Love Dogs? At Talent Hounds, we are all about bringing out the best in dogs. Most of the stories we tell and read each day are about dogs. We realized we have so much talent and expertise in our dog loving community. We wanted to showcase some of their work. We decided to focus on books and divide them into fiction and factual for adults and kids.
Last week we published our list: Top Dog Books- Fiction
This week’s Top Factual Dog Books
Here’s our list of top non-fiction dog books for grown-ups written and/or recommended by Talent Hounds community members in no particular order.
They include heartwarming stories, interesting insights into the minds of our canine pals, top training tips and techniques and more.
Giveaway!
Comment below over the next 2 weeks to be entered in a draw for a copy of a wonderful book from Peggy Frezon, Susan Daffron or Kari Neumeyer or
US and Canada over 18 where legal. We’ll let winners know by e-mail.
Visit these amazing authors to learn more about them and their books by clicking on their names.
* If we missed your dog book or a dog book you love, add it in the comments and/or e-mail me susan at talenthounds dot ca.
Top Dog Books for Adults- Non-Fiction
Weight Loss and Fitness
Dieting With My Dog: One Busy Life; Two Full Figures and Unconditional Love By: Peggy Frezon
Dieting with My Dog is an honest and heartfelt story of losing weight, getting fit, and becoming healthy with a pet. We loved the book and featured Peggy and her story in our TV episode “Fit Dogs Rock”.
Peggy Frezon is the author of books that celebrate the human-animal bond. She began writing about animals because of her own bond with pets throughout her life–from childhood pals, to furry siblings for her kids, to comforters soothing the pangs of the empty nest, and even to workout buddies, improving her health and fitness.
She’s written about how animals help those with health afflictions, loneliness, alcoholism, loss of home, financial strife, autism, and different abilities. We love reading Peggy’s blog, The Writer’s Dog and hearing about her 13-year-old spaniel, Kelly, and 10-year-old golden retriever, Ike.
Quote from Peggy:
“There is an amazing power in the human-animal bond. We rescue animals, but also animals rescue us. The love goes both ways. My own dogs remind me of this every day. I wanted to share true stories of the remarkable ways so many people help animals, as well as the ways animals accept, comfort and love us.”
Don’t miss a chance to win a copy of one of Peggy’s Book in today’s giveaway!
BUY NOW. Stay on track with Peggy’s second book
The Dieting with My Dog Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance
More tips to help you and your dog get fit and healthy…by doing it together! BUY NOW
The Healthy Hound Cookbook By:
Over 125 Easy Recipes for Healthy, Homemade Dog Food–Including Grain-Free, Paleo, and Raw Recipes! BUY NOW
Training- Bring Out the Best in Your Talented Dogs
Bark and Lunge: Saving My Dog From Training Mistakes By:
How do you make sure the dog you love never bites anyone (again)? Kari is a friend from various blog hops and her devotion to animals is very inspiring.
“My boyfriend Rob and I made a lot of mistakes with our first dog, a German shepherd named Isis. We were completely madly in love with her and thought we were doing all the things you’re supposed to do with a puppy, but we failed all our obedience classes and she was badly behaved on walks. It turned out we were using outdated training techniques and following a lot of bad advice.
I struggled with how to fix her problem behaviour, like pulling on the leash, and barking and lunging at other dogs. I would have taken such comfort in a book like mine if one had existed. My hope is that Isis’s story can help other dog owners going through what we went through.”
Turns out, some of the old-fashioned dog training advice they followed may have contributed to Isis’s fearfulness and aggression. We have found through research for Training Tuesday that positive reinforcement training is the best option.
“I wanted to spread the word that old-fashioned training techniques like chain collars are not necessary, and can even be damaging to reactive, fearful, or aggressive dogs. I wanted to advocate for force-free training methods. I wrote the book so people who have reactive dogs would be able to find answers more easily than I did. I wanted them to feel understood, and to know there are others going through the same thing. While the story resonates most with people who have challenging dogs, I think it also taps into a pretty universal feeling of wanting to help our babies (animal and human) live their best lives, how disappointed we are when they fail, how excited when they succeed, and how devastating it is when we lose them too soon.”
