Man's best friend, the dog, has inspired us in the form of a number of books. In addition to forming strong bonds both as pets and working animals, we know how much they mean to us.
After reading several of these inspiring books, I am inspired by how dogs have changed people's lives for the better or taken on daily tasks that would take a human a long time to accomplish. Listed below are 6 books that will bring tears to your eyes as they illustrate how much these animals have done for mankind over the years.
Inspirational Dogs
All of the books reviewed below are real-life stories. The first book I liked to recommend to you is the one that I got as a present and this started my reading journey into inspirational dog books. The book is simply called " A brave dog called Sherlock".
A working cocker spaniel was trained to help the London Fire Brigade and became part of the Fire Investigation Dog unit.
As a member of the Fire Investigation Dog unit, Paul Osborne works for The London Fire Brigade as a firefighter and is responsible for Sherlock, an excitable and bright-eyed cocker spaniel.
His remarkable ability to detect subtle traces and scents even after thousand-degree blazes - even when he has to wear protective boots due to dangerous environments - makes him one of the Fire Brigade's most talented investigative dogs ever. No machine will ever replace these incredible dogs.
To keep London safe around the clock, Paul and Sherlock bravely plunge into the most dramatic fire scenes in the city. An inspiring account of the London Fire Brigade's four-legged heroes, this book provides a remarkable insight into the life of the city's most heroic working dog.
This book is really interesting, funny, and informative. Sherlock's little ways will be familiar to anyone who has ever owned a cocker spaniel. A humorous and honest look at the difficult but essential role of fire investigators. The book will make you fall in love with Sherlock by the end if you don't already and I highly recommend this book as it is truly inspirational!
Unlike the first book, this second book is not about a working dog, but just an ordinary spaniel called Max. The book is written by Kerry Irvin who had a troubled start to life but over the years found happiness through owning dogs.
At Kerry's lowest point in life, he was suffering from severe neck and back injuries, was unemployed and was housebound. He was also struggling with depression and even thoughts of suicide. Kerry went from cycling over 600 miles a month to being confined to his own home. With all hope seeming lost, Kerry's wife encouraged him to go for short walks to the local shop. These walks would change his life forever, and despite unbearable pain and overwhelming panic, he persevered and along the way, met an adorable yard dog named Max.
When the Spaniel looked up through the railings, Kerry found comfort and encouragement in his soulful brown eyes. This chance encounter marked a turning point in both their lives forever.
Max found comfort and motivation in Kerry, and Kerry found someone to care for him in Max. This is truly a remarkable story, an inspiring story of Kerry and his newfound friend Max.
This book is clearly a favourite of mine and should be read by anyone who believes all hope is lost and there is no way back from the depths of despair.
It demonstrates the love and support given by a four-legged friend, and you will have you hooked on Kerry's journey on Facebook afterwards.
Our third book is a gripping true story of Jade, a young Australian shepherd, who disappears into Yellowstone's wilderness after her owners are involved in a horrific car crash. Despite their injuries and against the doctor's orders, her owners David and Laura leave the Trauma Center to begin a desperate search - can they find Jade before it's too late?
Can you imagine your dog, suddenly lost in your local area, never mind in the wilds of Yellowstone National Park, alone, at night, me either? With wolves and bears living in the area, how far would you go to find your dog?
The story entails of a six-week search for Jade, an Australian Sheep Dog with piercing ice-blue eyes. For the dozens of people who united to search for her, infrequent sightings kept hope barely alive. Over time, the dog became more elusive and wilder, fleeing quickly at the sound of her name. In the end, the dog's owner meets his beloved pet. In a few seconds, they locked eyes, but the dog bolted into the forest without a word. Heartbreaking anguish filled their hearts as they realised that the dog they knew was no longer there; instead, there was a wild animal that would never be a pet again.
Bring Jade Home is the perfect read for dog lovers and wilderness enthusiasts alike. The book is the heartwarming tale of the owners, park employees, and huge search effort to bring Jade home.
This story will melt your heart and renew your faith in dogs - and people.
Our fourth book looks at another working dog, yes it is another spaniel by the name of Buster. Buster is a trained military dog and works for the RAF and has served in Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. His main aim is to sniff out arms and explosives and keep everyone safe.
This is the story of the partnership of Buster and Will, told by Will himself, describing how each came to save the other’s life. This is a relationship that produced some heroic feats in the dust and desert heat of Afghanistan - and beyond. Buster, uniquely, has served five tours of duty - which happens to be more than any other military dog.
Buster has been so successful and dedicated to his work with the RAF, that he has won medals, the Crufts Friends for Life Award and the Sun Military Award. "Buster" is also the lifetime mascot of the RAF police.
This book is both extremely moving and heart-warming, considering the close relationship between an exceptional dog and his owner during a very hostile and grim war situation. The bond between humans and their dogs has never been stronger.
Our fifth review also happens to be another cocker spaniel, with a role a little different to the usual jobs, this time a Pet Detective Dog. Yes, you did read correctly, a pet detective.
Colin was a veteran of the Royal Navy and a longtime police officer and accustomed to dealing with dangerous situations. But even a career in uniform can wear anyone down, so in 2003, Colin left the force to start his own private detective agency, which specializes in helping reunite people with their missing pets. Despite his hundreds of successes, there were still heartbreaking cases where Colin couldn't find the missing on his own. He was aware that he needed a partner.
Molly the cocker spaniel was unloved and unwanted. But her life changed forever when Colin, noticed her on a rescue page. Molly's intelligence, sense of smell, and kind heart made her the perfect pet detective, assisting Colin as he travelled across the country reuniting beloved missing cats with their grateful owners.
Molly has also successfully tracked down stolen dogs, survived a deadly snake bite in the line of duty, and even unearthed hidden treasure. There's never a dull day in the life of a dog detective!
This is the heart-warming story of how love and devotion, combined with a good nose, can make a difference.
Our last review is slightly different to the other five book reviews and looks at two labradors.
During the darkest days of lockdown in 2020, the antics of two beautiful Labradors, Olive and Mabel, along with hilarious commentaries by Andrew Cotter who is a Scottish sports broadcaster provided much-needed light relief on the internet, and this has now been published as a book.
Olive and Mabel's videos resonated with dog lovers around the world, with nearly 90 million views on social media. 'OLIVE, MABEL & ME' tells the heart-warming story of Andrew's two famous Labs. Olive is a sensible, measured person, but she's always ready to take a chance, where Mabel is an endearing, slightly scatty, but game for any adventure type of dog. Their star quality has taken the internet by storm and continues to provide us with a much-needed treat in tough times.
This book is beautifully written, touching, and laugh-out-loud funny. It's not only the story of Olive and Mabel, but also the story of the love we have for our dogs and the boundless joy they bring us each and every day.
Even if you aren't a dog lover, I'm still confident that you'll enjoy the adventures of Olive and Mabel. There were several moments that had me laughing out loud and really loved this book. One of the good things to have come out of the Covid period.
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