Reading about dogs tops my reading list

Yes, my reading booklist is all about dogs. The books about dogs have been stacked, shelved, and shoved around for some time and at the top of my to-be-read list. They are a mix of books from fiction to nonfiction.

Who will be reading all these books about dogs?

I'm not surprised that my dogs somehow managed to push and lug the dog books out of their tucked away places into a stack that Charlie, my Pug, brought to my attention. It would appear that the dogs want me to read and they want me to read to them, the dogs.

Books and dogs go together

There is a close relationship between dogs, books, and readers. Even more so the last ten years as reading to dogs literacy programs have become more and more popular. Children, dogs and books are an even greater combination. Who better to read to than a dog? They won't interrupt, usually, and they're quite attentive.

Reading to dogs is a great book activity and fosters intimacy with your dog

Reading to dogs is an activity on the rise for many reasons. The first has to do with the reading to dogs literacy programs that are popping up in schools and libraries across the U.S. The second is due to a flurry of research which suggests real health benefits that result from the simple action of reading a book to a dog.

My fall/winter is all about reading books about dogs and to dogs

Read on to discover what the dogs have chosen for me to read this summer and how they plan to have storytime, too.

• Image Credits .Photo above Charlie and me reading Copyright 2013 Vikk Simmons by author; Dog Cartoon below 2013 Copyright Vikk Simmons (graphic by JuneBear / Fiverr)

• Image Credit: Photo by Andrea Arden from New York, USA [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

When he was sixty years old (1968), then President Lyndon B. Johnson enjoyed spending time reading in the pool with his grandson and his dog while at LBJ Ranch.

• Image Credits: Photo of President Lyndon B. Johnson by White House Photo Office (LBJ Library (direct link, 44.5 MB TIFF)) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The smaller dogs gather for storytime

Teddy, Riley, Freddie, and Charlie are perched on the storytime couch. Reading to dogs is a fun thing to do with your dogs. Incorporate it into a training session where the dogs remain in a sit while you read to them.

• Image Credits.Photo of dogs gathered for storytime Copyright 2011 Vikk Simmons (author)

Wonder what it's like to be the storyteller to a pack of dogs? Check out this video.

The dogs enlist help to pull all the books about dogs from the shelves

One can only imagine how Charlie the Pug and his canine crew managed to get the books from all the nooks and crannies where they'd been stored. However, I'm pretty certain that the books were easy to identify since they all have dogs on the cover.

How the dogs chose the books for my reading list

Now you might wonder whether dogs recognize other dogs from any other animal. Well, the latest research shows that they do have the ability to single out dogs from other creatures. So we know how they identified the books. Although Charlie might tell you he actually read the title. I'm not so sure about that.

• Image Credits: Photo by U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Douglas G. Morrison [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

You may have heard about this fictional tale as it's now been made into a movie but the story was actually published back in 1956. I'm looking forward to this read as I grew up with German Shepherds and the Tulip is a rescued German Shepherd.

Stanley Coren brings a lot to the table in any book he writes about dogs. Everything he discusses is based on the latest scientific findings found in dog research literature. Most dog owners have a lot of questions about their dogs and why they do what they do. This should be a helpful read and supply some answers to those age-old questions that plague us dog owners.

This memoir combines war and dogs in a beautiful way. Talk about puppy love. Who would have thought a little puppy would have such a tug-hold on the hearts of so many Marines? It's also an adventure story as the author, a Marine in Iraq, actually smuggled the little pup out of war-torn Iraq and had him sent to the U.S. The book has received many great reviews and has captured the heart of many readers and dog lovers.

This is what you get when you have a psychology professor who is studying animal behavior apply that curiosity to her own love of the dog. Clearly this author has experienced what ever dog owner comes to wonder: What the heck is my dog doing now? Do they "see" color? What's it like to be driven by a different primary sense, that of smell? Just how different are we?

Most dog lovers will admit that there is usually one dog in their life that becomes "the dog of their life. Bestselling author Dean Koontz met his in the form of a golden retriever who, Koontz willingly admits, saved his life. This is their story.

Jon Katz has pretty much shaped a writing career out of his love for dogs and the dogs he's loved. He's been writing about dogs for years. This is a true story about events that unfolded during one long winter at the farm.

Another book by Stanley Coren and one that received a lot of attention and became an instant bestseller. Can we really commninicate with out dogs at a human's two year old level? What are we really saying to our dogs by our speech and our body language? Coren provides the answers to these questions and more.

Can you really interpret your dog's behavior? Stanley Coren clearly thinks so and has once again delved into the psychology of human and canine behavior. A professor of psychology, Coren has written a number of bestselling books about dogs and is considered an international authority on the subject. As much as we may look at dogs and give them human attributes, what are we to the dogs? Human or dog?

Written from the viewpoint of a dog, this story attempts to tackle the big subjects of life through a dog. Apparently cats aren't the only ones with more than one life.

If you're a book person at all, it's hard not to know about Marley. Not only was the book a bestseller but the story went on to become a movie. Talk about adventure and fun. This is a clear book choice for any dog lover or anyone interested in dogs or even a good story.

Written from the point of view of a dog, this novel tells the story of a mutt named Enzo who loves to race. We've all seen these dogs, the ones who aren't content to chase cars but manage to run alongside them and even strive to pass them. This is the story of one dog's racing obsession and what he did about it--and then some. And it's the "then some" that makes the novel.

Have you thought about teaching your dog to read? Maybe you have a super intelligent dog at home who is eager to learn. Check out how this dog owner managed to teach her little dog to identify words. Do you think Charlie could do this?

This is a cute book trailer about the story of a dog who loved books and wanted to read more than anything else.

What books should you read to dogs?

Looking for a book to read to your dog? Don't worry. You don't have to choose a book that is only about dogs. Dogs love the sound of your voice, they love the intimacy that is created when the two of you are together and engaged in an activity. You can read fiction stories to them, nonfiction, even picture books. They will listen. What better way to spend time with your dog?

• Image Credits.Photo: Reading to Teddy 2004 Copyright Vikk Simmons

There are any number of reasons why children enjoy reading to dogs but here are three.

1. Children are less self-conscious when reading out loud to dogs.
2. Children are calmed by the presence of the dog and enjoy the reading session more.
3. Children know the dogs are not critical of their reading skills.