100 books like Inside of a Dog

By Alexandra Horowitz,

Here are 100 books that Inside of a Dog fans have personally recommended if you like Inside of a Dog. Shepherd is a community of 10,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Red Dog Rising

Kat Albrecht Author Of Pet Tracker: The Amazing Story of Rachel the K-9 Pet Detective

From my list on lost dog recovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Kat Albrecht-Thiessen is a police detective-turned-pet detective and is the founder / director of the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN). Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She is widely known as the leading authority on lost pet recovery training. Kat is a regular speaker at animal welfare conferences. She and her search dogs have appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Parade and many other publications. In 2005, Kat launched the first-ever pet detective academy and since that time has trained over 800 volunteer and professional pet detectives from across the world.

Kat's book list on lost dog recovery

Kat Albrecht Why did Kat love this book?

I love stories about dogs! I selected Red Dog Rising because the topic of training and using bloodhounds to track criminals and missing persons is near and dear to my heart. I actually know the author and helped him to train the bloodhound Ronin featured in the book. But the primary reason I suggest the book is that it is well written. You feel like you’re following the author, a police officer, and his bloodhound as they track dangerous criminals. Although the book isn’t about lost dog recovery, the method the author used to train his bloodhound Ronin is the same method I’ve used to train dogs to track lost pets. If you love dogs and have any interest in scent training, this book is for you!

By Jeff Schettler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Red Dog Rising as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ronin was a modern police bloodhound who worked the streets of California hunting criminals and missing persons for 10 years. He was the first full-time municipal police bloodhound in the state of California. What can I write about my bloodhound, Ronin without giving away too much of the book? That is really a good question. I have to write just enough to get you interested, I suppose. So let’s see…hmmmm… Well, Ronin was a Bloodhound and uncommon one at that. His real AKC name was Bo’s Mongo Dog. I got him at about 11 weeks of age from Susanville, CA,…


Book cover of Cormac: The Tale of a Dog Gone Missing

Kat Albrecht Author Of Pet Tracker: The Amazing Story of Rachel the K-9 Pet Detective

From my list on lost dog recovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Kat Albrecht-Thiessen is a police detective-turned-pet detective and is the founder / director of the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN). Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She is widely known as the leading authority on lost pet recovery training. Kat is a regular speaker at animal welfare conferences. She and her search dogs have appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Parade and many other publications. In 2005, Kat launched the first-ever pet detective academy and since that time has trained over 800 volunteer and professional pet detectives from across the world.

Kat's book list on lost dog recovery

Kat Albrecht Why did Kat love this book?

This is a well-written story about a dog named Cormac, a Golden Retriever, who went missing from his home due to fireworks and the extensive search his guardian made in his attempts to recover his best friend. The owner following leads that came in and how he recovered his dog are an amazing read.

By Sonny Brewer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Cormac as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Cormac -- a dark-red Golden Retriever who has always been afraid of thunderstorms and lightning flashes -- runs away one stormy night while his master is away. So begins a strange adventure that lands Cormac in the back of a red pick-up truck driven by a mysterious woman, takes him to a series of dog pounds and rescue shelters, and ultimately brings him to the suburbs of Connecticut. Meanwhile, his owner, devastated and trying to juggle his family and his new novel, becomes determined to solve the "dog-napping" case, watching his small-town community come together in search of his lost…


Book cover of Poppy in the Wild: A Lost Dog, Fifteen Hundred Acres of Wilderness, and the Dogged Determination that Brought Her Home

Kat Albrecht Author Of Pet Tracker: The Amazing Story of Rachel the K-9 Pet Detective

From my list on lost dog recovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Kat Albrecht-Thiessen is a police detective-turned-pet detective and is the founder / director of the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN). Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She is widely known as the leading authority on lost pet recovery training. Kat is a regular speaker at animal welfare conferences. She and her search dogs have appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Parade and many other publications. In 2005, Kat launched the first-ever pet detective academy and since that time has trained over 800 volunteer and professional pet detectives from across the world.

Kat's book list on lost dog recovery

Kat Albrecht Why did Kat love this book?

This dog story is one that kept me on the edge of my seat! I recommend it because it is well written as well as educational. It shows just how stressful losing a beloved pet can be and the desperation by family members to find their lost dog. The book details how a skittish little Beagle named Poppy escaped from his home in Southern California and how his guardian, a volunteer rescuer, received help from other lost dog rescuers that ultimately helped her to capture the scared little dog.

By Teresa J. Rhyne,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poppy in the Wild as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the #1 New York TImes bestselling author of The Dog Lived (And So WIll I) comes a tale of love and devotion defying all the odds.