It’s a heart-squeezing tale that will not only teach any pet parent a lot, but have you laughing and crying. BUY HERE
Don’t miss a chance to win a copy of one of Kari’s Book in today’s giveaway!
Click for Joy! Questions and Answers from Clicker Trainers and Their Dogs By: Melissa Alexander
We first heard about this book from our pal Mr. N. Read his review of the book on his blog Tenacious Little Terrier.
Learn the ins and outs of clicker training and read answers to the mostly commonly asked questions and answers about clicker training. The book covers a lot of technical ground while providing clear and concise answers (in a Q&A format). It also has an index and cross-references other sections of the book. BUY NOW
The Best Dog Tricks on the Planet: 106 Amazing Things Your Dog Can Do on Command By: Babette Haggerty
We loved meeting Babette in NYC. Learn more than 100 of Babette’s best dog tricks plus tons of great tips. Many of these were featured by Babette’s famous father, Captain Haggerty, on David Letterman’s Stupid Pet Tricks! BUY NOW
Train Your Dog Positively By: Victoria Stilwell
We love Victoria, her attitude and her book (we have a signed copy). This book will help you understand your Dog and solve Common Behaviour Problems Including Separation Anxiety, Excessive Barking, Aggression, Housetraining, Leash Pulling and More!
Victoria Stilwell, a positive reinforcement dog trainer and star of Animal Planet’s It’s Me or the Dog, explains how to use her force-free, scientifically-backed training methods to solve common canine behaviour problems. BUY NOW
Click HERE for our full interview about dog training with Victoria.
51 Puppy Tricks: Step-by-Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Puppy By: Kyra Sundance
101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog
We are big fans of Kyra and her dogs. We have used her books and online courses to teach Kilo the Pug tricks. It is a wonderful way to keep him mentally and physically stimulated.
Kyra gives owners the tools they need to teach behaviors and tricks to their puppy in 51 Puppy Tricks through step-by-step instructions and photographs. Buy HERE
As your dog ages keep them entertained with 101 Dog Tricks which has become an international bestseller with over a half-million copies in print in 18 languages! Buy HERE
My Smart Puppy By:
America’s most beloved dog trainers bring you brand-new training techniques in this definitive guide to raising a happy, obedient puppy.BUY NOW
POSITIVELY WOOF’S DOG BOOKS by Larry Kay
Larry Kay is an award winning author, TV Personality, writer and dog lover known as P. Woof to many. We had the pleasure of meeting Larry at BlogPaws 2015. We are big fans of his Facebook Page which highlights rescue dogs (Kilo the Pug was a top Dog of the Day)
Award-Winning Dog Training
The Full 5-Week Program
Heartwarming and Insightful Stories
Happy Hound By: Susan Daffron
This book is especially for owners of dogs and puppies adopted from animal shelters. It gives new owners the information they need to know to raise a wonderful family pet.
Quote From Susan: “”There’s an old adage in writing that says you should write the book you want to read. Over the years, I have run across only a few novels that show the sometimes hilarious dynamics that can occur between people and their pets. I always say that I write books with a little bit of humor and a whole lot of fur. Because let’s face it, dogs and cats can be really funny!”
BUY NOW See a full list of Daffron’s novels HERE
My Old Dog by:
In this heartwarming book you’ll meet endearing elders like Marnie, the irresistible shihtzu who has posed for selfies with Tina Fey, James Franco, and Betty White; Remy, a soulful nine-year-old dog adopted by elderly nuns; George Clooney’s cocker spaniel, Einstein; and Bretagne, the last known surviving search dog from Ground Zero. They may be slower moving and a tad less exuberant than puppies, but these pooches prove that adopting a senior brings immeasurable joy, earnest devotion, and unconditional love.
LIFE’S A BARK: What Dogs Teach Us About Life and Love by Larry Kay
See more at: https://positivelywoof.com/book-shop/#sthash.lgQSz9mJ.dpuf
Chasing Bocker’s Tale
We love Bocker Labradoodle and so do hundreds of thousands of people around the world.
