In honor of Black History Month, I wanted to highlight some books with dog themes, or dog characters, written by Black authors. Dog shows and adventures take us on the road a lot, and my favorite way to pass the miles on a long commute is with a good audio book. Whether it is Rally Nationals Ohio, Pumi Nationals in Missouri, the Obedience Classic in Florida, a Canine Obstacle Race in Alabama… I have plenty of driving hours to fill with books.
Black dog owners are underrepresented in the dog training and competition spaces, and dog books written by Black authors are equally hard to find. I’ve come up with the following list and have started working through them already.
- Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
This is the only book on our list that I had already read. The book follows a family in Missisippi in the days leading up to and through Hurricane Katrina. Their pit bull plays a big role in novel. They love and care for the dog, and also use the dog for sport (trigger warning: dog fighting content). Dog fighting is understandably a topic that makes most dog owners uncomfortable. Yet, I still felt their relationship with their dog was relatable, and I was empathetic to their choices. It is a great novel, that for me, showcased how different circumstances shape the relationships we have with our dogs. An endlessly fascinating topic for dog trainers, professionals and enthusiast.
- A Little Yellow Dog by Walter Mosley
For when you need to rotate off of your true crime podcasts, this book is a murder mystery with a dog character that is integral to the plot. Not to fear, I did confirm that the dog does NOT die in this book, although several human characters do. This book is unfortunately not available as audio book, so you’ll have to old-school read this one.
- Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
In this fantasy novel, you follow dogs as they navigate the world after being give human consciousness and language. This novel is a critique on dog ownership, community building, communication, resistance to change, fear of the unknown and finding safety in past experience. It is interesting and amusing to experience this extreme anthropomorphization.
- Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns
This cozy mystery romance thriller featuring an inherited bakery and an English Mastiff named Baby has all the components for a great read. This is available as an audio book and already in our library as our next read.
- Pardon my Frenchie by Farrah Rochon
A classic romance story of two dogs bringing their people together. The Standard Poodle, Puddin’, and the French Bulldog, Duchess, become fast friends and so soon do their owners. If you are still feeling the love from Valentine’s Day, this could be your perfect next read.
- Furever Enchanted by B. E. Bang
In this fantasy book, Zuri adopts a dog, that has every dog owner’s dream attribute – they poop gold. Unfortunately, it is to the dog’s detriment, and she goes on a journey to cure her dog from the condition. I can already imagine I’ll feel jealous of a gold pooping dog, in awe of her good looking veterinarian, and triggered by the opinionated shelter staff. Another one for the TBR.
If you have any other must-read books written by Black authors, let us know! We are always looking for the next read, even if it doesn’t have a dog character or theme.