After losing her beloved beagle Daphne to lymphoma, author Teresa Rhyne launches herself into fostering other dogs in need, including Poppy, a small, frightened beagle rescued from the China dog meat trade. The elation of rescue quickly turns to hysteria when Poppy breaks free from a potential adopter during a torrential thunderstorm and disappears into a rugged, mountainous, 1,500 acre wilderness park, bordered by a busy road.

In the quest to find Poppy,…


Book cover of Bring Jade Home: The True Story of a Dog Lost in Yellowstone

Kat Albrecht Author Of Pet Tracker: The Amazing Story of Rachel the K-9 Pet Detective

From my list on lost dog recovery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Kat Albrecht-Thiessen is a police detective-turned-pet detective and is the founder / director of the Missing Animal Response Network (MARN). Since 1997, Kat has worked search dogs trained to find lost pets. She is widely known as the leading authority on lost pet recovery training. Kat is a regular speaker at animal welfare conferences. She and her search dogs have appeared on Animal Planet and articles about her work have appeared in People, Reader’s Digest, Parade and many other publications. In 2005, Kat launched the first-ever pet detective academy and since that time has trained over 800 volunteer and professional pet detectives from across the world.

Kat's book list on lost dog recovery

Kat Albrecht Why did Kat love this book?

This is a great book about a dog named Jade who was involved in a roll-over car crash in the wilderness near Yellowstone Park. It’s an emotional and very interesting read as you learn what this desperate family had to go through to recover their lost dog, a task made all the more difficult because they (husband and wife) were injured in the car crash and because Jade was skittish and ran from anyone who tried to help her. In spite of grizzly bears, other predators, frigid nights, and potential starvation, the family managed to recruit local volunteers who ultimately helped them capture their dog.

By Michelle Caffrey,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bring Jade Home as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Imagine your dog, suddenly lost in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park. Alone. At night. Surrounded by wolves and grizzly bears. Day after day, week after week. How far would you go to find your dog? Time is running out. Predators. Frigid nights. A dangerous landscape. Starvation.

Bring Jade Home is the gripping true story of Jade, a young Australian shepherd, who disappears into Yellowstone's wilderness after a horrific car wreck. Despite their injuries and against doctor's orders, her owners David and Laura leave the Trauma Center to begin a desperate search - can they find Jade before it's too…


Book cover of The Genius of Dogs: Discovering the Unique Intelligence of Man's Best Friend

Michelle Waitzman Author Of Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

From my list on understanding what your dog is thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a lifelong dog lover and the author of four nonfiction books. I currently live with two rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka (the unofficial co-authors of my book). I decided to write a self-help book after noticing two trends during the recent pandemic: people were struggling to feel happy and optimistic, and people were adding a dog to their household, many for the first time. We all marvel at how our dogs find it so easy to enjoy life, and I was determined to find out what we could learn from them! During my research, I learned so much about how dogs think and feel, and I love sharing this information with other dog lovers.

Michelle's book list on understanding what your dog is thinking

Michelle Waitzman Why did Michelle love this book?

Dr. Brian Hare accidentally became a dog researcher when his research supervisor showed him an experiment with chimpanzees.

The chimps couldn’t understand what humans were trying to communicate when they pointed at something. Hare’s reaction: “My dog can do that!” His supervisor asked him to prove it, and a canine career was born!

The Genius of Dogs explains what dogs are good at, and what they’re not so good at. It’s absolutely fascinating, and you’ll be tempted to test out his findings on your own dog! He explains various experiments that he and other researchers have undertaken to test different abilities and types of intelligence.

As the founder of the Duke University Canine Cognition Center, Hare and his wife Woods are at the cutting edge of understanding dogs’ minds and behaviors. This was a great book that looks at what dogs really can do, rather than implying it from general…

By Brian Hare, Vanessa Woods,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Genius of Dogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The journey began with a gut reaction. When award-winning scientist Dr Brian Hare watched a chimpanzee fail to read a simple human hand gesture in an intelligence test, he blurted out, 'My dog can do that!' The psychologist running the test challenged him to prove it, sending Hare on an odyssey to unlock the cognitive and evolutionary mysteries of our four-legged friends.

