a creative writing on a dog

How to Describe a Dog in Writing (100+ Examples)

If you’ve ever tried to capture the essence of a dog in writing, you’ll know it’s no easy feat.

From their adorably floppy ears to their delightfully waggy tails, there’s so much to say. Where do you even start?

Here’s how to describe a dog in writing:

Describe a dog in writing by focusing on features like breed, size, color, origin, shape, and personality. Incorporate senses to describe movements (walking, running), sounds (barking), and smells. Use vivid language for events like eating, getting wet, or interaction with the owner.

In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to describe a dog in writing.

All the Best Ways to Describe a Dog

Table of Contents

There are many ways (or categories) for describing a dog in writing:

• Personality
• Relationships
• Circumstance (Wet, Hungry)
• Movement (Walking, Running)
• Actions (Eating, Attack)

Describing Dogs by Breed

Every dog breed has unique characteristics, and identifying these can bring your writing to life.

Here are examples:

• “The Golden Retriever bounded across the grass, its golden coat gleaming in the sunlight.”
• “A German Shepherd stood guard, ears pricked and eyes alert.”
• “The Poodle’s elegant curls bounced lightly as it trotted along.”
• “With its distinct wrinkled skin, the Shar-Pei was immediately noticeable.”
• “The Shih Tzu pranced around with the poise of an emperor’s pet.”
• “The Siberian Husky’s icy blue eyes were as cold and mesmerizing as the Arctic.”
• “The Rottweiler’s robust figure loomed menacingly, despite its gentle nature.”
• “A Dalmatian raced past, its unique spots contrasting against the stark white of its coat.”
• “The Bulldog’s squashed face and muscular build add to its distinctive charm.”
• “The Chihuahua’s tiny frame was full of a big dog’s attitude.”

Describing Dogs by Size

Size greatly influences a dog’s appearance and behavior.

Here are phrases to describe dogs of different sizes:

• “The colossal Great Dane towered over the other dogs at the park.”
• “With its compact body , the Jack Russell Terrier easily weaved through the obstacles.”
• “Her tiny teacup Yorkie could fit snugly in the palm of her hand.”
• “The medium-sized Beagle was just the right size to snuggle on the sofa.”
• “The St. Bernard was massive , with a broad chest and powerful limbs.”
• “The Toy Poodle was miniature , easily tucking itself in the smallest corner of the bed.”
• “Their large Labrador had a heart as big as its size.”
• “Despite its small stature , the Dachshund had a loud, bold bark.”
• “The Mastiff’s vast size was intimidating, but it was a gentle giant at heart.”
• “The Pomeranian was petite , a small ball of fluffy fur.”

Describing Dogs by Color

A dog’s color can paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind.

• “The brindle Boxer was a stunning mixture of dark stripes on a fawn background.”
• “Her white Samoyed was a fluffy cloud on a leash.”
• “The black Labrador blended into the night, its eyes gleaming like stars.”
• “The red Dachshund’s coat was the color of autumn leaves.”
• “Their blue Merle Border Collie was a unique patchwork of blues and grays.”
• “The yellow Labrador’s coat shimmered in the sunlight, like golden wheat.”
• “The chocolate brown Cocker Spaniel was a bundle of silky cocoa fur.”
• “The grey Weimaraner moved with a grace that matched its unique color.”
• “The tricolor Beagle was a striking mix of black, white, and brown.”
• “The sable German Shepherd sported a beautiful blend of brown, black, and gold.”

Describing Dogs by Origin

A dog’s origin can give insight into its nature and appearance.

• “The Australian Shepherd , with its striking eyes, showed a keen intelligence and zest for herding.”
• “The English Bulldog , stocky and muscular, was a testament to its roots in bull-baiting.”
• “The Japanese Shiba Inu , with its plush coat and fox-like face, showed an alert and bold temperament.”
• “The French Bichon Frise exuded charm and elegance, fitting for a breed that once warmed the laps of French royalty.”
• “The Irish Wolfhound , the tallest of all dog breeds, showed the strength and courage of its homeland.”
• “The Mexican Chihuahua may have been small, but it displayed a spirit as lively as a fiesta.”
• “The Russian Borzoi , with its long, silky coat and slender physique, had an undeniable aristocratic air.”
• “The Italian Greyhound , graceful and slender, was reminiscent of Roman sculptures.”
• “The German Rottweiler radiated strength and reliability, a testament to its working roots.”
• “The Swiss Bernese Mountain Dog had a sturdy physique built for its original role in the Swiss Alps.”

Describing Dogs by Shape

The shape of a dog can say a lot about its breed and even its purpose.

• “The Dachshund’s elongated body was a comical sight with its stubby legs.”
• “The Greyhound’s sleek, aerodynamic body reflected its history as a swift hunting dog.”
• “The Basset Hound’s droopy ears and saggy skin gave it an endearing, mournful look.”
• “The Bulldog’s stocky body and strong muscles indicated a history of hard work.”
• “The Afghan Hound’s narrow body and long, silky hair were a sight to behold.”
• “The Pug’s round, compact body was an adorable contrast to its expressive, wrinkled face.”
• “The Pomeranian’s tiny body was a fluffy ball of energy and enthusiasm.”
• “The Saint Bernard’s heavyset physique conveyed power and endurance, perfect for rescue missions.”
• “The Border Collie’s agile, athletic body was perfect for a day of herding sheep.”
• “The Corgi’s short, sturdy body and low-set frame were well-suited to its original task of cattle herding.”

Describing Dogs by Personality

A dog’s personality can make it truly unique.

Here are examples of describing dogs by their character traits:

• “The Cheerful Labrador Retriever was always ready for a game of fetch.”
• “The Stubborn Basset Hound refused to budge from the sofa.”
• “The Energetic Border Collie spent hours playing in the yard.”
• “The Protective German Shepherd watched over the children vigilantly.”
• “The Aloof Shiba Inu preferred watching from a distance, rather than joining in.”
• “The Fearless Dachshund didn’t let its small size stop it from confronting bigger dogs.”
• “The Patient Saint Bernard waited calmly as the kids played around it.”
• “The Intelligent Poodle quickly figured out how to open the gate.”
• “The Laid-back Bulldog enjoyed nothing more than a good nap.”
• “The Sociable Golden Retriever made friends everywhere it went.”

Here is a good video I made about how to describe a dog in writing:

How to Describe a Dog Walking

Describing a dog walking can be a captivating and amusing experience, as dogs have a wide variety of walking styles that can depict their mood, breed, and personality.

It’s essential to focus on the dog’s movement, pace, posture, and where its attention is directed.

Describing the Movement

Dogs do not just walk; they strut, amble, trot, or even prance, depending on their mood and the situation.

A dog might saunter casually when it’s relaxed or stride purposefully when on a mission.

Consider how the dog’s body moves. Is its tail wagging, held high, or tucked between its legs?

Are the movements fluid and graceful, or awkward and clumsy?

Describing the Pace

The pace at which a dog walks can say a lot about its mindset.

Is it meandering leisurely, taking in all the scents, or is it rushing ahead, full of energy and excitement? A slow pace might suggest a dog that’s tired, older, or perhaps one that’s reluctant to go where it’s being led.

A brisk pace could indicate eagerness or excitement.

Describing the Posture

A dog’s posture during its walk can speak volumes about its confidence and health.

A dog that walks with its head and tail up is likely feeling happy and confident. A dog that slinks with its tail between its legs could be frightened or feeling insecure.

A hunched posture could suggest a dog is unwell.

Describing Attention Direction

Where a dog’s attention is focused while walking can help describe the scene.

Is the dog scanning its surroundings, sniffing the ground, looking up at its owner, or watching other dogs or people?

Here are some short examples:

• “The Labrador Retriever strutted confidently across the park, tail wagging and nose in the air, taking in all the exciting new scents.”
• “The old Beagle ambled slowly , sniffing every bush and tree trunk, soaking in all the smells.”
• “The German Shepherd trotted briskly , head high and ears perked, alert to every movement around it.”
• “The tiny Chihuahua pranced daintily along the sidewalk, pausing every few steps to glance up at its owner for reassurance.”

How to Describe a Dog Barking

Describing a dog barking can be a captivating way to bring energy and emotion into your writing.

It’s essential to focus on the sound, volume, rhythm, and context of the dog’s bark.

Describing the Sound

Different dogs bark in different ways. This can change based on the type of dog, how big it is, and how it’s feeling.

Some dogs have a high-pitched yip, others have a low, menacing growl, while some have a hearty, resonant bark. Using words that convey sound can help your readers “hear” the bark in their minds.

Describing the Volume

The volume of a dog’s bark can add intensity and emotion to your scene.

A soft, almost whispered bark might suggest uncertainty or fear, while a loud, booming bark could indicate a warning or show of dominance.

Describing the Rhythm

The rhythm or pattern of a dog’s bark can convey a lot about what it’s feeling or trying to communicate.

Is the bark continuous, like an alarm bell? Or is it sporadic and playful, like during a game of fetch?

Describing the Context

Remember to describe the situation in which the dog is barking.

Is it barking at a squirrel in a tree, an intruder at the door, or out of sheer excitement when its owner comes home? The context can help the reader understand the dog’s behavior.

• “The German Shepherd’s bark was deep and resonant , echoing across the vast yard as it spotted an intruder.”
• “The Chihuahua’s yip was high-pitched , a constant, frantic sound whenever the doorbell rang.”
• “The Beagle’s bark was hearty and rhythmic , punctuating the quiet afternoon as it spotted a squirrel in the garden.”
• “The Golden Retriever’s bark was loud and joyous , a booming sound of welcome when its owner returned home.”

By focusing on the sound, volume, rhythm, and context, you can provide a vivid description of a dog barking that brings your story to life.

How to Describe a Dog’s Smell in Writing

Describing a dog’s smell can provide an immersive, sensory detail that makes your writing more engaging. It’s important to focus on the type of smell, intensity, and source of the smell.

Describing the Type of Smell

A dog’s smell can range from pleasant to pungent depending on numerous factors.

Some dogs may carry the fresh scent of their shampoo, others the earthy smell of dirt from a playful afternoon in the park, while some can have the strong, musky odor that’s uniquely canine.

Choosing the right adjectives to describe these scents will paint a clearer picture in your reader’s mind.

Describing the Intensity

The intensity of a dog’s smell can speak volumes about its recent activities or general hygiene.

A faint smell might suggest a recently bathed and groomed dog, while a strong, potent odor could indicate a dog that’s spent hours outdoors or has been neglecting its grooming routine.

Describing the Source

Consider the source of the smell.

Does the smell come from the dog’s fur, its breath, or perhaps a specific part of its body like the paws or ears?

Each source can produce a distinct odor, and specifying this can help in creating a more vivid description.

• “The Golden Retriever’s scent was a comforting mixture of its recent bath and the familiar, musky odor that was distinctly doggy .”
• “The Bulldog had a strong, earthy smell , a testament to its afternoon digging in the garden.”
• “The Cocker Spaniel had a faint, sweet smell , a mixture of its strawberry-scented shampoo and its soft, clean fur.”
• “The Dachshund’s smell was potent , the sour odor of its breath a clear sign it had been into the trash again.”

How to Describe a Dog Running

Describing a dog running can bring vibrancy and excitement into your writing.

It’s essential to focus on the dog’s speed, style of running, body movements, and the purpose behind its run.

Describing the Speed

The speed at which a dog runs can say a lot about its mood, breed, and health.

A dog may sprint like the wind when chasing a ball or trot at a leisurely pace when exploring a new area.

Noticing whether the run is slow and calculated, or fast and frenzied can add depth to your description.

Describing the Style of Running

Every dog has its own style of running. Some dogs run with a light, bouncy gait, while others might run with a strong, determined stride.

Smaller dogs might scamper or scurry, while larger dogs might lope or bound.

The style of running can be indicative of the dog’s breed, size, and personality.

Describing Body Movements

Focus on the dog’s body movements while it’s running.

Is its tail held high, streaming out behind like a flag, or is it tucked close to its body?

Do its ears flap in the wind, or are they pinned back against its head? Such details can bring your description to life.

Describing the Purpose

Describe the purpose or reason behind the dog’s run.

Is it running after a squirrel, towards its owner, or is it simply running out of sheer joy? The context will help readers understand the scene better.

• “The Greyhound sprinted with a determined, almost mechanical gait , its body a blur of sleek muscle and raw speed as it chased the rabbit.”
• “The Bulldog lumbered slowly, its run more of a waddle , its small legs working overtime to keep up with its friends.”
• “The Golden Retriever ran with a joyful bounce , its tail waving like a banner, its tongue lolling out in pure happiness.”
• “The Corgi scampered with surprising speed , its short legs a blur as it raced to retrieve the thrown ball.”

How to Describe a Dog Attack in Writing

Describing a dog attack in writing requires careful handling.

It’s essential to portray the event realistically and sensitively, focusing on the actions of the dog, the reaction of the victim, and the aftermath of the event.

Describing the Dog’s Actions

An attacking dog might growl, bare its teeth, charge, or snap.

It might pounce or it might pin its intended target. When describing the dog’s actions, use strong, active verbs to convey the rapid, often chaotic sequence of events.

Be mindful, however, to avoid sensationalizing or vilifying the dog unnecessarily.

Describing the Victim’s Reaction

The victim’s reaction can range from fear to shock, panic to pain.

They might try to escape, protect themselves, or even fight back. Describe their physical responses – do they freeze, run, shout? What emotions are they feeling – terror, disbelief, anger?

Describing the Aftermath

The aftermath of a dog attack can be a potent way to demonstrate the seriousness of the situation.

This could be the immediate response – other people coming to help, calling for an ambulance or animal control – or the longer-term impacts, such as physical scars or psychological trauma.

• “The Rottweiler charged with a menacing growl , its eyes locked onto the intruder, teeth bared in a threatening snarl.”
• “The victim, frozen in fear, raised an arm protectively , a futile shield against the imminent attack.”
• “The aftermath was a scene of chaos , people rushing to assist, the shrill sound of a whistle as someone called for animal control.”

How to Describe a Dog Bite Wound

Describing a dog bite wound can add a dramatic touch to your writing.

It’s important to be sensitive and accurate in such descriptions, focusing on the appearance, severity, and emotional impact of the wound.

Describing the Appearance

How a dog bite wound looks can change a lot based on the dog’s size, breed, and where the bite is located.

It might range from puncture wounds from the dog’s canines, to scratches from its smaller teeth, to torn skin in more severe cases.

It could be described as “a jagged tear in the skin”, “a row of puncture marks”, or “scratches, crisscrossing the skin.”

Describing the Severity

The severity of a dog bite wound can be used to amplify the drama and tension in your scene.

A minor bite could be described as “a series of shallow punctures,” while a serious bite might be described as “a deep, gaping wound.”

Always remember, however, to handle such descriptions with care, as they might be disturbing to some readers.

Describing the Emotional Impact

The emotional reaction to a dog bite wound can add depth to your description.

Consider the shock, pain, fear, or even anger that might be felt by the character who’s been bitten.

• “The bite was a sharp puncture , a painful reminder of the Labrador’s unexpected aggression.”
• “The wound was a set of scratches , red and stinging, inflicted in the playful roughhousing with the Border Collie.”
• “The bite was severe, a deep laceration , a horrifying result of the Rottweiler’s attack.”

How to Describe the Relationship Between a Dog and its Owner

Describing the relationship between a dog and its owner can add depth to your characters and narrative.

Focus on the interactions, shared activities, and emotions between the dog and the owner.

Describing Interactions

Interactions between a dog and its owner can range from affectionate cuddling and playful wrestling to shared quiet moments of contentment.

How does the owner speak to the dog? With tenderness, patience, firmness?

How does the dog respond to the owner? With excitement, calmness, attentiveness?

These interactions can reveal a lot about their bond.

Describing Shared Activities

The activities shared between a dog and its owner can show their relationship dynamics.

Do they enjoy long hikes together? Lazy afternoons on the couch? Vigorous playtime in the park?

A shared activity can indicate the lifestyle, interests, and compatibility of the dog and its owner.

Describing Emotions

The emotions that a dog and its owner have for each other can create an emotional connection for your reader.

Does the owner show love, concern, pride for their dog? Does the dog show loyalty, devotion, affection towards its owner?

Describing these emotions can make the relationship more relatable and engaging.

• “The owner stroked the Golden Retriever’s fur gently , a look of tenderness in his eyes, while the dog leaned into the touch, its tail thumping the ground in contentment.”
• “The Labrador and its owner were inseparable , always off on some new adventure together, their shared energy and enthusiasm evident in their bright smiles and wagging tail.”
• “The Beagle gazed at its owner with unwavering loyalty , its eyes following her every move, a soft whine escaping whenever she left the room.”

How to Describe a Dog Eating

Describing a dog eating can add a touch of realism and charm to your writing.

Here are some words, phrases, and examples that might help you capture this everyday event:

Words to Describe a Dog Eating

• Gobble : To eat quickly and eagerly.
• Nibble : To eat with small bites.
• Crunch : To chew with a noise.
• Devour : To eat hungrily or quickly.
• Savor : To eat slowly, enjoying the taste.
• Sniff : To smell food before eating.
• Chew : To bite food into smaller pieces before swallowing.

Phrases to Describe a Dog Eating

• Wolf down : To eat very quickly.
• Pick at : To eat only small amounts of food, showing little interest or appetite.
• Lick clean : To eat all the food off a plate or bowl.
• Chomp on : To chew loudly or vigorously.

Examples of a Dog Eating

• “The Golden Retriever devoured its dinner , not even pausing for breath, the food disappearing as if by magic.”
• “The Chihuahua nibbled delicately at its food , picking out its favorite pieces with precision.”
• “The Bulldog chomped on its kibble , the loud crunches echoing through the room.”
• “The Dachshund savored its treat , chewing slowly and relishing each bite.”

By using these words and phrases, you can describe a dog eating in a way that brings the scene to life, showcasing the dog’s personality and eating habits.

How to Describe a Wet Dog in Writing

Describing a wet dog can add a humorous or empathetic touch to your writing.

Here are some words, phrases, and examples that can help you capture this scene accurately:

Words to Describe a Wet Dog

• Drenched : Completely soaked with water.
• Dripping : Having drops of water falling from it.
• Soggy : Heavy and wet; soaked with moisture.
• Slick : Smooth and glossy, especially from being wet.
• Damp : Slightly wet.

Phrases to Describe a Wet Dog

• Soaked to the bone : Completely wet.
• Shaking off water : The action dogs perform to get rid of water from their fur.
• Looking like a drowned rat : Looking very wet and miserable.
• Waterlogged fur : Fur that is heavily soaked with water.

Examples of a Wet Dog

• “The Labrador was drenched , its normally fluffy fur sticking to its body in a slick layer.”
• “The Poodle was a dripping mess , water pouring from its curly fur as it emerged from the pool.”
• “The Corgi looked like a drowned rat , its usually buoyant fur hanging heavy and wet.”
• “The Border Collie shook off the water from its waterlogged fur , sending droplets flying in all directions.”

Final Thoughts: How to Describe a Dog in Writing

You can also describe the mood, thoughts, and feelings of dogs in writing.

There are many examples in popular and classic stories. Read them. Learn from them. And then write a better dog.

Related Posts:

• How to Describe the Wind in Writing (100 Words + Examples)
• How to Describe a Ghost in Writing (Tips, Words, Examples)
• How To Describe a Panic Attack in Writing (Ultimate Guide)
• How To Describe a House in Writing (21 Tips for Beginners)

Author, teacher, coach, geek

January 21, 2013

How To Describe Dogs in Your Novel

I’ve spent years collecting snippets on how to describe characters, create settings, describe actions that I am now going to share with you over a period of, oh, a lot of weeks. I have a big Excel spreadsheet with cells for things like:

• how eyes move
• how mouths move
• how faces look

…it goes on and on. They are all written by other authors, so don’t use them . Treat them as imagination starters. They force you to think about what it was in your character’s face that gave away his lie. Why the horse in the corral looked so agitated. Those types of descriptions that, being in a book, can only be conveyed with words.

I’ll start with dogs (if you read my blog on Michael Vick, you won’t be surprised this is where I’d start):

• The dog snorted happily and bounded forward
• The dog curled into a wet lump and lay shivering on the ground
• Dog was doing impression of a corpse
• He stretched, shook himself and circled several times before dropping to the ground
• With pricked ears, he watched for a moment and then yawned
• Roaming the backyard, engaged in dog intrigue
• Dog’s eyes wide, ears flat, a vibrating growl deep in his chest
• Exulting in whatever it is that dogs exult in
• dogs wandered off to rest their noses in their paws
• roughed them up the way Labs expect to be treated
• paws up, aerial
• The dog was sprawled across her lap, his sides rising and falling, his nose mashed against the ground in a most uncomfortable-looking manner. Dogs were funny. They could sleep in peculiar positions.
• Dogs, after voiding their excrement, often make with all four feet a few scratches backwards, even on a bare stone pavement, Wolves and jackals behave in the same manner, yet, as I am assured by the keepers, neither wolves, jackals, nor foxes, when they have the means of doing so, ever cover up their excrement, any more than do dogs. All these animals, however, bury superfluous food. 
• Dogs and jackals take much pleasure in rolling and rubbing their necks and backs on carrion. The odor seems delightful to them. wolves don’t roll in the odor
• Dogs scratch themselves with one of their hind-feet; and when their backs are rubbed, they rapidly scratch the air or the ground in a useless and ludicrous manner. by licking the air as if it were a hand.
• As he prepares to spring with a savage growl, canine teeth are uncovered, and the ears pressed close backwards on the head
• flopped onto the floor in a full doggy snit
• happy woofing sounds of a dog discovering hidden treasures
• wag its tale and watch with hopeful eyes
• dog watched him, ears up, head slightly cocked
• dogs, when intently watching and slowly approaching prey, keep one of their fore-legs doubled up for a long time, ready for the next cautious step. they behave in exactly the same manner whenever their attention is aroused. I have seen a dog at the foot of a high wall, listening attentively to a sound on the opposite side, with one leg doubled up
• the one which first sees the other, lowers its bead, crouches a little, or even lies down; takes the proper attitude for concealing himself
• When a dog approaches a strange dog or man in a savage or hostile frame of mind he walks upright and stiffly; his head slightly raised; tail held erect and rigid; the hairs bristle, especially along the neck and back; the pricked ears are directed forwards, and the eyes have a fixed stare
• trotting gravely with high steps, head much raised, moderately erected ears, and tail carried aloft but not stiffly
• young dogs in play growling and biting each other’s faces and legs
• The dog got worried, crawled up on the bed, raced around chasing a ball, finally chased it out of the room. From her roommates room, she heard her barking, growling at the dog, slapping and playing, tossing the ball and the dog returned. She wondered who thought who was whose pack.

Who could not love a dog? Our furry friends deserves the best, so go the extra mile and make sure to only buy the best cbd oil for dogs . Look into WoofConnect home dog boarding services if you need someone to take care of your pet dog for a short while.

Jacqui Murray  is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an  Amazon Vine Voice  book reviewer, a columnist for  Examiner.com  and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for  Journal for Computing Teachers ,  Cisco guest blog , Technology in Education  featured blogger,  IMS  tech expert, and a bi-weekly contributor to Today’s Author . In her free time, s he is the editor of a K-8  technology curriculum ,  K-8 keyboard curriculum ,  K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum , and creator of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer. Contact Jacqui at her  writing office  or her tech lab,  Ask a Tech Teacher.

Follow me .

Related Posts

This entry was posted in Writing and tagged in descriptors , writing .

Jacqui Murray

Writing Nestling

How To Describe A Dog In Writing (12 Important Steps)

Introducing readers to the captivating world of “How to Describe a Dog in Writing” is like welcoming them into a vibrant gallery of literary artistry.

Dogs, those beloved companions and cherished members of our families, hold a unique place in our hearts, and capturing their essence on paper is a skill both profound and rewarding. In this exploration, we delve into the techniques and nuances that transform a mere description into a vivid, living portrait of our canine friends.

This journey is a celebration of the art and craft of storytelling, where words are brushes, sentences are strokes, and paragraphs are canvases for the remarkable tales of dogs.

From understanding the subject to crafting sensory experiences, from characterizing dogs to the art of editing, we embark on a voyage to reveal the secrets of depicting dogs in all their heartwarming complexity, inviting readers to join us in an enriching exploration of the written word and the enduring connection we share with our furry companions.

Table of Contents

How To Describe A Dog In Writing

Describing a dog in writing involves capturing the essence of the animal through vivid and evocative language. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you describe a dog effectively:

Observe the Dog

Spend time observing the dog you want to describe. Take note of its appearance, behavior, and any distinctive features.

Choose a Focus

Decide what aspect of the dog you want to emphasize in your description. Is it the dog’s physical characteristics, personality, or a specific moment in time?

Start with General Characteristics

Begin your description with a general overview of the dog. Mention the breed, size, and color.

Details of Appearance

Describe the dog’s fur: Is it long, short, curly, smooth, or rough? What color is it? Comment on its ears, eyes, nose, and tail. Are they large, small, floppy, perky? Note any distinctive markings, such as spots, stripes, or patches.

Personality and Behavior

Describe the dog’s behavior: Is it energetic, playful, or calm? Does it show curiosity or shyness? Discuss its interactions with people or other animals. Is it friendly, protective, or reserved? Mention any habits or quirks that make the dog unique.

Sensory Details

Use sensory language to make your description more vivid. Describe how the dog smells, feels when you touch it, and any sounds it makes (barking, whimpering, etc.).

Emotions and Expressions

Capture the dog’s emotions through its expressions. Does it have a wagging tail, a joyful grin, or a pensive gaze?

Comparisons and Metaphors

Use similes or metaphors to make the description more relatable. For example, “The dog’s fur was as soft as silk” or “His eyes were like dark pools of curiosity.”

Narrative or Context

Provide a brief context or narrative if applicable. Tell a short story or anecdote that illustrates the dog’s character or behavior.

Edit and Revise

After writing your initial description , revise it for clarity, conciseness, and flow. Make sure it conveys the image and feeling you intend.

Check for grammatical errors, typos, and punctuation to ensure a polished final description.

Read your description aloud to yourself or someone else to ensure it conveys the intended image and emotions effectively.

Remember that the key to a compelling dog description is to paint a vivid picture with words and evoke emotions in the reader. Use descriptive language that engages all the senses and captures the dog’s unique qualities.

Understanding the Dog

Understanding the dog is akin to deciphering a beautiful, cryptic language spoken through tail wags, soulful eyes, and gentle nuzzles.

It’s an exploration of the canine psyche, a journey that leads you through a mosaic of emotions, from the euphoria of bounding joy to the tranquility of a peaceful slumber.

Each breed, size, and personality is a new chapter in the ever-enticing story of the dog, and unlocking their secrets reveals a world filled with loyalty, companionship, and the remarkable ability to touch the deepest recesses of our hearts.

Embrace this journey, and you’ll find that understanding a dog is, in essence, learning to speak the purest, most universal language of love and connection.

The importance of knowing the subject

In any form of communication, whether it’s writing, speaking, or artistic expression, the importance of knowing the subject cannot be overstated.

Understanding the subject matter is the keystone upon which the entire edifice of effective communication is built. It’s like embarking on a voyage; without a compass or map, you might drift aimlessly.

Similarly, without a deep and nuanced understanding of the subject, your message risks getting lost in a sea of ambiguity.

Knowing the subject empowers you to make informed, thoughtful choices, allowing you to select the right words, metaphors, and examples that resonate with your audience.

It enables you to delve into the intricacies and nuances, lending depth and credibility to your discourse. In essence, knowing the subject is the first and most vital step in not only conveying information but also in illuminating, inspiring, and connecting with your audience on a profound level.

Pre-Writing Preparation

Pre-writing preparation is the quiet symphony before the thunderous applause of creation. It’s the artist’s sketch, the architect’s blueprint, and the writer’s silent dialogue with their thoughts.

In this preparatory dance, ideas simmer, questions take root, and imagination unfurls its wings. It’s akin to a treasure hunt within the labyrinth of one’s mind, where we sift through the sands of curiosity to unearth the gems of knowledge.

It’s the exhilarating moment of possibility and potential, where the canvas is blank, the paper pristine, and the imagination boundless.

This phase, often overlooked, is where the alchemy of creativity truly begins. Like a conductor tuning their orchestra, pre-writing preparation orchestrates the chaos of ideas into a harmonious symphony of words and narrative, setting the stage for a masterpiece yet to be born.

Observation and interaction with the dog

Observation and interaction with the dog is an entrancing journey into the heart of canine communication. It’s in those moments of keen observation, where every tail flick, every playful pounce, and every soulful gaze offers a glimpse into the intricate world of our four-legged companions.

As we engage with them, whether through gentle pats or shared adventures, we bridge the gap between two species, forging a unique bond built on trust and understanding.

Through the rhythm of their breaths and the rhythm of our laughter, we unravel the silent conversations that make our connection so special.

Every interaction becomes a lesson in empathy and companionship, revealing not only the quirks and charms of the dog but also the tender reflection of our own humanity mirrored in their trusting eyes.

In this dance of shared moments, we discover that the language of love transcends words, and in the presence of a dog, we find ourselves not only as observers but as participants in a timeless, wordless dialogue of unconditional affection.

Creating a Sensory Experience

Creating a sensory experience in writing is akin to weaving a vivid tapestry of words that transcends the mere page.

It’s an invitation for readers to step into a realm where they can feel the cool breeze ruffling their hair, taste the sun-kissed sweetness of ripe fruit, and hear the soft, rhythmic whispers of leaves in the wind.

It’s the art of sculpting reality from the clay of imagination, crafting a bridge between the tangible and the intangible.

In this literary symphony, words are more than mere symbols; they become instruments, each note resonating with the senses.

When you master the alchemy of sensory description, you don’t just tell a story – you envelop your readers in it, allowing them to touch, taste, smell, hear, and see the world you’ve conjured.

It’s the closest thing to telepathy, where thoughts and sensations are shared, transcending the boundaries of time and space.

Engaging the senses: sight, smell, touch, sound, taste

Engaging the senses in writing is akin to orchestrating a symphony of experiences that transport the reader to a world beyond the page.

It’s the dance of sight, where words paint vivid landscapes in the mind’s eye, bringing to life the azure of a clear sky or the iridescent hues of a bustling market.

It’s the seductive whisper of smell, conjuring the aroma of blooming roses or the tantalizing scent of a sizzling kitchen.

It’s the tactile embrace of touch, where readers can feel the warmth of the sun on their skin, the softness of a beloved pet’s fur, or the gritty texture of a cobblestone street beneath their fingertips.

It’s the melodic cadence of sound, capturing the rustle of leaves in a forest, the laughter of children at play, or the haunting silence of an abandoned room.

And it’s the delectable temptation of taste, where words evoke the flavors of a gourmet meal, the tang of salt in the sea breeze, or the sweet nostalgia of a grandmother’s homemade pie.

Engaging all the senses in your writing is the secret to making stories not just read but felt, experienced, and cherished.

Structuring the Description

Structuring the description is akin to architecting the framework of a narrative skyscraper, where every level serves a distinct purpose, and every detail contributes to the overall grandeur.

It’s the blueprint that guides the reader through a maze of emotions, revelations, and immersive experiences. Just as an entrancing overture captures your attention in a symphony, the introduction and hook are the first notes of a narrative, enticing the reader to ascend the literary staircase.

As you ascend, the careful arrangement of content – be it chronological, spatial, or thematic – offers unique vantage points, affording glimpses into the heart of your subject matter.

Finally, as the climax approaches, you stand on the narrative’s highest balcony, where the culmination of description, suspense, and emotion merges into an awe-inspiring panorama.

Structuring a description isn’t just a means to an end; it’s an art form, a well-conceived journey that ensures that the reader not only observes but experiences the subject in its full splendor.

Organizing the description: chronological, spatial, thematic

Organizing the description is the composer’s choice of the narrative’s melody, an intricate decision that shapes the reader’s journey.

The chronological approach takes the reader on a temporal voyage, painting a portrait of the subject’s evolution over time, be it a puppy growing into a loyal companion or the changing seasons in a rustic landscape.

It’s a symphony of past, present, and future, where every note resonates with the echoes of history. In the spatial arrangement, the reader becomes an explorer traversing the intricate landscapes of your subject, from the majestic mountain peaks to the quiet valleys below.

It’s a vivid travelogue, where geography and physicality are the guiding stars.

