Nothing makes me pick up a book faster than a dog on the cover. Strange? Probably. True? Absolutely.

The only problem with books that feature dogs is the general fear that the dog won’t make it to the end of the book. So rest assured, these book recommendations are safe reads as far as canine livelihood goes.

As always, there are going to be books for all ages and from all genres listed here. This list is also shoppable at bookshop.org here. Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org. I will earn a commission (at no extra cost to you) if you click through and make a purchase.

• Dog On It, Spencer Quinn, mystery, first of a series but each book stands on its own
• Swimming for Sunlight, Allie Larkin, fiction
• The All You Can Dream Buffet, Barbara O’Neal, fiction
• Because of Winn Dixie, Kate DiCamillo, MG fiction
• Rez Dogs, Joseph Bruchac, MG fiction
• Ancestor Approved, edited by Cynthia Lietich Smith, MG short story collection
• Part of Your World, Abby Jimenez, fiction
• The Friend Zone, Abby Jimenez, fiction
• The Lost Recipe for Happiness, Barbara O’Neal, fiction
• The Summer of Bitter and Sweet, Jen Ferguson, YA
• The Homewreckers, Mary Kay Andrews, fiction
• Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus, fiction

Some authors continually include our canine companions, like Barbara O’Neal and Abby Jimenez. Others really get how important our furry friends are to us, such as Jen Ferguson who included an author’s note at the beginning of the book prefacing which animals may be in danger and which are ultimately okay. As someone whose reading experience would be greatly diminished by fear over if the dog is okay in the end, Ferguson made me a lifelong fan by setting me at ease before I was even worried.

What I’m reading next: A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor, middle grade fiction.

What paw-centric book are you reading next?