Hare's research over the past two decades has yielded startling discoveries about how dogs think. He has pioneered studies that have proven that dogs exhibit a brand of genius for getting along with people that is unique in…


Book cover of Do Dogs Dream? Nearly Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know

Michelle Waitzman Author Of Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

From my list on understanding what your dog is thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a lifelong dog lover and the author of four nonfiction books. I currently live with two rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka (the unofficial co-authors of my book). I decided to write a self-help book after noticing two trends during the recent pandemic: people were struggling to feel happy and optimistic, and people were adding a dog to their household, many for the first time. We all marvel at how our dogs find it so easy to enjoy life, and I was determined to find out what we could learn from them! During my research, I learned so much about how dogs think and feel, and I love sharing this information with other dog lovers.

Michelle's book list on understanding what your dog is thinking

Michelle Waitzman Why did Michelle love this book?

Dr. Stanley Coren has been studying dogs for decades, and he has written many books on the subject.

It was hard to choose just one for this list, but I really liked the format of Do Dogs Dream? It answers some of the most common questions about dog behavior and communication in short, simple chapters. If you’ve ever been curious about why your dog does what they do, you’ll be very likely to find the answer in this book.

This book is no doubt a response to the hundreds of questions people asked him over the years. Compiling a volume with the most popular topics, he has presented a primer on understanding your dog. 

By Stanley Coren,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Do Dogs Dream? Nearly Everything Your Dog Wants You to Know as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Do dogs dream? Can they recognize themselves in the mirror or understand what they're seeing on television? Are they more intelligent than cats? People have a great curiosity-and many misunderstandings-about how dogs think, act, and perceive the world. They also wonder about the social and emotional lives of dogs. Stanley Coren brings decades of scientific research on dogs to bear in his unprecedented foray into the inner lives of our canine companions, dispelling many common myths in the process. In a conversational Q&A format with illustrations, Coren answers approximately 75 questions often asked of him during his nearly fifty-year career…


Book cover of Dogs Demystified: An A-Z Guide to All Things Canine

Michelle Waitzman Author Of Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

From my list on understanding what your dog is thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a lifelong dog lover and the author of four nonfiction books. I currently live with two rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka (the unofficial co-authors of my book). I decided to write a self-help book after noticing two trends during the recent pandemic: people were struggling to feel happy and optimistic, and people were adding a dog to their household, many for the first time. We all marvel at how our dogs find it so easy to enjoy life, and I was determined to find out what we could learn from them! During my research, I learned so much about how dogs think and feel, and I love sharing this information with other dog lovers.

Michelle's book list on understanding what your dog is thinking

Michelle Waitzman Why did Michelle love this book?

“A dog’s feelings matter to them, and they should also matter to us.” This quote from Dr. Marc Bekoff’s new book, Dogs Demystified, sums up his longtime advocacy for dogs and other animals.

He respects them as thoughtful beings with full emotional lives, and strongly believes that every individual animal matters, whether a household pet or a wild predator. 

Bekoff has been writing about animals for a long time, and this book on dogs is an effort to whittle down his vast knowledge into a manageable read. If you feel a lot of empathy toward dogs and other animals, you will definitely enjoy reading Marc Bekoff’s books, including Dogs Demystified.

The book also features a foreword from the incredible Jane Goodall and illustrations by 1960s folk music icon Joan Baez.

By Marc Bekoff,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dogs Demystified as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An all-encompassing and fun reference from an award-winning scientist and dog lover

Dr. Marc Bekoff is an expert at turning cutting-edge science into practical, reader-friendly information. The encyclopedic entries in this book cover everything related to dog care, dog-human relationships, and dog behavior, cognition, and emotions, making this the accessible book that every dog lover should have. In concise, readable A-through-Z entries, Bekoff covers it all, from aggression to pack formation to zoomies, and explores why dogs do what they do; exactly how to meet any dog eye-to-eye, nose-to-nose, and ear-to-ear to understand their world better; and how tuning in…


Book cover of Dog Sense: How the New Science of Dog Behavior Can Make You A Better Friend to Your Pet

Michelle Waitzman Author Of Be as Happy as Your Dog: 16 Dog-Tested Ways to Be Happier Using Pawsitive Psychology

From my list on understanding what your dog is thinking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a lifelong dog lover and the author of four nonfiction books. I currently live with two rescue dogs, Marlowe and Nuka (the unofficial co-authors of my book). I decided to write a self-help book after noticing two trends during the recent pandemic: people were struggling to feel happy and optimistic, and people were adding a dog to their household, many for the first time. We all marvel at how our dogs find it so easy to enjoy life, and I was determined to find out what we could learn from them! During my research, I learned so much about how dogs think and feel, and I love sharing this information with other dog lovers.

Michelle's book list on understanding what your dog is thinking

Michelle Waitzman Why did Michelle love this book?

