Dogs in Books Famous prior to 1940Sorted by Earliest Year |
 Gelert The dog of legend associated with the village of Beddgelert in Wales made famous in a poem by William Robert Spencer. (More about Gelert. Image shown is a painting by Richard Ansdell.) BREED: Irish Wolfhound YEARS: Poem: 1800. Dog: 13th Century. |
 Wolf The old man's dog in the short story Rip Van Winkle; about a man who sleeps for 20 years; by Washington Irving. BREED: Mixed breed YEARS: Short story: 1819. |
 Bullseye (Book  ) Bill Sikes's dog in the book Oliver Twist; about a orphan boy caught in the misery of old London; by Charles Dickens and in the many movie adaptations including the movie Oliver. BREED: Bull Terrier or Bulldog YEARS: Book: 1837-1839. Movies: 1922, 1948, 1968, 1988, 1997, 2005. TV: 1999, 2007. |
 Pilot Mr. Rochester's dog in the TV series (British) Jane Eyre; about a young governess who falls in love with her brooding and complex master; based upon the book by Charlotte Bronte. In the book the dog is a Newfoundland; in other films other kinds of dogs. BREED: Landseer Newfoundland (Irish Wolfhound in some portrayals) YEARS: Book: 1847. TV series: 2006. Movies: 1914-2011. |
 Diogenes A dog befriended by Paul and adopted by Florence in the book Dombey and Son; a wealthy owner of the shipping company whose dream is to have a son to continue his business; written by Charles Dickens. BREED: Unknown YEARS: Book: 1848. |
 Jip (Book ) (showing 1935 movie image)Dog of David's first wife, Dora, in the movies and TV series based on the book David Copperfield; about the life of English chap in the early 19th century; written by Charles Dickens. BREED: Unkown (Spaniel in the book) YEARS: Book: 1850. Movies: 1911, 1913, 1922, 1935, 1969, 1993, 2000. TV series: 1966, 1974, 1986. |
 Rab James Noble's dog in the short story Rab and his Friends; based on a true incident about a dog and his relationship with an Edinburgh doctor and one of the doctor's patients in the 1830s; written by Scottish physician John Brown. BREED: Mastiff YEARS: Book: 1858. |
 Gyp Adam's faithful dog in the book Adam Bede; about a love "rectangle" between beautiful woman, a young squire who seduces her, her unacknowledged suitor, and a fervent, virtuous Methodist preacher; written by George Eliot. BREED: Generic Terrier YEARS: Book: 1859. |
 Patrasche (1999 movie ) Nello's companion in the Japanese animated TV series A Dog of Flanders and the movie version made in 1999, and earlier films; about a Flemish boy and his dog; based on the book by Marie Louise de la Ramée under the Japanese pseudonym Ouida. BREED: Bouvier des Flandres YEARS: Book: 1872. TV series: 1975-1992. Movies: 1935, 1960, 1997, 1999. |
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 Dingo A dog brought into the ship and offered passage to America in the book Dick Sand, A Captain at Fifteen; about slavery, and the African slave trade; written by Jules Verne. BREED: Unknown YEARS: Book: 1878. |
 Josef Heidi's dog in the children's book Heidi, about the life of a young girl in her paternal grandfather's care in the Swiss Alps; written by Swiss author Johanna Spyri. The story has been adapted in many media, but the dog is rarely feature (one exception is the 1974 Japanese anime series). BREED: Saint Bernard YEARS: Book: 1881. Animation: 1974. |
 Kashtanka (Statue ) A dog who must choose between a circus life or a loving family in the book Kastanka; written by Anton Chekov. BREED: Mixed breed YEARS: Book: 1887. |
 Beautiful Joe In the book Beautiful Joe; about an abused dog who is rescued; written by Margaret Marshall Saunders. BREED: Bull Terrier and Fox Terrier mix YEARS: Book: 1893. |
 Stickeen (Illustration by Christopher Canyon) John Muir's dog in the children's book Stickeen: An Adventure with a Dog and a Glacier; about a trip Muir took in Alaska (1880) with his dog and their outing together on a glacier, as told by Donnell Rubay. BREED: Mixed breed YEARS: Book: 1897 |
 Bob James Moore's herder in the children's book Bob, Son of Battle; about a boy who is caught in the rivalry of his father and another sheep herder and their sheep dogs; written by Alfred Ollivant. (Also in the story is dog Red Wull.) BREED: Sheep Dog YEARS: Book: 1898. |