Bocker’s story: “Even as a very young pup, Bocker the Labradoodle pondered on where his life would lead, what was his purpose in life. Follow Bocker’s own tale of his amazing journey and how he has touched the lives of so many throughout the world. BUY HERE
Haatchi & Little B: The Inspiring True Story of One Boy and His Dog By: Wendy Holden
Haatchi and Little B tells the inspiring and moving true story of Owen Howkins (also known as Little B, short for ‘Buddy’) and Haatchi, an Anatolian shepherd dog who was abandoned on a railway line as a puppy and left for dead. Enjoy the beautiful story of friendship between a boy and his dog. BUY NOW
Furry Philosophy and Memoirs Set in Stone By: Jodi Jarvis-Therrian
We have come to know Jodi online over the last few months. Do you believe that pets come to this earth to teach us our greatest lessons and help us through the rough spots? We do. These are stories of not only the lives of furry friends that have affected Jarvis-Therrian’s life; there are also stories of other precious furry lives from people far and wide. BUY NOW
A Good Dog: The Story of Orson, Who Changed My Life By: Jon Katz
“People who love dogs often talk about a ‘lifetime’ dog. I’d heard the phrase a dozen times before I came to recognize its significance. Lifetime dogs are dogs we love in especially powerful, sometimes inexplicable ways.”–Jon Katz
In this gripping and deeply touching book, bestselling author Jon Katz tells the story of his lifetime dog, Orson: a beautiful border collie–intense, smart, crazy, and unforgettable. BUY NOW
Magnus Opum: Better Late Than Never By:
It has been a rough winter, heath-wise for Nancy who is looking for a dog to help her get out, meet people and get her life back. A friend who breeds some kind of big dog has her meet one of her seniors and asks if she’d like to take him home on trial. Nancy thinks he’s adorable and says yes. Her neighbors don’t think he’s so adorable. Probably because he lunges and snarls and barks at them. Evidently Nancy is going to have to learn how to manage a big alpha guy. She’s also going to have to learn a lot about elder care—fast. But who cares? She’s already in love.
Magnus Opum is a moving, funny, sad, and revealing story about a great, life-changing friendship you’re sure to love.
Charlie: A Love Story By: Barbara Lampert
Charlie: A Love Story tells of the beautiful love between Charlie, a Golden Retriever, and the author, Barbara Lampert. It takes place in Malibu, California. When Charlie turned eleven years old and started having some health problems, a journal Barbara was keeping about her garden quickly became mostly about Charlie.
It’s a story about love and the importance of friendship throughout ones life.
No Better Friend: One Man, One Dog, and Their Extraordinary Story of Courage and Survival in WWII By: Robert Weintraub
The extraordinary tale of survival and friendship between a man and a dog in war. BUY NOW
Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog By: John Grogan
Who didn’t love this Blockbuster hit film?! Marley and Me was based on this heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. You’ll laugh and cry with this one! BUY NOW
Bodie On The Road By: Belinda Jones
Bodie was on death row at a gangland kill shelter, having been abandoned by his owner. Belinda was in a heap on the floor of her LA apartment, having been dumped by the man of her dreams.
In this inspiring story, two lost souls more than ready to find a new life meet. Together they embark on a 2,000 mile road trip in pursuit of love, adventure & tail-wagging happiness!
Think Eat, Pray,Love meets Marley and Me.
Click HERE to read the first chapter.
