Dog Stories For The Soul: An Anthology

For dog lovers, this is as good as it gets.

This collection of stories represents the best dog stories ever told by some of America’s most talented writers. The stories are inspirational, humorous, adventuresome, revealing, and filled with examples of mutual love and devotion. Some of the stories are true. Others are the invention of creative minds that know what it is like to love a dog.

Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck writes about traveling the roads of America with his best friend, a French poodle named Charley. His loving relationship with Charley serves as a reminder of the roadblocks often inherent in human relationships. No doubt Steinbeck would have subscribed to humorist Will Rogers’s observation that “if there are no dogs in Heaven,then when I die I want to go where they went.”

Mark Twain’s “A Dog’s Tale” is a short story that first appeared in the December 1903 issue of Harper’s magazine. The story is told from the point of view of a loyal household pet that states in the first sentence, “My father was a St. Bernard, my mother was a collie, but I am a Presbyterian."

Former Harper’s magazine editor Willie Morris writes of growing up in Mississippi with his dog, Skip. The story was made into a major motion picture named "My Dog Skip."

In his hunting story, “The Slough,” Andrew McKean, editor in chief of Outdoor Life magazine, ttells the heartbreaking and brilliantly written story of his last hunt with his beloved Willow. This tale of glory, love and loss will leave you in tears for a week.

In “Story of a Marine Hero,” New York Times bestselling author Maria Goodavage introduces the reader to Lucca, a decorated and highly skilled U.S. Marine canine that fought alongside her handlers through two bloody wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

New York Times bestselling author Garth Stein tells an intriguing story in “The Demented Zebra” of a sensitive and creative dog left home alone.

Memphis Magazine managing editor Frank Murtaugh writes about his childhood pet, Susie, who made him into the man that he is today.

Nationally syndicated editorial cartoonist Marshall Ramsey writes about the death of his family dog, Banjo.

In “The Adventures of Sherlock Hound,” Judge James D. Bell writes about his fictional, crime fighting creation, Sherlock Hound.

In her story ”Brothers From Different Mothers,” Annie Oeth writes about the unusual friendship between her dog and cat.

In his story, “The Three Amigos,” Sartoris Literary Group publisher James L. Dickerson writes about rabbit hunting in the Delta—and how it killed his ambition to become a Baptist preacher.

Other writers also share their love of dogs in this book. If you do not already have a dog, you will almost certainly rush out after reading the book and acquire one.

What Others Are Saying

“Dog Stories for the Soul lives up to its title. It’s a splendid idea, skillfully assembled by editor Mardi Allen, who has her own dog story to tell … A dog owner, dog lover, or even a prospective dog owner will be reminded of and perhaps even rediscover the depths of his own humanity in these stories. It’s a perfect gift for dog owners and a must-read for those missing their canines.”—Brown Burnett, Memphis Parent magazine.

“As a vet who has a dog in my family, this book stirred every emotion in me. Dogs can bring us so much joy, and this book captures the special relationship we have with them. A must read for dog lovers!”—David May, D.V.M., Animal Medical Hospital“What a wonderful collection of stories about canine companions. This book gives the reader a glimpse into the lives of these dogs and their owners, and portrays what the human-animal bond really is . . . wonderful! If you love dogs, you will enjoy reading this book.”—M. Juli Gunter, DVM, Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Dermatology, Assistant Clinical Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University.