 Bob Widower Adam's dog in several movies, the latest being Owd Bob; about an old man and his sheepdog who is pulled into a old feud with his neighbor when his orphaned grandson visits for the summer; based on the 1898 novel Bob, Son of Battle by Alfred Ollivant. BREED: Border Collie YEARS: Book: 1898. Movie: 1924, 1938, 1998. |
 Montmorency (Image from the cover of the Om Illustrated Classics) In the book Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing Of The Dog...); about three young men and a dog who show the humor of roughing it; written by Jerome K. Jerome. BREED: Fox Terrier YEARS: Book: 1889. |
 Toto Dorothy's dog in the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; about a girl from Kansas and her dog who are off to see the wizard; written by L. Frank Baum; and in the movie The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. BREED: Cairn Terrier YEARS: Book: 1900. Movie: 1939. |
 Lad (Real-life dog ) The author's dog in the movie Lad: A Dog; starring Peter Breck; based on a series of short stories by Albert Terhune about his real-life Rough Collie. BREED: Rough Collie YEARS: Dog: 1902-1918. Book: 1919. Movie: 1962. |
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 Buck (2020 movie ) In the book and in the several movies such as Call of the Wild; about a previously domesticated dog who ends up serving as a sled dog in the Yukon; written by Jack London. (2020 movie titled The Call of the Wild). BREED: St. Bernard mix YEARS: Book: 1903. Movies: 1923, 1935, 1972, 1997, 2020. |
 Nana In the book Peter and Wendy and the original play Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie and in the stage musical Peter Pan. BREED: Newfoundland in the play and book. In film and on stage St. Bernard. YEARS: Play: 1904. Book: 1911. Stage: 1954, 1979, 1990, 1998. |
 Duchess The party honoree in the book The Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan; about cat called Ribby and a tea party she holds for her housemate dog; written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. BREED: Pomeranian YEARS: Book: 1905. |
 Towser In the book Towser Dog's Story; by Amy Prentis part of a collection called "Aunt Amy's Animal Stories." BREED: Collie Rough YEARS: Book: 1906. |
 White Fang (Animated TV ) A wolf-dog during the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th century in the book, the movie and the animated TV series White Fang; about a wild dog's journey to domestication; original story written by Jack London. BREED: Wolf-dog Hybrid YEARS: Book: 1906. Movies: 1936, 1991, 1993, 1994. TV series: 1993. |
 Jock of the Bushveld (Movie ) The author's dog in the book Jock of the Bushveld; based on the true story about the author's travels with his dog during the 1880s in South Africa; written by James Percy Fitzpatrick. It later was made into the movie Jock: A True Tale of Friendship and still later a 3D movie, Jock, the Hero Dog (see image). BREED: Pit Bull YEARS: Book: 1907. Movie: 1992, 2011. |
 John Joiner The carpenter in the children's book The Roly-Poly Pudding; also know as The Tale of Samuel Whiskers; written by Beatrix Potter. BREED: Terrier YEARS: Book: 1908, 1926. |
 Kep A friend of Jemima in the book for children The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck; about a duck who wants to keep her eggs safe; written by Beatrice (Webb) Potter. BREED: Collie YEARS: Book: 1908. |
 Pickles Ginger's partner n the children's book Ginger and Pickles; about two shopkeepers who extend unlimited credit to their customers and end up going out of business; written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. BREED: Terrier YEARS: Book: 1909. |
 Greyfriars Bobby Auld Jock's loyal dog in the book and the movie Greyfriars Bobby; about a dog who follows a farm worker who ultimately dies in poverty and is buried in Greyfriar's Kirkyard. Bobby returns to his grave every night; based on the book by Eleanor Atkinson. BREED: Skye Terrier YEARS: Book: 1912. Movies: 1961, 2005. |
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 Duke (Book cover & movie poster ) Penrod's dog in the movie Penrod's Double Trouble; about a boy who is replaced by a look-alike by men who are after a reward; featuring the Mauch Twins based upon the books of Booth Tarkington. BREED: Mixed breed YEARS: Book: 1914. Movie: 1938. |