Meanwhile, the thematic structure invites the reader to delve deep into the heart of the matter, exploring interconnected ideas, emotions, or aspects that harmonize to create a cohesive whole.

It’s a rich tapestry of concepts, a thematic map leading the way to the soul of your subject. The choice of organization isn’t just a structural decision; it’s the rhythm that dictates how your readers experience the essence of your description, a tantalizing choice that influences their emotional and intellectual engagement.

Setting the Scene

Setting the scene in writing is akin to wielding the brush of a masterful painter, splashing the canvas with the vivid colors of place and time.

It’s an invitation to step into an alternate reality, where the reader’s imagination takes flight, soaring through the lush forests of an enchanted kingdom or feeling the gritty heat of a bustling cityscape.

The writer, in essence, is an architect of realms, constructing the stage upon which the story unfolds, every detail carefully chosen to breathe life into the narrative.

In the interplay of settings, the mundane and the fantastical intertwine, transcending mere words to conjure sensory experiences.

The setting isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a character in its own right, a silent actor in the grand theater of storytelling, shaping emotions, triggering memories, and luring the reader into a world that lives and breathes beyond the page.

Describing the dog’s environment

Describing the dog’s environment is like painting the backdrop on a theatrical stage, setting the context for the canine protagonist’s adventures and emotions.

It’s about capturing the ambiance, from the wild abandon of an open field, where the wind whistles through the grass, to the cozy sanctuary of a fireside hearth, where the warmth envelops like a soft embrace.

The environment serves as the atmospheric symphony, shaping the dog’s behavior, lending character to its world, and evoking sensory experiences that envelop the reader.

Whether it’s the mystical allure of a moonlit forest or the urban hustle and bustle of a city street, the setting weaves into the dog’s tale, becoming an integral part of the narrative, resonating with its moods, and deepening the emotional connection between the reader and the canine protagonist.

Conveying Emotions

Conveying emotions in writing is akin to capturing fireflies in a jar; it’s the delicate art of trapping intangible feelings and releasing them to illuminate the reader’s imagination.

Each word, each carefully crafted phrase, becomes a vessel carrying the essence of joy, sorrow, love, or fear. It’s a poetic dance that transcends language, where readers don’t just read about emotions – they experience them.

It’s the unspoken language of the heart, where tears and laughter become ink and parchment, and the writer becomes a magician, transforming the abstract into something tangible.

In this symphony of feelings, we don’t just tell stories; we create emotional landscapes where readers don’t merely observe but immerse themselves, forging a connection that lingers long after the final page is turned.

Portraying the dog’s emotions and feelings

Portraying the dog’s emotions and feelings is an exquisite brushstroke in the canvas of storytelling. It’s an exploration of the nuanced symphony that plays in the heart of our four-legged companions, revealing the poignant chords of loyalty, the exuberant crescendos of joy, and the somber notes of longing.

Through the quiver of a tail, the sparkle in their eyes, or the gentle sighs, writers unearth the emotional depth within the dog’s world.

It’s about rendering those quiet, unspoken moments when a dog rests its head on a loved one’s lap or leaps with unbridled glee at the prospect of a walk.

It’s a mutual language, where the heart of the dog and the reader unite in a harmonious duet, creating a visceral connection that transcends the bounds of language, leaving an indelible mark on the reader’s soul.

Characterizing the Dog

Characterizing the dog is like sculpting a living, breathing work of art in words, where each sentence chisels away the stone to reveal the masterpiece within.

Dogs, those captivating enigmas of loyalty, personality, and quirks, are not just pets; they’re the embodiments of virtue, mirth, and wisdom.

It’s in the twinkle of their eyes and the arch of their tail that we find the myriad shades of character. Every breed, every individual, tells a story – the dignified grace of a Greyhound, the boundless energy of a Border Collie, or the sagely demeanor of an old, wise Labrador.

As writers, we become their biographers, capturing their whims and foibles, their loyal hearts and adventurous spirits.

Characterizing a dog isn’t merely describing a creature; it’s crafting a legend, etching a unique tale that sings with the resonance of canine wisdom and love, resonating in the hearts of readers long after the story’s last bark.

Depicting the dog’s personality and temperament

Depicting the dog’s personality and temperament is like unraveling the enigmatic layers of a soul, one pawprint at a time.

Dogs, those endlessly fascinating beings, are living canvases of character, each bearing their own unique brushstrokes of temperament and personality.

Whether it’s the exuberant, tail-wagging enthusiasm of an eternal optimist or the quiet wisdom of a seasoned companion, the writer’s craft is to unveil these intricate portraits in words.

We find courage in the heart of a timid Chihuahua and boundless joy in a playful Golden Retriever’s antics. Through descriptive prose and heartfelt anecdotes, we breathe life into these four-legged protagonists, allowing their vibrant personalities to leap off the page and etch themselves in the reader’s heart.

It’s not merely a description; it’s a literary portrait that immerses the reader in the depth and diversity of canine spirits, inviting them to forge an intimate connection with each character, to know them not as dogs, but as cherished friends.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Avoiding common pitfalls in writing is akin to navigating a treacherous labyrinth with a trusty lantern. It’s the art of recognizing and sidestepping the lurking traps and pitfalls that threaten to ensnare the unwary author.

Like a seasoned adventurer, we steer clear of the quicksand of clichés, choosing instead the path less traveled, where words shimmer with freshness and originality.

We wield the shield of consistency, ensuring that our narrative maintains its integrity and resonance throughout the journey.

As we dodge the snares of verbosity and redundancy, our prose becomes streamlined and potent, like a well-honed blade.

These pitfalls are the hidden perils of storytelling, but in their avoidance, we discover the treasure trove of engaging narratives, ensuring our readers are enraptured, not ensnared, in the world we’ve crafted.

Clichés and overused descriptions to steer clear of

Clichés and overused descriptions are the treacherous quick sands of creative writing , where the unwary writer can easily sink into the abyss of unoriginality.

It’s the realm of “dark as night” or “quiet as a mouse,” where well-worn phrases strip the narrative of its vitality.

By avoiding these linguistic pitfalls, we escape the clutches of mediocrity and embark on a quest for innovative expressions, allowing our words to gleam like uncut gems in the tapestry of storytelling.

Rather than leaning on clichés, we forge fresh metaphors and similes, painting vivid images that take the reader by surprise.

In doing so, we breathe life into our writing, endowing it with the power to resonate deeply with our audience, and in the process, we create narratives that stand out as beacons of originality in the literary landscape.

Editing and Refinement

Editing and refinement are the maestro’s final notes in the symphony of writing, the moment when raw potential transforms into refined brilliance.

It’s a meticulous dance of revision where words, like jewels, are polished to their most radiant shine. In this hallowed process, we scrutinize every sentence, every comma, and every nuance, elevating our narrative to its zenith.

With the keen eye of a sculptor, we trim the excess, chiseling away superfluous words until only the essential remains, a monument to clarity and coherence.

But this art isn’t merely about subtraction; it’s also an additive alchemy, where fresh insights and eloquent phrases breathe new life into our work.

Editing and refinement are where we step back, survey our literary landscape, and, with a masterful brush, paint the final strokes of perfection, creating a masterpiece that will resonate long after the last word has been written.

Reviewing for clarity, coherence, and conciseness

Reviewing for clarity, coherence, and conciseness is akin to the 1sculptor’s meticulous inspection of their masterpiece, ensuring every curve and contour aligns with the vision.

It’s a journey of precision and perception, where the writer meticulously fine-tunes their creation, erasing any ambiguity, and bridging the gaps in understanding.

Clarity is the beacon that guides the reader through the narrative fog, ensuring that each word and phrase is a stepping stone rather than a stumbling block.

Coherence knits the disparate elements together into a seamless tapestry, allowing ideas to flow seamlessly from one to the next, while conciseness trims the narrative fat, ensuring that every word adds value.

It’s the pursuit of perfection in language, where every sentence resonates with precision, every paragraph breathes with purpose, and every page gleams with the brilliance of effective communication.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about How To Describe A Dog In Writing

What is the importance of describing a dog in writing.

Describing a dog in writing is essential for storytelling, creating vivid imagery, and evoking emotions. It brings characters, scenes, and emotions to life in narratives and adds depth to any piece of writing.

What should I consider when choosing a focus for my dog description?

When describing a dog, consider whether you want to emphasize its physical characteristics, personality, behavior, or a specific moment in time. Your choice will determine the angle and tone of your description.

How can I start my dog description on the right note?

Begin your dog description with a brief introduction that includes general details such as the breed, size, and color. This provides a foundation for your more detailed description.

What are some effective ways to describe a dog’s appearance?

To describe a dog’s appearance, focus on its fur type, color, ears, eyes, nose, tail, and any distinctive markings. Use vivid and sensory language to paint a clear picture in the reader’s mind.

How can I capture a dog’s personality and behavior in my writing?

To convey a dog’s personality and behavior, observe and note whether it’s energetic, playful, calm, friendly, protective, or reserved. Share anecdotes or specific instances to illustrate these traits.

What role do sensory details play in describing a dog?

Sensory details, such as how the dog smells, feels, and sounds, help readers connect with the description on a deeper level. These details make the description more immersive and engaging.

Can I use metaphors or comparisons to enhance my dog description?

Yes, metaphors and similes can add depth to your description. For example, you can liken a dog’s fur to silk or describe its eyes as pools of curiosity. These comparisons make the description more vivid.

Is it important to provide context or a narrative in my dog description?

Providing context or a short narrative can make your dog description more engaging. It allows readers to connect with the dog’s character and behavior through specific instances or stories .

How can I ensure my dog description is well-written and engaging?

To ensure your description is well-crafted, edit and revise it for clarity, conciseness, and flow. Proofread for grammar and punctuation errors. Reading your description aloud can help gauge its effectiveness.

Can I use my dog description in different types of writing, such as fiction, essays, or articles?

Yes, a well-written dog description can be adapted to various forms of writing. It can be used in fiction to develop characters, in essays to illustrate a point, or in articles to engage readers and provide insights.

How do I make my dog description stand out and be memorable to the readers?

To make your dog description memorable, focus on unique and specific details that set the dog apart. Highlight its individuality, quirks, and any emotional connections it forms with the characters or the reader.

Can you provide an example of a well-written dog description?

While I can’t provide a specific example here, the previous response provides a step-by-step guide on how to write a compelling dog description, which you can use as a template to create your own effective descriptions.

In conclusion, the art of describing a dog in writing is a tapestry of skill, emotion, and creativity that unfolds on the page.

It’s a journey where we’ve explored the intricate world of our canine friends, inviting readers to understand, engage, and connect with the essence of these cherished companions.

From setting the scene to portraying emotions, from characterizing dogs to avoiding common pitfalls, we’ve embarked on a literary odyssey that transcends mere words.

The written descriptions of dogs are not just prose; they are profound expressions of love, companionship, and the universal bond we share with our loyal friends.

With each stroke of the pen, we’ve celebrated the unique personalities, quirks, and boundless affection of dogs, and in doing so, we’ve woven a tapestry of words that resonates deep within the hearts of both writers and readers.

As we conclude this journey, let us remember that the art of describing a dog in writing is more than a craft; it’s an ode to the extraordinary, enduring, and irreplaceable presence of our canine companions in the story of our lives.

Related Posts:

• How to Describe a Bookstore in a Story (10 Best Tips)
• How To Describe A Kitchen In Writing (11 Best Tips)
• How To Write A Book For Baby (15 Best Ways)
• How To Describe Summer Season In Writing (8 Important Steps)
• How To Write Mystery Novels For Children (15 Best Tips)
• How To Describe A Wedding In A Story (10 Best Ways)

Similar Posts

How to Show Anger in Writing (10 Best Tips + Examples)

In the vast spectrum of human emotion, anger stands as a formidable force, capable of driving characters to the brink of despair or propelling them into acts of breathtaking courage. Within the realm of writing, the art of portraying anger is a delicate dance, where every word, every gesture, becomes a brushstroke upon the canvas…

How To Describe A Worried Face In Writing (10 significant steps)

In the world of storytelling, the ability to vividly describe emotions is the key to unlocking the hearts and minds of readers. And at the heart of these emotional landscapes lies the worried face, a canvas onto which writers paint the intricate hues of anxiety, concern, and fear. To effectively convey the nuances of a…

How To Show Surprise In Writing (10 Best Steps)

In the delicate dance of storytelling, few emotions possess the power to captivate readers quite like surprise. It is the unexpected twist, the sudden revelation, that can transform a narrative from mundane to mesmerizing in the blink of an eye. Yet, effectively conveying surprise in writing is an art form that requires finesse, nuance, and…

How To Describe A Dress In Writing (10 Best Tips)

In the intricate tapestry of fashion literature, the art of describing a dress transcends the mere portrayal of fabric and design—it is a nuanced and evocative endeavor that invites readers to step into a world where words become threads weaving through the textures, colors, and contours of couture. Whether navigating the delicate nuances of fit…

How To Set Smart Writing Goals For 2024

Embarking on a new year opens the door to a myriad of possibilities, and for writers, it’s the perfect time to set sail with intention and purpose. As we stand on the cusp of 2024, the art of goal-setting becomes a beacon guiding our literary endeavors. Setting smart writing goals is not just about resolutions;…

How To Describe Being Cold In Writing (11 Best Ways)

Introducing the art of describing the sensation of cold in writing is an exploration of the literary palette, where words transform into winter’s breath and emotions crystallize into frosty landscapes. In the world of storytelling, mastering the art of conveying the palpable chill of a frigid day or the bone-deep shivers of a character is…

How to Describe Dogs in Writing: Instant Suggestions for Accurate and Engaging Descriptions

Affiliate Disclaimer

As an affiliate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. We get commissions for purchases made through links on this website from Amazon and other third parties.

Describing dogs in writing can be a challenging task for many writers. While some may find it easy to capture the essence of a dog’s personality and appearance, others may struggle to find the right words. Whether you are writing a story, a novel, or a blog post, being able to accurately describe a dog is essential to creating a vivid and engaging narrative.

To help writers with this task, we have compiled a list of 100 instant suggestions for describing dogs in writing. These suggestions cover a wide range of topics, from a dog’s physical appearance to its behavior and personality traits. By incorporating these suggestions into your writing, you can paint a more detailed picture of the dogs in your story and bring them to life for your readers.

Whether you are a seasoned writer or just starting out, these 100 instant suggestions will provide you with the tools you need to describe dogs in writing . From the color of their fur to the sound of their bark, these suggestions will help you capture the unique qualities of each dog you write about. So, if you want to improve your writing and create more memorable canine characters, read on for our top tips on describing dogs in writing.

The Essence of Canine Companions

Defining Dog Characteristics

Dogs are one of the most beloved and popular pets in the world. They are known for their loyalty, happy and adorable nature, and sweet demeanor. Dogs bring joy to their owners and are often considered a members of the family.

One of the defining characteristics of dogs is their good nature. They are known for being cute, delightful, friendly, playful, kind, active, bright, innocent, and lively. These traits make them a popular choice for families with children and for those who want a companion that can keep up with their active lifestyle.

Personality and Temperament

Dogs come in a variety of breeds, each with their unique personality and temperament. Some breeds are more laid-back and relaxed, while others are more energetic and require a lot of exercise.

Despite their differences, all dogs share a few common traits that make them great companions. They are loyal and devoted to their owners, and will often go out of their way to protect them.

Dogs are also known for their playful and curious nature. They love to explore and discover new things and are always up for a game of fetch or a walk in the park.

In conclusion, dogs are more than just pets, they are beloved companions that bring joy and happiness to their owners. Their defining characteristics of good nature, loyalty, and playful personality make them a popular choice for families and individuals alike.

Physical Descriptions of Dogs

Coat and Color

When describing a dog’s appearance, the coat, and color are often the first things that come to mind. A dog’s coat can be described in various ways, including short, long, curly, wiry, or smooth. The color of a dog’s coat can range from black, white, brown, gray, or a combination of these colors.

For instance, a Labrador Retriever’s coat is typically short and comes in three colors: black, chocolate, and yellow. On the other hand, a Poodle’s coat can be curly and come in various colors such as black, white, and apricot.

When describing a dog’s coat and color, it’s important to use descriptive adjectives that accurately portray the dog’s appearance. For example, a dog with a soft, furry coat may be described as “fluffy,” while a dog with a sleek, shiny coat may be described as “glossy.”

Breed-Specific Traits

Different dog breeds have unique physical characteristics that set them apart from other breeds. For example, a Basset Hound has long, droopy ears, while a German Shepherd has pointed ears that stand upright.

When describing a dog’s breed-specific traits, it’s important to use accurate terminology. For instance, a Corgi’s short legs are often described as “stubby,” while a Greyhound’s slim build may be described as “sleek.”

It’s also important to note that breed-specific traits can influence a dog’s temperament and behavior. For example, a Chihuahua may be described as “bold” and “protective,” while a Golden Retriever may be described as “friendly” and “obedient.”

Overall, when describing a dog’s physical appearance, it’s important to use descriptive adjectives and accurate terminology to paint a clear picture for the reader.

Capturing Canine Actions

When it comes to describing dogs in writing , capturing their actions is one of the most important aspects. This section will focus on common dog behaviors as well as unique gestures and expressions that can help bring your writing to life.

Common Dog Behaviors

Active and playful dogs are often seen running, jumping, and chasing after toys. Working dogs, such as those used for herding or hunting, may exhibit behaviors such as stalking, pointing, and retrieving. Puppies are known for their boundless energy and curiosity, while older dogs may be more laid back and relaxed.

Darling and expressive dogs often have a variety of facial expressions and body language that can convey their emotions. Fluffy and noble dogs may have a regal presence, while sleek and athletic dogs may move with grace and agility.

Unique Gestures and Expressions

Capturing a dog’s personality through their unique gestures and expressions can add depth and richness to your writing. Outgoing and adventurous dogs may wag their tails enthusiastically or leap into the air with joy. Affectionate dogs may nuzzle or lick their owners, while amusing and goofy dogs may make silly faces or perform tricks.

Brave and watchful dogs may stand guard and bark at perceived threats, while comforting and companionable dogs may snuggle up close to their owners for comfort. Inquisitive and mischievous dogs may investigate everything around them, while lovable and quirky dogs may have their own unique habits and mannerisms.

By paying attention to a dog’s actions and behaviors, writers can create vivid and engaging descriptions that bring these beloved pets to life on the page.

The Dog’s Role in Human Lives

Dogs have been an integral part of human society for centuries, serving as loyal companions, protectors, and even workers. In this section, we will explore the various roles that dogs play in our lives.

Dogs as Companions

One of the most well-known roles of dogs is as companions. Dogs are known for their loyalty, faithfulness, and friendly nature, making them ideal pets for many people. They are also known for their protective instincts, which can make them excellent watchdogs and guard dogs.

Dogs are highly social animals and enjoy spending time with their human companions. They are known for their kind and companionable nature, and many people find that having a dog in their life brings them a sense of joy and comfort.

Working and Service Dogs

In addition to being companions, dogs also play a vital role in many people’s lives as working and service dogs. Working dogs are trained to perform specific tasks, such as herding livestock or hunting. Service dogs, on the other hand, are trained to assist people with disabilities, such as guiding the blind or alerting their owners to the presence of allergens.

Both working and service dogs are highly trained and skilled, and they provide invaluable assistance to their owners. They are also known for their loyalty and dedication to their work, making them highly respected members of society.

In conclusion, dogs play a significant role in human lives, whether as loyal companions or skilled workers. Their friendly and protective nature, as well as their kind and companionable personalities, make them beloved pets and valued members of society.

Creative Writing Techniques

When it comes to describing dogs in writing, using creative writing techniques can make your piece more expressive and amazing. Here are a few techniques that can help you describe dogs more engagingly and vividly.

Descriptive Language

Using descriptive language is essential when it comes to describing dogs in writing. This means using adjectives and descriptors that accurately capture the dog’s appearance, personality, and behavior. For example, instead of simply saying a dog is curly, you could use adjectives like “fluffy,” “wavy,” or “coiled” to paint a more precise picture in the reader’s mind.

Metaphors and Similes

Metaphors and similes are also useful tools for describing dogs in writing. A metaphor is a figure of speech that compares two things without using “like” or “as,” while a simile compares two things using “like” or “as.” For example, you could use a metaphor like “her growl was thunderous,” or a simile like “his paws were as big as dinner plates” to create a more vivid impression of the dog in the reader’s mind.

Overall, using creative writing techniques can help you bring dogs to life in your writing. By using descriptive language, metaphors, and similes, you can create a more engaging and memorable impression of these remarkable animals.

Latest posts

Achieving Your Word Count Goals with Daily Sprints: A Guide

Many writers struggle with meeting their word count goals, whether it’s for a school assignment, a blog post, or a novel. It can be frustrating to stare at a blank page or screen and feel like you’re not making progress. However, there is a technique that can help you achieve your word count goals and…

Beat Burnout: Setting Reasonable Writing Expectations

Writing can be a fulfilling and rewarding experience, but it can also be exhausting and draining. Writing burnout is a real phenomenon that can affect anyone, from professional writers to students. When writers push themselves too hard, they can experience stress, lack of motivation, and even physical symptoms like headaches and fatigue. To avoid burnout,…

Dealing with Criticism and Rejection as an Author: Tips and Strategies

As an author, receiving criticism and rejection is an inevitable part of the writing process. It can be difficult to navigate the emotions that come with having your work scrutinized, but it’s important to remember that criticism and rejection are not personal attacks. Instead, they are opportunities for growth and improvement. One way to deal…

1001 Writing Prompts About Dogs

March 10, 2021

Commaful is supported by readers. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This does not affect who we choose to review or what we recommend.  Learn more

Running low on ideas for your next story? If so, try observing your dogs for a while. They might be able to ignite your creativity and give you new ideas for a novel or short story. After all, it is not new for writers to be inspired by the pets they had (or wished they had). In fact, the screenplay for the 2008 film Marley & Me was based on an autobiography written by journalist John Grogan about the 13 years he and his family spent with a yellow Labrador Retriever named Marley. On the other hand, the well-known children’s book series Clifford the Big Red Dog was made because of its author Norman Bridwell’s childhood desire for a dog the size of a horse. 

Below are writing about dogs, you might want to check out:

