Dog fiction encompasses various genres, from children’s stories to adult novels where dogs play an integral part. Publishers create series and sequels to attract readers, and authors often incorporate their own professions into their work. Dog fiction can use dogs as a plot device or provide a unique point of view. Children’s dog fiction can help readers learn about other lands and ways of life and incorporate healing themes.
Literature is replete with all kinds of canine fiction encompassing a variety of genres, from children’s stories where the dog is the hero, to young adult stories where the dogs are anthropomorphic, to adult novels where the dog is an integral part of the story and plot. Dog fiction includes such classics as Call of the Wild, written in the early 20th century by Jack London, to the heartbreaking children’s novel Beautiful Joe, written in the late 19th century by Marshall Saunders. Mrs. Saunders’ story is supposedly a true account of a dog’s life, told from the point of view of Beautiful Joe. In the 20th century, authors expanded the category to include many genres, from romance novels to intimate mysteries.
Publishers interested in attracting readers to this market are experts at creating series and sequels that focus on a winning formula. Sometimes dog fiction, as far as mysteries are concerned, has a clue-hunting dog among its characters whose antics are closely intertwined with those of the hero or heroine, and other times the main character of a novel is related to caring for her dog and people I also love pet, such as the novel Must Love Dogs. Sometimes authors incorporate their own occupations into their prose, such as a dog walker or veterinarian writing involving animal helpers or main characters. An example of this type of dog fiction is written by dog trainer Carol Lea Benjamin, whose work includes non-fiction and fiction.
Dog fiction can use dogs as a plot device to hunt down clues, and can also make use of dogs to provide a unique point of view if the narrative is told from a first-person point of view, such as Beautiful Joe or King, written by John Berger. Though written from a dog’s point of view, King creatively shows what happens to people who are “strays” and homeless. Emmy winner Merrill Markoe writes humorously and dramatically about her in her novel Walking in Circles Before Lying Down, with the heroine’s canine companion speaking to her.
Imaginative dog fiction for children abounds on the shelves of libraries and bookstores, and parents and guardians should be able to find something to appeal to any child, from the shy and withdrawn to the outgoing, gregarious adventurer. Many young readers have enjoyed Ann M. Martin’s novel A Dog’s Life, while even younger children who are just starting to learn to read will enjoy Molly Coxe’s Hot Dog or the classic Poky Little Puppy. Dog fiction for children and young adults, if entertaining but not preachy, can help readers learn about other lands and other ways of life. Even dog fiction many times can incorporate healing as readers learn about characters who have dealt with death, divorce, and other life events.
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