For someone who loves German Shepherds
German Shepherds of Australia, Volume One
Over 200 German Shepherds, each beside a story from their own family. Give it, and watch them go looking for the dog that looks like theirs.
See the book, $150A reading list
Books for dog lovers
Dog books for adults: the big ones that stay on the coffee table, the photographs people pore over, the art, and a few that make dog people laugh out loud. Each has a line on why we chose it.
Giving one for Christmas? Please order soon: the last day for delivery anywhere in Australia is about Monday 7 December. Christmas order dates
Coffee table books for dog lovers
We make these four. Each is a big square hardcover of real Australian dogs, photographed by Living Image Photography, with a few lines from each dog's family beside every portrait. They are $150 each, and every one helps an animal rescue.
For a family who talks about their dog like one of the kids
Shoot the Dog, Volume Two
Over 250 dogs of every breed and cross, from Bambi, delivered by Santa, to Joey, a rescue Kelpie cross.
See the book, $150
For someone whose dog is part of the family
Shoot the Dog, Volume Three
Over 250 more dogs, in their families' own words. It lives on the coffee table and gets picked up by every visitor who has ever loved a dog.
See the book, $150
For the person whose camera roll is mostly their dog
Shoot the Dog, Volume Four
Over 250 dogs and the people who love them: the book they would make themselves if they could.
See the book, $150Dog books by others we love
Each opens at Booktopia, which posts within Australia and to New Zealand, with Waterstones beside it for buyers further afield.
Dog photography for the coffee table
Dogs
Tim Flach
Big, quiet studio portraits that treat each dog as a character with a history, shot with the care usually kept for people; the book for someone who loves a single striking portrait.
Good Dog: A Collection of Portraits
Randal Ford
One hundred and fifty clean studio portraits, each dog caught with its own expression; the publisher says proceeds help Emancipet, a US vet charity.
DogDogs
Elliott Erwitt
Five hundred black-and-white street moments from a lifetime of watching dogs, with a quiet joke in nearly every frame; a gift for anyone who has laughed at their own dog.
The Dogist: Photographic Encounters with 1,000 Dogs
Elias Weiss Friedman
Street-style portraits of dogs, each with a short note about the dog and its person; easy to flick through and hard to put down.
William Wegman
William Wegman, ed. William A. Ewing
Three decades of Wegman's Weimaraners in costume and in straight-faced portraits, the pictures that made dog photography an art form; for the art-minded dog lover.
Funny books for dog lovers
Shake
Carli Davidson
Dogs mid-shake with fur and drool flying; a laugh for anyone who has been sprayed by a wet dog.
Maddie on Things
Theron Humphrey
A coonhound balancing on tractors, trolleys and signs with total calm; a laugh-out-loud gift for anyone with a patient, willing dog.
Do You Look Like Your Dog? The Book
Gerrard Gethings
Fifty portraits matching dogs with their people; it starts conversations and suits anyone who has been told they look like their dog.
My Dog: The Paradox
Matthew Inman
A short comic about the contradictions of living with a dog, funny and then suddenly affecting; a quick, giftable read.
For dog lovers who love art
A History of Portraits in 21 Dogs
Nia Gould
Twenty-one famous portraits recreated with dogs, each with a note on the original artwork; a witty gift for art lovers.
Dogs in Art
Susie Green
How artists from ancient Rome to today have painted and carved dogs; for readers who love art and dogs in equal measure.
The Invention of the Dog: 75 Breeds that Changed the World
Tamsin Pickeral
The story of 75 breeds and how people shaped them, illustrated throughout with 160 images; a handsome gift for the curious.
A Dog's Life
Hannah Dale
More than fifty dogs painted in a quirky, characterful style, from the faithful Labrador to the bouncy Cocker Spaniel; a cheerful gift.
For someone with an old dog
Old Faithful: Dogs of a Certain Age
Pete Thorne
Portraits of senior dogs with grey muzzles and a short story for each; a tender gift for anyone with an older dog.
Old Dogs: Are the Best Dogs
Gene Weingarten
Black-and-white portraits of old dogs with a journalist's affectionate stories; a gentle read for anyone devoted to a senior dog.
Old Dogs
Sally Muir
Paintings of grey-muzzled dogs with a short story for each; a tender gift for anyone with an older dog.
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Questions people ask
What are the best books for dog lovers?
It depends on the reader. For a big coffee table book, any of our four: real Australian dogs beside their families' own words, $150 each. For striking photography, Tim Flach's Dogs or Elliott Erwitt's DogDogs. For a laugh, Shake or Maddie on Things. For art lovers, A History of Portraits in 21 Dogs.
What is a good coffee table book for dog lovers?
A big one with real dogs in it. Ours are square hardcovers about the size of a vinyl record sleeve, each with over 200 dogs and a few lines from every family, and each one helps an animal rescue.
Are there dog books for adults, not children?
Every book on this page is for grown-ups: photography, art, humour and books for anyone with an old dog. Picture books for children are on our shelf, on the home page.