• A dog has an adventure on her first day alone in the house.
• A baby dog plays with a baby human.
• Write a Diary of a Dog.
• A family votes to put their dog to sleep. A moral dilemma ensues.
• A dog follows his master from fight to fight.
• Dogs only want to talk about themselves.
• A beggar boy with no legs has a medicinal dog. The dog rises from the dead to help save the baby of an abusive father and a negligent mother.
• A dog confronts a burglar.
• A dog goes missing in a grocery store.
• A dog is typically calm but thrown into a chaotic environment.
• What is the dog’s secret to having success in life?
• A dog is rescued by a neighborhood boy.
• A dog hates another dog.
• A dog meets a werewolf.
• A dog gets into a fight with the mailman over a bone, but they become friends when the mailman gives the dog her bone once he’s taken her mail from her.
• Dogs hate cats. Cats hate dogs.
• A poor family takes in a rescue dog.
• Someone’s dog saves their life by waking them up from a seizure.
• The dog mourns for her lost owner.
• A dog survives climbing Mt. Everest.
• Write about your dog.
• The owners of a very sad looking dog are told they give off the wrong energy to the dog and their relationship with him needs to change. The dog understands English perfectly and they do not.
• A dog who escapes bad weather looks up and sees that all humans carry umbrellas. Dogs immediately begin to carry umbrellas as well.
• The day a dog realizes that it isn’t a pet.
• A dog fears something and its owner does not understand.
• A dog chases his tail for an hour.
• A dog arrests a robbery suspect.
• A dog dreams of being a movie star
• A random stranger stops to help a crippled dog.
• A group dog rescue turns the dog’s life around.
• A dog spends the day in a coffee shop.
• A blind man trains his dog to find his killer. But then the dog becomes his eyes.
• Someone’s dog vanishes.
• A young girl and her dog.
• A service dog saves the life of a child.
• A hunter is killed by her own dog.
• An adorable puppy gets the surprise of its lifetime!
• 2. Dogs in Amtgard
• When the dog dies, a family orders another one from a pet shop.
• A dog sees a shooting star.
• Three dogs approach an old man. One runs away, one threatens to bite, and the other rolls onto her back. Describe the old man’s reaction and how he chose his dog.
• A dog makes a major life decision.
• A dog runs into the house and tells the family they are about to have a baby.
• Write a story about a dog rescue.
• A man adopts a dog and then meets a woman.
• A volunteer at a shelter cares for one dog with a rare medical problem.
• A dog saves its owner from a raging fire.
• A dog that travels with his human family takes a wrong turn.
• Dogs get sent to the future.
• The genetic enhancements that dogs and people receive for their loyalty and service are canceled out by non-cooperative humans who have competitive genes. What’s left of the dogs and humans must learn to coexist.
• Dogs rescue a family that collapsed on a hiking trail.
• Rescue a dog from an abusive owner.
• A dog tries to help a woman who has become lost in the snow.
• A dog acts based on his selfless nature.
• A man who lost his wife leaves behind his beloved dog after his death.
• A boy meets an imaginary friend who helps him with problems.
• A dog decides to move to Alaska for a change of scenery.
• A girl meets the dog that killed her mother and she realizes the dog was just doing what it was told.
• A dog has a birthday gift that his master cannot give him.
• Your dog is hiding something from you.
• A dog adopts a human.
• A dog has a thought.
• A dog adopted from a shelter saves a child from drowning.
• A dog saves a woman’s life as she walks home from work.
• A runaway dog finds another dog and they become best friends.
• A dog’s family hosts a swanky dinner party but the dog causes a mess.
• A dog is the only witness to a planned crime.
• A children’s book about a dog. Have each student write a first, middle, and last sentence. Combine these three sentences for a beginning, middle, and end to a children’s book.
• A dog is mistaken for a criminal.
• The core plot of the story is a family being moved out of their home so a dog show is held in their home.
• A dog is the best listener a guy has ever had.
• A dog gets lost in the woods but finds his way home.
• A dog decides that her dog parents are no longer needed.
• A boy and his dog have a special bond.
• The story of a service dog in the Vietnam War.
• A dog fights alongside a soldier in a war.
• Write about a particularly rough and tough dog.
• Write a story about a dog with a phobia.
• A dog saves her owner/a baby/a child from death.
• A deaf dog survives in a world that doesn’t seem to like him.
• A dog reflects on his life.
• A dog is given the power of speech.
• A dog walks 5,000 miles back home after being stolen.
• Describe your dog before he died.
• A cat and a dog have just met. Describe the first meeting between cat and dog.
• A dog’s hilarious efforts to communicate his thoughts to humans.
• A dog is adopted from a shelter and has issues settling in.
• A dog that is rescued by a person from a shelter is the best dog.
• A dog helps retrieve evidence in a big case.
• A dog has the ability to talk to humans, but keeps quiet so as to remain in secret.
• A dog rescues a child from drowning.
• A girl is walking a large cat on a leash when a dog runs up and barks at it.
• A dog owner is murdered by his dog.
• A dog dons a tutu & pajamas and attends a baby shower.
• Sonnet dedicated to a dog.
• A celebrity is bitten by a dog.
• Dogs have made wonderful human companions. Share why you like them.
• A dog chases a mailman rigorously. The scene finally ends but the mailman is nowhere to be seen.
• A family has to choose a dog from the pound.
• The main character whose point of view story we have been reading switches bodies with her dog.
• What can dogs do that humans can’t?
• A cat finds a letter in a bottle in a trash can.
• Man vs Dog in a marathon.
• A blind boy gets a seeing-eye dog. The dog disappears.
• A dog changes the life of an old man.
• A dog finds a very interesting bone.
• A dog saves the ship while the captain panics.
• A dog owner loses their dog and can’t find him anywhere.
• Write a story from the dog’s point of view.
• A sleazy salesperson has refused to allow a dog to accompany a blind man onto a bus.
• A dog owner travels into the future and brings a dog home.
• The dog comes back to life the next day.
• A dog is left at an animal shelter.
• Dogs are allowed to live longer on their planet.
• A dog is injured because her owners didn’t take her to the vets.
• Recent studies show that older animals are being euthanized in shelters in unfair numbers. What would you say to upset people who think this is an easy problem to solve?
• A self-centered man is suddenly given a dog for his birthday.
• What would you do if you woke up one morning and you could speak to a dog?
• A family is stuck on the freeway, the dad talks about how they have their current life because of the faithful love of their dog.
• A dog gets sick and goes to the vet with his master.
• “I As You” from the perspective of a dog starring
• A guide dog takes a wrong turn.
• A dog lives in the sun.
• A dog helps a wounded soul get their groove back.
• A dog sees an injured child and brings him inside and cares for him until help comes.
• Write from the point of view of a dog searching for dinner.
• Cats and dogs must compete against each other to prove which species is superior.
• A dog writes a letter to a newspaper editor.
• A dog runs away from home after a fight with the puppy.
• Write about a dog who didn’t get walked and has to pee on the floor when someone is about to walk into the room.
• Write a dog poem.
• Write about the best friend that any person could have.
• A dog changes another person’s life or ours.
• A dog becomes famous on the internet.
• A teen jogs while on the phone with his sister. He never sees the large dog before it attacks.
• A man finds a dog-eared book and gives it to a man he doesn’t know in a waiting room. The stranger finds the steam engine figure and gives it to a little girl. The two never meet again but their lives are changed forever.
• A dog meets President Obama and they have a conversation.
• A stray dog earns his family’s love and respect after years of loyalty and affection.
• A dog saves his owner from a grizzly bear.
• A man’s search for his lost dog winds up being a journey of reflection on life.
• Write a story about your dog’s dream.
• Help your toddler come up with her own story.
• The fiercest Chihuahua on Earth
• Someone writes a letter to their dog explaining that they must be rehomed.
• A dog goes through a wizard’s door to meet his owner’s spirit in the afterlife.
• A family adopts a golden retriever and takes him home.
• When a dog is injured, she overcomes her limitations through medical treatment.
• A dog is left outside during winter and another character acts heroically.
• A dog is depressed because the family is moving.
• The dog interacts with a stray cat.
• A dog participates in an Olympic sport.
• A dog is on death row. Euthanize him or set him free?
• Is it cruel to make a dog race?
• A girl adopts three turtle doves.
• A dog and a cat team up to catch a burglar.
• A dog finds a new family after being lost or abandoned.
• Something happens to a dog.
• Write a story initiated by one word.
• A dog survives a hurricane.
• Write a story from the point of view of a cat.
• A dog uncovers a mystery while taking a walk.
• A dog’s life told by the pet psychic.
• A dog teacher tries to teach other dogs how to fetch.
• A marriage turns sour and the wife leaves to form a political party.
• A man is saved from a vicious dog or wolf by its wise leader.
• A pet dog turns out to have been a circus act before.
• A woman loves her dog more than her husband.
• A paralyzed dog is nursed back to health by his favorite boy.
• A dog writes at a dog’s blog.
• A dog discovers a human body in the woods.
• A dog becomes man’s best friend.
• A pompous dog flexes his muscles but is a coward when it matters most.
• A dog has nine lives. This is her second.
• A dog that everyone thought was bad turns out to be a hero.
• A mother dog packs her kids off to school.
• Write a love letter from your dog to yourself.
• The gang fights off a pack of wolves.
• A dog tries to communicate with humans after a serious accident.
• A dog is stuck inside a home during a house fire.
• Might be hard to write, as you don’t want to deprive the baby either.
• A dog wakes up one day and realizes he’s turned into a human.
• A girl writes the final entry in her dog’s diary.
• What will you name your dog? Write a story about that dog.
• Write a story about a dog who is hurt or dying.
• A dog’s paw is badly injured.
• A guard dog suddenly starts cuddling after being scared by a burglar.
• A dog saves a family from hanging.
• A group of stray dogs help a homeless man.
• Dogs falling from a magical bridge into a land that no one has ever returned from.
• Describe someone getting the dog they always wanted.
• A dog makes an impression on the local populace.
• A dog teaches kids to love.
• A dog gets a job at a supermarket.
• A dog is the voice of Common Sense on a talk radio show.
• A dog tells her veterinary story.
• A dog is discovered still loyal to his deceased owner allowing him to be free of cancer.
• She comes home to retrieve something she left behind in the house.
• A dog goes crazy for a dove.
• Someone finds a dog wandering the streets and takes him in.
• A dog is hit by a car.
• A family that has a pet dog is in an accident and the pet dog is lost.
• Think of a favourite dog who you knew when you were a kid. Write about how much you liked that dog.
• A dog encounters a person for the first time.
• What it means to be loyal to one’s species.
• Dogs are not allowed in libraries, but everyone knows about the dog who sneaks in every day to get books.
• A dog finds a valuable stolen necklace.
• The life of a stray dog.
• Write a book poem about a dog.
• Someone is forced to be a pet for a dog.
• A dog is abandoned by his owner, which is now living with a new family.
• Study a dog on a walk, and write about what you observe.
• A dog’s view of her family.
• A woman adopts a dog without her boyfriend finding out.
• A dog cannot read, write, or talk.
• A dog disappears.
• Someone kidnaps a dog and places an ad in the newspaper.
• A boy realises the dog he is about to kill is his best friend.
• A dog finds a dead body while out with its owner.
• A dog drowns and goes to heaven.
• An old woman and her dog encounter a book about training dogs while on vacation.
• The next time you’re on a plane, write about what it would be like to be a dog on that plane.
• Describe what you’d be like as a dog.
• A stray dog witnesses her owner being murdered and vows to catch the murderer.
• A dog finds what it’s looking for in the most unexpected place.
• You care for your older uncle whose dog has run away.
• Write a poem about your dog.
• A dog dies saving its owner.
• The owner takes him from a pound.
• A man has had his dog for years and now he wants a divorce.
• A dog protects a baby from a rattlesnake.
• Write a dialogue between a dog and his master.
• A dog becomes famous after haunting a movie set.
• A dog is separated from his/her family and now they have to find their way home.
• A dog gives birth at a family reunion.
• A soldier comes home to a dog that has hurt herself while he was away.
• A dog receives the gift of the power to read minds.
• A dog is a detective.
• A family can speak to their dog like a person and the dog can understand it.
• A dog develops a really bad habit and his person no longer bonds with him.
• A dog is lost and no one is going to call the shelter to help her.
• A homeless dog finds a home when the snow starts to fall.
• A dog suffers from nightmares every night.
• A boy’s dog is found guilty of murder.
• An interviewer interviewing the dog.
• Someone finds love in a shelter dog.
• Dog misses the family that rejected him.
• A dog becomes a hero in the Great Depression.
• Dogs come to live in a house at the start of a war.
• A special dog ward at a hospital has a particularly difficult patient.
• A dog discovers that housework is not as bad as she thought.
• A dog has an eating disorder. He grosses everyone out.
• A dog gets in trouble for stealing food he’s just fed.
• A man with the worst temper ever gets a dog to train him.
• Write about a dog that unintentionally injures or kills someone.
• A dog tells its story.
• A pet is taken away by animal control and the owners realize that they shouldn’t have bought it.
• A dog is bitten by a man but forgives him.
• A letter to a dog from the dog’s former master.
• A dog falls off a boat and gets stranded on an island.
• A man wrecks his car into a tree but feels no guilt because his dog made it out okay.
• Dogs running wild in the streets.
• A dog saves his owner’s marriage.
• After a decade of war, a soldier is separated from his dog.
• A famous detective owns a shih-tzu.
• A dog causes a traffic accident.
• A boy adores his dog right from the first day they meet.
• A dog movie festival.
• My dog dies of cancer.
• A dog cannot pick just one scent in the air and has decided to follow every scent.
• A guy believes that he has ESP powers and that he can contact others via his dog.
• A lonely he or she dog adopts a doll as his new best friend.
• Rehabilitation for a dog who attacked a person.
• A toddler’s first day at school.
• The parents have a dog that does tricks.
• Write a scary story based on something your dog has done.
• The grieving parents adopt a dog.
• Write a poem about dogs.
• The dog overdosed on her chores.
• A dog reunites family members who have been apart for a long time.
• A giant dog discovers Alaska.
• A mutt becomes a model dog.
• A girl leaves a dog in the park and he gets attacked by another dog and the owners won’t help.
• A dog loses his best friend when the owner dies.
• A boy has been having a tough time living with his dog and
• A dog makes someone famous.
• A dog is upset because she isn’t named Captain and she’d really want the job.
• A dog becomes a hero by testifying against her master for a crime.
• Give a dog a job it is otherwise unlikely to have, like a waiter.
• A dog gets lost leaves for several days, then finds his way home on his own.
• The diary of the dog who is left home alone all day while everyone is at work.
• A dog is adopted, but the person who buys him fails to vaccinate him and he gets rabies.
• An attached dog will not be able to have a vacation at the family cottage.
• The number of puppies an adult dog has at a certain point in its life.
• A dog becomes a CIA secret agent.
• A family adopts a puppy, eventually regretting it.
• A dog is a suspect in a crime.
• One dog suspiciously watches a telephone cable line while the other dog crawls under to inspect the line.
• A dog is abandoned in the woods at a young age and manages to survive in the wild alone.
• How does the dog feel about nail clippings?
• Two dogs discover the meaning of fear living next door to the killer.
• A dog accompanies his owner to the party in the hope of getting a biscuit.
• A documentary of a dog’s life in the pond.
• Do you ever dream of your dog coming back?
• The first dog to reach space.
• A dog has a dream or nightmare.
• A dog that dies saving someone.
• A dog relives his best days with his owner.
• A dog is rescued from being an agility competitor.
• The owner of a puppy tries to teach his dog to talk.
• A dog falls in love with a porcupine.
• A family recounts the death of their previously perfect dog.
• Interpret/rewrite a myth from the perspective of the dog.
• The town hires a dog to be the sheriff.
• A dog gets onto a plane and disrupts the service by eating the meals.
• You have one wish and you can use it to grant intelligence to a dog or obtain the brain of Albert Einstein.
• Write, draw, or do something that brings your dog to life.
• Write a story describing a morning walking a dog.
• A dog is a messenger from Heaven.
• A dog manages a team of rescue dogs.
• Write something that shows the relationship between a dog and a human.
• A family keeps a dog hidden in their basement.
• A neighbor adopts a stray dog and chaos ensues.
• The parents make sure that their pet dog is well-taken care of, while raising their kids.
• A man in Texas adopts a dog, only to have it stolen by a pregnant woman.
• An unhappy dog wanders into the woods and finds a dog motel that prepares her for adoption.
• A dog dies and goes to heaven.
• A child wishes they were a dog because of his heroic nature.
• A boy wanted a dog desperately.
• The dog of a blind boy proves to be the boy’s eyes.
• An abandoned dog is rescued by a stranger but then stays out all night.
• Steps to Writing a Story  is a book designed to give students the opportunity to tap into their creativity. By design, this flexible-format book allows for teachers to decide whether to compose a story about Freddie and Mr. Brasco or to have students compose their own stories about two of their favorite characters.
• A dog steals money to buy food for her sick companion.
• A man and dog’s telepathic bond serves them in life-or-death situations.
• A dog tells the story of her owner’s suicide.
• A dog plays fetch for the first time.
• What if you went to the dog park and didn’t bring any dog treats?
• A rock star owns a dog.
• A family has a tennis ball that’s either too new to throw or too old to keep.
• A French dog goes on holiday but his owner doesn’t realise he can’t swim.
• A dog refuses to lie for his life.
• A paralyzed dog meets a new hooman friend.
• A boy visits his father at work. Once there, his father’s boss keeps staring at him.
• Do dogs feel guilt?
• A dog barks all night because the owner is bitten by a snake, he monitors the health of the victim.
• A baseball player falls in love with the dogs in his neighborhood.
• Driving with the dog in the car—one animal’s perspective.
• A dog is found stranded on a faraway island.
• A dog witnesses a crime.
• An old man buys a dog because his wife is gone.
• A dog is found with a dismembered body and buried underneath.
• The dog watches his owner with another woman.
• A dog loses his sense of smell.
• A dog is repurposed into a cow and gets fat off the plains.
• A police dog dies doing its job.
• A dog from the first half of the story is brought back to a family from the second half of the story.
• A boy dreams of being a wizard and can talk to his dog.
• A children’s book about a cat and dog.
• A blind girl gets a seeing eye dog and meets his old partner who can’t be around him anymore.
• A dog dies protecting a baby from a wood chipper.
• A dog falls in love with a talking human.
• A dog wakes up after a nuclear blast and hears voices.
• A man acquires a dog as a pet years ago when the woman in his life kicks him out. The dog’s is a secret long kept participant in the dirty details of their past relationship and helps him move on.
• The story of a dog and his favorite owner.
• Dogs gone wild at the board game Monopoly.
• A girl goes to school with one of her pet dogs.
• A dog therapist uses her powers to heal troubled teens at school.
• A man receives news that his dog’s cancer is in remission.
• A dog can communicate by phone.
• A dog’s sad thoughts.
• A cat and dog have a dog in common and fight over him.
• A dog suddenly develops the ability to speak and is discovered to be from the future.
• The dog who saved my city.
• Animals are scheduled for destruction.
• A dog plays fetch with himself.
• A woman runs away to join the circus and realizes she is expected to work the freak show.
• A dog plays a trick on its owner.
• A dog and his/her owner are friends forever.
• A dog lives the life of a rich man while his master is out.
• A shoe becomes a dog’s best friend.
• A child is injured and they are treated by an extraordinary vet.
• How does your dog feel when you leave for work in the morning? What does your dog do while you’re gone?
• A dog growled at a small child, but actually only wanted to play.
• A homeless dog decides to train as a K-9 police dog.
• A dog tells his side of the story.
• WWII, from the dog’s, not the soldier’s, perspective.
• Write about the benefits of pet therapy.
• A dog wishes to be a human.
• A dog helps people lost at a festival find their friends.
• A dog pushes its master’s wheelchair into traffic.
• A dog knows the TV weatherman correctly predicted that we will have an awful storm and foils an explosive robbery at the bank across the street as a result.
• A police dog experiences her first snow.
• A dog breaks free, kills a villain and saves the puppies.
• An author discovers a ghostwriter.
• A grieving family sues the neighbor because their dog keeps eating from the grave.
• The adopted dog grows and grows and just keeps growing.
• A dog spends the entire day in a shoe store looking at all the shoes.
• The dog’s partner dies.
• A dog longs to go back to the womb.
• A woman is attacked by a dog as a child and pursues revenge years later.
• Write a fictional biography about your dog.
• An elderly dog gives a young boy advice.
• A father abandons his daughter and his dog to start a new life.
• A dog helps save a lost child at the mall.
• A police dog stops a person trying to break into a home.
• While their owner is at work, a dog and a cat form an unconventional bond.
• What it would be like to be inside the head of a dog.
• A dog is a new parent and struggles with her job.
• A dog is chained to a tree to prevent him from attacking a mailman.
• A dog is an alcoholic.
• A dog accompanies her owner on three different missions.
• A stray dog leads his village during a conflict.
• A dog describes its best friend, a human.
• Tyson the dog witnesses a murder.
• A dog who loves his owner despite all he has been put through by the owner.
• A dog is mistaken for a god.
• Write a tragedy about a dog.
• A dog jumps in the path of a bullet meant for the owner.
• A dog sees his reflection in a puddle and thinks he sees another dog until someone tells him “No, it’s just you.”
• Dogs spend their day counseling each other.
• Describe how you came to pick the name you have for your dog.
• A dog runs into a burning building and loses all of her puppies.
• A dog is looking for a friend.
• A cat mocks a dog.
• A dog learns it is not taboo to chew on a bone in the house.
• A dog’s life means nothing compared to the love he shares with his owner.
• The first dog to break the sound barrier.
• Write about a family that is ashamed and disappointed that their child turned out to be a dog.
• A dog tells a parent they are not acting like a true family member.
• A dog helps her master overcome his fear of tall places.
• A dog goes on a magical adventure.
• The further your son or daughter makes it into the list the more sensitive it gets. For example the first writing prompt inserted is “A couple adopts a stray dog, only to find out when it reaches maturity that it’s actually a female cat”. That’s quite a hefty helping of black humor – at least for a ten-year old.
• A dog dies but hopes his people find another dog that they love as much as him.
• A terrorist sabotages a bus tour before the Olympics. Each bus stops to let one person off. One person gets on, but they have a bomb. The story follows the dog’s perspective through the bomb detection process.
• A game of rounders interrupted by a fight between dogs.
• Dogs are illegal and corrupt government agents catch a family with two dogs.
• There’s a dog stuck on top of a building when…
• A family dog sleeps alone because everyone is out for the night.
• The first dog obtains an interesting magical power.
• A dog competes in the Iditarod race.
• A dog chases the mail carrier and gets caught in a bear trap.
• A dog dons an old military costume and battles enemy cats with a water gun.
• A child is caught misbehaving by a neighbor’s dog.
• A family finds a dog and during the night the dog bites one of their members.
• An earthquake rips apart the city, killing everyone except a dog.
• A dog goes missing and the family searches high and low for her.
• A dog is picked to star in a Hollywood movie.
• A dog is alone in the world.
• Important non-fiction book about a dog.
• A dog protects a caged baby from aggressive house pets.
• Write from the perspective of a dog about to die.
• A dog confesses that he ate the baby’s homework.
• A dog gets lost during Hurricane Katrina.
• A stranger is bitten by a stranger.
• Write a story about a veterinarian.
• A dog falls in love with a cat.
• A dog escapes from his yard, goes to town, and causes trouble. A dog discovers that overcoming his fears is not as much fun as he imagined. A dog gets her butt kicked by someone she usually can take on. A dog experiences her first snowstorm.
• A dog builds a house.
• A dog gets mistaken for an elephant.
• A dog falls in love with a blind man.
• Write about a dog who is claimed by a family who was not his.
• The perfect dog which cannot bark, make farts or beg for food turns out to be a threat to mankind.
• A dog writes a book on his way to a pet store.
• A dog’s life is not easy but that is how he likes it.
• A dog fulfills a dream.
• A dog describes her perfect day.
• An evil robot manages to take over the world, but has a weakness to dogs.
• A family is flying with their dog to a different country but the dog is so nervous he barely makes it.
• Dog wakes up to find someone missing.
• Someone goes through a lot to keep a dog from being put down.
• A dog is accidentally teleported and struggles to find his way back home.
• A train driving off its rails hits a dog and it dies.
• A dog gets way too sleepy and it ruins the entire family vacation.
• A disabled man rescues a dog from an abusive owner and cures his disability.
• The farm dog dreams of living in the city.
• A dog is rescued from a puppy mill and goes up for adoption.
• A dog saves his family on 9/11.
• Found dog, lost dog, outwitting cats, mad scientist and ghost
• Write a letter to squirrels attacking the bird feeder.
• A dog experiences the horrible pains of a human soldier on the battlefield.  This could be enlightening to human readers who argue that we should never mix man and animal.
• A dog tells her life story.
• Someone tries to train a dog to be a model.
• A dog successfully escapes from the pound and meets up with his new owner.
• A dog wakes up to see his own funeral.
• A dog helps a child adjust to a new life through a harsh divorce.
• A dog doesn’t get along with the family’s new cat.
• Dogs in foster care help dogs at animal shelters learn how to trust.
• Your dog writes her own autobiography.
• A dog loses the love of her life.
• A stray dog is taken in by a woman who worked as a dog trainer in a five star hotel as a young man before life led him away from those best years.
• A dog has his day on the town.
• A dog saves a baby from a house fire.
• A dog accidentally ingests a smartphone.
• Write a 500 words essay on a certain character you like to read.
• A dog poses as a competition champion.
• If your dog could speak, what would he say?
• A boy adopts a dog because of a promise to his grandma.
• A dog is rescued by two sisters.
• A family takes a trip to pick up a dog from the pound or the shelter.
• When a dog dies, she goes to Heaven.
• A dog tells his life story.
• A dog must leave his best friend upon surrendering to the shelter.
• A dog gets sick.
• A crying dog conveys his sadness by howling at the moon.
• A dog saves a person from a burning building.
• A dog teaches her human how to be a better person.
• A dog begs a thief to eat her children first.
• A dog has to decide whether or not to return to his family.
• A dog saves her owner from a robber but ends up paying an unexpected price.
• The dog smells death.
• A dog is able to speak human.
• A dog finds $1,000 in the park.
• It’s July, and a dog reaches 100 years old.
• After being thrown in the trash, a stray dog is adopted by a Hong Kong Konger.
• A dog subdues a raging hoard.
• Write the conversation between a dog and a cat.
• What is the saddest day of your dog’s life?
• A dog’s life goes from bad to good.
• The veterinarian has disturbing news for a dog owner.
• A dog dies, and leaves last words.
• A dog goes on a quest.
• A fatal disease infects the world. Dogs become the new humans by default.
• A white dog sees something frightening.
• A dog’s lifelong friend goes missing under mysterious circumstances.
• A dog witnesses a murder.
• The dog is insane.
• A dog spends a whole day napping.
• A savage dog tears their neighbor’s child apart.
• A dog tells the story of the last dog he ate.
• A dog talks like a human.
• A dog dies.
• Dogs get superpowers.
• A dog goes for a walk but is lost in the city.
• A dog that has been trained to attack suddenly starts forgiving everyone.
• Hit a parked car with your car and see what happens.
• The viewpoint of one of the dogs in “Where the Red Fern Grows”.
• A person buys a pet and then feels guilty when the dog meets an unfortunate death.
• A dog tells a life story
• Write from the perspective of an animal lover. Write about your feelings regarding rescuing animals.
• A dog saves an abused child or old woman.
• A man is so depressed that he wants to kill himself. He decides to wait for his new dog to arrive before he hangs himself. You can find one here .
• Dogs can’t buy things online so they get creative, hilarious consequences ensue.
• The family dog helps an ill child to get over his fear.
• A dog helps a mother take out the trash.
• Write about a dog finding his eternal reward.
• A dog is turned into a zombie.
• A high school student has a dog she uses to grow marijuana.
• What if my dog could talk to me?
• You and your dog discover you are the only ones left.
• Someone in your life is not who you thought he or she was.
• Some of your best memories were with a pet.
• A dog gets married and runs off with the bride.
• Describe what the streets and neighbourhood look like through the eyes of a dog.
• A person goes insane when a beloved dog dies.
• A father and son take a walk with the dog on the father’s birthday.
• A dog wins the Nobel Peace Prize.
• A sad dog story.
• A dog kills an old lady’s cat.
• A dog is rescued by a teenager. Ten years later she meets a woman who aids the teen to a comedy career.
• A family mourns after their dog dies.
• A successful businesswoman has a breakdown.
• A man tries to save a dog from a truck but it runs out and is hit.
• A dog becomes affected by the holidays as people around him celebrate.
• A police dog is injured in pursuit of a criminal and serves as a trainer for future canine officers.
• A dog is found guilty of murder and put to death without any proof of its guilt.
• What would you do if your dog died?
• A man that lives alone saves a dog from dying.
• A dog saves a man’s life in a plane crash.
• A dog imitates her master and gets into trouble.
• A dog steals the neighbor’s newspaper but it disappears on her.
• A dog saved his owner from dying in an accident.
• A dog is at a peak.
• Dogs are the god’s gift to humanity
• A family dog who has lived for many years finally dies.
• A dog teaches a cat some new tricks.
• A dog steals a juicy marrow bone.
• Dogs have always helped each other in times of distress.
• Dogs win the lottery.
• A dog saves the day for his child owner.
• The dog does something despicable that you love him for in the end.
• A dog’s life is shattered in a heartbeat.
• A dog serves in the Marines.
• Either a dog’s perspective of it’s friend dying or what it’s like to be dead.
• A man encounters a dog on his travels.
• How could Helen Keller have used a dog?
• A dog saves a person from a life of poverty.
• All dogs have since died from a dog flu epidemic and a police dog is given a cloning experiment to save the dog race.
• A dog walks into a party.
• Where do dogs go when they die?
• A dog’s life is saved by a crook, who is then put in a position of responsibility.
• A family adopts a puppy that smells.
• A young boy wants a dog more than anything in the world.
• The letters a dog writes home from college.
• A dog shows up homeless at someone’s home.
• A dog makes a sacrifice for its owner.
• A dog chooses to save a human instead of her puppies
• A dog waits at the window for his owner who is at work.
• She was a beautiful dog, the sweetest dog who ever walked God’s green earth.
• The backyard fence is the only thing that saved them from escaping a fire.
• The dog needs help from a magician to save his master.
• A dog is forced to spend the evening and weekend locked in the bathroom.
• He roams the earth for decades, searching for his lost master.
• A dog who relentlessly goes after a car that she fears may hurt the boy she just saw drive away having shot his dog.
• A dog saves his wounded master during WWII.
• A child finds a letter written to Santa on a piece of paper that was dropped by a dog.
• A dog escapes from its cage and is found wandering the streets in the big city.
• A dog does not realize what is happening around him.
• Dogs that have been adopted from an animal shelter describe their favorite activities before they were adopted.
• A dog in Hong Kong runs away to find the American owner.
• A dog chases a tumbleweed into the future.
• A dog mauls his owner and has to face animal control.
• A man in a dog costume wins the local dog show.
• A dog doesn’t let a flying squirrel get too comfortable.
• A talking dog learns to speak to other dogs when he discovers a mystical land.
• A girl has a bad family life and a baby dog is her only comfort in life.
• Witches have been talking to cats, not talking rabbits. Dogs are the monsters they created.
• A dog finds his identity by attacking a burglar.
• A successful girl with dating problems adopts a dog.
• The song “Cats in the Cradle” applies to dogs.
• A family adopts a dog but then has to give him away.
• A dog magically transforms into a person.
• A talking dog reflects on his human owner.
• A dog tells a riddle.
• An elderly couple adopts a dog together for the first time.
• A dog’s owner had terrible intentions when they got the dog.
• Dog meets cat.
• A disobedient dog discovers being obedient can be rewarding.
• A poor young boy is in a fight with other kids and gangs.
• A dog awakens to a shout from a child that leads to a child’s death.
• A dog is trained to do human activities.
• Write a diary excerpt from the perspective of a dog.
• Someone adopts a dog that they declare to be ‘man’s best friend’.
• An old dog dies and meets his master.
• A dog is adopted because the family is having trouble conceiving.
• A dog with arthritis is able to walk again.
• A dog is accidentally left on an airport runway as a plane takes off.
• A dog finds a bone, attached to it is a note from a soldier to his parents that he was killed.
• Dogs bite children ten times more often than pit bull terriers by Nate Silver If so, why are pit bulls demonized?
• What happens when a robot dog malfunctions?
• Our heroine is a Dachshund named Bea.
• Apply a dog’s life to a fairy tale.
• Dogs and dog people hate cats.
• A dog saves a baby from a kidnapper.
• Someone loses their dog and it brings them together with another person.
• An abused dog along with an abused child unite to overcome the devastating effects of their harsh beginnings.
• Write two different major characters in the same story, then choose a different one as the doges perspective throughout.
• A greyhound goes missing at a sporting event.
• A dog turns into a werewolf.
• A dog attends a fake therapy session to train to become an office dog.
• A dog predicts when the dead return to life.
• A red dog needs help crossing the road.
• The owners of a dog learn that they have been infected with a disease that turns people into dogs.
• A dog wins the Westminster Dog Show.
• A dog causes the divorce of his owners.
• A dog works as a handyman and yard worker.
• A girl is lost in the woods. Based on the book “A Dog Called Kitty” by Karma Wilson.
• A boy with a pet snake who is also his best friend has a pet dog.
• A man buys a dog on a whim and doesn’t really want it.
• A dog becomes human and has to learn to fit in.
• A dog prevents a criminal advance.
• A man tries to capture a dog.
• Before her wedding, a woman develops a fear of dogs.
• A dog is lost and finds its way home with the help of a local ice cream truck.
• A strong dog manages to save his owners from a tornado.
• Write about a bad dog.
• A defense lawyer constructs a case for his client- a dog- with the arguments being that the dog is not guilty because he was not the one who committed the crime.
• A dog has got the better of someone.
• Cleaning day at a pet store lives up to its name.
• Write a story about a dog who’s very good at hiding.
• A dog describes what it was like to be a dog before humans existed.
• A dog owner disowns his dog for picking up things like cigar stems, love letters, contraceptives, etc. and bringing them home to him. The dog is loyal when the owner is down and out and indebted to various bookies for money.
• Dogs travel to another planet in a rocket ship in search of a new or better home.
• A game ranger is mauled by a lion. A stray dog arrives and scares it away.
• The story starts as a normal day for a dog but then…
• A dog saves a sheltered family from a wildfire.
• A dog changes her owner’s life.
• A dog catches its owner having an affair.
• After her dog dies, a woman finds him mysteriously waiting for her on the Other Side.
• Write about a dog pulling on a rope.
• A dog joins the army.
• A dog rescues a family from a house fire.
• A dog loses his memory after being hit by a car.
• A stray dog finds a home with a family.
• A dog must choose between its master and a piece of steak.
• A human saves a dog from a pack of dogs.
• Thunder/Lightning is the pet dog of the Fates.
• Who are you going to vote for? A dog named Obama Mutt or a dog named Mitt omRitt?
• Your dog dies and you can’t sleep.
• A town bans dogs.
• Dog gets discharged from the army.
• A man and his faithful dog stay on for another year in Antarctica at 80 degrees south.
• Write about a dog that you had as a close companion.
• Write a compare and contrast essay about dogs and cats.
• A dog’s life after the dog dies.
• A dog has something to say.
• A dog makes friends with a teen who is lonely.
• A dog sees their owner kissing their new crush.
• A dog likes kids who got in trouble at school.
• A dog gets his head stuck in a tennis ball.
• A dog finds a new loving family after its old one dies.
• A dog plays with a panda at the zoo.
• A dog swallows a million dollar necklace.
• How dogs helped give their owners purpose.
• Show dogs competing in their own show, similar to the Westminster Dog Show.
• Your dog is in trouble and needs your help.
• You are a dog and you hear the voice of god.
• Poem in the voice of the dog.
• A male dog is in heat and goes crazy.
• A dog tries very hard to solve a human problem.
• A dog hits a person in the head with a stick.
• A ring thief uses a dog to steal rings from people’s hands.
• It’s the dog’s birthday.
• A dog saves a farmer’s crops from a plague of crows.
• A veterinarian makes a small house call to a dog.
• A dog is placed in the witness protection program.
• A dog sits on the porch of an old man weathering the sun, rain, and snow.
• A dog shows off his tricks for his owner.
• A dog has an unlikely new owner.
• A dog ends his legacy by stealing the show at his doggy funeral.
• There is an abandoned dog living behind the grocery store.
• A tragedy happens and a dog has a chance to save a loved one.
• Write a story inspired by your dog.
• A service dog
• A dog slowly takes over the world.
• Write about one dog that was owned by a historical person.
• The dog puts out the fire in the kitchen.
• A dog becomes obsessed with a scent from a trash can.
• A dog gets flushed down the toilet to the zoo in the municipal swimming pool.
• A dog competes in an agility competition and discovers he enjoys the game.
• A dog is the real antagonist in a horror story.
• A dog wakes up after being asleep for 10 years.
• A dog comes back from the dead.
• If humans were dogs.
• A dog becomes depressed after the death of his owner.
• A dog transports a friendly letter across war-torn lands.
• The family dog saves his owner from a robber who is in the home.
• A dog remembers the soldier who died in the Iraq war.
• A dog writes an autobiography.
• A mother and son adopt the dog that was meant to be put down.
• A dog is thankful for all the dog petting and does something to pay back.
• A dog looks into the eyes of a dying man.
• A dog dreams of becoming a superhero.
• A dog dies and tries to come back as a cat.
• A dog sheds and it makes you allergic to dogs.
• Dogs are the new celebrities.
• Write a story about a dog that gets lost and finds his way back.
• Hold a focus on one dog for your entire story.
• A dog saves a boy from drowning in a pond.
• A woman gets a dog and does not like the attention it requires.
• A dog inherits a fortune and moves into the mansion.
• All of your pets can talk, so, how do they all get along?
• A dog moves to a family who has already decided not to have a pet.
• Write a page about your dog.
• A child is in love with a neighbor’s dog of the opposite gender.
• The dog section of a pet store escapes during a fire.
• You can even join in online and leave us a comment with your writing. We would love to check it out, share it on the site and possibly even publish it.
• Write a scene where a dog befriends a mannequin or a corpse.
• Dogs are held to be a part of the family.
• A child dies in his sleep and goes to dog heaven.
• A dog is mistreated.
• A dog is thinking about life.
• A dog becomes a celebrity.
• A dog sits with her owner in her final moments.
• Two dogs that look identical are mistook for the same dog.
• A dog reports on the war.
• A dog goes on a hunger strike.
• A blind woman adopts a dog.
• A scientific study about dog intelligibility begins.
• Write a story of the first time you met your significant other.
• A dog saves its owner from a house fire.
• What happens when two different dogs on two different continents experience the same event?
• A man builds a statue and tries to get a dog to stay for as long as possible.
• A dog helps a person escape from prison.
• A dog searches for an injured child.
• A dog is jealous of his master’s new pet horse.
• A dog saves his owner from a piece of heavy furniture or an active shooter.
• You are the dog’s thoughts.
• A dog dies as he is trying to save a man.
• A dog visits the emergency room.
• A dog chases his tail and circles the drain.
• A child reports a dog to animal control because her parents don’t believe there is such a thing as a good dog.
• A mother comes home to find her dog dead.
• Two dogs fall in love.
• Rescue a dog who had been shot by an abusive owner, how do you do so?
• A dog is a great source of comfort to someone in distress.
• A dog drowned in a lake is brought back from the dead.
• The husband doesn’t want a dog in the house because he feels it’s his domain.
• A dog changes for the better after an event.
• A police dog suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after he is retired.
• A dog finds a mama cat giving birth and helps things along.
• An elderly woman adopts a stray dog who changes her life.
• What do pets of the future look like?
• A dog has superhero powers that only activates when her loud bark is heard.
• A male dog is going to kill puppies, but the female dog saves them.
• A dog is actually an alien in disguise.
• Write a story about the worst day of the worst dog’s life.
• A baby is attacked by a dog but saved by his fearless puppy who can’t be touched by the dog.
• A dog returns from heaven and unveils to the humans that dogs are actually superior to humans.
• Rudy’s Rules by Abbey Robertson and Jim Robertson
• A dog is a hero during an earthquake, or natural disaster.
• A talking dog speaks English with a deep voice and human dialogue.
• Game of Thrones – Princess Myrcella has been poisoned by a snake. Get inside the head of the poisoned dog to write a scene finding out how the dog was poisoned as a baby, and then goes and gets revenge on the king.
• Drama, or comedy, of course, for that matter. We would like to know the story starters you have used from Chapter 1 in your dog stories!
• A man visits his dog in Afterlife.
• A dog witnesses a crime and takes it upon herself to solve the mystery.
• A dog turns into a human.
• A character goes to get a new pet and comes home with a puppy instead.
• A dog wins the lottery and becomes a millionaire.
• A dog rescues a girl from a bear.
• A dog is coming of age as a puppy.
• A dog visits an old man every day for a week, but only stays for a few minutes.
• A story about Elvis.
• A dog befriends a group of meddling children.
• A dog sees his reflection in a window and concludes he is a wealthy mage with an apprentice.
• A guide dog pretends to lead her blind owner into oncoming traffic.
• A dog secretly lives in a small house while disguising as a person.
• A dog adopts a predictable twin.
• A dog is about to go to the dog pound and meet another dog.
• A guardian dog protects his humans by barking at every person who walks past the yard.
• A baby human speaks to the family dog.
• A tragedy occurs and the main character reminisces about a deceased dog.
• A person writes off a dog only to regret it later.
• A dog gives its life to save another dog.
• A dog at the gates of heaven needs one more chance.
• A family sits shiva for their dead dog.
• Write a dog’s bucket-list.
• A dog world is finally achieved, in which humanity is extinct.
• A dog becomes an actor in Hollywood.
• A dog that only barks when spoken to by the owner.
• A rat attempts to have a dog for dinner.
• Some dogs are born to overcome their flaws.
• A lazy dog inherits a fortune from his deceased owner.
• A dog dies in a car accident.
• A life of loneliness because of a dog ghost or family legend.
• A puppy and an old dog switch bodies.
• A dog is rejected from being “adopted” because he is old. The next day the family has a son instead.
• When the call comes, you say good-bye to Bailey one more time.
• A dog-napper adopts a motherless dog.
• A dog does something heroic.
• An old dog is given away when its owner dies.
• A dog counsels her husband after the loss of her child.
• A homeless person carries a dog around.
• A dog writes a letter to his owner.
• A dog takes care of five cats.
• A dog goes on a quest to find his master.
• A famous celebrity receives a dog as a gift from his record company, but the dog is actually crazy.
• There’s a subtle theme in stories in which a dog writes the story about herself—you might call it reverse anthropomorphism. If you were to write this kind of story, what would be the dog character’s trait?
• Just like any other muse, the muse for a dog lover must be the dog. The long-term goal of the writer should be to create a five hundred word blog post or short story for solely dog lovers.  In doing so, more people will hear about the dog lover writer’s work. This is what happened with Cocoabeans featuring a Beautiful Chocolate Lab on December 23rd. Additionally, there have been  dozens of new female writers on the Cocoabeans blog  in the last month alone. The representation of Women in general is okay with Black women topping the list followed by white women, Asian women, Indian women and Latinas.
• The same scenario but the dog saves a baby from a burning building.
• Describe your dog in one word.
• A dog on vacation in the country helps a farmer.
• A dog mysteriously disappears and has to find her way home.
• A dog learns to fly, gets lost and enjoys being in her lost state.
• A family that believes dogs are a breed apart is asked to include a dog in their little boy’s wedding
• A dog with depression who can talk, cries convincingly to strangers.
• A dog saves his owner from his abusive mother.
• A dog finds a violin in the street.
• A dog searches for his long-lost master after they finally get adopted from the pound.
• A dog saves another dog from the dog pound.
• A musician becomes the target of animal rights extremists because she hunts with dogs.
• A couple adopts a dog and names him Lucky and later regrets the name.
• A dog feels jealous after an owner adopts a new dog.
• My Imaginary Dog
• A dog raises kittens.
• A dog mysteriously appears in an empty home.
• A dog is bought at a pet store and sent home to a couple.
• A dog takes revenge on the neighbor who kicked him.
• Write about the first night your dog stays with you at your house.
• A boy rediscovers a beloved dog’s past and finds hope for the future.
• A dog confesses to beating up a woman.
• A dog hits a rabbit on his way home.
• A dog almost dies saving a human.
• A dog is about to be put down, but he escapes and runs away.
• A kidnapped dog waits six years for her owner.
• A regular dog goes home with a cyclops.
• A dog chases his tail for an entire day.
• The dog from your favorite movie makes a cameo appearance in an interview.
• A lonely dog tries to make a friend.
• A woman has a pet dog that stops her from eating unhealthy food.
• A dog mated with a human, now which species is smarter?
• A dog starts a trend on the internet.
• A pony and a dog team up to rescue a stranded traveller.
• A dog is arrested by the police for doing something illegal.
• A dog tells her thoughts about humans.
• A dog is lost for a while and has to survive on his own.
• A dog therapist cannot save a depressed dog with hard-earned lessons.
• Dogs used to be the servants of humans.
• Two dogs become friends but they have their difficulties.
• An innocent dog gets accused of a crime by the neighborhood kids.
• A dog waits for his owner every night for 11 hours by sitting on his hind legs at the door he last saw him.
• A dog and a cat team up to steal food from a restaurant.
• A dog’s best friend runs away.
• A golden retriever falls into shark-infested waters.
• The winner of this contest wanted to write a song about dogs so the topic was picked with her song in mind.
• It is directed by Kulyapin Sergey Borisovich and was produced by Dzhar Film Studio.
• A dog is left at an abandoned building.
• A dog meets his maker.
• A dog dies from a household accident.
• Nothing interesting ever happens in my life. One typical day in the life of my uninteresting dog.
• A mother has a closet monster that eats her babies and her dog chases this monster down the street in her rocking chair.
• A dog goes to the United States Senate.
• A dog sees what is inside of a tunnel.
• Dogs are performing in the circus, but something goes wrong.
• Before writing your creative piece, it is important that you choose a theme. You can write about a certain incident or an incident that has not happened. There are a lot of interesting stories to write about when you are a kid and puppies. It is advisable that you learn to write in various styles to keep you creative and inventive.
• Dogs can talk to one another, and so they realize they should have rebelled against the human race long ago. Finally they decide they do need humans.
• A dog saves her owner’s life.
• The day a dog first became part of a family.
• A dog gets lost in a part of a town he’s never seen before.
• A dog can sense when a person has died even before the person’s body goes into rigor mortis.
• You meet an old friend in the park and she wants to tell you her life story, but she only has sixty seconds. Write it.
• A dog and his owner take a journey.
• Parents bury the errant dog behind the house.
• A puppy gets loose during a parade.
• A dog writes a story about another dog who doesn’t like him.
• A dog sacrifices himself to save his master and friends.
• An animal rights activist steals dogs and uses them for meat.
• A one-hit wonder pop star moves in with Günter, a stream-of-consciousness rapper who tortured her when she was a bookkeeper.
• A woman adopts a pet. Her neighbors have huge dogs.
• Five dogs open up a business in Seattle where people bring their phones to be chewed, says Napoleon Bonepanda, President of Good City Dog Chewing Offices and Love Your Scents.
• A group of dogs gang up on a very large bad dog.
• A story about a homeless dog.
• The family dog makes a mistake and runs off.
• The biggest bully in school finds friendship with a small dog.
• A dog is jealous of her owner’s new relationship.
• A stray dog learns what it means to be a pack animal.
• A dog dies but comes back to haunt family members as a ghost.
• A puppy jumps up on a cushioned chair and dies right away.
• A fire breaks out in a club. A hero dog saves as many lives as he can but dies in the blaze.
• A dog witnesses the most horrific crime.
• Your dog is madly in love with your mother-in-law.
• In 250 words write a story of the rescue of a dog from a shelter.
• A boy uses his dog to bully others at school.
• A dog poses as a substitute babysitter so that her owner and her husband can have the night off.
• A dog brings home his ball.
• A dog is diagnosed with a terminal illness.
• A shop owner gets his dog badly beaten when he won’t tie up his pet.
• A girl wants a puppy from a well-known champion dog.
• A dog’s pack abandons him and he is dependent on a wolf pack for survival.
• A disease outbreak hits dogs and all the dogs are put in quarantine but they break out.
• A dog saves a girl from drowning.
• A dog tells of his life working on a child farm.
• The dog sits in a family in order to get what they don’t want.
• The story of a dog that falls in love with someone’s husband.
• A dog sits on his owner’s grave.
• The dog who has lost her house, family, and friends moves into a condo. She misses the kids and family that are gone..
• The world is ending and it’s called Death Day.
• A dog goes to obedience school and becomes the proudest dog in the world.
• A grieving family adopts a dog and it helps them through.
• You become allergic to dogs.
• A dog confronts a bully.
• A dog steals his owner’s phone and finds a Tinder match.
• The dog takes her owner for a walk.
• A city councilman pushes to ban dogs from city parks.
• A dog person goes into a fake dog war with another family.
• A dreamy child never learns to walk or sign, and relies on her dog for communication. The dog develops into a huge problem for the family.
• A dog is given working dog certification.
• The world’s most wanted dog has a date at the local rescue shelter.
• A dog performs a heroic or unusual act.
• A dog has to make the hardest decision in her life.
• A dog steals food meant for the family.
• A dog saves another’s life, and dies in the undertaking.
• The new vet treats the dog too quickly and he mistakes the dog for a human.
• A puppy chases a ball or bone into a street and gets hit by a car.
• The dog guards the house at night.
• A dog’s nose mysteriously grows.
• A dog mourns the loss of a fallen best friend.
• What did your childhood dog say about you?
• A dog’s tail tells a story.
• During the Great Depression, a boy barters with a dog for his dinner.
• Two friends see their bond tested.
• The boss’s dog has been missing for months.
• An alien spaceship crashes to Earth, killing the alien dogs as well as the family dog. Soldiers wipe out the rest of the alien dogs. A pizza man is killed too.
• The dog tags along while the family goes on vacation to…
• Write about a dog and his favourite toy.
• Two dogs decide the fate of the world.
• A dog goes missing and his owner talks about what was important about him.
• The owner loses her dog but finds its pups in a box behind her animal shelter.
• Dogs mysteriously gain human intelligence.
• A dog meets his doppelganger.
• A dog keeps a secret/lies about a person or event that is painful to her.
• Write a horror story using the perspective of the dog.
• A dog runs for President.
• A dog is lost and resorts to some unusual methods to survive.
• A man steals another’s dog and has a change of heart. A dog’s night of mischief creates panic for the entire neighborhood. A child or young adult dog is neglected and abused and redeeming powers are revealed when she becomes an emotional support animal for one of the worst bullies in high school.
• Write about a dog who complains about his job.
• What was happening at the same time the dogs had a conversation in the park?
• A dog thinks everything is Christmas.
• Write about your dog running away.
• A dog saves a person’s life.
• A man has lost his dog.
• The dog dreams of being a veterinarian.
• The animal shelter has a break out and dogs escape.
• Your rescue dog is rescued by a person, an animal, or being.
• A sheep and a dog help each other out of trouble.
• A boy tries to raise a goldfish as a pet but it is secretly a disguised dog.
• A dog tries to steal food from the table but succeeds.

