RECOMMENDATIONS | For the Dog Lover
Today’s post is for my fellow dog lovers! This is a blog about books, which means I can be reasonably sure that most of the people reading this are bibliophiles. But I’d be willing to bet that a fair amount of you are cynophilists (according to Merriam-Webster, a dog fancier) too! I’m certainly one! My beloved dog, Milo, turns 6 today, and we are celebrating as we always do: doing all of his favorite things. Here on the blog, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my favorite dog-related reads.
Nice Nosing You: For the Love of Life, Dogs and Photography by Elke Vogelsang
An exploration of the comfort, companionship, and beauty dogs bring to our lives, this stunning coffee table book was inspired by the severe illness of the writer and photographer’s husband, Carsten, and the role their three dogs played in comforting the couple throughout the trials it brought. Vogelsang’s images are gorgeous and charmingly posed. The story will wrench your heart. I cried while reading this, but it’s breathtaking!
Find Momo and Find Momo Coast to Coast by Andrew Knapp
Through his Instagram account, @andrewknapp, Andrew Knapp has spent several years photographing and sharing images of his dog, Momo. Many of them feature a somewhat hidden Momo, and followers can enjoy the process of trying to find him in the photo. These two books feature those, in beautiful printed color. They’re gorgeous coffee table books, and it is a genuine lot of fun trying to “find Momo.”
Breeds: A Canine Compendium by Fennella Smith and The Brothers McLeod
This is probably the happiest, most lighthearted of these recommendations! Written and illustrated by a group of siblings, this adorable coffee table book is all whimsy and charm. And it’s great for a laugh!
Dog Songs by Mary Oliver
I’m just going to start off my explanation for this one by saying: there is emotional depth here, and you will cry. If you’ve recently lost a dog, this might not be a good pick for you. I definitely feel it warrants a trigger warning, because reading things related to fresh pain is really therapeutic for me, but I know some people need the opposite. That being said, this is a masterpiece that I do think any dog lover should read through at least once. I read it for the first time a few years ago, and I pick it up every time we lose a dog. It’s beautiful and means a lot to me.
Darling, I Love You: Poems from the Hearts of Our Glorious Mutts and All Our Animal Friends by Daniel Ladinsky and Patrick McDonnell
This is another book of poetry that made me emotional at some moments, though not to the extent that Oliver’s collection did. The tone is not as serious as Oliver’s. It focuses not only on dogs, but many animals domestic and wild, and both the words and artwork are entirely delightful! Anyone who loves animals will enjoy this one.
Laika by Nick Abadzis
Okay, this one will probably hurt. It’s a graphic novel built upon the true story of Laika, the first “space dog.” She was launched into orbit, within Sputnik 2, by the Soviet Union. This made me angry and sad, but I also feel that the real Laika deserves to continue to be known for the sacrifice she was forced to make. I know this might seem like a weird thing to include in a post about books for dog lovers, because it is pretty depressing for a dog lover (or anyone, hopefully), but like I said, it’s a tribute to her. And, through the relationships the scientists have with Laika, it does celebrate the dog’s unique impact on human emotion.
The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison
In total fairness I haven’t read this in childhood, and I hardly remember the plot! But, I do remember being entirely enchanted by it, and spending the next few months pretending my dog was the hound in the book. I mean to reread this sometime soon, and I had to include it on this list.
A Wolf Called Romeo by Nick Jans
The title may make you think I’m a bit confused, but this nonfiction tells the story of a lone Alaskan wolf who befriends humans, seemingly for one particular reason: he loves their dogs. Though this is an exploration of the wild wolf’s behavior and its place in our increasingly urbanized world, there are tons of wonderful dog personalities featured in here, and Jans often touches on the evolutionary relationship between our canine companions and wolves.
The Spirit of the Dog: An Illustrated History by Tamsin Pickeral and Astrid Harrisson
If I’m being honest, this is probably my favorite thing on here, and therefore, I’ve saved it for last. The pages of this enormous coffee table book are filled with stunning photographs by Harrisson and Pickeral’s fascinating—I’d go so far as to say, for the dog lover, thrilling—text about the history of various dog breeds.
What are your favorite dog-related reads? Let me know in the comments below! I’d be so grateful for some new finds!
