Kerasote
636.7092 KER
The dog appeared out of nowhere and seemed to say “You need a dog & I’m it,” and so begins the relationship of Merle and the author. Not a training manual but a powerfully written book, Kerasote mixes scientific knowledge and love throughout showing how the bond between human and dog can reach its utmost potential.

Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover's Soul
158.128 CHI 1998
True heartwarming short stories celebrating the magic of love between dogs and their people. (Cats and a few other creatures are included in the book)