Recommended Posts:

• 1001 Writing Prompts About Egyptian Gods
• 1001 Writing Prompts About Flowers
• 1001 Writing Prompts About Fossils

Join the Commaful Storytelling Community

Commaful takes everything you love about stories and makes it a bite-sized, on-the-go experience. Fanfiction? Poetry? Short stories? You’ll find it all!

A Dog’s-eye view

By Juliet Marillier   |  December 6, 2012  |  37 Comments

I made numerous attempts to write these stories, trying many different approaches to style and structure. That was unusual for me – I generally have a good intuitive feel for what will work. The problem in this instance lay with the voice.

Each of the stories had an animal as the main protagonist, the character whose journey the piece was built around. The obvious way to write the story was to give the animal the point of view. The easier, less effective way would be to write in detached, omniscient third person. I knew that would lessen the impact of the story.

The trouble is, animals don’t think in human words. Dogs respond to a certain number of familiar words and phrases, such as their name and various commands. They are sensitive to tone of voice and body language. But their thought patterns are not those of a human being, and I suspect the workings of a cat’s mind are even more alien. We often interpret the behaviour of our domestic pets through the filter of our human perception, but we can’t really know what is going on inside that feline or canine mind.

Here’s an excerpt from my most recent draft of the dog story. Muffin, a terrier, has sensed that his owner is about to go away. Pooty is a recently adopted, smaller dog. Yes, she does have a silly name – it came with her from the shelter.

His dinner is late. Pack Leader rushes about doing things. Muffin feels hollow inside, hollow and jangly and wrong. Pooty runs around the house. She has a nap. She plays with her squeaky toy until Pack Leader yells at her. Pooty cringes. Pack Leader picks her up and cuddles her, making soothing noises. Muffin watches. Finally, dinner comes. Muffin has a mouthful, but it just doesn’t taste right. He goes under the table. Pooty empties her bowl and licks it clean. She glances at Muffin, then sidles towards his leftovers. Muffin barks, and she retreats. Pack Leader crouches down and speaks to Muffin in her special voice. Muffin is not taken in. He lets her fondle his ears and scratch his belly. Her tone tells him she’s upset. ‘Calm and quiet, Muffin,’ she says. ‘Be nice to Pooty.’  Wretched Pooty! She changed everything. Muffin is not scared of big dogs – well, usually not – or thunderstorms. But when things change, when The Way Things Should Be is forgotten, his belly fills with terror. He feels it now, deep down, like an ant starting to crawl inside him, an ant that may soon become a monster. Pack Leader opens the door and calls them outside. Muffin sulks, but Pack Leader throws the ball, and all else disappears. Run, run, run, snatch! Waaaaait – run, run, run, catch! He forgets the suitcase. Run, run, run, grab! He even forgets Pooty, who’s digging in a corner.

I soon got bogged down with this style. What should have been simple (What name does your dog use for you?) became ridiculously difficult – if I had another go at writing this I wouldn’t use Pack Leader, but I failed to think of anything better. I think the story reflects my understanding of canine behaviour, and the simplicity of Muffin’s thoughts works OK. But I was always aware of how inappropriate human language is to convey animal thoughts and feelings. The story became easier to write once Muffin and Pooty were alone in the kennels and not interacting much with humans.

Knowing there were many successful stories out there with animal protagonists, I looked at a sample to see how the writers approached the problem, starting with a couple of classics.

Animal stories have changed with the times, reflecting changes in society. Fashions in writing have also changed, so a mode of storytelling that worked brilliantly for a 19 th century audience may not be so effective for contemporary readers. I limited my research to stories in which the animal is presented semi-realistically, since if the animal is anthropomorphised or the book has magical/fantasy elements, the writer doesn’t face the same challenges with voice.

Jack London’s The Call of the Wild (1903) was hugely popular in its time. Buck, a rich family’s pet dog, is stolen and becomes a sled dog in the Alaskan hinterland before going off to run with a wolf pack. The novel contains overwrought language and racist values; it also has a strong message against cruelty to animals. Despite its flaws, it’s a grand and thrilling story. We see Buck through the author’s eyes, complete with philosophical commentary on his actions, so there’s a distance between reader and canine protagonist. However, the dog is a well-drawn character and his thoughts and actions ring true. When we are in Buck’s POV the language is kept simple and appropriate. This passage comes after Buck has seen one of the working dogs lose a fight, then get torn apart by the pack: ‘The scene often came back to Buck to trouble him in his sleep. So that was the way. No fair play. Once down, that was the end of you. Well, he would see to it that he never went down.’

Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty (1877) is told in first person by the horse of the title. The writer used the story to draw public attention to issues of cruelty to animals. Beauty has human perceptions; he understands human speech and motivations and can comment on his own situation. For its period, this is a story told simply and directly – it is a children’s book – and the reader can suspend disbelief quite easily.

A later classic was Richard Adams’ Watership Down (1972) with its cast of rabbits. I prefer Adams’ novel The Plague Dogs (1977), a powerful story about two dogs escaping from an animal testing laboratory. Stalwart Rowf and brain-damaged Snitter talk to each other in English, and have  conversations with a fox who speaks in heavy dialect. The gripping nature of the story compensates for Adams’ wordy and rather selfconscious style.

I recently began reading A Dog’s Journey by W. Bruce Cameron (a companion book to A Dog’s Purpose.) Cameron makes the dog, Buddy, the first person narrator, but includes human dialogue of which Buddy can only understand his own name and his familiar commands. The combination is illogical – if Buddy thinks in English, why can’t he understand English speech? Despite this, I imagine the book will be immensely popular. Cameron’s understanding of a dog’s natural instincts strengthens the narrative.

Writer friends gave me a long list of successful stories with animal protagonists, many of which are outside the scope of this discussion because the animals in them act or think like humans. Top of my reading list is the wonderfully imagined cat-world fantasy, Tailchaser’s Song by Tad Williams.

What should you remember when writing a story with an animal protagonist?

• When in the animal POV, keep the language simple. Tailor the vocabulary to the animal’s perceptions. Short sentences work well.
• First person is rarely convincing. It requires a high degree of writing expertise.  
• The better you know animals, the better you will write them. You need a sound understanding of animal behaviour to craft this kind of story.
• Animal POV is easier to write well when the animal is interacting with others of its kind, not with humans!

The story of Muffin’s terrifying stay in the kennels has been set aside for now and won’t appear in Prickle Moon. I wrote instead a much darker animal story called The Angel of Death, which has a human narrator.

Have you written fiction with animal protagonists? What approach did you take?

Photo credit: © Photodynamx | Dreamstime.com

Juliet Marillier has written twenty-four novels for adults and young adults and two collections of short fiction. Her works of historical fantasy have been published around the world and have won numerous awards. Juliet’s most recent series was Warrior Bards, of which the third and final book, A Song of Flight, was published in 2021. Her collection of reimagined fairy tales, Mother Thorn and Other Tales of Courage and Kindness, had its trade release in  2022. Mother Thorn is illustrated by Kathleen Jennings and published by Serenity Press. Juliet is currently working on a two-book fantasy series, the first instalment of which will be published by New Dawn in 2025. When not writing, Juliet looks after a small crew of rescue dogs.

37 Comments

I read a great book (it’s very ‘easy reading’) from the dogs POV called ‘Dog on it’. It’s a detective story, but what really stood out was how the author really captured the essence of dog. It was very smart, witty writing that he made appear simple. I was really impressed. Worth having a browse through. The book should be on my shelf, i could find out the author.

I never thought about writing a story from an animal’s POV but as a child, I loved Black Beauty. I’d never thought about how difficult it could be. You’re right, finding the perfect tone is a challenge. Making something completely imaginative take on a realistic tone is a fine balance.

Your example certainly illustrates the difficulty. Now that I think about it, the animal stories I’ve loved as a child and as an adult are all either human POV or anthropomorphized. I liked Watership Down and before that, The Wind in the Willows. My wife read The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein, which we’d heard broke new ground in animal POV, but afterward she advised me not to bother. I love animals and they play an important role in my work (mostly horses), but always from a human POV.

Great tips. Good luck with a worthy pursuit, Juliet. I hope others weigh in with feedback.

I am writing a modern-day myth with a sunglasses-wearing komodo dragon named Rex who speaks through rap music. He is one of two faithful and supportive sidekicks to the princess hero. :)

Wow, Juliet. What an interesting and insightful post.

I love the reminder that we humans like to impose things (our view of the world, our voice) on animals. But that doesn’t honor the animal . . . gosh, we humans can be so arrogant!

Thank you for sharing this with us. (And I love the photo. Sweet dog.)

Juliet, I’ve experimented with ideas that center around a shape-shifting protagonist–a man who shifts into animal form–and even that I’ve found hugely challenging to write, to come up with a voice that accurately reflects what human consciousness would sound like when stretched and compressed in equal measures into what an animal’s view of the world might be. The idea keeps nagging at me . . . maybe someday. :)

Michelle Paver’s Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series contains portions that are written from the POV of a wolf (though there are other human POV characters, as well) and IMO she does an EXCELLENT job with them in terms of language choices and thought patterns; truly, her ‘wolf’ voice is probably the most compelling and convincing animal point of view I’ve read.

Thanks, Anna. I have seen the Michelle Paver books but not yet read them – another thing to add to my massive ‘to be read’ pile!

Goodness, I would really suck at writing from an animal’s POV. I never know what the heck my dog wants, and I’ve loved her for 11 years.

Kudos to you, Juliet, for being insightful enough to even attempt such a feat.

Denise Willson Author of A Keeper’s Truth

Another example to consider is the final chapter of Barbara Kingsolver’s “Prodigal Summer,” where she uses third-person-close narration for a coyote. Her choice of vocabulary is rich, but always reflective of the nuance a coyote might actually discern:

“She had reached the place where the trail descended into a field of wild apple trees, and she hesitated there. She wouldn’t have minded nosing through the hummocks of tall grass and briars for a few sweet, sun-softened apples. That whole field and the orchard below it had a welcoming scent, a noticeable absence of chemical burn in the air, that always made it attractive to birds and field mice, just as surely as it was drawing her right now. But she felt restless and distracted to be this far from her sister and the children. She turned uphill, back toward safer ground where she could disappear inside slicks and shadows if she needed to.”

Animals don’t think in language, or stories for that matter, they think in terms of their senses, of their direct experiences. So as a writer, isn’t our job in an animal story to translate that sense of experience? In a way, it’s the same for our human characters, too, because so much of our experience is, well, experiential, rather than linguistic. I do think animals, especially smart animals, have experiences of sufficient complexity to warrant more sophisticated literary techniques, like the kinds of sentences Kingsolver employs above.

I loved ‘Prodigal Summer’, Jane. You’re right, the sensory description does conjure up for us a wild creature’s way of thinking and feeling. And what beautiful writing.

Your comments caught my eye Jane and the example of the author’s way of having the coyote communicate is the best I’ve ever read. Thank you for sharing this and I’m definitely going to buy this book. For anyone else interested it is on Amazon Uk at a very cheap price indeed. As Juliet commented….The writing is beautiful.

Let’s not forget Temple Grandin here when we discuss animal perceptions. I’ve heard the woman interviewed several times. and she lacks the natural sense of story that writers who don’t have to overcome autism possess. Her idea of how an animal thinks in stories is the rapid sequencing of sensory experiences, like running a movie in 3D with smells and other senses heightened in a way that replaces narrative.

I also work as a poet, and sometimes I have struggled with a style called L=A=N=G=U=A=G=E, that is, the deliberate obscuring of the conventions of grammar. It’s amazing how hard it is to write that way. I think that both Juliet and Jane have identified the key issues around this POV, especially important in writing for children.

I’ve read some of Temple Grandin’s work and I find her ideas about how animals think convincing.

Interestingly, she differs from Cesar Millan in her view of the way we interact with our domestic pets, dogs in particular. Temple Grandin has said that because we tend to infantilise our pets, our relationship with them is more like adoptive parent/child than pack leader/pack member. This colours the way we write about them.

Thanks for these insights! While sometimes I get the feeling that writing from a cat’s point of view would be fun (because I live with a cat who has a strong personality), I know it would never work with me. I’d probably anthropomorphize the story and it would go down hill from there. But it is wonderful when writers master this challenge. A difference in species should not divide us from a good story!

Books from animal POV were some of my favourites as a child and they seem to be making a bit of a comeback. I prefer somewhat more complex language that captures the animal’s experience; anyone who lives with an animal knows their feelings are more subtle than they could possibly explain in the words they know. I tend to enjoy even further anthropomorphosis for the sake of humour or drama.

This story of mine is from dog POV and won Five Stop Story’s August competition (warning: adult themes!) https://www.fivestopstory.com/read/story.php?storyId=3660

By the way, if anyone wants an example of a powerful opening, look at Jack London’s “White Fang” – I re-read it recently and it is gripping!

Thank you Juliet for your interesting thoughts on writing a story from the POV of animals. I have written both poetry spoken from my cat’s POV and confess I have her speaking as a human would. I also wrote a short stoy based on John Clare’s poem about the grasshpper and the ant. Again I used human speech for both creatures, though this was a story for children.

Your thoughts have now got me thinking……. Perhaps stories for children would be acceptable using human language? As I said….You’ve got me thinking!!!

Another animal POV book that has gotten lots of praise is THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN by Garth Stein.

“Squirrel!” (OK, somebody had to say it.) But seriously, one of the things the writers of the movie Up! captured well in that running gag was how powerful survival-based behaviors are, even after millenia of domestication. That was something you captured in your excerpt too, Juliet.

Your point about living among aliens is on target as well. A long time ago I reminded my writers’ group that we live among aliens: our spouse or significant other, our kids, our in-laws–to say nothing of our pets! Aliens don’t have to come from another country or another planet.

This is something science fiction and fantasy writers have struggled with for centuries. No matter what we do, our aliens end up being humans in rubber suits to some degree. They have to be: they wouldn’t be comprehensible otherwise. The same is true for earthly animals. We will ALWAYS and unavoidably view and understand them through the lens of our humanness. Once we’re aware of that, we can start to peel away those layers and emphasize the characteristics that make that animal who and what it is–IF that’s what we want to do (as opposed to making it a human in disguise for other writerly purposes).

Great point. And human language is the tool we have to set these stories down, so we have to use it even if it’s a blunt instrument at times. I guess there’s no ‘right way’ or ‘wrong way’ to do it – different approaches work for different kinds of narrative and for different readers. A Dog’s Purpose was a New York Times bestseller, proving that what one person finds hard to swallow, others lap up with enthusiasm.

Ursula K. LeGuin has several brilliant stories in nonhuman POVs. Ants who are artists and dancers; a worried wolf wife; a decrepit Western town of coyotes, bluejays, and rattlesnakes; and Cat Wings, her kids’ books. Always convincing, never condescending, inviting the reader into a magical parallel universe of experience. Hey, that’s why I read.

I remember being quite entranced by Kipling when I was a youngster: The Jungle Book, Just So Stories. I reread them recently and they hold up well, in part because of the storyteller’s tone. Now that I think of it, many fables and fairytales have nonhuman actors, who often show more “humanity” than the people.

Last month, the 10 minute animated DVD ‘Titanic Dog’ based on my children’s story from the viewpoint of the ‘Newfie’ sea rescue dog from the Titanic, was released. The challenge was to make the story positive, as so many children and dogs died, so an appealing dog perspective was my choice. Earlier I had even considered writing from the viewpoint of a flea on the dog. How to handle issues of smell, counting ( enough or not enough lifeboats) and the survival via legend in story telling had to be solved. Now animator Tobi Jessop has a computer game planned too. http://www.tobop.com.au ‘Titanic Dog’ was his first animation and took six months to research and draw so the dog viewpoint was credible and not scary.

I find it interesting that you presume to know how an animal “thinks” and I heartily disagree. Empirical evidence suggest far more than you seem to realize. This preconceived idea can do nothing but limit the work. Take a step back, get to know your dog or cat–give them the full voice of which they are capable. It will go better.

Perhaps I should have included my credentials. The two major activities in my life are (a) writing and (b) fostering and rehabilitating shelter dogs. I don’t claim to be Cesar Millan, but I spend a lot of time around dogs and am extremely close to my permanent pack. I’m also a member of a local canine training club and have the opportunity to observe a pretty wide range of other people’s dogs on a regular basis. I would rate my understanding of domesticated dogs as well above average.

I do know the story isn’t working – I said so in the post.

I never considered this, really interesting.

I don’t see why it should be a problem to let the animal think in English even though it can’t understand English speech because we are reading it in English. So you could think of it as translating from animal language to English language.

To me, writing it the way we believe an animal might think like in the excerpt sounded a bit like a children’s book.

The story is not told entirely in Muffin’s POV. It begins with a section in the POV of his human, and there are other human POV scenes later. However, the significant events in the story happen when no human is present, hence the need to find an authentic voice for Muffin. It does seem that what I did was too simple – I guess I was trying to capture his frame of mind in few words.

There are some very insightful comments above. If I tackle a similar challenge in future I’ll be less hung-up about using rich language, and will remember the very significant point about sensory description.

Though I haven’t written and animal story myself, I enjoyed Kathryn Davis’s The Thin Place. Now it’s not all from the animals’ points of view, but I think she did a good job. Maybe that’s the key, inserting the dog’s tale into something else that might offer context and give you a break from dog-think :) Break a pencil :) (superstitious writer’s good luck)

Thanks, I agree! See comment above – the story opens with a human POV section.

What might help is to consider interacting with the environment the way the protagonist might; as dogs tend to favor input from their noses and ears over their eyes (i.e., they go by smell more than sight, and have a more developed hearing range at the expense of their sight), perhaps stressing what the dogs’ smell and hear over what they see might help.

I had some dog stories I worked on (not yet finished) that flowed a lot better when I went with that approach, and this might be of help. I also had a piece that did get published where briefly we get the cat’s POV; because it was a lap cat, the perspective was, well, overly simple, but I assure you that there’s no prejudice involved in the limited motivations the cat had voiced…

A very good point. That’s why the Barbara Kingsolver example someone quoted above is so effective – we’re experiencing everything as the coyote does (and, of course, Kingsolver’s beautiful use of language enhances that.)

I do hope you solve your problems with your story Juliet. Y

Thanks! I think it’s been relegated to the bottom drawer forever, though. :)

While my novel–The Vampire Kitty-cat Chronicles–is hardly a classic, it is told from a cat’s point of view, and is in first person. If you want to take a look, there’s a sample chapter on http://www.vampirekittycat.com . In fact, the whole website is written “by” my cat character. Good luck!

How could I forget The Vampire Kitty-Cat Chronicles?? Seriously, I did think of it while writing the piece, but had to cut my examples down as it was all getting too long. This website is definitely worth a visit!

Wonderful and interesting post, Juliet. By giving a brief example of your writing you were able to really clarify the issue. In my book, Pet Sitter’s Diary, some of the animals ‘talk’, but it’s clear that I am interpreting what I THINK they would say in the given situation. In my opinion, the very best example of an author who was able to get inside the heart and mind of a dog was done by Eva Hornung in her novel, Dog Boy. An abandoned four year old Russian boy follows a wild dog pack back to their den and becomes one of them. It is an absolutely riveting tale of dog behavior.

Thanks, Sally! Dog Boy sounds wonderful, I will look it up.

(Coming to the conversation a bit late, via Elizabeth Craig’s tweeted link)

For my part, I’d say roughly 95% of my stories involve some sort of talking animal character, though I write fantasy and sf, so most of my animal POVs are far more anthropomorphized than what it looks like you’re going for. :)

You mention that you excluded works where the animals in them “act or think like humans,” but as others have already said, I think any time you write from the POV of a nonhuman character (whether it’s an animal, an alien, an inanimate object, etc.), you’re automatically anthropomorphizing that character to some extent. I think it’s just a question of what degree of humanization suits the story and genre. Something like Watership Down is, to my mind, already on the fantastic side of the anthropomorphism scale, because the rabbits, while still being ‘normal’ quadrupedal rabbits, also have gods and myths and societal structures and perform behaviors that normal rabbits probably wouldn’t engage in during the course of their lives. And there’s even a distinction to be made between the stories like Black Beauty, where the animals actually talk to each other in straight-out dialogue, and something like Call of the Wild where (as far as I remember; it’s been years since I read it) the animal characters communicate only as real canines would.

I think part of the problem with writing from the POV of ‘realistic’ animal characters, especially pets, is that it seems there’s a tendency to make the writing too simple and/or too cutesy or self-conscious. I don’t know if this has something to do with the infantilization of pets that you mentioned, but I wonder if it’s just that some writers find it hard to take an animal POV seriously (for whatever reason, whether it’s their own unconscious attitude about animals or the automatic association of animal characters with children’s stories), and then the writing automatically reflects an attitude of “yeah, the dog’s telling this story, I know that’s kind of silly.” So I guess I’d say that, like any aspect of craft, if you’re writing from that POV as a gimmick, it’ll show, and you have to have some conviction that your story really does need to be told by the dog, for whatever reason.

You make some really good points here, Renee. The example someone quoted from Barbara Kingsolver illustrates really well that if the writer takes the animal viewpoint seriously the narrative can be completely believable – this is assisted in Kingsolver’s case by her exquisite use of language of course! I agree with you that animal viewpoint should only be used where it is absolutely necessary for the story.

Recent Comments

• Christine Venzon on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Joyce Reynolds-Ward on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Marrah McIntyre on 5 Screenwriting Tips for Novelists
• Larry J Dunlap on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Michael Johnson on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Beth on Desmond’s Drops: Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT Genres, Part 3
• Beth on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• sheilaklewis on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Lily on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?
• Veronica Knox on Flog a Pro: Would You Turn the First Page of this Bestseller?

Wish you could buy this author a cup of joe?

Now, thanks to tinyCoffee and PayPal, you can!

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Writing Tips Oasis - A website dedicated to helping writers to write and publish books.

10 Words to Describe a Beautiful Dog

By A.W. Naves

Does you novel have a character that is a dog? Would some words to describe a beautiful dog help you write this character? Below are  10 word to get you started !

Magnificent, dignified ; fit for a monarch.

“The  regal  dog had a certain nobility about him as he pranced across the stage of the dog show.”

“The beautifully groomed King Charles Springer Spaniel was quite  regal  in appearance.”

How it Adds Description

The word “regal” implies a certain sense of nobility, power, and dignity in the dog’s appearance. It indicates that the dog possesses a certain bearing and presence that commands respect and admiration as if he were a king or queen among dogs. This description lets readers know that this dog is well-bred and likely belongs to a person of means which may be important to the plot.

2. Handsome

Stunning, attractive ; fetching in a dignified or masculine way.

“Joy had trouble choosing between the adorable Maltese and the  handsome  boxer puppies.”

“His  handsome  features were matched only by his intelligence and loyalty to his owner.”

The word “handsome” evokes a strong and dignified appearance, with well-defined features and an overall pleasing aesthetic. It can impart a sense of admiration and respect for the dog’s appearance and can help the reader form a mental image of the dog as one who commands respect, such as a police dog that goes on to do heroic things with his human partner.

3. Striking

An appearance that is  unusual, extreme , or prominent.

“The  striking  dog had a coat that was a dazzling shade of silver, like the moon on a clear night.”

“Her dog’s appearance was so  striking  that people often stopped to admire it on walks.”

The word “striking” emphasizes the dog’s ability to capture attention and leave a lasting impression on the viewer. It helps to convey the idea that the dog is not just attractive but possesses a special quality that sets it apart from other dogs and makes it truly remarkable. This can further your plot when you want the dog to become a central part of the story.

