5 New Dog Books That Make Great Holiday Gifts for Dog Lovers

Dogs are a special breed. We are at one of life’s great truths: dogs are amazing and can make our lives infinitely better.

Many of us also love to read books that celebrate and educate us about man’s best friend. So if you’re making holiday shopping lists for dog lovers, here are five 2025 books by authors whose love of the genre shines through on nearly every page—and will delight the dog lovers in your life.

“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 watching her beloved dog, Toby, for the past 15 years. Cáceres celebrates the wisdom and charm of dogs with fantastic canine affirmations – often paired with a portrait of a dog looking in a mirror – such as “I’m a good girl indeed” and “My man will leave his leftovers at my height.”

The pages of perfectly matched portraits are interspersed with stories of her own experiences with Toby, from their joyous reunion after moving separately to New York from Venezuela to her dog chasing a goose on a near-frozen lake in Central Park. The colorful illustrations, humor, and heart that made her Instagram series “Dog Affirmations” go viral will likely make this engaging book a bestseller.

Rescue advocate Rocky Kanaka has amassed over 10 million online fans thanks to his “Sitting with Dogs” video series, in which he sits inside a kennel to comfort and bond with adoptable dogs. At 6 feet 4 inches tall, he will enter small spaces armed with only a leash, a deep knowledge of dog body language, patience and compassion for dogs in need.

Kanaka and the shelter’s team members do not give up dogs for behavioral or medical reasons. The nine dogs featured in his debut book highlight shocking transformations starting with Flip, a rescued, disabled boxer who saved Kanaka’s life when he suffered a stroke. As Kanaka writes in his book, “Dogs never cease to amaze me.” It’s a page-turner with heartwarming photos of shelter dogs — and a call to action for animal lovers.

Acclaimed fiction writer Stephen Rowley began writing his novel The Dogs of Venice in the early days of the pandemic, when Italy was ravaged by Covid. It became a love letter to Italy, dogs and connection. Readers of Rowley’s other best-selling novels—including “Lily and the Octopus,” one of the finest explorations of pet-loss grief—can expect the signature spirit, 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 turns out to be a self-assured street dog he calls “the dog.” Paul experiences a miraculous epiphany on Christmas Eve in the Chiesa di San Rocco, which a local priest 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.

Memoir fans will love this heartwarming book by Maggie Marton, the beloved blogger behind Oh my dog! who held leadership positions in 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 example, she could cite research showing that dogs respond positively to our voices and follow our gestures—and that almost no other species follows gestures—to lead to a heartwarming anecdote of teaching Cooper’s dog and her hearing-impaired young daughter so they can communicate. (When little Astrid signs the word “Dog” for the first time, hold on to your tissues.)

Dog lovers will likely listen to many pages so they can return to them for ideas, humor and inspiration. As Marton writes, “It is the most wonderful feeling in the world to have the love of a good dog—and they are all good dogs.”

This meticulously researched story of dogs and celebration of their diversity is furthered by artist Lili Chin’s engaging illustrations. Inspired by the viral “Dogs of the World” posters, the book features over 600 dog species, from American Kennel Club registered breeds to mutts and country dogs. (Chin painted her village dog portraits based on photographs of real dogs, such as an East Asian village dog named Miso.)

Chin doesn’t hesitate to note health problems caused by inbreeding or address misconceptions, such as 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 and love for dogs. It includes pages of fun facts, such as that herding breeds have a gene associated with ADHD in humans, which may explain their “high energy and task-obsession.” The illustrations that have made her so popular – she is also the author/illustrator of “Doggie Language: A Dog Lover’s Guide To Understanding Your Best Friend” – feature familiar breeds like the Labrador retriever as well as unusual canines like the Andalusian Wine-Cellar Rat-Hunting Dog and the New Gugine. You’ll want to meet them all.