 Jerry Mister Haggin's dog in the book Jerry of the Islands; about a dog and his master on a whaling ship in the South Seas; written by Jack London. BREED: Irish Terrier YEARS: Book: 1917. |
 Whitey The flippant detective's dog in book, in movies and in the TV series Boston Blackie; about a reformed jewel thief who solves crimes; in the movies starring Chester Morris, and in the TV series Kent Taylor. The characters of the stories were created by author Jack Boyle in the early 1900s. BREED: Black Terrier YEARS: Short Stories: 1914-1920. Movies: 1918-1949. Radio: 1944-1950. TV series: 1951-1953. |
 Jip One of the doctor's brood in the several children's books Doctor Dolittle; about a doctor who shuns human patients in favour of animals with whom he can speak; based loosely on the books written by Hugh Lofting. BREED: Sheep Dog YEARS: Book: series 1920-1933. |
 Hachiko (2009 movie ) (Also known as Hachi)A Japanese dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner and in the children's book Hachiko: The True Story of a Loyal Dog; written by Pamela S. Turner; and in the movie (2009). (More about Hachiko.) BREED: Akita YEARS: Dog: 1923-1935. Book: 2004. Movies: 1987, 2009. |
 Kambyses Lukas's alternate form in the German book The Hound of Florence; about an adolescent who has lost his parents and lives in Vienna in poverty... but his wish to be rich living in Florence is granted, except he must be a dog every other day; written by Felix Salten. BREED: Many types YEARS: Book: 1923. |
 Sounder (Also see movie version) The family dog in the book Sounder; a sad tale of a poor black sharecropper's family and their dog; written by William H. Armstrong BREED: Redbone Hound and Bulldog mix YEARS: Book: 1929. |
 Boots The narrator in the book Thy Servant a Dog; about the adventures of a dog as seen through the eyes of a dog; written by Rudyard Kipling. (Also in the book is dog Slippers.) BREED: Scottish Terrier YEARS: Book: 1930. |
 McTavish Philo Vance's dog in the book and the movie The Kennel Murder Case; about a private detective who solves a mysterious murder; starring William Powell and based on the 1933 novel by S. S. Van Dine. The remake of the movie in 1940 titled Calling Philo Vance starred James Stephenson. BREED: Scottish Terrier YEARS: Book: 1933. Movies: 1933, 1940. |
 Snuff Jack the Ripper's companion and narrator of the story in the book A Night in the Lonesome October; about a good dog and his master collecting the gruesome ingredients needed for an eerie rite; written by Roger Zelazny. BREED: Unknown YEARS: Book: 1933. |
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 Asta (Book ) The Charles' dog in the book and several films such as the movie The Thin Man; about a murder solving couple; their dog played by Skippy; starring William Powell and Myrna Loy; the book by Dashiell Hammett. BREED: Wire Fox Terrier (Book dog was a Schnauzer) YEARS: Book: 1934. Movies: 1934 and 5 sequels. Dog: 1931-1940. |
 Flush (Book ) Elizabeth's dog in the movie The Barretts of Wimpole Street; about the real-life romance between poets Elizabeth Barrett and Robert Browning; starring Norman Shearer and Fredrick March. Also an imaginative biography of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's cocker spaniel by Virginia Woolf. (More about Flush).) BREED: Cocker Spaniel YEARS: Movie: 1934. Book: 1933. |
 Bandit (See also Jack) The family's second dog in the books and the TV series Little House on the Prairie; based on the memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood in the Midwest region of the United States during the late 19th century. BREED: Bulldog (mixed breed in TV series) YEARS: Book: 1935-1943, 1962, 1971, 1974. TV series: 1977-1983. |
 Bugle Ann (Movie ) Spring Davis' dog in the book and the movie The Voice of Bugle Ann; about a farmer's love for his hunting dog and the feud it sparks in the county; in the movie starring Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan; the book written by MacKinlay Kantor. BREED: Foxhound American YEARS: Book: 1935. Movie: 1936. |
 Jack (See also Bandit) The family's first dog in the books and the TV series Little House on the Prairie; based on the memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood in the Midwest region of the United States during the late 19th century. BREED: Border Collie YEARS: Book: 1935-1939. TV series: 1974-1977. |