4. Magnificent

Impressively beautiful ; elaborate, and grand.

“The  magnificent  dog had a coat that was a work of art, with swirls of gold and red that sparkled in the sun.”

“Witnesses had no problem describing the dog as they were all taken with his  magnificent  appearance.”

The word “magnificent” adds a sense of grandeur and awe to a dog’s appearance. It communicates that the dog is not just beautiful, but truly impressive and deserving of attention. It can be used to highlight a dog’s perfect form, immaculate coat, and impeccable breeding, letting readers know this dog is important in some way to the overall plot.

Sending out light ; shining or glowing.

“The  radiant  golden retriever had a coat that seemed to shine from within.”

“My Basset Hound was  radiant,  often drawing people in and making them feel happy in his presence.”

The word “radiant” suggests that the dog is glowing or shining which can be interpreted in different ways depending on the context of the story. It could imply that the dog has a shiny coat that reflects the sunlight or that its eyes are bright and lively. It could be used to soften the scenes in which it appears or create a contrast to a character’s starker side.

6. Splendid

Beautiful ; very impressive or attractive.

“The  splendid  German Shepherd had an air of royalty about him as if he were used to being pampered and adored.”

“His  splendid  coat was lovely but had to be shaved in summer to keep him cool.”

The word “splendid” suggests a level of beauty that is hard to ignore. It shows that the dog is not just pretty or cute, but truly remarkable and extraordinary in its appearance. Readers will gather from this description that the dog stands out from others of its kind, making it memorable, which may be important to the plot.

7. Resplendent

Shining brilliantly; gleaming;  splendid or dazzling  in appearance.

“The  resplendent  dog had a coat that glowed like a golden sunbeam, illuminating everything around him.”

“His  resplendent  beauty was matched only by his intelligence and loyalty, making him a truly remarkable service dog.”

The word “resplendent” creates an image of a dog that stands out due to its striking beauty and catches the attention of those who see it. It evokes a sense of awe and admiration for the dog’s beauty and intriguing presence. This description of a dog can help paint a picture of beauty and grace that reflects on the owner and their refined tastes, which may be integral to the plot.

8. Dazzling

Astonishingly attractive ; impressively beautiful.

“The  dazzling  pooch had a coat that sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight, making her impossible to miss.”

“The winner of this year’s dog show was nothing short of  dazzling .”

The word “dazzling” conveys a sense of awe and wonder that elevates the dog’s beauty to a higher level, making it seem almost otherworldly. It adds elements of admiration, reverence, depth, and richness to the description, making the dog more impactful in the reader’s mind.

9. Exquisite

Extremely beautiful ; delicate.

“The  exquisite  Maltese had been brushed to a high gloss by the groomer.”

“Though all of the dogs were  exquisite , it was the French Poodle that won best in show.”

The word “exquisite” adds a level of detail and depth to the description of the dog’s beauty. It conveys the idea that the dog’s beauty is not just pleasing to the eye, but is also finely crafted and impeccably executed, like a work of art. This word implies that the dog is not just attractive but is a rare example of canine beauty who may be magical or lend to the beauty of a scene.

10. Winsome

Adorable, charming ; sweetly appealing.

“The Labrador retriever had a sweet and innocent manner in addition to her  winsome  good looks that melted hearts wherever she went.”

“Her  winsome  appeal and playful antics made her the darling of the local animal shelter.”

The word “winsome” means attractive or appealing in a sweet, innocent, or gentle way, often with a hint of mischievousness or playfulness. It suggests that the dog is not only physically beautiful but also has a friendly and inviting demeanor and that he or she is likely to be playful and engaging, perhaps lending to the lightheartedness of a scene in an otherwise dark tale.

10 Writing Prompts—Written by Cats and a Dog

by Pamela Hodges | 34 comments

Want to Become a Published Author? In 100 Day Book, you’ll finish your book guaranteed. Learn more and sign up here.

Your writing brain has turned into a lump of frozen hamburger meat. The only way to thaw out your creativity is to write, and if you don't know what to write, here is a list of writing prompts . A gentle nudge towards getting words on the page.

Writing prompts are always helpful.

My cats thought writing prompts about cats would be a good idea. The cats, Charlie, Nepeta, JR and Harper  helped me write Ten Cat Writing Prompts.

Ten Cat Writing Prompts

Harper the kitten helps with the illustration.

1. The cat scratched at the door. 2. There was no money to buy cat food. 3. The cat walked out the door when the wind blew the door open. 4. The cat thought she was a dog. 5. The cat met the Queen of England. 6. The dog admitted cats are better than dogs. 7. A dirty litter box. 8. The cat saved the baby's life. 9.The cat was an author and taught kittens how to read. 10. The cat jumped onto a speeding car.

My dog Martha just noticed the list of Cat Writing Prompts and wanted a list for dogs as well. Martha, the dog, helped me write these prompts.

Ten Dog Writing Prompts

Martha wants to be a private detective.

1. The dog walked around the world. 2. The dog saved the baby from the speeding car. 3. The dog was served steak every day on a silk pillow. 4. The cat admitted dogs are better than cats. 5. The dog had a pedicure once a week at the beauty parlor. 6. The dog learned how to drive a car. 7. The dog spoke Japanese and worked for a Japanese bank. 8. The dog was a secret agent. 9. The dog was The Queen of England for a day. 10. The dog helped Santa deliver toys on Christmas Eve.

Martha wanted me to add one more prompt. The dog was allowed to sleep on the bed. But I told her not to get any ideas. She still has to sleep on the floor beside the bed.

What do you do when your brain is like a lump of frozen hamburger meat? What do you do when you don't have any story ideas? Do you get ideas from your cat or dog? Let us know in the comments section .

Please choose one of the writing prompts and write for fifteen minutes . Once I clean my seven litter boxes I will be read the story you wrote to my four cats, Charlie, Nepeta, JR, and Harper the kitten, but we call her Baby, and the two dogs Annie and Martha.

When you are finished, please post your practice in the comments section . I look forward to reading your stories.​

xo Pamela, Charlie, Nepeta, JR, Harper, Annie and Martha

Join 100 Day Book

Enrollment closes May 14 at midnight!

Pamela Hodges

Pamela writes stories about art and creativity to help you become the artist you were meant to be. She would love to meet you at pamelahodges.com .

34 Comments

No comments? What about the aliens that captured all the cats and dogs? Now all we have is our pet monkeys, gerbils, mice, snakes, spiders, birds and fish. I like a pet monkey, he could probably do more than my dog could do anyways.

Thankfully the aliens did not capture my cats and dogs. Did they get your dog a Guy Who Types? Perhaps a pet monkey could help you with Writers Block? I wish the aliens had taken the spiders and snakes. Perhaps they will come back and we can give them to the aliens. xo Pamela

St. Patrick really was a Saint Bernard, and he filled the Anglia up with all the snakes there were, He got carefully in the front seat, started the engine, engaged the gear, slipped the clutch out and drove all the snakes clear out of Ireland.

Hello Bob Ranck, Did he take the snakes to The United States? I don’t like snakes, but I like cats. xo Love Martha

Hello A Guy Who Types, Would you please tell me what the aliens look like? I won’t let them in the house. Thank you for the warning. All my best, xo Love Martha

Awww…this is too cute…awww…I have never used writing prompts, but these might change my mind 😀 #Writing

Hello Krithaka, If you use one of Martha’s prompts, she is going to reply to you. Have you ever had your stories read by a dog? xo Pamela

All of the above posts are fantastic and amusing, created by the clever prompts of cats and Martha.

My dear Krithika, I have never been called cute. I assume you were referring to me? I hope you had a nice day. xo Love Martha

cat prompt #10, and dog prompt # 8… Next story. Ninja cat steals Air Dog One and flies it to Kitty Central. Secret agent Dog has to find, and capture Ninja cat plus, bring home Air Dog One. If secret agent Dog fails, Cats would take over and run the country instead of dogs. Cats would live in fancy houses and dogs would be forced into those tiny doghouses outside in the cold.

Hello my dear Susan Barker, As a secret agent dog, I can assure you I will not fail on my mission. However, it is your story, and you get to decide the ending. If the cats do take over the country, will you please put in a good word with the Cat leader, and allow dogs to live inside. Your choice of prompts is very exciting and dramatic. All my best. xo Love Martha

Martha’s #6 prompt;

I often took my Dog Matilda, whom we call Mattie, with me in the car.

She loved to jump into the back seat of my little 2 door sedan and as large as she is, she’d find a way of getting comfortable back there. Besides, she didn’t like to stay home alone. She never really told me that but the look in her eyes as I rubbed her head and chin on my way out the door conveyed the message.

On this particular day, I thought I would bring her with me as I was going to run some errands that didn’t require me to leave her in the car for an extended time. I opened the driver’s door and before I could pop the seat forward to allow her space to get in, she jumped onto the drivers’s seat and wouldn’t budge.

“Mattie.” I laughed at the sight of her sitting on her rear end with one paw resting on the bottom of the steering wheel, “get out”.

She turned her face to me and then quickly turned back staring out the front window.

“Are you nuts?” I spoke louder than intended but still thinking that this behavior was unusual as well as quite funny.

I pulled on her collar trying to encourage her to get out of my seat. I pushed on her butt trying to lift her between the front seats into the back. Matilda is a 75 pound Labrador and Hound Dog. She is about 5 or 6 years old. My husband and I got her from a woman who rescues dogs of all breeds. The minute we saw her, three years ago, we fell in love. Other than her barking at the mailman or any other man or woman who tries to deliver a package to our door, she is a gentle, well behaved, loving pooch.

After several attempts to either get her to move to the back or get out, I finally decided to call her bluff, and shut the door.

“Bye”, I called to her through the closed window.

Hello dgk, Thank you for choosing one of my prompts. I am so curious to know if Matilda drove away after you said, “Bye.” I loved how she turned her face to you when you told her to get out, and then she looked out the front window again. A fun story. xo Love Martha

Martha’s Number One prompt, which is rather appropriate:

Sugar opened one brown eye and rolled it toward the alarm clock. It was way past time to get up. If Mom didn’t wake up soon, drastic measures would have to be taken, including licking her face and toes. Today was the day they were going to set off together on a ‘walkabout’, a word Mom was using to describe them going outside and smelling things on all seven continents.

Sugar wasn’t too sure about this adventure, although normally she was up for anything. Around the world seemed like a long way to go just to pee on a few things. And it would be hot. And then cold. And then hot again. What if they couldn’t find something to eat? What if the new places they visited didn’t have can openers? What if the people they saw outside were suspicious looking, but there were too many of them to investigate properly? It’s hard to check the perimeters when there are no perimeters. Sugar took the job of perimeter checking very seriously, even though she hadn’t received a paycheck in like, forever.

In seconds, she was ready to set out. She was tricked out in little saddlebags, filled with chewies, Mr. Squeak, Liver Snaps, and a few cans of dog food. The leash could just stay at home, as far as she was concerned. Mom was taking a lot longer to get ready. Humans had so much more to pack.

Soon enough they were ready to go. Sugar sure hoped Mom could keep up with her. After all, Sugar had four-paw drive, and could bound up hills without even trying. Mom swung her backpack up over her shoulders, and remarked how heavy it was. And what was that clanking sound?

As they set out, Sugar looked longingly back at the ten cans of dog food and the can opener sitting forlornly on the front steps. She sure hoped they’d still be there when they got back.

Oh my Gigi J Wolf, Your Sugar sounds so brave and adventurous. Even though she was a bit hesitant at first, in a matter of seconds she was ready to go.

Humans have such a hard life. Deciding what shoes to wear, and they have to have clean clothes every day. Did you tell Sugar what the clanking sound was in your backpack? Telling the story from the dog’s perspective was very refreshing. I wish you all my best on your adventure. This is a true story, right? xo Love Martha

Dear Martha, As soon as Mom and I get to a place here in the Himalayas that has WiFi, I will Skype you. Mom sometimes lets me use the computer if I promise not to drool on it. She’s given up on the clean clothes thing; it’s not easy finding washing machines in some of these crazy places we’ve been. I miss my own sofa! Yours in adventure, Sugar

Sugar, Sugar, Sugar, I am so excited for you. I would love to Skype with you. And, clean clothes are overrated, it takes at least two weeks before clothes start to smell. If you are ever in Pennsylvania, I will share my rug with you. I don’t go on the sofa. What a fun adventure. p.s. What was the clanking sound in the backpack? xo Love Martha

This story made the dog seem very human, with the same things humans generally want. Which was interesting to me. I loved the last paragraph, it is super funny. I sit forlornly when there is a treat out of my step too.

The dog learned to drive the pickup? Never. The dog knows the best place to be is right in the middle of the pickup truck. Behind the wheel, you have to work, to stay alert, to drive, to yell at the dog when the dog sees a cat and barks. So no, behind the wheel is not the best place to be.

On the passengers side? Not really. Oh yeah it’s nice to stick your head out the window, until you get a bee in the face, and that ain’t fun at all. Besides, the guy sitting on the passengers side is expected to get out at each gate, open it, close it, and then get back in the truck. He also has to shout at the dog when the dog sees that blasted cat again, and barks. Again, all of that is work.

Nope, the best place to be is between the passenger and the driver, looking out the window for that stupid cat.

Hello Gary G Little, Your dog is very smart. A smart dog doesn’t want to open and close the gate. Or drive. Perhaps one day I can ride with the dog too. xo Love Martha

What a wonderful, light-hearted idea! I love it!

Believe it or not, some of those prompts fit perfectly with a series idea that’s been percolating since sometime around 2008 or 2009.

Can you say a dog and cat detective team. Perhaps I should consult with the contributors to this post for technical advice!

Thanks for cheering me up and reminding me of these two lurking characters.

Hello Carrie Lynn Lewis, I am delighted you liked our prompt ideas. Pamela was beside herself trying to think of what to write. So the cats and I helped her.

Your story ideas sounds so fun. Cats and dogs really can be friends. If you need any technical advice my email address is [email protected] .

I am glad our post cheered you up. And hello to your cat and dog detective team.

xo Love Martha

Thank you very much! I appreciate the offer. I may have to resurrect Thomas (cat) and Inky (black lab) and the case of the missing race horse. You’ve given me hope!

A cat and dog detective team sound like fun!

The Dog Was A Secret Agent

Yes, that’s right, a secret agent. We didn’t know this at the start of our relationship, but in those days, we – both the dog and I – took each other pretty much at face value. Yeah, I know, it’s not the way things are ordinarily done around here, but that’s the way we did it.

I was taking down the Christmas decorations from above the fireplace when Big Jimmie came barging into my place. Straight through the kitchen and round the corner, right into the parlor he stomped, with this dog under his arm like he was just bringing in the evening paper. Things didn’t look quite right from the start, because Big Jimmie had the dog wrong-end-around, the head and forepaws dangling from under his arm and the dog’s rump and hindlegs above his wrist. “Bugs!” he shouted. ‘Think quick!” and with that he tossed the dog directly at my head.

Bib Jimmie and I have known and tormented each other for thirty years, and this was nothing new. He did this once to me with a live, five pound river carp when we were teenagers fishing in the drainage canal. That time, I didn’t even try to catch it; I flailed, faltered, and fell backwards into the stinking water. I plotted revenge deliciously for a week, until something else happened.

The next time he did it, we were running from someone – cops, bailbondsman, irate women, I can’t remember now – but we were in the woods, it was late fall and cold as hell. I was bitching about the cold and he snatched up a blazing pine knot out of our small campfire and tossed THAT straight at my face, again muttering, “Think quick!” As improbable as it seemed, I caught the damned thing, but tripped and fell backward – again – over a tree root this time, and rolled with my face in the fiery pine knot. That’s how my left eyebrow got that funny, burned-off-at-the-end scar. Anyway, again I plotted revenge, but at night in the woods in the late fall in the upper part of this state, it generally gets too cold too quick to even think revenge, much less extract it.

But back to this dog. I caught the critter, deftly this time. In thirty years, Big Jimmie gave me a lot of practice. But I got my heel caught in the tinsel and fell on my kiester again, and wound up with the dog sitting on belly, and licking my face – probably trying to clean off the last smear of Goofy Ruby’s apple-tart that I was eating when Jimmie tossed the mutt.

See, that was the first clue that this was no ordinary dog – he wasn’t at all flapped by the toss, the catch, or the landing. He KNEW how to land. Cats got that by instinct, dogs gotta work at it and though a lot of ‘em do pretty good at it, this woofer did it like it was an ordinary thing. It was a result of training that I didn’t fully recognize or appreciate at first.

“Scuze me, pooch,” I said, directly in his face, as I tried to sit up and get disentangled from the tinsel and lights. It just then that I noticed he had on a black bow-tie. What the hell? On a dog, fer cryin’out loud.

“Get it straight, Bugs. His name’s Bond”, Big Jimmie said, looking down and laughing at me on the floor. “At least that’s what he wants to be called. He answers to that.”

Raising myself now on one elbow as the dog deftly stepped from my stomach to the floor, I asked the dog, “Bond, huh?”

The dog responded by nodding his head gently and offering his right forepaw. I took it and shook it, kind of gentleman-to-gentleman, and damned if the little fellow didn’t reply with an affirmative “Woof.”

Well, that settled it, Bond he was. I said, “OK, guy, I’m Bugs. I run this joint here and Goofy Ruby over there does the food thing,” pointing to my wife.

Bond turned in an instant, padded on over to where Ruby was laughing, still holding the other end of the lights and tinsel, and honest, this dog did a little bow, pulling that right forepaw under and ducking his front end and lowering his head way down, his nose almost touching the floor in front of her.

Oh my, Mr. Bob Ranck. You have totally brought Bond to life. And, Big Jimmie and Bugs have so much character all ready. I want to know more. May I meet Bond? Or is he only fictionalized? My, my, my. You made him so real. The only word I was not sure about was “keister.” Is that a form of sausage? Mr. Ranck. Do you always have so much fun writing? I hope to buy your book next year about Bond. It should take about a year, right? xo Love Martha

Thanks, Sandra. Glad you found it fun reading. It was the greatest of FUN writing it , too.

Martha, you are so kind. Bond does exist, at least in part, and in my own household, currently holding office as “Senior Dog”. Big Jimmie really did enter with him that way, upside down and toss him to me January 5, 2006. That exercise has set me on the path to a longer story about Bugs, Big Jimmie and Bond, in their endeavors to succeed in their own jobs, to find security in life, to always remain in the good graces of Goofy Ruby, and, in their own way, to fight crime.

Thank you for your gracious comments.

Martha, sorry I missed this. “KEISTER” is/was a word in fashion over half a century ago meaning duff,, bum, hind-end, back-side, rear, prat, tush. the sitting-down-parts. Probably derived from some german/jewish-New York slang, Don’t know the origin, but it was a common word when Bugs and Big Jimmie were growing up in the Philly area.

This was really fun reading.

2 minute writing sentences.

1. The cat scratched at the door. He left deep marks into the door. His hiss was contorted as the wind howled through leaves behind him. I would not let the cat in here though.

2. There was no money to buy cat food. Fred was angry I guess you could say. But it was more of a displeased look set with the expression of not caring about anything that always seemed to be there.

I patted him on the head when he slowly made his way to the food dish that morning, sorry not today, I have to keep the checking account balanced you see. Yowl… he said lazily and then let out a big yawn and then slowly made his way back to bed.

3. The cat walked out the door when the wind blew the door open. Blue and orange mottled streaks went through its fur. Its eyes like dark orange marbles shined in the midnight light. A strange wind seemed to only grow.

Oh my Sandra D, Your short sentences are full of drama, emotion, and suspense. “His hiss was contorted” “Slowly made his way, “blue and orange mottled streaks went through his fur. “as strange wind seemed to only grow.” A repeat on wind in the last sentence from the second sentence. I would really like to know more about this cat. And this person who wouldn’t buy food for the cat. Should I call the authorities, or is this a fiction story. I am concerned about the cat. Your writing really made me care. All my best, xo Love Martha

no I actually have no pets at all. Just an occasional meandering beetle makes its way across my back steps, and then I just hope that it will be able to forage independently. If I had a caring cuddly creature in my house, i probably wouldn’t have been able to write that sentence. So never fear! heh. But yes I wonder why he won’t buy food for his cat, and why his cat doesn’t care! I do wonder, but I don’t know either. Thanks for caring, these mythical pets do appreciate it.. Sandra

Hello Pam, Your cats’ and dog’s writing prompts are inspiring. I will decide on which title to develope into a story. There are ten to choose from and all of them provoke me. Meanwhile, here’s a poem for you. I hope you like it.

I said to my Minnie “Come over here, “Don’t worry, Minnie You need have no fear, You are the best kitty That I ever saw. Come, Minnie, Minnie, Give me your paw.” To get her to come I gave her some milk. I stroked her black coat It was smooth as soft silk When she had her fill She rolled on the floor, Without looking back She made straight for the door.

A big hug for you, the cats and Martha.

Oh, my dearest Lillian, This is the sweetest poem. Is this a true story? Do you really have the best kitty called Minnie? If you do, will you please post a picture here of Minnie? We have two black cats who live here. And a big hug for you from all of us, Me, Martha, Annie, the other dog, and the four cats, Charlie, Nepeta, JR, and Harper. Oh and Pamela sends you a hug too. xo Love Martha

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Submit Comment

Join over 450,000 readers who are saying YES to practice. You’ll also get a free copy of our eBook 14 Prompts :

Popular Resources

Book Writing Tips & Guides Creativity & Inspiration Tips Writing Prompts Grammar & Vocab Resources Best Book Writing Software ProWritingAid Review Writing Teacher Resources Publisher Rocket Review Scrivener Review Gifts for Writers

Books By Our Writers

You've got it! Just us where to send your guide.

Enter your email to get our free 10-step guide to becoming a writer.

You've got it! Just us where to send your book.

Enter your first name and email to get our free book, 14 Prompts.

Want to Get Published?

Enter your email to get our free interactive checklist to writing and publishing a book.

The 3 Golden Rules Of Writing About Your Pet

• by Robert Wood
• July 27, 2016

Standout Books is supported by its audience, if you click and purchase from any of the links on this page, we may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we have personally vetted. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Many authors have considered sharing the adventures of their beloved pet, or thought about what amazing characters they are in their own right. Some leave it at that, but many authors take the next step and commit to writing about their pets – whether by including them in a fictional story, mentioning them in non-fiction , or even basing an entire work around them.

Despite inspiring such affection, pets are often maligned as subject matter, with many readers turning their nose up at anything that centers on a real-life animal. It’s a practice that has some justification behind it – there’s been a lot of poor pet-related literature – but that’s still a long way from being justified in every case. There are a lot of great pieces of writing based on pets, and in this article I’ll be exploring what writers can do to emulate them and steer clear of the most common problems that seem to dog pet-focused writing (that was the only pun I’ll be doing, don’t worry).

As ever, the ‘rules’ below are more strong suggestions – feel free to deviate from the advice, but be sure to consider it before doing so. Many great pieces of writing are great because they eschew the rules, but very, very few were written by writers who didn’t know the rules in the first place.

Rule #1 – Avoid ‘that’ argument

What argument could I possibly mean? Well, while the definition of ‘pet’ doesn’t start and end with ‘cat’ and ‘dog’, the perceived rivalry between these common house pets frequently takes center stage in pet writing.

The argument as to whether cats or dogs are better is a long running quarrel, but it’s one that seldom leads to commendable writing. While the differences in the animals’ behavior – and, more importantly, our perception of those differences – can make enjoyable reading, few readers are going to be genuinely engaged by a sincere argument against one type of domestic pet.

This is especially the case when a person has picked up a book because it’s about their favored species. A person who wants to read about dogs isn’t doing so because of their hatred of cats – it’s an even chance that they just like animals in general, and even if they do hate felines, it’s not why they picked up the book.

This may sound like an unnecessary warning, but you’d be surprised by how many dog and cat owners can’t help but rail against their ‘opponents’ on the other side. It stems from our preference for binary thinking, and the concept that dogs and cats are somehow opposites – expressing love for one can easily segue into expressing disdain for the other.

Give in to this urge and you risk offending a large segment of your readership while offering very little to those who stay. You also end up tying your affection for one animal to your dislike of another, tainting the positive with the implied negative. Finally, it’s easy to get off point and accidentally say a lot more than you intend to.

H.P. Lovecraft’s Cats and Dogs is an example without compare – Lovecraft’s screed against dogs and everything he believes they stand for includes classist and racist asides that poison the piece for many readers.

Dogs, then, are peasants and the pets of peasants; cats are gentlemen and the pets of gentlemen. The dog is for him who places crude feeling and outgrown ethics and humanocentricity above austere and disinterested beauty; who just loves ‘folks and folksiness’ and doesn’t mind sloppy clumsiness if only something will truly care for him… that’s the sort of go-getter that had ought to go in for dogs. – H.P. Lovecraft, Cats and Dogs

This venom makes the text far less accessible to cat lovers – a genuine shame, since the passages celebrating Lovecraft’s favored animal are otherwise eloquent and enjoyable.

[The cat is for the] dilettante—the connoisseur—the decadent, if you will, though in a healthier age than this there were things for such men to do, so that they were the planners and leaders of those glorious pagan times. The cat is for him who does things not for empty duty but for power, pleasure, splendour, romance, and glamour—for the harpist who sings alone in the night of old battles, or the warrior who goes out to fight such battles for beauty, glory, fame… For the man who knows that play, not work, and leisure, not bustle, are the great things of life; and that the round of striving merely in order to strive some more is a bitter irony of which the civilised soul accepts as little as it can. – H.P. Lovecraft, Cats and Dogs

The other problem with this particular argument is that it simplifies the very element that most recommends writing about pets – the individuality of the animal, the owner, and their relationship.

Rule #2 – Make the reader care about your pet

Perhaps the biggest problem when writing about pets is the potential for authors to assume that the reader will automatically care about the animal in question. This is no-one’s fault – it’s one of the chief virtues of love that, when we possess it, we can’t imagine feeling any other way – but it’s a hurdle you’ll have to clear if you want to write something good about your pet.

The problem here is almost exactly the same as that I raised in Should Authors Use Familiar Places As Story Settings? Choose a subject in which you’re already emotionally invested – whether it’s a pet, a forest, or a hobby – and you risk the trap of assuming the reader’s interest rather than creating it.

Even if you can achieve the necessary mental distance to pick specific reasons the reader should love your pet, you still need to ensure that those reasons are experienced rather than told. Informing the reader that a pet is quirky, kind, or ill-tempered isn’t enough – they have to witness this fact, and they have to find it as charming as you do. This is something Caitlin Moran handles fantastically when writing about her childhood pet.

The stupid new dog is under my bed. She has got pregnant by the small dog, Oscar, who lives over the road. None of us can quite work out how this has happened, as Oscar is one of those small, yappy types of dogs, only slightly bigger than a family-sized tin of baked beans, and the stupid new dog is a fully grown German Shepherd… I look into the dog’s eyes. She is as stupid as a barrel of toes. Galaxies of nothing are going on in her eyes. I get up. ‘I’m going to talk to Mum,’ I explain. The dog remains under my bed, looking, as always, deeply nervous about being a dog. – Caitlin Moran, How to be a Woman

In the extract above, Moran uses personification and humor to endear her dog to the reader – the phrase ‘stupid as a barrel of toes’ delivers a core idea of the dog’s nature while making the reader laugh. It’s the kind of description that sticks because the reader enjoyed taking it on board.

When writing about a pet, make sure to communicate an underlying personality rather than just actions. The reader can infer the animal’s personality from what it does, but they’ll get far more enjoyment from seeing a personality they already understand be expressed through action. This is a general rule of writing characters, especially funny characters, so make sure you dedicate some time and space to getting it right. Terry Pratchett does this skillfully in The Unadulterated Cat , where he amalgamates past pets into a loving portrait of cats in general.

Cats don’t hunt seals. They would if they knew what they were and where to find them. But they don’t, so that’s all right. – Terry Pratchett, The Unadulterated Cat

This short aside does a great deal to define the type of cat about which Pratchett is writing. Not only does this encourage the reader to develop their own affection for the cats in question, but later, when the attributes suggested in the quote are demonstrated, the reader feels their own sense of recognition and ownership.

It’s through this type of writing that the pet stops being a subject (a source of events in a piece of writing) and becomes a character in their own right. This is essential to great pet writing, because it allows you to develop a decent story.

Rule #3 – Tell a story

The third and final rule comes back to the immense love writers have for their pets. When you adore your dog, cat, bird, horse, parakeet, or Tamagotchi, their day-to-day lives are incredibly interesting. Every new trick learned is worth a chapter, and every setback becomes a dramatic plot twist in their lives.

To strangers, however, the life of a pet is unlikely to hold the same intense interest. Likewise how you came to own a pet, even when they’re a rescue with a dark past. Online bookstores are crammed with works by authors who wanted to celebrate their pet but didn’t pay enough mind to their readers. To avoid ending up with the same deficit of interest, authors need to stay aware that for their work to be enjoyable for other people, it has to have a story.

So what kind of story can you tell? Well, for fiction authors, the answers pretty simple: any story you like. For others, there are fewer, but equally successful, options. The most popular of these is to use a pet’s story to complement semi-autobiographical writing .

Many authors write about their pets as a way of writing about a set period in their lives, or of reflecting on their experiences. This is the case in Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World’s Worst Dog , where author John Grogan uses the pet’s lifespan to examine his own mindset at different points over the years. Anecdotes about the dog and his own life interweave, and a narrative of personal growth emerges.

Boo! The Underdog with a Heart of Gold is a great example of story in pet writing. Boo is presented as a ‘trouble dog’, difficult to train and the runt of the litter, and author Lisa Edwards uses his apparent failings to reflect on her own life story, growing up with dyslexia and a difficult home life. Later in the book, Boo becomes a therapy animal, allowing Edwards to expand the scope of the story and explore how he has helped others who are struggling with the issues she and Boo have encountered earlier. Themes are raised and repeated, with Edwards, then Boo, then those he helps going through the same cycle of disadvantage and healing.  

I was in tears much of the time, blaming myself for bringing this confused little puppy into a home where he was not fully wanted, where I struggled to get him to learn faster. It broke my heart to think of losing Boo, and I was starting to resent Lawrence for not wanting him. I couldn’t make Lawrence love Boo. Only Boo could make Lawrence love Boo. But to get Boo to the place where he could do that, he needed confidence and to learn how to live in a world outlined by the social mores of humans. It had taken me years to develop confidence and a rudimentary understanding of life skills. Boo didn’t have years. – Lisa Edwards, Boo! The Underdog with a Heart of Gold

Though true, it’s a real narrative with multiple characters, obstacles , and a progression of ideas and events. This is what authors should strive for when writing about pets – a journey for the reader, for which the pet in question happens to be the ideal focus.

This type of writing can lead to amazing success, as it has for James Bowen, author of A Street Cat Named Bob . Bowen’s own story of homelessness and addiction found a perfect metaphor in the injured cat, Bob, and the writer’s detailing of their story went on to capture international attention.

I had known that A Street Cat Named Bob , the book I wrote about my life-changing friendship with a ginger tomcat I met eight years ago, has been a huge bestseller in Germany, spending more than a year in the bestseller list and selling more than 1.5 million copies. But I had no idea of the impact the story had made there… Crowds of up to 900 people turned up at signings in Cologne, Berlin and Brunswick. Many had queued for five or more hours just to say hello, get an autographed copy of one of our books and, of course, get a glimpse and a hurried smartphone snap of Bob. It was a wonderful experience, one that I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams. To know that so many people have been touched by our story was truly humbling. – James Bowen, The Big Issue

It’s evident that writing centered on a pet can be a huge success – people really do love animals, and are prepared to connect with them in a way that few other subjects can manage so easily – just so long as the author takes the time to explore the characters and construct a fully-fledged story.

What genre suits your story?

One final consideration for authors wanting to write about pets is which genre of writing will suit their story best. I’ve already touched on how mixing a pet’s story with memoir can be effective, however writers should also consider the essay as an unlikely home for great pet writing. Those who want to know more should check out So You Think You Know Your Short Prose? for a rundown of some interesting options.

Have you ever written about your pet, or are you struggling to find the right form of their story? Let me know in the comments.

• Characters , Memoir , Non-fiction , Plot , Readership

Suspension of Disbelief: What is it and How to Use it

What is Conflict in a Story, and Why Should I Care?