Ricochet: Riding a Wave of Hope with the Dog Who Inspires Millions By: Judy Fridono
We are huge fans of Judy and Ricochet and all the amazing work they do. Ride the wave of hope with Surf Dog Ricochet the SURFice dog. She surfs with special needs children, people with disabilities, wounded warriors, and veterans with PTSD as an assistive therapy dog. BUY NOW
Read our Ricochet spotlight featuring the most heartwarming video HERE
EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy By: Dorothy Wills-Raftery
Faithfully Yours: The Amazing Bond Between Us and the Animals We Love By: Peggy Frezon
The newest addition to Peggy’s books! Read inspiring stories of devotion, protection, healing, compassion, and faith, Faithfully Yours explores why we love animals so much. This book will warm your heart and enhance your appreciation of God’s wonderful creations. This one’s for anyone who’s ever loved, and known the love of, a special animal. BUY NOW Out October 1, 2015 via Paraclete Press
Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul: Stories of Canine Companionship, Comedy and Courage
By:
Exciting and entertaining accounts of courage and humor to heartwarming tales of healing and learning, each touching story in this book will inspire dog lovers to rejoice in the unique bond they share with their canine companions. BUY NOW
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Loving Our Dogs: Heartwarming and Humorous Stories about our Companions and Best Friends By: Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen , Amy Newmark
We are all crazy about our dogs and can’t read enough about them, whether they’re misbehaving and giving us big, innocent looks, or loyally standing by us in times of need. This new book from Chicken Soup for the Soul contains the 101 best dog stories from its library. Readers will revel in the heartwarming, amusing, inspirational, and occasionally tearful stories about our best friends and faithful companions — our dogs. BUY NOW
Crusoe the Celebrity Dachshund
When he started his blog 3 year’s ago, his goal from day 1 was to get a book deal – obviously so that he could finally buy that island in the Bahamas he had been bugging his Mum and Dad about (supposedly it’s “excessive” to buy an island). He was ecstatic when he finally signed a book deal in New York, and announced the release of the pre-order for his book! We know it will have lots of cute photos.
Health and Wellness
The Power of Pets – 7 Effective Tools to Heal From Pet Loss By:
Our pets are our family and friends and when they pass we feel the loss so strongly because of the emotional connection and unconditional love we received from them. The Power of Pets empowers people to take the necessary steps to transform grief into healing by offering 7 Effective Tools that can be used successfully in your healing journey. BUY NOW
Don’t forget to comment below for a chance to win a free copy of Marybeth’s new book.
The First Aid Companion for Dogs & Cats (Prevention Pets) By: Amy D. Shojai
We have got to know pet expert Amy at various events and online over the last year. Amy is a prolific writer of both fiction and non-fiction books, as well as blog articles. She inspires us with her knowledge, discipline and talent.
When an accident or emergency threatens your pet, every minute counts. Don’t be unprepared! Open The First-Aid Companion for Dogs and Cats by Amy D. Shojai and learn:
* Basic first-aid techniques, such as cleaning a wound, making a splint, and performing CPR– step-by-step!
* Which over-the-counter human medications can help– or harm– your dog or cat
* What to keep in your pet’s medicine chest (many essential items are probably in your house already!)
* How to quickly pinpoint what’s wrong with your pet, using the First-Aid Symptom Finder
BUY NOW See her site or Amazon for more books by Amy on Cats and Dogs. We also love her fiction books.
Understanding Dogs
What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World By: Cat Warren
A firsthand exploration of the extraordinary abilities and surprising, sometimes life-saving talents of “working dogs”—pups who can sniff out drugs, find explosives, even locate the dead—as told through the experiences of a journalist and her intrepid canine companion. BUY NOW
The Secret History of Kindness: Learning from How Dogs Learn By: Melissa Holbrook Pierson
An intimate and surprising look at man’s best friend and what the leading philosophies of dog training teach us about ourselves.
Years back, Melissa Holbrook Pierson brought home a border collie named Mercy, without a clue of how to get her to behave. Pierson began delving into the techniques of positive reinforcement training and looked to many renowned trainers. She draws surprising connections in her exploration of how kindness works to motivate all animals, including the human one. BUY NOW
Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World 1st Edition By: Richard C. Francis
A natural storyteller, Richard C. Francis weaves history, archeology, and anthropology to create a fascinating narrative while seamlessly integrating the most cutting-edge ideas in twenty-first-century biology, from genomics to evo-devo. BUY NOW
Born to Bark: My Adventures with an Irrepressible and Unforgettable Dog By: Stanley Coren
Dr. Coren shares the amusing and instructive stories of life with Flint; an oversized Cairn terrier. We interviewed Dr Coren in our Dogs Make A Difference TV Episode. You’ll love his really interesting insights about the human-animal bond. BUY NOW
Dog: The Definitive Guide for Dog Owners By: Bruce Fogle
A great book that celebrates the close and complex relationship between humans and dogs in the context of behavior, anthropology, history, literature, and genetics. We love our interview with Dr Fogle featured in our series for Dogs Make A Difference and the One Hour Special on the history of dogs and their changing roles in our lives. BUY NOW
If I Should Die Before My Dog By: Joe and Cathy Connolly
PetGuide suggests for all pet parents to read If I Should Die Before My Dog, written by Cathy and Joe Connolly. The book helps pet parents prepare for the instance where they can no longer care for their pet. If health issues or death render your pooch an orphan, you want to put a plan in place for your dog. By including details as to what should happen in case of death or illness, this part of the will can tell your pet’s story and outline the plan and care for the future.