Dr. John Bradshaw is a (now retired) anthrozoologist. That means he spent his career studying animal-human interaction.

His bestselling book about dogs is a great overview of how dogs function. He delves into the ways in which dogs are like wolves, and the ways they are different. He talks about the unique ability of dogs to form strong bonds with both other dogs and humans—to essentially have two “packs” under the right circumstances.

I found his insights very helpful and his writing style easy to follow and engaging.

By John Bradshaw,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Dog Sense as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Dogs have been mankind's faithful companions for tens of thousands of years, yet today they are regularly treated as either pack-following wolves or furry humans. The truth is, dogs are neither- and our misunderstanding has put them in serious crisis. What dogs really need is a spokesperson, someone who will assert their specific needs. Renowned anthrozoologist Dr. John Bradshaw has made a career of studying human-animal interactions, and in Dog Sense he uses the latest scientific research to show how humans can live in harmony with- not just dominion over- their four-legged friends. From explaining why positive reinforcement is a…


Book cover of The Underdogs: Children, Dogs, and the Power of Unconditional Love

Rona Maynard Author Of Starter Dog: My Path to Joy, Belonging and Loving This World

From my list on the power of loving a dog.

Why am I passionate about this?

For most of my life no one guessed I could fall for a dog, much less write a book about one. I associated dogs with drool on the floor and fur all over everything. One of those “just a dog” people, I thought the marriage bed should be strictly for humans. It crossed my mind that an eager dog would keep me from working into the night at the office where I ran Chatelaine, Canada’s premier magazine for women, but I chose a treadmill at the Y over rambles with a dog. At 65 I discovered my inner dog person. A ragged-eared mutt is now my joy and my muse.

Rona's book list on the power of loving a dog

Rona Maynard Why did Rona love this book?

TV’s Lassie saved children from wildfire and quicksand. Real-life service dogs save entire families from the isolation and stress of a child’s incurable illness or severe disability.

Through the vivid stories of compromised kids who blossom with highly trained dogs, Greene celebrates the canine gift for understanding us humans—rooted in 10,000 years of interspecies history but ignored by science until the recent past.

This book gripped, moved, and informed me while hitting close to home. Like my own rescue mutt, many service dogs were trained by prisoners who discovered their own best selves by teaching an unwanted animal to love. Humans and dogs need each other, as Greene shows with heartfelt but rigorous reporting. 

By Melissa Fay Greene,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Underdogs as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE UNDERDOGS tells the story of Karen Shirk: felled at age 24 by a neuromuscular disease and facing life as an immobile, deeply isolated and depressed, ventilator-dependent patient, she was rejected by every service dog agency in the country as "too disabled." Her nurse encouraged her to raise her own service dog, and Ben, a German shepherd, dragged her back into life. "How many people are stranded like I was," she wondered, "who could lead productive lives with a service dog?" A thousand dogs later, Karen Shirk's service dog academy, 4 Paws for Ability, is restoring broken children and their…


Book cover of For the Love of a Dog: Understanding Emotion in You and Your Best Friend

Nate Schoemer Author Of Nate Schoemer's Dog Training Manual: Animal Planet's Dog Trainer Shares His Dog Training Secrets

From my list on dog understanding and communication.

Why am I passionate about this?

As far back as I can remember I’ve always loved canines and always wanted to make sure they were treated kindly. When I was a kid, I would bring a bag of dog treats with me to visit family and friends that I knew had dogs; I had to be very convincing too, or else people would’ve thought they were for me! But they could see it was a delight for me; while everyone would be inside talking, I would be outside with the pups. Eventually, this enthusiasm culminated with the creation of Nate Schoemer’s Dog Training Program, with a mission of improving the lives of dogs and their owners through education. 

Nate's book list on dog understanding and communication

Nate Schoemer Why did Nate love this book?

This book is hands down one of those essential readings that every dog owner should own…it should be read, re-read, and then re-re-read.

Patricia beautifully describes our dog’s emotions, body language, and even the more subtle expressions that most people miss… it’s like training to be a doggy empath.

I found myself smiling and learning something new and valuable in every chapter, even after being a professional dog trainer for over ten years. 

We love our dogs, and they depend on us to care for them and understand them. This book is not only a page-turner, but it will enhance the relationship that you have with your furry-faced friend. 

By Patricia McConnell,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked For the Love of a Dog as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we vary. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love.

In For the Love of a Dog, McConnell suggests that one of the reasons we love dogs so much is that they express emotions in ways…


5 book lists we think you will like!

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