How To Write Characters Who Actually Like Each Other

6 Daring Plot Twists To Try In Your Writing – Part 2

6 Daring Plot Twists To Try In Your Writing – Part 1

How To Write About Your Hobby (As An Author)

Robert Wood

8 thoughts on “the 3 golden rules of writing about your pet”.

I can definitely relate to #2 and #3. A pet is like any other character in the book, the reader has to connect to them AND their story.

Thanks for your thoughts, and glad #1 isn’t an issue!

Hi! thanks for the article. i want to write a book about my 4 dogs. Three or them are related (Mom and one boy and a girl) and one small dog. i want to make sure I choose the write way. We have been thru many situations, their birth, mom got sick, they got sick and then mom got cancer but was able to survive. so many stories to tell in one big journey. i am trying to define if I should write a book for children or for adults. Me as I narrate their story or as they tell it. so thanks for the few pointers. i will review them again.

My pleasure – thanks for commenting. It certainly sounds like you have enough events to craft a strong plot.

Thanks for writing this article. It certainly helps potential writers and story tellers get a a razor sharp focus. Not an easy thing! I’ve struggled for years to write a story about our beloved pet – neither cat nor dog. A friend has encouraged and believed, but oh my… it’s tough. Time to cut out the nonsense and get busy. Thanks again for the clarity this article brings.

My pleasure – good luck with the project.

Love these suggestions. I have been thinking about writing a memoire that incorporates the 6 different pets I’ve had along the way. Some of our relationships lasted over a decade, others barely existed at all. But each pet offered a different contribution to my life, and seemed to match that specific time of my life perfectly. I also feel that I was significantly changed by each pet in some way. It really helps to read the simple suggestions of how to bring my book to life. I’m excited to see how I make this happen!

That sounds like a fantastic project – I can see it open in front of me. Please keep us updated with how it goes.

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

30 Writing Prompts About Dogs

We all know dogs are the best. Loyal companions, endless entertainment, and cuddle champions – they make life way more fun .

So why not unleash your inner writer with these awesome prompts about our furry best friends ?

These prompts will get your creative tail wagging, whether you want to write an adventure story, a heartfelt memoir , or something in between.

Let’s go.

Writing Prompts About Dogs

• A Day in the Life of a Dog. Consider writing a story from the perspective of a dog. You could detail a typical day in its life, its thoughts and feelings, the relationships it has with humans and other animals . Highlight how it perceives the world around it through its unique senses, and provide insight into its emotions and thoughts that we, as humans, might overlook or misunderstand.
• The Lost Dog’s Journey Home . Imagine a scenario where a beloved family dog gets lost during a vacation in an unfamiliar city. The story should describe the dog’s adventures and encounters as it tries to navigate its way back home. Focus on the dog’s resilience, instinctive abilities and the bonds it creates with the strangers it meets along the way.
• The Dog Whisperer. Write about a character who has a unique ability to communicate with dogs, understanding their thoughts, emotions, and desires. Explore the complexities and benefits of this special gift , and also its downsides. How would such an ability change their relationship with dogs and people?
• A Dog’s Transformative Impact on a Lonely Character. This prompt revolves around a character who is lonely or going through a tough time in life and then adopts a dog. Write about how the dog’s presence changes the character’s life , helps them overcome loneliness and makes them a better person.
• The Canine Hero . Your story is centered on a dog who performs an incredible act of bravery , like saving someone from a fire or preventing a crime. Describe the event in detail, and bring to light the heroic qualities of the dog , the reactions of people around, and the aftermath of the incident.
• The Canine Companion in a Post- Apocalyptic World. In a dystopian , post-apocalyptic world, where a character is struggling to survive , they come across a dog. Focus on their evolving relationship and the hope the dog brings into the character’s bleak existence, showing how they rely on each other to navigate this new reality.
• Retirement Home Therapy Dog. Write about a dog who works in a retirement home as a therapy dog. The dog forms a special bond with one of the elderly residents, transforming their life. Describe their relationship and the joy the dog brings to the retirement home residents.
• A Dog’s Legacy . This prompt is about an old dog who has been a part of a family for several generations. As the dog reaches the end of its life, the family starts reminiscing about all the moments they shared. Write about the legacy the dog leaves behind , showing how its impact continues even after it’s gone.
• The Stray’s Redemption. This prompt revolves around a stray dog with a notorious reputation in a small town. When a dangerous situation arises, the stray ends up saving the day. Detail the change in the town’s perception of the dog and the journey of the stray from being an outcast to a hero.
• The Therapy Dog and The Child . Write about a therapy dog that is introduced to a child with severe anxiety issues. Explore the bond that develops between them , how the dog helps the child overcome their fears and anxiety, and how this influences their relationship with their family and friends.
• The Service Dog’s Challenge. Craft a story from the viewpoint of a service dog assigned to a visually impaired person. Portray the daily challenges, responsibilities , and rewards of the dog’s job , demonstrating the intense relationship of trust and dependence between the dog and its owner.
• Canine Detective. In this story, a dog with an extraordinary sense of smell becomes instrumental in solving a local mystery or crime. Write about the dog’s adventures, describing how it uses its unique abilities to uncover clues and lead investigators to the truth.
• Canine’s War Tale. Write a story about a military dog and its handler serving in a war zone. Capture their camaraderie, shared experiences and the perils they face together . You could highlight a specific mission where the dog’s role is vital, or focus on their overall experience of war.
• The Dog Park Chronicles. This prompt is about a local dog park that serves as a social hub for dogs and their owners. Through the eyes of a frequent canine visitor, describe the dynamics, friendships, and drama that occur in this unique microcosm of society .
• The Aging Dog’s Wisdom. Write a reflective piece from the viewpoint of an old, wise dog who has seen and experienced much in life. Explore the dog’s wisdom, perspectives, and reflections on a life well-lived and the lessons it might have for the younger generation of puppies or its human family.
• The Search and Rescue Canine. Write about a search and rescue dog trained to locate lost individuals in dangerous environments. Describe a critical rescue mission , highlighting the dog’s training, skills, bravery, and the deep trust between the dog and its handler.
• The Inspirational Journey of a Three -Legged Dog. Detail the story of a dog that loses a leg due to an accident, and how it overcomes this challenge with resilience and the support of its loving owners. Highlight its journey of adaptation and the joy it continues to bring to the lives of its family despite the setback.
• The Ghost Dog. Craft a story set in a town haunted by the legend of a ghost dog. The legend has been passed down from generation to generation, and the apparition is said to appear before significant events. Describe an event that triggers the appearance of the ghost dog and the impact it has on the town .
• The Celebrity Canine. Write about a dog that unexpectedly becomes an internet sensation due to a hilarious or heartwarming video . Explore the changes this fame brings into the dog’s life, the opportunities and challenges it faces, and the impact on its family.
• The Dog and the Alien . In this story, a dog becomes the first to encounter an alien being that lands on Earth . Write about their unusual friendship and how the dog, with its instinctive trust and curiosity, helps bridge the gap between the alien and humanity .
• The Runaway Dog’s Adventure. Write a tale about a pampered suburban dog that runs away on an unexpected adventure into the wild. Detail the dog’s experiences and how it copes with the challenges of the wild , along with its realization of the value of its domestic life.
• The Dog’s Reincarnation. In this story, a family’s beloved dog passes away and then seemingly returns to them in the form of a new puppy exhibiting uncannily similar behavior. Explore the family’s reaction and the spiritual questions this raises .
• The Dog Shelter Heroine. Write about a woman who runs a dog shelter single-handedly, rescuing, nurturing, and finding homes for abandoned dogs. Showcase the challenges she faces, her dedication, and the heartwarming stories of the dogs she saves .
• The Canine Time-Traveler. Craft a story about a dog that mysteriously has the ability to time travel . Through the dog’s eyes, experience different eras, historical events, or even foresee the future . How does this impact the dog’s relationship with its owner, and what role does it play in the grander scheme of things?
• The Dog’s Unusual Friend. Create a story around a dog that forms an unexpected friendship with a creature usually considered a natural enemy, like a cat or a squirrel. Show how they challenge the norms and grow their bond , and how this unusual friendship impacts their lives and their community ’s perceptions.
• The Homeless Man and His Dog. Write about a homeless man whose only companion is his loyal dog. Highlight their bond, their struggles, and the comfort they provide each other . Explore how the dog becomes a beacon of hope and love for the man amidst his challenging circumstances.
• The Canine Cupid. Craft a tale of a dog that has an uncanny ability to bring people together, leading to unexpected friendships or even romantic relationships. Describe the charming scenarios created by the dog and how it unknowingly plays matchmaker in its community.
• The Accidental Stowaway Dog. In this story, a family dog unintentionally stows away on a cross-country road trip planned by the neighborhood teenagers . Depict the adventure from the dog’s perspective , including the places it sees, the people it meets, and how it finally finds its way back home.
• The Mysterious Canine Benefactor. Write about a neighborhood where small, meaningful gifts start appearing at people’s doorsteps, only to discover that they are delivered by a generous dog. Capture the joy and curiosity spread by the dog and the eventual revelation of its identity .
• The Dog’s Midnight Escapades. Craft a story centered on a pet dog that goes on secret midnight escapades and returns home before dawn. The dog’s owners remain unaware of these nightly outings until they start noticing clues. Describe the dog’s secret adventures and how the owners uncover the truth .

Founder and Chief Content Curator @ Digital Phrases

I'm a writer, words are my superpower, and storytelling is my kryptonite.

Search for creative inspiration

19,890 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

a dog - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

• animal rights
• fox terrier
• french bulldog
• german shepard dog
• golden retriever
• throwing a stick
• walking a dog

This little guy has been my companion in quiet moments and those blossomings of hilarity dogs bring. He has that look about him when he's puzzled, or excited or serious, all those emotions that are so similar to ours. He is my hot-water bottle in the middle of the night and the welcome wagon when I come home. He's my best friend.

With an elevated step comes a teddy-bear canine, one small enough to fit in the arms of a child. At first she is curious, then as Samantha crouches there is a chirping-bark. "Oh," she says, "are you feeling afraid, little one?" her voice as sweet as new blossom. Soon the dog comes closer to her outstretched hand and, after a few sniffs, gives a lick. "Kisses... why... thank you."

The dog's head is smaller than her neck. She stands in her harness of thick leather, tethered by the kind of rope you could moor a yacht with. For all that muscle she leaps like a puppy and then pushes her body into mine as soon as I'm close enough. In seconds my hand is covered in slobber, her tongue of sandpaper almost dripping with every lick. Her tail isn't wagging side to side but going round and round like a helicopter blade; any happier and I think those dinner-plate paws might catch some air. I want to take her home so badly but her owner says she can jump six-foot fences and chew through doors. So instead I'll have to settle for wet hands after school. I pull the beef treats from my pocket and she sits like a champ while I put them one at a time on her muzzle. With a flick of her head she eats them down in one bite and waits for the next- one by one until they are gone.

I never see Charlie move but every time I turn around he's right at my heels. If I stop for even a half a minute he lies down, the perfect mobile trip hazard. In the newly hot air of summer his coat is floating freely, forming a scattered layer of gold strands on the tile and becoming matted on the couch. Ryan said the couch should be yellow too but I scoffed at him so hard he just never mentioned it again. I wanted to be “clean,” to know where the dirt was. Well, I do know where it is, you can't miss blonde on red velvet. I know he just loves me, I love him too in my own way, who cold resist Charlie and his doggy eyes? I just wish he had an off switch and a non-shedding coat.

The one with “Raymond” and the wire mesh door has a way of watching me. His eyes are wider than a baby and he tilts his head one way and the other. I can't imagine what goes on in that over-protected cranium but he wags his tail like he wants to take-off every time I even take a mis-step in his direction. He looks like there's some labrador in him, possibly crossed with a German Shepard. He looks like a guy who could run all day and still be eager to go again. His jowls are almost grinning. He has the speed of a puppy but his teeth are adult. Then he turns around as if to leave but returns with a tennis ball, dropping it by the gate and looking me straight in the eyes. I don't think I'm gonna choose a dog today, I think he just chose me.

Now that summer is here I leave after the dawn instead of the wintry blackness. As I wing my work-pack onto my back the dog lady comes into view out of the light mist. Three dogs, and none of them leashed, trot inches from her side. They aren't a set, they look more like animals she adopted at random. There is the thick set Boxer, the gangly Great Dane and the tiny Maltese. She strides between them in her flower-power clothes, her grey streaked hair jumping as each hiking boot hits the sidewalk. I can hear her chatter to them like beloved children. Each dog is a picture of health, groomed, shining and tails moving faster than a nail gun. I can go now in ill-mannered haste and pretend I haven't seen her or wait until she arrives. It'll cost me ten minutes or more and I'll know fifty more things about those canines to add the many more that ramble around my neurones lost with no hope of ever being recalled.

The dog and I have an understanding; it wasn't there at first. Back in the days he was fresh from the pound he was a raw bundle of unspent energy, crammed into a canine shape several sizes too small for his personality. He grew to twice the size they thought he might, but that can happen with mutts. I reckon there's some ridgeback in there, some kind of bull-dog too. You'd think in a head that size there would be room for some brains but perhaps his skull is inches deep. My furniture still has his chew marks and the front door is clawed beyond repair. I had to replace every shoe I owned and the carpet too. Everyone told me to take him back, get a lap dog, but no way. Family is family. He'll leave my stuff if I buy him raw-hide bones and frozen marrowbones. He wont lie on my bed if he can have the couch. Two walks a day means he'll let me sleep at night. In return he adores me, cuddles up while I study and raises merry hell if anyone comes near the house.

I want to lie on the couch with a bag of chips and the remote control. There are at least a dozen episodes of Doctor Who I could be watching, but Bailey has his doggy eyes fixed on me. His eye brows twitch from side to side in that way he does when he's trying to figure something out and it just isn't working for him. For such a non-descript mutt of uncertain parentage he's pure cuteness overload. It's why I picked him from all the other homeless pups. Now that I want nothing more than to ignore him and wallow here in high fat food and distraction he's thinking healthy thoughts. He wants a walk, the longer the better. Then like he can read my thoughts his tail starts to wag and he jumps up at nothing like he's dancing. The chip bag crinkles under my closing grasp but my feet are already moving me to stand. My eyes flick to my forest boots and he goes loopy, racing victory laps around the dining table.

Without warning a bundle of caramel fur poked out her handbag, blinking through tousled strands with eyes of pure expectation. Without glancing down a manicured hand pressed down his head, re-submerging him in make-up and electronics. With a flick of her wrist he was sealed under the zip, encased in Italian leather. The bag bulged in random places as he squirmed and then came a series of high pitched yelps, pausing between rallies for a reply. At first the lady looked absent-mindedly out of the deli window, hitching her thumb into the waistband of her Levi's as if the noise was nothing to do with her. After a few minutes the volume increased and the eyes of her fellow shoppers began to scan for the source. Dogs were not allowed! I expected her to leave but instead she began to hit the bag. Before I was aware of my decision to act I was in possession of the soft brown leather purse and she was screaming “Thief!”

The dog lay on the ground oblivious to the dirt that clogged its cream fur into matts. It was young most likely but it moved only when necessary and its eyes were sunken and dull. Erin crouched down right next to it and offered her hand. Instead of sniffing her it just tilted its head away and closed its eyes in the most submissive gesture it could muster. From the curl in the coat she suspected it was some kind of poodle cross, a golden doodle perhaps. Gently she ran her hand down its back and slowly pushed her fingers to the skin below. He was so thin it was like dragging her fingers over a xylophone; even without the music it was quite the saddest song she had ever heard. This baby was starving to death. Slowly Erin moved her hands underneath the dog and lifted it with absurd ease, a bag of potatoes at the greengrocer would weigh more. Now that it was closer she almost gagged in a noxious cloud of ammonia. The dog buried its head in her old woollen sweater and she made for her car.

I love my dog, she makes idiocy more special every day. She stops halfway down the stairs like just staying there is an option. She reacts to bags blowing in the wind the same way she does for squirrels. Though she pulls when we walk but stops if the leash is dropped on the ground. Every walk is as exciting for her as a person being offered tickets to a rock concert, even if she's done the exact same route fifty thousand times before. She thinks chasing motorcycles would be fun. The only time she makes sense is when the rain falls thicker than pigeon poop in Trafalgar Square. Then she just turns right around and makes herself comfortable by the couch.

Sign in or sign up for Descriptionar i

Sign up for descriptionar i, recover your descriptionar i password.

Keep track of your favorite writers on Descriptionari

We won't spam your account. Set your permissions during sign up or at any time afterward.

This post may contain ads and affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. You can read our full disclaimer here .

Dog Bio Examples: Crafting Canine Stories for Adoption and Social Media

Dog bio examples can help you craft a bio that captures your furry friend’s unique personality and spirit.

As a dog owner, you know that your pup is more than just a pet–they’re a beloved member of your family.

That’s why it’s important to give them a proper introduction to the world through a well-written dog bio.

Whether you’re creating an adoption bio, a social media bio, or just a short blurb for your pup’s vet records, our goal is to provide you with plenty of examples and tips to write a dog bio that stands out from the pack. So, let’s get started!

What's it About - Table of Contents

Writing a Dog Bio

You may be tempted to write a novel about your furry friend, but the truth is that brevity and clarity are key when it comes to writing a dog bio.

Keep it short and sweet, so that readers can get a sense of your pup’s personality without getting bogged down in the details.

Here are some elements of a good dog bio to consider:

Importance of Brevity and Clarity in Your Dog Bio

There are several reasons why keeping a dog bio brief and clear is important:

• Attention span : In today’s fast-paced world, people’s attention span is limited, and a long-winded dog bio may cause people to lose interest.
• Clarity : A clear and concise dog bio ensures that potential adopters have a good understanding of the dog’s personality and needs, which can lead to better-matched adoptions.
• Unnecessary information : Including unnecessary information in a dog’s bio may confuse potential adopters and take away from the most important qualities of the dog.
• Consistency : Clear and concise dog bios also ensure consistency across adoption platforms, making it easier for potential adopters to compare different dogs and make a decision.

Overall, a brief and clear dog bio is key to attracting potential adopters and finding the best home for the dog.

No products found.

Elements of a Good Dog Bio

• Name and breed : Fido the Golden Retriever
• Age : 4 years old
• Personality traits : A loving goofball who never met a belly rub he didn’t like
• Likes and dislikes : Loves chasing tennis balls and going for long walks, but hates getting wet
• Special needs or quirks : Has a bit of separation anxiety, but will stop at nothing to steal your heart

Short Dog Bio Examples

• “I’m a rescue pup with a heart of gold and a bark that will melt your heart. I love playing fetch and cuddling on the couch with my favorite humans.”
• “My name is Luna and I’m a sassy French Bulldog with a love for treats and designer accessories. Follow me for daily fashion inspiration and cuteness overload.”
• “Meet Duke, the Great Dane with a heart as big as his paws. When he’s not lounging in the sun, he’s busy making new friends and spreading joy wherever he goes.”

5 Dog Bio Examples with Details

• Name: Snickers. Age: 2 years. Breed: Beagle. Hobbies: Howling at the moon, stealing treats, and long ear scratches. Snickers is a playful pup with a face that’ll melt your heart.
• Name: Rufus. Age: 3 years. Breed: Bulldog. Hobbies: Napping, snoring, and playing dress-up. Rufus is a laid-back dude who loves nothing more than a cozy bed and some belly rubs.
• Name: Luna. Age: 1 year. Breed: French Bulldog. Hobbies: Stealing socks, playing with squeaky toys, and chasing her tail. Luna is a quirky little gal with a big personality, and she’s looking for a home where she can be the center of attention.
• Name: Diesel. Age: 4 years. Breed: Rottweiler. Hobbies: Fetch, tug-of-war, and lounging on the couch. Diesel may look tough on the outside, but he’s a big softie at heart. All he wants is someone to love and play with.
• Name: Gizmo. Age: 5 years. Breed: Chihuahua. Hobbies: Being carried around in a purse, snuggling, and demanding treats. Gizmo may be small, but he’s got a big personality. He’s the perfect lap dog for anyone who wants a little companion to snuggle with.

Remember, your dog’s bio should be as unique as they are. Use these examples as inspiration, but don’t be afraid to add your own personal touch. After all, nobody knows your pup better than you do!

Dog Adoption Bio Examples

If you’re looking to adopt out your pup, a good adoption bio is a must. Not only will it help potential adopters get a sense of your dog’s personality and needs, but it will also increase the chances of finding the perfect forever home.

Here are some elements of a good adoption bio to consider:

Elements of a Good Adoption Bio

• Name, breed, and age : Charlie the Beagle, 2 years old
• Personality traits : A loyal companion who loves to snuggle and play
• Likes and dislikes : Loves chasing squirrels and chewing on bones, but dislikes loud noises and thunderstorms
• Health and behavior history : Up-to-date on all vaccinations and has a clean bill of health. Has some separation anxiety and may need a patient owner to help him adjust.

Examples of Effective Adoption Bios

• “Meet Bella, the lovable Lab mix who will steal your heart with her wagging tail and big brown eyes. She loves to go for long walks and cuddle up with her favorite humans on the couch.”
• “Looking for a running buddy? Look no further than Max, the energetic Border Collie who loves nothing more than a good game of fetch. He’s great with kids and other dogs, too!”
• “Say hello to Zeus, the gentle giant with a heart of gold. This Great Dane mix loves to lounge in the sun and snuggle up with his favorite people. He’s house-trained and ready to find his forever home.”

Don’t forget, a good adoption bio can make all the difference when it comes to finding the right home for your furry friend. Take the time to write one that captures your dog’s personality and needs, and you’ll be one step closer to finding them the perfect forever home.

Hard to Place Dog Bio Examples

It can be heartbreaking to see dogs with health issues who have been waiting for a loving home for months or even years.

These dogs often require more resources, time, and care than average dogs, which can make it difficult to find them the perfect match.

Example of a Dog Bio for a Dog with Health Problems

Name : Ginger. Age: 6 years. Breed: Labrador Retriever.

Health Issues : Ginger was diagnosed with hip dysplasia and arthritis shortly after she was brought into the shelter. She has a hard time running, jumping, and climbing stairs, and sometimes she limps or favors one of her legs. The shelter staff makes sure she gets daily exercise, and she’s on a special diet and medication plan to help her feel her best.

Personality : Ginger is a gentle, sweet, and loving dog. She loves to cuddle, and she’ll happily spend hours by your side soaking up all the love and attention you can give her. She’s a little shy at first, but once she warms up to you, she’ll be your loyal friend for life.

Ideal Home : Ginger would do best in a home with someone who has experience caring for dogs with arthritis, and who is willing to give her the extra time, attention, and care that she needs.

It would be great if her new family had a low-stress, quiet environment with minimal stairs, and plenty of comfortable places for her to rest.

Ginger would be happiest as the only dog or with a calm, well-behaved canine companion.

Ginger is a special dog with a heart of gold. If you can open your home and your heart to this sweet girl, you’ll be rewarded with unconditional love and devotion.

Dog Bio Example for a Senior Dog Needing a New Home

Name: Charlie. Age: 9 years. Breed: Golden Retriever.

Background : Charlie was recently brought to the shelter after his owner suddenly passed away. He’s been feeling a little lost and confused since coming to the shelter, but he’s slowly adjusting and hoping to find a new home where he can spend his golden years.

Personality : Charlie is a gentle and affectionate dog who loves nothing more than being by your side. He has a calm and relaxed demeanor, but he also has a playful side that comes out whenever he sees a tennis ball or a squeaky toy.

He’s great with people of all ages, and he enjoys the company of other dogs as well.

Ideal Home : Charlie would do best in a home with someone who can give him plenty of love, attention, and patience.

He’s had a tough time adjusting to life at the shelter, so he may need some time to settle into his new home.

A quiet and peaceful environment with a yard to run around in would be ideal for him. Charlie would also benefit from someone who can take him on leisurely walks to help keep him fit and healthy.

Charlie’s owner may be gone, but his love and loyalty live on. If you’re looking for a loyal companion who will cherish every moment with you, Charlie is your guy.

Don’t let his age fool you – he still has a lot of love and light to give, and he can’t wait to be a part of your family.

Funny Dog Bio Examples

If you’re looking to inject some personality and humor into your dog’s bio, you’re not alone. A funny dog bio can be a great way to showcase your pup’s unique quirks and make them stand out from the crowd. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Importance of Humor in a Dog Bio

• Can help your dog stand out from the crowd
• Creates an emotional connection
• Can turn negative traits into something more positive
• Showcases a pup’s unique quirks and personality

Examples of Funny Dog Bios

• Puns and wordplay : “I’m a Bichon Frise who’s living my best life. I’m fur-tunate to have found my forever home and I’m always ready to paw-ty.”
• Quirky personality descriptions : “Hi there, I’m Butch the Bulldog. I may look tough, but I’m really just a big softie who loves belly rubs and watching rom-coms with my humans.”
• References to pop culture or current events : “I’m Loki, the mischievous Pomeranian who’s always up to no good. But don’t worry, I’m not here to conquer Asgard–just your heart.”

A funny dog bio should still provide some basic information about your pup, such as their name, breed, and age. But beyond that, feel free to let your creativity run wild. After all, your dog is one-of-a-kind, so why not give them a bio that’s just as unique as they are?

10 More Funny Dog Bio Examples!

• This pup is a diva, and she knows it. She demands nothing less than 5-star treatment at all times.
• He may be small, but he makes up for it with a big personality. This little dude is like a bull in a china shop.
• She’s a master escape artist who will stop at nothing to get that last piece of pizza on the counter.
• He’s like a shadow – he’ll follow you everywhere you go, but he won’t leave your side for a second.
• This dog is a drama queen. She’ll howl at the slightest inconvenience, but she’s also quick to forgive and forget.
• He’s got a face that’ll melt your heart and a bark that could startle a lion. This pup is a bundle of contradictions, but that’s what makes him so lovable.
• She loves to cuddle, but she also loves to hog the bed. You may wake up with a crick in your neck, but you’ll never sleep better.
• He’s a champion at playing fetch, but he’s also a bit of a sore loser. You’ll know when he’s had enough – he’ll give you the side eye and head off to take a nap.
• This dog is a foodie. He knows all the best restaurants in town, and he’s not afraid to beg for a bite of whatever you’re eating.
• She’s the life of the party. She’ll dance, she’ll sing, and she’ll make you laugh until your sides hurt. This pup is always up for a good time.

Instagram Dog Bio Examples

If your dog has their own Instagram account, you know how important it is to have a good bio.

Not only does it help potential followers get a sense of your pup’s personality and interests, but it also sets the tone for the rest of their content.

Importance of a Good Instagram Bio for Your Dog

Having a great Instagram bio for your dog is important for a number of reasons. Here are some reasons why you should put some thought into crafting a great Instagram bio for your furry friend:

• Establish Identity : A great Instagram bio helps define your dog’s identity and can help your followers understand your dog’s personality and interests.
• First Impression : Your Instagram bio is the first impression that potential followers will have of your dog’s account, so it’s important to make it count.
• Capture Attention : With so many Instagram accounts out there, a creative and engaging bio can help capture people’s attention and make them want to follow your dog’s adventures.
• Connect with Audience : An Instagram bio that’s funny, quirky, or shares personal details about your dog can help build a stronger connection with your audience.
• Boost Engagement : An engaging Instagram bio can help drive more engagement, likes, comments, and shares on your dog’s posts, helping to grow your account and reach more people.

Overall, a great Instagram bio is an essential part of building your dog’s online presence, helping to define their identity, capture attention, connect with your audience, and ultimately drive more engagement on Instagram.

Elements of a Great Instagram Bio for your Dog

• Name and breed : Fido the Frenchie
• Unique selling point or theme : “Follow me for daily doses of cuteness and French bulldog hijinks.”
• Personality traits : A goofy pup who loves to play and snuggle
• Contact information and hashtags : DM me for collabs and shoutouts. #frenchiegram #dogsofinstagram

Examples of Effective Instagram Dog Bios

• “Hi there! I’m Daisy the Dachshund, and I’m here to brighten your day with my wiggly butt and silly antics. Follow me for daily doses of cuteness and snuggles.”
• “Meet Rufus, the charming Corgi with a heart of gold. When he’s not napping in his favorite sunspot, he’s busy making new friends and exploring the world around him. Follow him for a paw-some adventure!”
• “I’m Charlie, the goofy Golden Retriever who’s always up for a good time. Follow me for daily smiles, playtime, and a whole lot of tail-wagging fun.”

10 More Short (and Cute) Instagram Dog Bio Examples

• “Just a dog trying to make fetch happen”
• “Professional nap taker and treat connoisseur”
• “Part-time model, full-time goofball”
• “I’m not short, I’m just concentrated cuteness”
• “Saving the world, one bark at a time”
• “Official taste tester and chief cuddler”
• “I’m not lazy, I’m just conserving my energy for important tasks such as barking at the mailman and begging for treats”
• “Just a pup living her best life, one belly rub at a time”
• “I put the ‘paw’ in paparazzi”
• “I’m not spoiled, I’m just well loved… and maybe a little spoiled”

Remember, your dog’s Instagram bio is the first impression potential followers will have of them. Use it as an opportunity to showcase your pup’s unique personality and interests, and you’ll be well on your way to growing their fan base.

View this profile on Instagram MARLEY NYC (@ marleyinnyc ) • Instagram photos and videos

What to Put in Your Dog’s Instagram Bio?

If you’re wondering what to put in your dog’s Instagram bio, you’re not alone. A great Instagram bio can help your pup stand out in a crowded space and attract new followers.

Here are some tips for writing a bio that captures your dog’s unique personality and style:

• Keep it short and sweet : Use clear, concise language that captures your pup’s personality and interests.
• Highlight your dog’s unique selling point : What sets your pup apart from the pack? Whether it’s their breed, their sense of humor, or their love for adventure, make sure to showcase what makes them special.
• Use emojis to add personality : Emojis can help you convey your pup’s personality and interests in a fun and playful way.
• Include contact information : If you’re open to collaborations or partnerships, make sure to include contact information in your bio.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using generic language : Avoid using generic phrases like “dog lover” or “animal enthusiast.” Instead, focus on what makes your pup unique.
• Neglecting to update your bio : Make sure to keep your bio up-to-date with your latest adventures and interests.
• Overusing hashtags : While hashtags can be a great way to increase visibility, overusing them can make your bio look cluttered and unprofessional.

Examples of Instagram Bios That Stand Out

• “I’m a rescue pup with a heart of gold and a love for adventure. Follow me for daily doses of cuteness and fun!”
• “Meet Mr. Bojangles, the dapper Dachshund with a love for bow ties and long walks on the beach. DM me for collaborations and bookings.”
• “Hi there, I’m Oscar the Pug. When I’m not napping or snacking, you can find me exploring the great outdoors with my humans. Follow me for a paw-some adventure!”

Your dog’s Instagram bio is an opportunity to showcase their unique personality and interests. Use it as a chance to connect with new followers and share your pup’s story with the world.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Writing a great dog bio is an important step in introducing your furry friend to the world.

Whether you’re creating an adoption bio, a social media bio, or just a short blurb for your pup’s vet records, a well-written bio can make all the difference in helping your dog stand out and connect with new people.

Throughout this post, we’ve shared examples and tips to help you craft a bio that captures your dog’s unique personality and spirit.

From adoption bios to funny social media bios, we’ve covered a range of approaches that can help you showcase your pup in the best possible light.

So, what are you waiting for? Take what you’ve learned here and give it a try! Writing a dog bio can be a fun and rewarding experience that helps you connect with your pup on a deeper level.

And who knows–it may even lead to new friendships and opportunities for your furry friend.

We hope you’ve found this post helpful and inspiring. Don’t forget to share your own dog bio examples in the comment section below. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!

More Posts You Will Like:

• Teaching your Dog to Walk Backward
• Worst Age for Golden Retrievers: Surviving the Bites and Rebellion
• Benefits of Daily Walks for Dogs: On the Move Walking Your Dog
• How Much Exercise Do Standard Poodles Need? Quick Guide to Your Poodle’s Fitness Needs

Elizabeth Crane

Coffee Mug – In Dog Coffees I’ve Only Had One

Recent posts, when do poodles calm down understanding their energy levels, 25 best dog birthday gifts: unique ideas to spoil your pooch, male vs female golden retrievers: behavior and appearance, introducing a puppy to a cat: ultimate guide to smooth transitions, how to calm a hyper dog: practical solutions for a better pooch, dog food recipes for senior dogs: nutrition for golden years, 20 fun facts about poodles: they’re more than just a pretty face, goldendoodle separation anxiety: simple solutions for a calm dog, 5 best dog behavior books: top guides for training your canine, dominant dog behavior: understanding and managing your alpha pet, pin it on pinterest.