It’s already won for editors’ picks for 2015’s Best Books of the Year So Far! BUY NOW
Vicki Croke and Sarah Wilson, the world’s first practicing dogologists, have formed a foolproof personality-analyzing system in their book, Dogology. They have organized and clarified all the gut feelings most of us have when observing the interaction of different personality types with their dogs. With this system, you’ll be able to recognize and learn a little bit about yourself and all the other dog owners around you. It will help you to understand yourself better, to be a better pet parent, and to better connect with all other creatures—humans included. BUY NOW
“How To” Books
101 Fundraising Ideas for Humane and Animal Rescue Groups By: Susan Daffron
Funds to the Rescue is written specifically for humane groups. This book saves you from wasting time as you search for new revenue streams to support your humane organization. BUY NOW
Also by Daffron read, Publicity to the Rescue
Most people think about publicity in the context of bringing people to events or raising money. But publicity can bring you other benefits as well. You can use simple and affordable publicity tactics to recruit volunteers, find foster families, and increase adoptions. BUY NOW
For More, check out our Top Dog Books List of 2014.
Have a book we should know about? Leave a comment with a link to the book and author.
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A lovely wide range of doggy book suggestions there! Thanks, I’ll have to give some a read! 🙂
Thanks for linking our review! I went to Cat Warren’s reading and enjoyed it.
Wow, that’s a long list. Lots of great books there!
–Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats
Wow, that’s a whole library! And thanks so much for mentioning two of my books. *s*
I love dog books! I don’t think there is one single dog book I have read which I didn’t like!!!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Those are some great books! I love that there are so many books coming out that talk about the human-animal bond and how pets improve our lives. I have to tip my hat to Peggy Frozen who is using one of my life stories in her up-coming book about the human-animal bond. 🙂
This is a very comprehensive list! I’ve only read one entry on here… Time to get cracking on my studies and pick out a few more to peruse!
Jean from Welcome to the Menagerie
Great book suggestions. We also recommend “Bodie on the Road” by Belinda Jones.
Wow – super fabulous posting about some truly great dog books! Some I had not even heard of – so now me and momma, we gonna go look through them and order a few! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Great reading suggestions! I have Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover’s Soul, and it’s a really fantastic book. I’m sure the dog version is just as wonderful!
Looks like a lot of great books!
I was just looking for some dog books and had no idea where to start. Thanks for sharing all these suggestions. I don’t feel so overwhelmed as before!
Mom Paula has read some of those books, but has very little time to “read” a good book lately. She tends to read them by listening to audiobooks.
wow, what a wonderful collection of books to read, thank you for letting me know abt them all. cant wait to read them.
i cant wait to read the book my Peggy Frezon, Faithfully yours, what a great stories abt animals and their human bonds.
Oh, my, how did I miss this?!! Thank you so much for listing my book, EPIc Dog Tales on this list! I’m honored!
‘Jesse-the true story of a dog who changed my life’ by Diane Barker is a newly published book which is well worth a mention. It is easy to read, funny, well written, and tells some fascinating anecdotes about their lives together, especially how Jesse helped Diane to recover from a serious car crash and how they coped together with Jesse’s diagnosis of cancer. Full of anecdotes about their lives together, some fascinating, some funny, some insightful, it also has tips on training your dog through creating a bond of unshakeable love between you.