A Dog Year

by Jon Katz

One of our favorite writers, Jon Katz explores how losing his two beloved laid-back labrador retrievers, then adopting two high-strung border collies changes his life and helps him learn about dogs and himself. A great read for anyone who believes life is better (but not totally without frustrations) with canine companions.

ISBN 0812966902, $12.95
240 pages

The Dogs of Bedlam Farm

by Jon Katz

Jon Katz, a writer from New Jersey, moves to a farm in upstate New York with his Border Collies in training. With his friendly narrative style, Katz shares his joys, frustrations, and culture shock as he discovers first hand the challenges of rural life, running a small farm, and maintaining a proper balance for his high-energy working dogs who moonlight as canine companions. Reading a Jon Katz book is like inviting a good friend over to talk dog.

ISBN 1400062438, $22.95
272 pages

My Dog

by J.R. Ackerley

An extraordinary book about one man's dog. Felice Picano writes " J.R. Ackerley is certainly one of the best insufficiently known writers of our time. My Dog Tulip is a gem of intelligence and humor. It contains in perfect proportions Ackerley's keen observation, delicious prose style and the mercurial play of his mind. Seldom has a loved animal -- seldom has any lover -- been so completely rendered in literature." Amusing and memorable.

New York Review of Books
ISBN 0940322110, $12.95
160 pages

My Life As a Real Dog

by Dido

We aren't big on books written by dogs or from a dog's perspective (they're usually a little too cute), but there is an exception to every rule. And this book by Chocolate Lab Dido proves some dogs are born to write. My Life as a Real Dog provides insights into dog behavior without the pedantic stuffiness some professional human dog behavioralist rely on.

Kodansha America
ISBN 1-56836-116-5 $18.00 Hardcover
190 pages

Pack of Two

by Caroline Knapp

With this sequel of sorts to Drinking: A Love Story, Caroline Knapp provides an intimate view of her co-dependent relationship with her dog Lucille, and explores the complex roles dogs play in people's lives. The anecdotes of dog owners are wonderful and will cause most dog lovers to nod their heads in agreement. Knapp's self analysis is tedious in places, but overall it's a good read that will cause more than a few dog devotees to say, "Yep. I do that."

Dial Press
ISBN 0385316984, $21.95
249 pages