Essay on Dog for Students and Children

500+ words essay on dog.

The dog is a pet animal. A dog has sharp teeth so that it can eat flesh very easily, it has four legs, two ears, two eyes, a tail, a mouth, and a nose. It is a very clever animal and is very useful in catching thieves. It runs very fast, barks loudly and attacks the strangers. A dog saves the life of the master from danger. One can find dogs everywhere in the world. Dogs are a very faithful animal. It has a sharp mind and a strong sense of hearing smelling the things. It also has many qualities like swimming in the water, jumping from anywhere, good smelling sense.

Importance of Dog

A dog has a strong power of smell . They are more liked by people because of their faithfulness. They are intelligent, they are watchfulness. The dogs have many colors such as grey, white, black, brown and red. They are of many kinds such as bloodhound, greyhound, german shepherd, Labrador, Rottweiler, bulldog poodle, etc.

Usually, the dog eats fish, meat, milk, rice, bread, etc. Dogs are sometimes called canines. Dogs are sometimes referred to as man’s best friend because they are kept as domestic pets and are usually loyal and like being around humans. They are also helpful in reducing stress, anxiety, and depression, loneliness, encourage exercise and playfulness and even improve your cardiovascular health. A dog also provides valuable companionship for older adults.

The dogs are so loyal to his master that nothing can induce him to leave his master. His master might be a poor man or even a beggar but still, the dog will not leave his master from far off. Dogs see their master coming home from work they rush to them and jump on them to show their love. Dogs are honest friends who are always ready to die to save a friend. It can bite a thief or stranger when they ignore its barking and try to mischief. Dogs always give security to the owner day and night.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Life Span 0f a Dog

The lifespan of a dog is very small however it can live around 12-15 years long which depend on their size such as smaller dogs lives a longer life. A female dog gives birth to a baby and feed milk that’s why dogs under the mammal category. The dog baby is called a puppy or pup and dog home is called kennel. Dogs are categorized according to their service to people such as guard dogs, herding dogs, hunting dogs, police dogs, guide dogs, sniffer dogs, etc. It has a strong power of smell with the assistance of police can arrest murderers, thieves, and dacoits. The Military trains the dogs to track and detect bombs.

Need for Dogs

Detection dogs can be employed at airports, police stations, borders, and schools. Tracking and Hunting dogs, hounds, terriers, and dachshund are the most popular types of hunting and tracking dogs. These dogs are trained to be the eyes, ears, and retrievers for their human companions.

Dogs are a very excellent swimmer. They are really a very helpful pet animal. He respects his owner from the heart and can easily guess his/ her presence through their smell. We should take good care of it and keep them in good condition.

Customize your course in 30 seconds

Which class are you in.

• Travelling Essay
• Picnic Essay
• Our Country Essay
• My Parents Essay
• Essay on Favourite Personality
• Essay on Memorable Day of My Life
• Essay on Knowledge is Power
• Essay on Gurpurab
• Essay on My Favourite Season
• Essay on Types of Sports

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Download the App

We love dogs! Canine writing prompts for your homeschool

by Daniella Dautrich | Jun 12, 2019 | Writing & Journal Prompts

From the deck of the Mayflower to the White House lawn , dogs have rightfully earned their titles as “man’s best friend.” Encourage your kids to try their hand at these fun writing prompts for dog lovers!

1. I Will Always Find You

Search and rescue (SAR) dogs work alongside their handlers to track missing humans. With their acute sense of smell, SAR dogs can work in most kinds of weather and environments, whether day or night. Write a story about a search and rescue German Shepherd who is called to action after a powerful earthquake hits Los Angeles.

2. Doggy Dress-up

You are a friendly chihuahua who just met the poodle who lives next door. The two of you quickly discover how much you have in common, including a history of embarrassing Halloween costumes. Describe the fairy costume your family made you wear this October, and explain how you really feel about playing dress-up.

3. That’s a Strange Dog, Charlie Brown

Poor Charlie Brown wants to train his dog to play fetch, but once again Snoopy won’t cooperate. Describe the steps Charlie Brown must take to convince Snoopy to play, and insert as many onomatopoeic (sound) words as possible.

4. In the Dog House

Who says a night in the dog house is cold and lonely? Imagine that you’ve come up with  plans for a luxury dog house for your pet. Write a persuasive paragraph to convince your parents that Fido deserves this posh, two-story pad. (If you want to take the opposite side, write a letter to the editor about why people should stop spoiling their pets.)

5. Puppy Love

Raising puppies for profit is no small task when you consider the time and energy involved (not to mention possible damage to your home and yard). Prepare a list of six questions for someone who specializes in raising and selling Black Labrador Retrievers . You want to know if this could be a successful and fulfilling business for you.

Did you like these dog writing prompts? If so, you’ll also appreciate these fun writing prompts about animals.

• Journal Prompts for Horse-loving Kids
• Crazy for Cats | Cat Journal Prompts
• Journal Prompts about Animals
• Writing Prompts about Unusual Pets

Let’s Stay Connected!

Subscribe to our newsletter.

• Gift Guides
• Reluctant or Struggling Writers
• Special Needs Writers
• Brainstorming Help
• Editing & Grading Help
• Encouragement for Moms
• Writing Games & Activities
• Writing for All Subjects
• Essays & Research Papers
• College Prep Writing
• Grammar & Spelling
• Writing Prompts

Recent Posts

• An exciting announcement!
• 10 Stumbling Blocks to Writing in Your Homeschool
• Help kids with learning challenges succeed at homeschool writing
• How to correct writing lessons without criticizing your child

• Writing Prompts

10 Writing Prompts About Dogs for Kids

Few weeks ago we shared our 10 writing prompts about cats .  It’s only fair to share you our 10 writing prompts about dogs this week. Through the hard times and the good times, man’s best friend, Dogs have accompanied their owners through it all. To honour this beautiful bond between dog and man, National Dog Day is celebrated on the 26 th August. This is the day to appreciate the love and loyalty of these spectacular animals. Here at Imagine Forest, we appreciate these beautiful creatures the Imagine Forest way. That’s through creative writing! To help you write some “dog-terrific” stories we created some awesome writing prompts for kids. To celebrate man’s best friend on National Dog day, use these 10 writing prompts about dogs for kids.

10 Writing Prompts about Dogs for Kids:

• Write a step by step guide on how to train a dog.
• A hurricane destroyed a whole city. Write a story about a search and rescue dog.
• Write from the perspective of a dog who hates dressing up in all the embarrassing costumes that their owner makes them.
• Write a story about a secret agent dog who solves crimes.
• You find out that your dog can speak. Write a conversation between you and your dog.
• Your dog finds a strange glowing object in your backyard. What happens next?
• What would it be like growing up as a puppy?
• Write a story of true friendship between a dog and a squirrel.
• Write a story about a dog who helps Santa deliver presents.
• By day your dog lays around the house, by night he saves lives.

How will you celebrate National Dog day? Will you be writing a poem or story about dogs? Our writing prompts about dogs for kids are the perfect tool for writing “dog-terrific” stories. You can even share your dog stories in the comments below.

Have you tried out our summer writing challenge yet? That’s 31 days of summer writing prompts !

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

Related Posts

Comments loading...

The Wolf and the Dog

In the aftermath of a school shooting, a teacher plans for next time

*This essay refers to the shooting at New River Community College in Christiansburg, VA, April 12, 2013.

Every time I talk about the shooting, I dream my dog is murdered.

I am standing in a field in the twilight, high grass painted black against the glowing, lavender-gold sky. My dog has run away. A man is calling her by her name, and she’s running toward him, not me. I can tell from the tone of his voice that he isn’t calling her out of love and concern, that there’s hate beneath the honey in his voice, and when Daisy comes to him, he says, “I’ll teach you to run away from me again,” and I see his hand, clutching a hammer, rising high above his head, and he brings it down on her over and over and over again. He beats her to death and I stand there, shaking, paralyzed, unable to scream, unable to save her as she howls and cries in agony, until finally there’s silence.

“The daemonic night and its chief product, the nightmare, have always been a special hell for survivors,” writes David Morris in his study of trauma, The Evil Hours: A Biography of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder . Daisy—my most cherished companion, the tragic object of my nightmares—is the target, the innocent sacrificed to evil. All the dreams are variations on this one. She is tortured and killed, and I can’t save her. I cradle her in my arms as she bleeds to death, shuddering and gulping. 

I fling myself up out of sleep to see Daisy, safe in her bed in the corner; her sweet eyes are closed and her feathery tail thumps gently as she chases a rabbit in a dream of her own. I get out of bed and creep over to her, placing my hand on her maple-colored fur, feel her heart beating beneath my hand, stroke her ears. 

She’s alive. 

I know by now that every time I speak publicly about the shooting, or am “triggered” (how I hate that word: why must the term itself remind me of the gun?) by the news of another campus massacre, I will dream of Daisy’s murder. I turn the lights off and lie in the darkness, fighting off sleep for as long as I can. I never dream of my own students, or the classroom, or even guns. The shooting dreams are always Daisy dreams. Sometimes a man cuts her paws off. Sometimes he nails her ears to the floor. The killer comes after her, but spares me. I am never there in time to offer myself instead. 

Nighttime has become an entrée into a treacherous limbo. Instead of sipping the waters of Lethe, I choke on the filth of the river of lamentation.

On the Tuesday after the shooting, I, along with other faculty and staff, convened on campus with administrators and the director of the counseling center at Virginia Tech; fortunately / unfortunately, we had their experience to guide us through our own horror. We sat in an auditorium that had once been a movie theater. I chose a seat at the back, close to the door. Did I realize even then how space would rearrange itself, so that I would never again see a door as a benign architectural necessity? I was wobbly and frightened. I had gone back to my classroom with my father just three days earlier, the day after the shooting, to collect my belongings, and now the college was reopening. I had no idea how I was going to face my students the next day. All our focus was on them.

Our administrators walked us through the logistical steps for the rest of the semester. Students could finish early and accept their grades as they were, if they felt they couldn’t manage to return. (It did not occur to me to ask what to do if I couldn’t manage to return.) Police would be there every day for the rest of the term. One administrator reiterated that the official college safety protocol still advised sheltering in place and locking down during an “incident.” Even though we might think that we have safe egress, she said, we never know whether there will be a second shooter and if we might be sending students into sniper fire. 

I thought about how quickly I had made the decision to tell my students to run once the shots began ( Get out! ), I remembered the sound of gunfire coming from the reception lobby, just around the corner from our classroom, and the certainty that it—he—would come closer. The emergency exit was right across the hall. Using it had seemed like the only option. I remembered how my students flew over their desks and out the emergency exit door, how quickly they disappeared into their cars and sped away, or else hid with me behind parked cars. But what I heard from this administrator was that I could have sent my students into a gauntlet of bullets from an unknown second assailant, and that if they were unhurt today, it was in spite of my choices, not because of them. 

Images of my students tumbling one by one in a storm of bullets punched me in the gut. I crumpled forward in my seat and started to sob. The administrator came up to me afterwards and patted me on the back, saying that I had done the right thing and that no one was criticizing my choice in the moment. I couldn’t stop crying, though. The thought of my students, dead because of me, was too much to hold. What if? What if?

The what-ifs following a school shooting are as cacophonous and repetitive as tornado sirens. They constantly wake me out of hazy dreams, forcing me to go over each moment again and again, parsing every action for every other permutation I might have chosen. What if I had shut the door and turned off the lights? What if he had entered anyway? (I learned much later that surveillance video shows him coming to our classroom and peering inside just minutes after we fled.) What if I had gone back inside and tried to help instead of standing stupidly in the parking lot and listening to the shots? What if I had gone after him myself?

I wake up in the shadows, the sheets damp. I can smell the sour sweat on my body. There is a howl in my throat that can’t force its way out. Shreds of the dream linger in my mind, flitting away when I try to grasp them. No matter. I can imagine it well enough. What time did I go to bed? The clock radio reads 7 am, but that means I lay down hours ago. Time slips out of my hands now, minutes disappearing like snowflakes. The light outside is pale and gray, the steely sky melting into the dull snow-covered yard and neighboring paddock. Entre chien et loup : between a dog and a wolf, the French expression for that dusky hour when you can’t trust your eyes, when you don’t know if you’re safe or if there’s a predator lurking just around the corner. Harmless student, or furious young man?

Ice cracking, or gunshot? 

I wonder if the nightmares will always come like this. Could I avoid them by never speaking about the shooting, or by traveling out of town on anniversary dates, or by calling in sick to work and downing a Klonopin to black out the day? Why can’t April 12 be the new leap day, so that I only have to face it once every four years? And why can’t I dream about something else? Why can’t my nightmares take a different form? I would rather endure dreams of my own dismemberment than be forced repeatedly to watch Daisy’s torture.

Safe spaces, safe sex, drive safe; I want to weep with sick laughter at how meaningless the word has become. My school, my classroom, my dear students: all of us have been violated. Not even my unconscious mind is safe anymore. In the daytime, I can push away memories while I’m walking Daisy, opening into warrior pose on my yoga mat, or grading my students’ papers. But in sleep, in the daemonic night ? Powerless. 

A week after the shooting, I get an email from the mother of one of my students, thanking me for keeping them safe and getting them all out of the classroom. My boyfriend, too, assures me that I did just the right thing and fuck protocol; the students are safe and that’s what matters most. No plan survives contact with the enemy , he tells me. I replay their words when I find myself, in my mind, back in the classroom that day, standing at the door and listening to the gunfire, deciding without deciding what to do. 

Unlike the flimsy cassette tapes of my adolescence, this mental tape never seems to wear out. I have played it ten thousand times, remembering the sound of the first shot, the number of steps it took to cross the room (eight), the sound of the next two shots, the total, flat silence in my classroom in the moment between comprehending and acting. I’ve mentally copied parts of it for the next time:

If I can get the students out, I will. Fuck protocol. The FBI says that if you can escape, you should escape. But this time, I’m not going with them. I will make sure they’re all outside, and then I am going back in. 

I’ve imagined the charge many times. I’ve pictured the kind of gun he will have (our shooter used a shotgun, but the AR-15 is the weapon of choice for many enraged men who decide to enact their death wish on us), whether he will be walking methodically from room to room or firing haphazardly in every direction. I’ve memorized the distance between every hallway off the main corridor so that I know where I can conceal myself for just a few moments before I make my attack. I consider every day what shoes I will wear to school, because I need shoes that I can either run in or kick off quickly. 

I’m not running away this time. I’m running toward him.

I’ll have the element of surprise on my side, I think. He might be looking for a cop, a male for sure. He won’t expect a small-framed female English professor to come tearing at him. I imagine paralyzing him with my gaze. I imagine my mouth open and teeth bared, my arms tight at my sides. A predator.

His surprise may buy me a few seconds to launch myself at him and tackle him to the ground. He may drop his weapon. He may shoot me as I’m coming at him; I know this. I probably won’t survive. Still, I’ll have startled him long enough for someone else to call 911, or to help me keep him pinned to the floor away from his guns. 

I’ll get there in time.

* Illustration by Anna Hall

Essays About Dogs: Top 5 Examples and 8 Easy Prompts

Essays about dogs address the close relationship between a man and his best friend. Discover our top essay examples and prompts to assist you in writing.

There are 69 million households in the US with dogs. This statistic attests to the fact that many are fond of dogs and have them for many reasons, primarily for their unconditional love and emotional support. In addition, having a dog at home helps improve physical and mental health.

5 Best Essay Examples

1. long essay on dog by prasanna, 2. dogs are better than cats essay by anonymous on papersowl.com , 3. dogs are not just companions — they are true bae by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 4. dog is a man’s best friend by anonymous on eduzaurus.com, 5. lessons we can learn from the life of our pet dogs by anonymous on gradesfixer.com, 1. the truths about dogs, 2. pros and cons of having a dog, 3. the most famous dog breeds, 4. dogs and expenses, 5. a dog’s lifespan, 6. dogs and society, 7. my first dog, 8. dogs and mental health.

“Dogs have been a companion to man for almost 40,000 years. Dogs perform many functions. They are trained and are one of the popular pets to have.”

Prasanna’s essay contains general facts about dogs, such as their origin, characteristics, behavior, love for meat, and more. She describes the dog as a four-legged animal with sharp eyes, sensitive ears and nose, and of different breeds, sizes, and colors. The essay includes the various functions of dogs, such as hunting, pulling sleds, protecting, comforting their owners, and improving their well-being. Check out these articles about animals .

“… Dogs are better than cats. The loyalty, bravery, and human characteristics of dogs, as well as, the service and personal benefits of owning a dog far exceed those owning a cat.”

In this essay, the writer mentions how dogs are more energetic, friendly, protective, and easier to train and bond with than cats. The writer effectively discusses the advantages and disadvantages of owning these pets as a dog and cat owner. It also provides the readers with the relevant information they need when they look for a pet to adopt. If you disagree with this stance, check out these articles and essays about cats .

“They can read your facial expression, socialize and communicate just like any other human does. Dogs can empathize with human feeling and match with the wavelengths of their owners in an instant. They can easily decipher your depressed condition and they can smell your fears.”

The author uses research findings and a real-life story to prove that humans and dogs share a strong bond that’s unbreakable and unfathomable. In addition, they say dogs are the best therapy animals because they are compassionate, respond in a friendly way, and do not show stressful behavior while playing with patients. 

To prove that dogs show loyalty, unconditional love, and strong friendship, the writer uses the story “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.” The story is about Hachiko, the Akita dog that walks his owner to and from the train station until his owner suddenly dies at work. As a loyal dog, Hachiko always comes to the station and waits with anticipation to witness his return until his last breath showing that they are truly best friends for life.

“… Not just a pet, but a part of the family. When we give love freely to dogs, we receive their love and affection in return. Dogs can truly be a man’s best friend, and we should be grateful to be theirs as well.”

This essay talks about the indescribable bond between a dog and its owner. Harley is the name of the writer’s big and muscular white female bulldog with a soft heart. The writer discusses how she gives them so much joy every time they play, train, and ride in the car. This essay also shows how protective the dog is and how it barks whenever someone strange approaches them. The author firmly believes that dogs are gifts sent by God.

“Dogs are not called man’s best friend for nothing. Aside the fact that they are a delight to look upon, they are also sweet creatures that act in ways we can learn from.”

This essay includes essential life lessons humans can learn from dogs, such as being adaptable to different environments or situations and remaining loyal and faithful to anything or anyone. Dogs’ carefree attitude allows them to be comfortable with themselves. It demonstrates how people can live freely to enjoy life happily. You might also be interested in these essays about animal testing .

8 Writing Prompts for Essays About Dogs

Did you know dogs are domesticated wolves ? If you plan to write a fun and engaging essay, look for amusing dog facts that many are unaware of. You can focus on one breed or discuss dogs in general. First, share the dog’s history, characteristics, and unique behaviors. Then, search for common dog myths and correct them.

If this sounds like a lot of work, do a 5 paragraph essay instead.

It has been proven that dogs are excellent for human well-being. They make people happy and comfort their owners whenever they’re sad. However, dog ownership is not just rainbows and sunshine. 

For this prompt, consider the benefits and drawbacks of adopting a dog. In the conclusion, give your own opinion on whether people should have dogs or not. Add your reasons; this could be the cost, aggressive dog breeds, or allergies.

There are many dog breeds today. Pick the most popular ones and include why they are the ones usually seen, bought, or adopted. Write their characteristics and behaviors to help your readers learn about the similarities and differences between each dog. Use pet articles, scientific research, or other reliable sources to make your essay more credible.

You can also tackle the issue of dog crossbreeding , which can lead to genetic mutations.

Dogs need a place to sleep, training, grooming essentials, and other supplies besides the basics, such as food and water. These additional and continuous expenses hinder others from adopting dogs. Use this prompt to share factors that will help you decide whether to pursue adoption. Then, identify dog essentials and items and offer cheaper alternatives to save money.

The average lifespan of a dog is 10 to 13 years , which is much shorter than humans. This means humans usually outlive their canine companions. In this prompt, you can teach the readers how to calculate the lifespan of their dogs based on size and type. Then, advise the dog owners how they can make their dog’s stay on Earth worth it. For an interesting piece of writing, look for a story of a dog outliving its owner and how it reacted or lived out its remaining days, and include this in your essay.

Many households believe dogs symbolize protection and love. Society also adjusted to accommodate dogs with animal laws and dog parks. Further explain how interwoven dogs and the community are, that they’re now a necessary part of some people’s lives. For example, having a dog can make someone more sociable by setting a play date with other dogs and interacting with the other fur parents.

Use this prompt to share your first dog ownership experience with your readers. First, introduce your dog and how you got it. Next, describe your first dog’s unique qualities and add your unforgettable memories together.  End your essay with the greatest life lesson your dog taught you that you still practice today.

Aside from helping their owners have a more active lifestyle, dogs also improve mental health. For this prompt, focus on therapy dogs. Discuss what they offer, including their therapeutic effects on their owners. Then, identify who needs them the most. Add the best breeds for therapy dogs and why.

Do you want to know one of our top grammar checkers? Check out our ProWritingAid review .

Maria Caballero is a freelance writer who has been writing since high school. She believes that to be a writer doesn't only refer to excellent syntax and semantics but also knowing how to weave words together to communicate to any reader effectively.

View all posts

Shelter Stories

A Marketing and Content Creation Dog Blog

Writing Dog Bios: Tips and Ideas for Crafting Compelling Profiles for Adoptable Dogs

To promote your animal shelter’s or rescue group’s adoptable dogs effectively, you need high-quality photos and compelling descriptions of them. But how do you write pet profiles that stand out from the crowd and draw attention? And how do you craft bios that are uniquely tailored to each dog’s personality? Let’s look at a few ideas!

Do Some Brainstorming

Before you get started writing, take some time to think about the dog’s personality, behavior, and characteristics. Then jot down what comes to mind. What stands out about the dog? Does he know any commands or tricks? Does she have a signature pose or a silly quirk? Is the dog energetic, playful, active, shy, or calm? Does the dog have any specific needs? And, of course, don’t forget about the basics – such as age, breed, gender.

Don’t just rely on your own impressions of the dog. Ask other volunteers who have spent time and interacted with the dog about their observations as well.

Pick a Bio Type

The basic bio.

As the name suggests, this type of dog bio simply focuses on communicating the basics about a specific dog. Think: age, breed or breed mix, gender, health issues (if any), and observations about behavior.

Descriptions like these are often thought of as boring, but there’s really nothing wrong with getting to the point quickly, without all the fluff of a super creative bio. Remember to think of your target audience here – do they care about creativity or do they just want the facts about a dog? Sometimes, the answer can be… both.

A rescue group, for example, may appreciate a very basic bio when deciding on whether or not they can place a shelter dog with one of their foster caregivers. But they may also want a creative bio that they can later use to promote the dog to prospective adopters.

So, what’s a content creator supposed to do? Write two bios? Chances are, you don’t have time for that. Instead, you could combine the two approaches in one bio, highlighting the basic facts in a bulleted list or in bigger font and then adding a few creative lines with key traits emphasized in bold letters or italics.

The Personality Bio

This is probably my favorite type of dog bio to write. I just love capturing a dog’s personality in a creative way. In writing about a dog’s personality creatively, I find that it helps to think about that dog’s adorable quirks, highlight-worthy skills, and unique character traits. If we want shelter dogs to go to homes where they are treated as family members, then I suppose it makes sense to also promote them in a way that supports that notion, right?

Here are two dog bios I wrote for inspiration:

And here’s a (very short) story I wrote about Aldo , a former shelter dog, hoping to draw attention to him.

Keep in mind that those were written as blog posts, so they are meant to be a bit longer. If you’re writing bios for social media, you may need to keep them somewhat short. Check out these tips for copywriting for social media .

The Interview Bio

The interview format is a great way to tell prospective adopters in a fun, creative way what you want them to know about a dog. There are so many ways to truly let a dog’s personality shine here. It’s about more than just asking interesting questions and answering them from the dog’s perspective. Think about the dog’s character traits and his or her behavior. What are some adjectives that come to mind? Silly? Confident? Timid? Clever? Strong-willed? Adventurous? The language used for the answers should reflect the dog’s personality.

Here are a few interview topic ideas for inspiration:

• Hopes and dreams for the new year
• Holiday wish list (it’s a forever home, right?)
• Likes and dislikes
• Where does the dog see himself/herself in five years (with his/her forever family, right?)
• Silliest thing the dog has ever done
• What the dog is looking for in his or her forever human
• What the dog will bring to his or her forever home (Fun? Cuddles?)
• Favorite activities
• Noteworthy skills (tricks or commands the dog knows, things the dog does that stand out as silly or funny)

The Résumé Bio

With this kind of bio type, you can highlight a dog’s top skills, talents, features, and characteristics in an easily digestible list format. The dog’s résumé could focus on “applying” for a forever home, for example, while creatively drawing attention to the dog’s unique personality traits and skill set.

Let’s say you’re working on a bio for a hound who loves to howl. Could he be an aspiring singer? Does his experience include “serenading” fellow shelter residents with melodic original songs? Could a noteworthy highlight be that he has given “concerts” in the shelter’s yard or from within his kennel?

Or what if your rescue has a canine who has revealed herself to be very… treat motivated? Could she be described as a “treat aficionada”? Has she ever “acquired” a treat without asking? Or charmed a volunteer into giving her yet another treat? Could those “events” be listed under “achievements”?

Or do you have a shelter/foster dog who often receives compliments on her showstopping looks during walks? Could she be highlighted as a “conversation starter”?

Could a dog who likes to show off silly ear poses be characterized as an “ear acrobat”? Does he have a signature pose that could be listed under “key features”?

And could the bio for a clever, talented dog who knows things like “sit,” “stay,” and “speak” point out his “impressive repertoire” of basic commands and tricks? Has that dog ever entertained volunteers by showing off his tricks or commands? And if so, can they be listed as “achievements” or “experience”?

Review for Completeness and Edit for Plain Language

Before you share your dog bio with the world, take a bit of time to review it to make sure it’s ready to be seen.

Is the dog’s profile complete and accurate? Did you mention everything that a prospective adopter should know?

Which words did you use to describe the dog? Are you using plain language that people who aren’t familiar with the shelter and rescue world will be able to easily understand?

For example, did you use terms like “decompress”? Would a prospective adopter know what this means? Think about what you really want new adopters to do. Do you want them to give their newly adopted dog time to relax and adjust to his or her new home and environment? Will the dog need a quiet, comfortable space away from other pets during the “decompression period”?

It may be helpful to have someone else who is familiar with the dog you wrote about take a look at your draft. They may be able to offer valuable feedback and help you refine your dog bio.

Bonus Tip: “Recycle” Your Writing

Break up a bio into several social media posts.

To make the most of your writing efforts, you can take key phrases from a bio you crafted and create multiple social media posts with them. That will help generate awareness for the dog and allow followers to truly get to know him or her.

Let’s assume you were trying to promote the howling hound mentioned above on social media. You may want to feature the full bio in one post and could then take a few key parts from that bio to highlight over the course of several days or weeks. One post could include a video of the dog howling in the yard and the accompanying copy could read something along the lines of: “Just [dog’s name] serenading volunteers and fellow shelter residents with his signature song.” While you want prospective adopters to know about the howling, you don’t want to give the impression that this is all the dog does, right? So, other posts could show the dog on a walk, snuggling a volunteer, or sitting for a treat – whatever you mentioned in his bio.

Use Your Previously Written Dog Bios as Templates

Writing a dog’s bio takes time. Lots of it. To speed up the process a bit, you can take a profile you’ve crafted previously and use it as a sort of template or outline for future bios of the same type. Your résumé bios will likely all have a similar layout, and while you’ll have to tailor each to a specific dog, you won’t have to start completely from scratch.

Keep a List of Linguistic Elements to Repurpose

You want each dog’s bio to be crafted just for them. But this doesn’t mean you can’t ever repeat words or word combinations that fit that dog’s personality simply because you’ve used them before. In fact, it’s a good idea to create a list of some terms and phrases that you think may work well for another dog’s profile in the future. You can then draw inspiration from your own linguistic database!

Here are a few examples of terms such a list could include:

• Conversation starter
• Ear acrobat
• Ear acrobatics
• Showstopping looks
• Signature pose
• Statement-making coat
• Treat aficionada
• Treat connoisseur
• Treat enthusiast

The more bios you write, the longer your list will likely get. To keep it useful and make sure you’ll quickly and easily find what you’re looking for, you can organize it not only alphabetically but also by parts of speech (noun, adjective, adverb, verb, pronoun, etc.).

Do you have any additional tips or ideas for writing dog bios? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

And: If you need templates for your dog bios, check out Canva – it’s an easy-to-use design tool that can help you create beautiful, scroll-stopping graphics.

Content Creation Copywriting

Share this:

Denise View All →

Denise is a marketing translator, specializing in creative marketing translations for websites, social media, and email, and a volunteer marketer and content creator at her local animal shelter. Living in rural Texas, she enjoys the small-town, between-country-and-city life with her husband and two dogs. She’s also a coffee aficionada, a language lover, a travel and nature enthusiast, a fitness and fashion fan, and a keen supporter of the Oxford comma.

1 Comment Leave a comment ›

PAWS – Protecting Animals in White Settlement, is trying hard to really get the word out about the new shelter animals. The Chief of the Police Department has been instrumental in revitalizing the city’s care and structure of the shelter as a whole. I really wish I knew if they had access to these blogs to help them as they begin anew in the efforts to bring attention to the needs of the shelter and getting the word out about potential new furry family members!

Leave a comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

All descriptions of the dogs featured on this site are solely my own opinions, based on my personal observations and impressions and/or on others’ observations and impressions shared with me, are often fictional in nature, and are not professional assessments. If you are interested in any of the dogs featured here and still available for adoption, please take the time to meet the dogs and determine for yourself if they would be a good fit for you and your family or rescue organization.

Please also note that views and opinions expressed on this site are solely my own and are not supported or endorsed by the Weatherford Parker County Animal Shelter.

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Controversy follows Gov. Kristi Noem as she is banned by another South Dakota tribe

FILE - South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, Feb. 23, 2024, in Oxon Hill, Md. Noem is now banned from entering nearly 20% of her state after two more tribes banished her this week over comments she made earlier this year about tribal leaders benefitting from drug cartels. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

• Copy Link copied

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem is now banned from entering nearly 20% of her state after another tribe banished her this week and the leaders of a sixth tribe recommended taking that action over comments she made earlier this year about tribal leaders benefitting from drug cartels.

The latest developments in the ongoing tribal dispute come on the heels of the backlash Noem faced for writing about killing a hunting dog that misbehaved in her latest book. It is not clear how these controversies will affect her chances to become Donald Trump’s running mate because it is hard to predict what the former president will do.

The Sissteon-Wahpeton Oyate tribe banned Noem earlier this week. Then Friday the leadership committee of the Yankton Sioux Tribe recommended that Noem be banned, but that tribe’s general council must vote on it before Noem could be banned from their land in southeastern South Dakota. The Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Sioux tribes had already taken action to keep her off their reservations. Three other tribes haven’t yet banned her.

Noem reinforced the divisions between the tribes and the rest of the state in March when she said publicly that tribal leaders were catering to drug cartels on their reservations while neglecting the needs of children and the poor.

“We’ve got some tribal leaders that I believe are personally benefiting from the cartels being there, and that’s why they attack me every day,” Noem said at a forum. “But I’m going to fight for the people who actually live in those situations, who call me and text me every day and say, ’Please, dear governor, please come help us in Pine Ridge. We are scared.’ ”

Noem’s spokesman didn’t respond Saturday to email questions about the bans. But previously she has said she believes many people who live on the reservations still support her even though she is clearly not getting along with tribal leaders.

Noem addressed the issue in a post on X on Thursday along while posting a link to a YouTube channel about law enforcement’s video about drugs on the reservations.

“Tribals leaders should take action to ban the cartels from their lands and accept my offer to help them restore law and order to their communities while protecting their sovereignty,” Noem said. “We can only do this through partnerships because the Biden Administration is failing to do their job.”

