I’ve always loved dogs, and reading, and so it is no surprise that I started collecting books about dogs at a young age. I recently revisited my childhood book collection and looked over some of my favorites. Here, in no particular order, are a few that I remember reading and re-reading. How many are familiar to you?
- Beautiful Joe [Marshall/Margaret Saunders]. While Black Beauty is probably the best-known early novel to address animal cruelty, another from the same genre is Beautiful Joe, published in 1893. This book, told from the dog’s point of view and based on real life events, tells the story of a cruelly treated dog, who goes on to find a caring owner and a safe life after many frightening adventures.
- White Fang, and Call of the Wild [Jack London]. These are companion books with one (Call of the Wild) telling the story of a dog’s evolution from pampered pet to wild animal, with the other (White Fang) reversing the process in the story of a wild wolf-dog who becomes a family pet. As a child I did not fully appreciate the literary themes of the novels, and just enjoyed them for the outstanding dog stories they are.
- Junket [Anne H. White]. Probably the least well-known title on this list, but it was one of my favorites as a child. Junket is an Airedale terrier who finds himself having to make things “just right” after a new family purchases his farm. A cute and fun story.
- Where the Red Fern Grows [Wilson Rawls]. A classic ‘boy and dogs’ story featuring redbone coonhounds and a teary ending. Read it at least once. For another story with a similar setting and happier ending (unfortunately not a dog story but worth reading) try Summer of the Monkeys by the same author.
- Big Red, Irish Red, and Outlaw Red [Jim Kjelgaard]. These novels tell the adventures of a family of Irish setters and the boy who cares for them in the Canadian wilderness. These are classic dog stories, and Big Red was even made into a movie in the 1960s. Jim Kjelgaard was a prolific writer and I enjoyed all his books. Desert Dog, about a greyhound lost in the desert, was also a favorite.
- The Incredible Journey [Sheila Burnford]. Two dogs and a cat set out to make their way home through the wilds of Canada, looking for their family. The ending makes me cry every time.
- Lad, a Dog [Albert Payson Terhune]. Albert Payson Terhune loved dogs, and especially collies. He based this book on his dog of the same name. Lad was intelligent, beautiful, and obedient. In short, the perfect dog. Lad, a Dog is his best-known book but he wrote several other stories about collies, including Bruce, Grey Dawn, and Wolf.
- Old Yeller [Fred Gipson]. If you have only seen the movie, take the time to read the book. This is another classic ‘boy and his dog’ story with a tear-jerker ending. It was followed by a sequel called Savage Sam, which I think has not aged as well as Old Yeller.
What makes all these books special is the celebration of the loving bond between people and their dogs. To help your dog have a long and healthy life and the most years with you as possible, add Curacel curcumin to their daily diet. Curacel contains a patented extract of curcumin that has been shown to be better absorbed by a dog’s gastrointestinal system than plain curcumin or turmeric powder. Curcumin helps eliminate free radicals associated with the aging process, as well as helps in the maintenance of proper body functions and overall quality of life. I also hope you will take time to read (or re-read!) some of the titles I mentioned above, preferably with a dog at your feet, or next to you on the couch!