Dog people are a special breed. We’re in on one of life’s great truths: dogs are amazing and can make our lives infinitely better.
Many of us also love reading books that celebrate and educate us about man’s best friend. So if you’re making holiday shopping lists for people who love dogs, here are five 2025 books by authors whose love of the species shines on virtually every page — and will delight the dog lovers in your life.
“Dog Affirmations: An Illustrated Journey Through Your Dog’s Thoughts,” by Andrea Cáceres
“Our dogs have a lot to teach us. We just have to pay attention,” illustrator Andrea Cáceres writes in the introduction to “Dog Affirmations.” It’s something she learned by watching her beloved dog, Tobi, for the past 15 years. Cáceres celebrates the wisdom and charm of dogs with imagined canine affirmations — often paired with a portrait of a dog looking in a mirror — like “I am indeed a good girl” and “My human will leave their leftovers at my height.”
The pages of perfectly paired portraits are interspersed with stories of her own experiences with Tobi, from their joyful reunion after moving separately to New York City from Venezuela to her dog chasing a goose into a nearly frozen lake in Central Park. The colorful illustrations, humor and heart that made her Instagram series “Dog Affirmations” go viral will likely make this appealing book a bestseller.
“Sitting with Dogs: Stories of Rescue Dogs Going from Lost to Loved,” by Rocky Kanaka
Rescue advocate Rocky Kanaka amassed over 10 million online fans thanks to his video series “Sitting with Dogs,” in which he sits inside a shelter kennel to comfort and connect with adoptable dogs. At 6 feet 4 inches tall, he’ll enter small spaces armed with only a leash, deep knowledge of canine body language, patience and compassion for dogs who need help.
Kanaka and members of the shelter teams don’t give up on dogs for behavior or medical reasons. The nine dogs featured in his debut book highlight heart-tugging transformations starting with Flip, a rescued boxer with health issues who went on to save Kanaka’s life when he experienced a stroke. As Kanaka writes in his book, “Dogs never cease to amaze me.” It’s a page-turner with touching photos of shelter dogs — and a call to action for animal lovers.
“The Dogs of Venice,” by Steven Rowley
Acclaimed fiction author Steven Rowley started writing his novella “The Dogs of Venice” in the early days of the pandemic, when Italy was being ravaged by Covid. It became a love letter to Italy, dogs and connection. Readers of Rowley’s other bestselling novels — including “Lily and the Octopus,” one of the best explorations of grief over pet loss — can expect the signature wit, intellect and heart he brings to his work.
In “The Dogs of Venice,” protagonist Paul finds himself alone on what was supposed to be a romantic Christmas vacation in Italy after his husband abruptly leaves him. The catalyst for Paul’s healing proves to be a self-assured street dog he dubs “the Dog.” Paul experiences a miraculous epiphany on Christmas Eve at the Chiesa di San Rocco, which a local love interest had explained is a church dedicated to the patron saint of dogs. This heartfelt little book offers a story of renewal and hope for the holidays.
“For the Love of Dog: How Dogs Think and the Unbreakable Bond That Connects Us,” by Maggie Marton
Memoir fans will love this deeply affecting book by Maggie Marton, the beloved blogger behind Oh My Dog! who has held leadership positions with both the Dog Writers Association of America and the Cat Writers’ Association.
Marton deftly weaves personal experiences with scientific research into how dogs think. For instance, she might mention research that shows dogs react positively to our voices and follow our gestures — and that almost no other species follows gestures — to lead into a touching anecdote of teaching American Sign Language to her dog Cooper and young daughter with hearing loss so they’d be able to communicate. (When little Astrid signs the word “Dog” for the first time, keep tissues handy.)
Dog lovers will likely dog-ear many pages so they can return to them for insights, humor and inspiration. As Marton writes, “It’s the most wonderful feeling in the world to have the love of a good dog — and they are all good dogs.”
“Dogs of the World: A Gallery of Pups from Purebreds to Mutts,” by Lili Chin
This meticulously researched history of dogs and celebration of their diversity is propelled by artist Lili Chin’s endearing illustrations. Inspired by her viral “Dogs of the World” posters, the book showcases over 600 types of dogs, from American Kennel Club registered breeds to mutts and village dogs. (Chin drew her portraits of village dogs based on photos of actual dogs, like an East Asian village dog named Miso.)
Chin doesn’t shy away from noting health issues caused by inbreeding or addressing misconceptions, like the mistaken belief that some breeds need a “heavier hand” in training — and reminds readers that dogs can be successfully trained with kindness and rewards.
Ultimately, the heart of the book lies in Chin’s fascination with and love of dogs. She peppers the pages with fun facts, like that herding breeds have a gene associated with ADHD in humans, which might explain their “high energy and obsessive focus on tasks.” The illustrations that have made her so popular — she’s also the author/illustrator of “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide To Understanding Your Best Friend” — showcase well-known breeds like the Labrador retriever as well as unusual canines like the Andalusian Wine-Cellar Rat-Hunting Dog and New Guinea Singing Dog. You’ll want to meet them all.