 Bob Emily's pet in the book and TV show Dumb Witness; a murder mystery featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot; about a wealthy spinster who believes she has been the victim of attempted murder. BREED: Fox Terrier YEARS: Book: 1937, TV show: 1996. |
 Spot A generic dog in the book Dick and Jane; about a generic boy and generic girl in a generic world; created by William S. Gray a children's reader series. BREED: Generic YEARS: Book: 1936-1965. |
 Sinbad The mascot of the U.S. Coast Guard and in the book written by George F. Foley Jr. Sinbad of the Coast Guard. (More about Sinbad.) BREED: Mixed breed YEARS: Dog: 1937-1951. Book: 1945 |
 Brutus Mark's dog in the movie The Ugly Dachshund; about a large dog who grows up with dachshund puppies thinking he is one of them; starring Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette; based on a novel by Gladys Bronwyn Stern. (Also in the movie are dogs Danke, Norma, and Pesky.) BREED: Great Dane YEARS: Book: 1938. Movie: 1966. |
 Jasper (2020 movie ) Maxim de Winter's dog in the movie Rebecca; about a self-conscious bride who is tormented by the memory of her husband's dead first wife; starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and based on the book by Daphne du Maurier. Also a 2020 movie starring Lily James. BREED: Cocker Spaniel YEARS: Book: 1938. Movie: 1940, 2020. |
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 Genevieve (Movie poster ) Madeline's dog in the children's book series, in the movie, and animated TV series for children Madeline; about a girl who lives in Paris and attends a boarding school; written by Ludwig Bemelmans. BREED: Generic YEARS: Books: 1939-1967. TV series: 1991-2007. Movie: 1998. |
 Moreover (1940 movie ) (Named Faith in the early movie version)In the movie The Biscuit Eater; about a dog who has a strong relationship with two twelve-year-old boys; a remake of a 1940 film and based upon the book by James H. Street. BREED: German Wirehaired Pointer YEARS: Book: 1939. Movie: 1940, 1972. |
 Pedro Faithful companion of private detective Sexton Blake in the British TV series Sexton Blake, about a detective solving many kinds of mysteries. BREED: Bloodhound YEARS: Comic strips: 1939-1979. Movies: 1930-1958. TV: 1967-1971. |
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The number of Dogs in Books Famous prior to 1940 is 52 The contents of this page are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license and the GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL). Also see: Dogs in Comics, Dogs in Movies, Dogs in Books, Dogs On TV, Complete List |
First Earliest Date on each page
| |
| 1. | 1800 (Gelert) |
| 2. | 1878 (Dingo) |
| 3. | 1903 (Buck) |
| 4. | 1914 (Duke) |
| 5. | 1934 (Asta) |
| 6. | 1939 (Genevieve) |
Go to last row | |
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Earliest Date (Dog Name) | |
| 1. | 1800 (Gelert) |
| 2. | 1819 (Wolf) |
| 3. | 1838 (Bullseye) |
| 4. | 1847 (Pilot) |
| 5. | 1848 (Diogenes) |
| 6. | 1850 (Jip) |
| 7. | 1858 (Rab) |
| 8. | 1859 (Gyp) |
| 9. | 1872 (Patrasche) |
| 10. | 1878 (Dingo) |
| 11. | 1881 (Josef) |
| 12. | 1887 (Kashtanka) |
| 13. | 1893 (Beautiful Joe) |
| 14. | 1897 (Stickeen) |
| 15. | 1898 (Bob) |
| 16. | 1898 (Bob) |
| 17. | 1898 (Montmorency) |
| 18. | 1900 (Toto) |
| 19. | 1902 (Lad) |
| 20. | 1903 (Buck) |
| 21. | 1904 (Nana) |
| 22. | 1905 (Duchess) |
| 23. | 1906 (Towser) |
| 24. | 1906 (White Fang) |
| 25. | 1907 (Jock of the Bushveld) |
| 26. | 1908 (John Joiner) |
| 27. | 1908 (Kep) |
| 28. | 1909 (Pickles) |
| 29. | 1912 (Greyfriars Bobby) |
| 30. | 1914 (Duke) |
| 31. | 1917 (Jerry) |
| 32. | 1918 (Whitey) |
| 33. | 1920 (Jip) |
| 34. | 1923 (Hachiko) |
| 35. | 1923 (Kambyses) |
| 36. | 1929 (Sounder) |
| 37. | 1930 (Boots) |
| 38. | 1933 (McTavish) |
| 39. | 1933 (Snuff) |
| 40. | 1934 (Asta) |
| 41. | 1934 (Flush) |
| 42. | 1935 (Bandit) |
| 43. | 1935 (Bugle Ann) |
| 44. | 1935 (Jack) |
| 45. | 1936 (Bob) |
| 46. | 1936 (Spot) |
| 47. | 1937 (Sinbad) |
| 48. | 1938 (Brutus) |
| 49. | 1938 (Jasper) |
| 50. | 1939 (Genevieve) |
| 51. | 1939 (Moreover) |
| 52. | 1939 (Pedro) |
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