The phrase “the dog days of summer” comes from the ancient Latin phrase diēs caniculārēs, meaning “days of the dog star.” The ancient Greeks and Romans thought that the brilliant light and proximity of Sirius (the brightest star in the night sky and part of the constellation of Canis Major) combined with the Sun’s heat to create stifling weather, droughts, bad luck, and fevers. Modern-day science has proven that Sirius does not radiate extra heat to Earth; the extreme temperatures are, rather, a result of the Earth’s tilt during mid-summer. But I think I’m sticking with the conclusions of the elders, because “dog days” are now eternally identified with the torturous, unbearable heat of August. Whenever anyone uses that phrase, I picture the dusty main street of a town in the Old West, with strays lying in whatever patches of shade they can find, panting from the heat.

All of this is to say, today is NATIONAL DOG DAY! For which that was a rambling and not especially pertinent intro, except for the fact that it’s 100 degrees in MY western town today, and my tongue is also hanging out.

For all of us staying in the shade for the next week who need something to pass the time, here are some titles of books either specifically about a dog or with a prominent canine character.

F I C T I O N

Blue Dog, by Louis De Bernieres
After the death of his father, Mick is sent to live with his Grandpa on a cattle station in the Australian outback, a tough place to grow up. But when Mick discovers a lost puppy in the wreckage of a cyclone, he finds a companion who will share that journey with him. By the author of Corelli’s Mandolin.

Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
A stray taken in by the scientist-turned-television star, Six-Thirty is a dog who proves two hypotheses: One, dogs have the capability to learn human vocabulary, even if they cannot voice it themselves, and two, humans defy logic. For it is through Six-Thirty’s inquisitive and deeply logical brain that we are offered an insight into what life is like as a Very Good Boy. 

Frederica, by Georgette Heyer
Frederica, the protagonist of one of Heyer’s popular Regency romances, ends up in the middle of an unexpected adventure when she takes the family dog out for a walk around Green Park. Lufra, a large, boisterous mongrel, charges the cows grazing there and draws the wrath of several park attendants. Afraid the dog might be impounded, Frederica blurts out that the dog is a pure-bred “Barcelona collie” and belongs to a Marquis who will be extremely angry if his costly canine companion comes to any harm. Unconvinced, the mob traipses over to the Marquis’s residence to sort things out and, luckily, he clocks what’s happening, goes along with the lie, and saves the day.

Seven Perfect Things, by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Thirteen-year-old Abby Hubble rescues a litter of seven puppies dumped in a nearby river in the Sierra Nevada. She can’t bring them home to her volatile father, so she hides them in an abandoned cabin, where she and the puppies are discovered by grieving widower Elliot Colvin. A friendship develops between the two, but it’s threatened when her father wants to move the family hundreds of miles away.

The Friend, by Sigrid Nuñez
A woman unexpectedly loses her lifelong best friend, only to find herself burdened with the dog he has left behind. Her own battle against grief is exacerbated by the suffering of the dog, a Great Dane traumatized by the unexplainable disappearance of its master. The woman refuses to be parted from the dog, even though dogs are forbidden in her apartment building, and the book uses this pairing to explore the themes of death, writing, and relationships. The National Book Award winner for 2018.

Dog On It (Chet & Bernie Mystery #1), by Spencer Quinn
A series told from the POV of the dog, Chet. If Chet doesn’t see/hear/smell it, neither do we. And Chet gets distracted easily (Squirrel!), which parenthetically saves us from a lot of unnecessary tedious details. Chet is intensely loyal to down-on-his-luck private investigator Bernie, and puts his extraordinary nose to good use in helping Bernie solve mysteries. This first book led to 15 more, plus some interim short stories.

Dog Days, by Ericka Waller
Three strangers’ lives unravel and intersect as they discover what fate has in store for them with their dogs by their sides.

The Dog I Loved, by Susan Wilson (who has written several other dog-themed books)
Two women—a former criminal and a disabled war veteran—navigate paths towards independence aided by two dogs.

“The average dog is
a nicer person than the average person.”

ANDY ROONEY

N O N F I C T I O N / M E M O I R

Off the Leash: A Year at the Dog Park, by Matthew Gilbert
A group portrait of dog people, specifically the strange, wonderful, neurotic, and eccentric dog people who gather at Amory Park, near Boston’s Fenway Park.

Oogy: The Dog Only A Family Could Love, by Larry Levin
At the animal hospital to have their beloved but terminally ill cat put to sleep, Levin and his twin sons, Dan and Noah (themselves adopted), discover the ugliest dog they had ever seen (he had been used as bait for fighting dogs when only a puppy). The dog seemed determined to belong to them, so they took him home and called him Oogy (an affectionate version of “ugly”).

E. B. White On Dogs, edited by Martha White
The best and funniest of the Charlotte’s Web author’s essays, poems, letters, and sketches depicting over a dozen of White’s various canine companions.

F O R C H I L D R E N

Pig the Pug, by Aaron Blabey (picture book series)
Pig is the greediest Pug in the world. He is ill-tempered, rude and unreasonable, and does not want to share his toys!

Good Dog, Carl, by Alexandra Day (picture book for young children)
The first in a series about the babysitting Rottweiler. The first has notably sparse text, but sequels such as Carl’s Summer Vacation and Carl’s Snowy Afternoon are more elaborate.

Chester and Gus, by Cammie McGovern (middle school)
Chester flunks out of service dog school (he is not calm when there are loud noises), but then he is adopted by a family for their son Gus, a nonverbal autistic boy. Told from the dog’s viewpoint, who struggles to figure out how best to help his person.

If this list doesn’t offer what you seek, I have featured a similar column for several years, and you can still access those, as well as some individual longer reviews about dog-related fiction:
https://bookadept.com/2025/08/26/best-in-show/
https://bookadept.com/2020/08/26/the-dog-days-of-summer
https://bookadept.com/2024/08/26/dog-day-afternoon/
https://bookadept.com/2021/10/14/a-boy-and-his-dog/
https://bookadept.com/2021/09/05/coming-of-age-w-dogs/