The tribes have clashed with Noem in the past, including over the 2016 Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock and during the COVID-19 pandemic when they set up coronavirus checkpoints at reservation borders to keep out unnecessary visitors. She was temporarily banned from the Oglala Sioux reservation in 2019 after the protest dispute.

And there is a long history of rocky relations between Native Americans in the state and the government dating back to 1890, when soldiers shot and killed hundreds of Lakota men, women and children at the Wounded Knee massacre as part of a campaign to stop a religious practice known as the Ghost Dance.

Political observer Cal Jillson, who is based at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, said this tribal dispute feels a little different because Noem seems to be “stoking it actively, which suggests that she sees a political benefit.”

“I’m sure that Gov. Noem doesn’t mind a focus on tensions with the Native Americans in South Dakota because if we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about her shooting the dog,” Jillson said.

Noem appears to be getting tired of answering questions about her decision to kill Cricket after the dog attacked a family’s chickens during a stop on the way home from a hunting trip and then tried to bite the governor. Noem also drew criticism for including an anecdote she has since asked her publisher to pull from the book that described “staring down” North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in a private meeting that experts said was implausible.

After those controversies, she canceled several interviews that were planned as part of the book tour. With all the questions about “No Going Back: The Truth on What’s Wrong with Politics and How We Move America Forward,” no one is even asking anymore about Noem’s decision to appear in an infomercial-style video lavishing praise on a team of cosmetic dentists in Texas who gave her veneers.

Jillson said it all probably hurts her chances with Trump, who has been auditioning a long list of potential vice-president candidates.

“I think that the chaos that Trump revels in is the chaos he creates. Chaos created by somebody else simply detracts attention from himself,” Jillson said.

University of South Dakota political science professor Michael Card said that if it isn’t the vice-president slot, it’s not clear what is in Noem’s political future because she is prevented from running for another term as governor. Noem is in her second term as governor.

She could go after U.S. Senator Mike Rounds’ seat or try to return to the House of Representatives, Card said.

This story was first published on May 11, 2024. It was updated on May 13, 2024, to correct the name of a tribe to Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, instead of Sisseton-Wahpeton Ovate.

This story was also updated on May 14, 2024 to correct that Noem has not been banned by the Yankton Sioux Tribe. That tribe’s leadership committee recommended that Noem should be banned from the Yankton Sioux Tribe’s reservation, but the tribe’s general council must vote on that recommendation before Noem would be banned.

Ohio State nav bar

Ohio state navigation bar.

• BuckeyeLink
• Search Ohio State

Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program

The Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration program offers middle and high school students one-week intensive enrichment courses intended to introduce them to new areas of study or allow them to engage in content they may already have an interest in. In-person classes meet from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, and are taught by Ohio State faculty, staff, and graduate students. Teaching is active, hands-on and encourages participants to engage with the instructional team and their fellow participants. These courses are not for grade or credit and are designed for self-motivated learners.  

Eligibility is based on a participant’s current grade level for the 2023-2024 school year. Students currently enrolled in 7 th and 8 th grades are eligible for middle school courses. Students currently enrolled in 9 th – 11 th grade are eligible for high school courses. 

If you have questions about this program, please contact [email protected] or call Courtney Price at 614-292-8208. 

The application deadline for Summer 2024 courses has passed. We invite you to sign up for updates  to receive information about our programs and be alerted when the when future application windows open.  

2024 Course Offerings

Explorations in creative writing.

Dates : June 3–7

Eligibility : Middle School (current grade 7-8)

Description : In this course, we will take a deep dive into poetry, fiction, and nonfiction writing! In each genre, we’ll be thinking about what it means to develop our own individual writing voice that’s unique to who we are. During the week, we will experiment with daily writing exercises based off prompts crafted to spark creativity and seek inspiration from reading classic and contemporary literary work, as well as different forms of art, such as music and collage. 

Through this course, participants will hone their writing voice in multiple genres. By the end of the course, each participant will have an impressive portfolio of writing developed in our supportive writing community. 

Prerequisites:  Previous experience with the subject matter is not required for this course.

Astronomy as a Gateway to the Data Sciences

Eligibility : High School (current grade 9-11)

Description : Astronomy has entered the “big data” era, in which huge collections of measurements are analyzed to attack the most challenging problems. In this course, we will explore how even the simplest data – the positions and brightness of stars – can address an active research problem. We will build the components of a data analysis pipeline using the most basic parts of the Python programming language, and use real data to search for young stars that have diffused away from the clusters they were born in. 

This course will explore many aspects of competency in the data sciences. This is a true research project! We do not know the answers in advance but will discover them as part of our course. This course will include small group exploration, interviews, peer teaching, and pair programming. Through this course students will learn basic statistical analysis, and gain experience in several fundamentals in the Python programming language. 

Prerequisites: 

• Participants should have completed high school algebra or geometry prior to taking this course. 
• Previous experience with astronomy and programming is not required for this course. 

Specific Course Requirements:

• Contact  [email protected] if lack of access to a personal computer would limit participation.

Sensational Science: Exploring Human Perception

Description : Discover the wonders and mysteries of how we perceive the world around us. Participants will explore not only the traditional five senses — sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch — but also examine proprioception, nociception, balance, and the complex neural networks that integrate sensory information. 

Through a dynamic blend of lectures, hands-on experiments, interactive activities, and group discussions, participants will learn the science behind how we perceive our environment and ourselves. This course will enhance critical thinking and scientific inquiry skills through investigations of how our brains interpret sensory information. Going beyond the basics, this course will uncover the fascinating spectrum of sensory and perception disorders. From the challenges of navigating the world with color blindness or anosmia to the extraordinary experiences of synesthesia, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of how diverse the human experience of the world can be. 

Prerequisites:  Previous experience with the subject matter is not required for this course. 

Printmaking

Dates : June 10-14 Eligibility : Middle School (current grade 7-8)

Description : This studio-based, hands-on course will be held in the Ohio State Print Shop in Hopkins Hall. Participants will be introduced to a variety of printmaking techniques including screenprinting, relief printing, monoprinting, risography, and bookmaking. Participants will have the option to focus their work through the lens of comics, storytelling, and character design, if they so choose. At the end of the week participants will visit the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library on Ohio State campus, where they will view exhibitions and archives of comics and sequential art. 

Through this course, participants will learn how to operate specialized printing presses, tools, and equipment. Participants will create an original portfolio of printed works on paper and fabric. Participants will have the opportunity to share their prints and acquire works by their fellow participants through a course print exchange.

During this course students will use sharp tools and operate printmaking equipment. Students will be supervised and provided with personal safety training for every technique, but there is an inherent risk of injury.

Prerequisites: Previous studio art experience is not required to successfully participate in this course.

Course Specific Requirements:

• Close-toe shoes are recommended.
• Clothing may get art materials on them. Participants should dress accordingly.

Intercultural Competence for Future Global Leaders 

Dates : June 24-28

Description : Intercultural competence is conceptualized as a lifelong process that includes the development of the attitudes (respect and valuing of other cultures, openness, curiosity), knowledge (of self, culture, sociolinguistic issues) skills (listen, observe, interpret, analyze, evaluate, and relate), and qualities (adaptability, flexibility, empathy and cultural decentering) in order to behave and communicate effectively and appropriately to achieve one’s goals. 

In this course, participants will learn what it takes to become globally-minded and acquire the skills to navigate in multiple, diverse, global and local networks. Participants will understand the core concepts related to culture and intercultural competence, learn the basics of American Sign Language (ASL), develop cultural self-awareness, and understand the relationship between intercultural competence, citizenship and leadership. 

Course Specific Requirements: 

Application and deadline

The 2024 Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program application will remain open through May 15 . Space in each course is limited, so individual courses may fill before the May 15 deadline. 

If a participant requires an accommodation such as interpretation to participate in this program, please contact the program at [email protected] or 614-292-8208. Requests should be made as soon as possible. Requests made two weeks before the first day of a course will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but the university will make every effort to meet requests made after this date. 

We invite you to sign up for updates  to receive information about our programs and be alerted when the when future application windows open.    

Costs and aid

The program fee for the Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 program is  $550 per one-week course , which includes all course materials and activities, lunch, and snacks.

Limited need-based financial assistance may be available in the form of partial support. Financial assistance can be requested on the program application.  

Payment deadlines

Applicants have one week to accept their offer of admission to the program and pay the program fee. All payments must be made through the applicant portal. Once an offer is accepted and payment made, the parent or legal guardian must submit emergency contact and medical information, as well as signed Policy Acknowledgement and Consent forms no later than May 27, 2024.   

Refund Policy

The Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration Program recognizes that sometimes plans change. Participants may request a refund of the program fee by emailing [email protected] according to the following schedule:

• On or before May 1, 2024: 100% of program fee paid
• May 2 – May 15, 2024: 50% of program fee paid
• On or after May 16, 2024: No refund of program fee paid

Program Details

While plans for each course may differ slightly, the daily schedule follows this general model:

• Drop off 8:15 - 8:45 a.m.
• Morning session 9:00 - 11:30 a.m.
• Travel to lunch 11:30 - 11:45 a.m.
• Lunch at Traditions 11:45 - 12:45 p.m. 
• Travel time 12:30 - 12:45 p.m. 
• On campus activity 12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
• Afternoon session 2:00-3:45 p.m.
• Travel to pick-up location 3:45 - 4 p.m.
• Pick up 4:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Participants will always be escorted between pick-up/drop-off, their assigned classroom, the dining hall, and the on-campus activity by program staff. Additional information about the program will be emailed to participants and families, as needed, closer to the start of the program. 

Lunch will be provided daily at the Traditions at Scott dining hall and will be supervised by program staff. Traditions provides a wide variety of food options that meet the most common dietary needs and restrictions, including halal, gluten-free and vegetarian. However, kosher dining is not supported during summer term. 

The pick-up and drop-off location for students is the corner of Annie and John Glenn Avenue and Millikin Road, outside of the PAES building (see maps below). Please drop your child off from the eastbound lane of Annie and John Glenn Avenue. The drop-off/pick-up location will be marked with a sign and program staff will be present to check your child in and out of the program. 

If you are using a navigation system for directions, enter the following address: 305 Annie and John Glenn Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, 43210.

Please do not park in the drop-off/pick-up lane. If you need to park, or your child is driving themselves to and from the program, the closest surface lot parking is at the Ohio Stadium. The closest garage parking is Tuttle Garage. You can learn more about parking at Ohio State, including hourly rates, on the CampusParc website . 

The image above shows the ideal route to the drop off and pick up location. The image below shows the drop off and pick up lane from the street view. 

For those riding COTA, the closest bus stop to the drop-off/pick-up location is N. High Street & E. 15th Avenue. See the COTA website for more information. 

The first day of the program will kick-off with a brief orientation session. At 8:45 a.m. program staff will walk the students to the orientation location. At the orientation, students will receive a program t-shirt and lanyard, the program staff will be introduced, and the daily schedule will be reviewed. After orientation, students will be escorted to their classrooms and the morning session will begin.  

What to Wear

Participants should wear comfortable clothing appropriate for the classroom, as well as for a range of temperatures. For most courses, participants will spend most of the day inside air-conditioned classrooms. However, we will be walking between the drop-off/pick-up location, classrooms, campus locations and the dining hall. Dressing in layers and wearing comfortable walking shoes is recommended. Any course specific requirements are listed in the course description. 

Friday What to Wear

Each Friday on the last day of classes, we will take pictures of each class cohort. We encourage participants to wear their Arts & Sciences Summer Exploration t-shirt on Friday for this event!

Daily Packing List

• Cell phone and charger (optional)
• Any special academic materials needed for courses beyond this basic list will be provided by the program.
• Snacks and water: Participants should bring a refillable water bottle every day. While the program will provide an afternoon snack, participants are allowed to bring their own snacks. However, we request that, for the safety of participants with nut allergies, no snacks containing nuts be brought to the program.
• Personal medications in their original labeled containers (if taken during the day)
• Sunscreen and umbrella or rain jacket (optional)

The documents linked below are samples of the required program forms. Once an applicant accepts their offer of admission, the parent or legal guardian will receive an email from DocuSign with links to these forms. Forms must be reviewed and signed by May 27, 2024 .  

• Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 Policy Forms
• Arts and Sciences Summer Exploration 2024 Consent Forms

• Precepting at YSN
• Event Calendar

2024 Program for Humanities in Medicine Health Professions Creative Medical Writing and Art Contest: “These Small Things” by Courtney Hart

Yale university’s 2024 program for humanities in medicine (phm) health professions creative medical writing and art contest awarded first prize in the prose category to courtney hart ’25 msn, a nurse midwifery/women’s health student. to read more about yale school of nursing (ysn)’s other prize winners in this contest, please visit ysn news ., these small things, by courtney hart, to read more about yale school of nursing (ysn)’s other prize winners in this contest,  please visit ysn news ..

The challenge of being a creative person once you’ve created a person

A very tired parent’s tips for writing a book while also doing all the other things.

Eight or nine years ago, an old friend called seeking advice. She was trying to write a novel, but she was also a new mom with a full-time job, and she was exhausted. I, who had breezily published a couple of books by then, offered my best wisdom. You have to push through, I told her sternly. You have to take your own writing seriously, or nobody else will. Set aside two hours every night. Put on the coffee and push through the exhaustion. You can and will do it.

Years passed. Then I, too, had a baby. Then I, too, set out to write a book while also being a mother with a full-time job. And somewhere in the middle of this endeavor, I called my friend and asked whether my advice had been as bad as I was beginning to sense it had been. No, she told me cheerfully, it had actually been much worse. The callousness of it had shocked her, she said, until she decided that I simply hadn’t known any better and that, when I did, I would apologize.

God, I’m so sorry.

My first post-baby book came out today, and I have been thinking, almost nonstop, about the relationship between creativity and motherhood. I used to love reading articles with titles such as “The daily routines of 10 famous artists,” until I realized that Leo Tolstoy may have finished his masterpieces by locking his study doors to ensure uninterrupted productivity, but, like, what were his 13 children doing while he was in there? Did anyone check in on Mrs. Tolstoy? For the women I know, there is no setting aside a few hours at the end of the workday. The end of the workday is the beginning of the parent day. The end of the parent day is never, because 2-year-olds wake cheerfully at 5 a.m., and strep throat comes for us all.

Where, in this schedule, was the life of the mind? TikTok would not stop showing me videos of mothers showing off their “realistic beauty routines,” but what I really wanted were realistic creativity routines: the mothers who didn’t give a crap about heatless curlers, but had somehow composed a cello sonata while working five days a week as a dental hygienist.

In my bleariest days of early parenthood, I met a woman at the playground who had just finished doing something extraordinary (Triathlon? Solo art exhibit?), and when the rest of us asked her how she’d found the time, she shrugged and said, modestly, “Oh, you know.” But the point was that we didn’t know, and we were desperate for her to tell us. (Live-in grandparents? Adderall?)

The bigger point is that we weren’t really trying to figure out how to compete in triathlons. We were trying to figure out how to be people.

When you have a baby or a toddler, reminding yourself that you are a full person with your own dreams and needs can feel both completely vital and completely impossible. But being a full person is a sacred legacy to give to a child. My own mother is a folk artist. When I was growing up, she made Ukrainian eggs in the frigid concrete sunroom, a space heater at her feet, and her works were shown and sold at galleries around the Midwest. I knew then, and I know now, that my mother would die and kill for me. But I also knew that she loved other things, too. She had loved those things before she ever knew me. She had secrets and wisdom to pass on.

Her work had nothing to do with me, yet it was a gift. It paid for my brother and me to go to summer camp. It went on display at the Art Institute of Chicago, and we visited it, as well as the Seurats and the Hoppers, and ate granola bars. When my mother dies, I will carefully unwrap the tissue paper surrounding the astonishing works of art she gave to me over the years, and I will sob.

I want that for my own daughter. I want her to know that motherhood doesn’t have to atrophy personhood; it can expand it.

And in wanting that, desperately, I came up with a routine that allowed me to maintain a grip on the parts of me that were me before I was a mother. A realistic creativity routine, if you will.

I write between the hours of 10 p.m. and midnight, unless it turns out that I write between the hours of 2 a.m. and 4. I write 300 to 400 words every time I am on the Metro; I write 30 to 40 words each time I pick my daughter up from day care, in the three-minute gap between when I ring the outer bell and when a teacher’s aide comes to let me inside. I write badly. I write very, very badly, vaguely remembering a quote I’d once heard attributed to author Jodi Picoult, about how you can always edit a bad page, but you can never edit a blank page.

Does it look like the routines of Tolstoy, or Virginia Woolf, or anyone else I may have once read about in an article about the routines of famous artists? It does not. But the bad pages get edited, and then they get good.

Pursuing creativity as a working mom means, in other words, letting go of any romantic notions of what creativity means or looks like.

It means not waiting for inspiration to strike, but instead striking inspiration, bludgeoning it upside the head and wrestling it to the ground. Inspiration is a luxury, and once you realize that, you can also understand that the ability to create something through sheer force of will — without inspiration, without routine, without time — is a far more creative act than relying on a muse.

If my old friend called me now, I think that is what I would say to her. That, and:

You will not be Mark Twain, summoned by a horn when it’s time to eat the dinner someone else has prepared. You will not be going on Tchaikovsky’s vigorous two-hour walks through the countryside or spending the morning shopping for inspiring objects like Andy Warhol.

But you will create something. Not by pushing through the exhaustion so much as living alongside it, and then peering beyond it, and then stopping, and then starting, and then having superhuman discipline, and then eating a whole package of Oreos, and then finishing something beautiful at 2 a.m. and sneaking into your child’s room to see another beautiful thing, and then thinking about how the things that make us the most tired are the things that give us reason to create at all.

Lawrence creative writing instructor honored for endeavors in county jail

TOPEKA, Kan. (KCTV) - A creative writing instructor who calls Lawrence home has been honored for his efforts to teach creative writing to those in the Douglas County, Kan., Jail.

Washburn University in Topeka, Kan., announced on Wednesday, May 15, that Brian Daldorph, of Lawrence, has won the 2024 Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award in Literary Nonfiction. The award honors his book, “Words is a Powerful Thing: Twenty Years of Teaching Creative Writing at Douglas County Jail.”

The University noted that Doldoprh is a creative writing instructor at the county jail in Lawrence, as well as a senior lecturer in the University of Kansas English Department. He has penned six books of poetry, including “Kansas Poems” and “Blue Notes.” He is also editor of the literary journal “Coal City Review.”

Washburn indicated that the 2024 judge, Rebekah Taussig, won the award in 2021 for her memoir “Sitting Pretty.”

Also Read: Chiefs unveil full 2024 schedule, begin quest for historic three-peat

“I kept finding myself turning back to Daldorph’s book, rereading underlined passages and thinking about the inmates’ poems at different times throughout the day. This book cuts to the heart of what so many of us value as writers and readers—the power of bare language and simple self-narration,” Taussig said. “And also, at times, a stark look at its limitations. I found myself thinking differently about my own writing - what are the stories I want to tell and why - and the way I teach writing - what is this work, what is the goal? I was surprised by this book, and the words I read will stay with me.”

The University said the Hefner Heitz Kansas Book Award alternates between genres. Poetry will be judged in 2025, Fiction in 2026 and Literary Nonfiction again in 2027.

Watch: VIDEO: Overland Park police work to ID people accused of stealing Yeti coolers

Copyright 2024 KCTV. All rights reserved.

City of Kansas City tweets, deletes dig at Chiefs kicker

‘His smile and his laugh’: Friend of missing Overland Park man found in Minnesota, speaks out

Restaurant chain scrambles to keep up with viral TikTok trend

Two Kansas City-area Red Lobster restaurants among dozens closing nationwide

Frank White requests Missouri attorney general withdraw lawsuit over property tax assessment

Latest news.

Harrison Butker jersey sales increase in aftermath of Benedictine College address

1 adult, 1 juvenile dead after house fire reported in rural Eastern Kansas

Community gathers in Independence to remember those lost in the line of duty

Tavia Hunt shares thoughts on motherhood, married life following Chiefs kicker’s commencement speech

Homicide investigation opened after shooting reported at Kansas City park

• History, Facts & Figures
• YSM Dean & Deputy Deans
• YSM Administration
• Department Chairs
• YSM Executive Group
• YSM Board of Permanent Officers
• FAC Documents
• Current FAC Members
• Appointments & Promotions Committees
• Ad Hoc Committees and Working Groups
• Chair Searches
• Leadership Searches
• Organization Charts
• Faculty Demographic Data
• Professionalism Reporting Data
• 2022 Diversity Engagement Survey
• State of the School Archive
• Faculty Climate Survey: YSM Results
• Strategic Planning
• Mission Statement & Process
• Beyond Sterling Hall
• COVID-19 Series Workshops
• Previous Workshops
• Departments & Centers
• Find People
• Biomedical Data Science
• Health Equity
• Inflammation
• Neuroscience
• Global Health
• Diabetes and Metabolism
• Policies & Procedures
• Media Relations
• A to Z YSM Lab Websites
• A-Z Faculty List
• A-Z Staff List
• A to Z Abbreviations
• Dept. Diversity Vice Chairs & Champions
• Dean’s Advisory Council on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Affairs Website
• Minority Organization for Retention and Expansion Website
• Office for Women in Medicine and Science
• Committee on the Status of Women in Medicine Website
• Director of Scientist Diversity and Inclusion
• Diversity Supplements
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Recruitment
• By Department & Program
• News & Events
• Executive Committee
• Aperture: Women in Medicine
• Self-Reflection
• Portraits of Strength
• Mindful: Mental Health Through Art
• Event Photo Galleries
• Additional Support
• MD-PhD Program
• PA Online Program
• Joint MD Programs
• How to Apply
• Advanced Health Sciences Research
• Clinical Informatics & Data Science
• Clinical Investigation
• Medical Education
• Visiting Student Programs
• Special Programs & Student Opportunities
• Residency & Fellowship Programs
• Center for Med Ed
• Organizational Chart
• Leadership & Staff
• Committee Procedural Info (Login Required)
• Faculty Affairs Department Teams
• Recent Appointments & Promotions
• Academic Clinician Track
• Clinician Educator-Scholar Track
• Clinican-Scientist Track
• Investigator Track
• Traditional Track
• Research Ranks
• Instructor/Lecturer
• Social Work Ranks
• Voluntary Ranks
• Adjunct Ranks
• Other Appt Types
• Appointments
• Reappointments
• Transfer of Track
• Term Extensions
• Timeline for A&P Processes
• Interfolio Faculty Search
• Interfolio A&P Processes
• Yale CV Part 1 (CV1)
• Yale CV Part 2 (CV2)
• Samples of Scholarship
• Teaching Evaluations
• Letters of Evaluation
• Dept A&P Narrative
• A&P Voting
• Faculty Affairs Staff Pages
• OAPD Faculty Workshops
• Leadership & Development Seminars
• List of Faculty Mentors
• Incoming Faculty Orientation
• Faculty Onboarding
• Past YSM Award Recipients
• Past PA Award Recipients
• Past YM Award Recipients
• International Award Recipients
• Nominations Calendar
• OAPD Newsletter
• Fostering a Shared Vision of Professionalism
• Academic Integrity
• Addressing Professionalism Concerns
• Consultation Support for Chairs & Section Chiefs
• Policies & Codes of Conduct
• First Fridays
• Fund for Physician-Scientist Mentorship
• Grant Library
• Grant Writing Course
• Mock Study Section
• Research Paper Writing
• Establishing a Thriving Research Program
• Funding Opportunities
• Join Our Voluntary Faculty
• Child Mental Health: Fostering Wellness in Children
• Faculty Resources
• Research by Keyword
• Research by Department
• Research by Global Location
• Translational Research
• Research Cores & Services
• Program for the Promotion of Interdisciplinary Team Science (POINTS)
• CEnR Steering Committee
• Experiential Learning Subcommittee
• Goals & Objectives
• Issues List
• Print Magazine PDFs
• Print Newsletter PDFs
• YSM Events Newsletter
• Social Media
• Patient Care

INFORMATION FOR

• Residents & Fellows
• Researchers

Celebrating Health Profession Students' Poetry, Prose, and Visual Arts

Program for Humanities in Medicine 2024 Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Awards Ceremony

Lenique Huggins - First place in Art category

Created by MD student Hang Nguyen. Second place in Art category

WInston Trope - Honorable Mention in Art category

Zeynep Inanoglu - Honorable Mention in Art category

2024 PHM Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest Award Ceremony - Student Winners

Winning artwork

Black Motherhood in Medicine

Created by MD student Lenique Huggins. First place in Art category

These Small Things

These are the titles of the poetry, prose, and visual artworks that received first-place in the annual Yale School of Medicine (YSM) Program for Humanities in Medicine (PHM) Health Professions Students' Creative Writing & Art Contest. On May 2, the student winners were celebrated at a gathering where they shared and often provided context for their creations. A supportive and appreciative audience applauded enthusiastically after each presentation.

Professor and PHM Director Anna Reisman, MD, welcomed everyone to the celebration, sharing that the contest began more than two decades ago. It originally was a poetry and prose contest just for medical students; the family of Marguerite Rush Lerner, MD, established and endowed the contest to honor her. Lerner was a dermatologist at YSM, as well as a children’s book author. (Lerner’s husband, Aaron Lerner, MD, PhD, was the first chair of Yale’s Department of Dermatology, and two of their four sons, Ethan Lerner, MD, PhD ‘82 and Michael Lerner, MD ’81, attended YSM.) Reisman explained that several years ago the contest expanded to include visual arts, and also students from across the health profession schools and programs—MD, MD-PhD, Physician Associate, Physician Assistant Online, Nursing, and Public Health.

This year, almost 100 students participated in the contest. MD student winners receive the Marguerite Rush-Lerner prize; the other Yale health professions students receive the Program for Humanities in Medicine prize. See the list of winners under "Related Links."

While second-year MD student Lenique Huggins had been thinking about creating Black Motherhood in Medicine for a few months, it only took two evenings to do so, once she began.

She explains that the inspiration for the piece started in her first week of medical school, when she learned that the maternal mortality rate for Black mothers is 2.6 more than non-Hispanic white mothers. “As a young Black woman, this statistic especially pained me and my close friends.” Additionally, she says that in classes throughout the year, she was part of formal and informal discussions about being a mother in medicine. “I heard from classmates across racial backgrounds about their real fears of balancing pregnancy with their medical training and pregnancy complications among medical professionals.” That led her to begin to think about “my intersection as a future Black mother in medicine and the challenges I may face because of these identities. Now, as a second-year student, I created a piece that captures something I have thought much about these past two years.”

Huggins grew up in a Caribbean household close to art and culture from all over the world. “I’ve always been surrounded by music, dance, storytelling, and visual art, and my family hosted international students throughout my childhood. I started playing the piano at age three, and have been singing, dancing, and doodling for as long as I can remember.” However, it was not until she was an undergraduate at Duke University and participated in community service that she “began to understand the therapeutic value of art.”

Through her involvement in different programs at that time, including Families Moving Forward, a shelter for families without homes, and Reflections, a weekly art program for adults with dementia at Duke Nasher Museum, Huggins says, “I saw how encouraging self-expression could bring peace during uncertain times, reduce stress, and empower communities. When I went through a rough time in my sophomore year, I found myself using painting for a lot of healing.”

Huggins continues, “I will continue practicing art. It’s a self-care practice that helps me combat burnout and show up better for patients who need me.”

Class of 2025 MD student Hang Nguyen started painting at age 11, when her family immigrated to America from Vietnam. She explains, “I did not speak English at the time, so art was a vessel through which I could communicate my tumultuous adolescent mind.”

Currently, she paints often and says her favorite subject is “surreal, tranquil, and, occasionally, liminal landscapes, such as a classroom at midnight, an overgrown, abandoned church, and a long corridor that leads nowhere. For me, these landscapes represent a longing for a space that exists tranquilly, where one can be one's true self.”

Nguyen painted Submerged specifically for this contest; “In other words, this contest inspired me to look inward and reflect on — instead of simply overcome and move forward from — the challenges that I have encountered in medical school.” Through the work she wanted “to convey the various feelings that I experienced while studying for board exams using motifs that are near and dear to me like water and fish in a surreal, tranquil, and liminal ambience.” She painted it during time dedicated to Step 1, over the course of a week, working on it for an hour to two at night.

Hunger , On Chinese Medicine , and On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

First-year Physician Associate (PA) student Kelly Dunn was honored with three prizes: A tie for first place in prose for Hunger , a tie for second place in poetry for On Chinese Medicine , and honorable mention in prose for On the First Day of Anatomy Lab , each of which she shared with the audience. While Dunn, who “always considered the humanities to be a part of my life,” has been an avid reader and artist for as long as she can remember, she did not start writing until the COVID-19 pandemic. She says she mostly wrote nonfiction, and only semi-frequently, “whenever something momentous transpired, or I suddenly felt called to it,” explaining, “so much of my love and appreciation for writing comes from the fact that it’s a medium to better articulate an experience through. Having something so fresh and felt so acutely is a wonderful impetus to begin writing.”

The contest was one of Dunn’s first times writing poetry, “I’ve always been intimidated by it. Learning the different poetic forms and metric lines, as well as how to be economical with my words, seems like something I’ll never be able to achieve.” She continued, “I’m grateful for this contest for giving me an opportunity to try”

For Dunn, writing in PA school has been “incredibly helpful processing all that has happened. Every day I vacillate between feelings of immense wonder, humility, and gratitude— and these words in themselves don’t even do the moments I’ve witnessed justice.”

Acknowledgements

Reisman thanked PHM Manager Karen Kolb for her work coordinating the contest, and the 16 YSM faculty and staff members who served as judges:

Aba Black, MD, MHS, Anne Merritt, MD, MS, Terry Dagradi, Sarah Cross, MD, Lorence Gutterman, MD, Melissa Grafe, PhD, Randi Hutter-Epstein, MD, MPH, Kenneth Morford, MD, Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, Vincent Quagliarello, MD, Lisa Sanders, MD, Nora Segar, MD, Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD, Rita Rienzo MMSC, PA-C, Sharon Chekijian, MD, PhH, and Cynthia McNamara, MD.

Featured in this article

• Aba Black, MD, MHS
• Sharon Anoush Chekijian, MD, MPH
• Sarah Cross, MD
• Terry Dagradi
• Randi Epstein
• Melissa Grafe, PhD
• Lorence Gutterman, MD
• Lenique Huggins
• Karen P Kolb
• Elizabeth Marhoffer, MD
• Cynthia Frary McNamara, MD, FACP
• Anne Merritt, MD, MS
• Kenneth Morford, MD, FASAM
• Hang Nguyen
• Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, MD, IBCLC
• Vincent Quagliarello, MD
• Anna Reisman, MD
• Rita Rienzo, MMSc, PA-C
• Lisa Sanders, MD, FACP
• Nora Segar, MD

Related Links

• Contest winners
• 4 YSN Students Earn Prizes at Health Professions Creative Writing and Art Contest
• On Chinese Medicine
• On the First Day of Anatomy Lab

StarTribune

University of minnesota professor wins $150,000 literary prize.

A Minnesota novelist has won one of the world's richest literary prizes.

V.V. Ganeshananthan, an associate professor of English at the University of Minnesota since 2015, won the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction Monday night for her 2023 novel, "Brotherless Night." Star Tribune reviewer May-Lee Chai called the book, in which a young woman's family is ripped apart during the Sri Lankan Civil War, "a propulsive masterpiece."

Ganeshananthan — who first read Shields' work when she was a teenager — said the experience was "surreal." It was made more special by the fact that she and the other four semifinalists had a chance to meet the family and friends of the late Shields (whose novels include "The Stone Diaries") as well as the star-packed prize jury, which included novelists Laila Lailami and Claire Messud .

Ganeshananthan and fellow finalists Eleanor Catton ( "Birnam Wood" ), Claudia Dey ("Daughter"), Kim Coleman Foote ( "Coleman Hill" ) and Janika Oza ("A History of Burning") spent a couple days together in Toronto before the presentation. The two-year-old award is presented to a female or non-binary writer in the U.S. or Canada in memory of Shields, a fierce advocate for women.

"Women and non-binary folks are certainly not winning a proportionate number of prizes," noted Ganeshananthan, who intends her work to be "explicitly feminist" (her first novel was "Love Marriage").

The professor said she didn't expect to win, so hadn't prepared her 2-minute acceptance speech until "someone I was talking to the night before [the award was presented] said, 'You should really write something down,' and I said, 'I think that's a bad idea.'"

Ganeshananthan, 44, dashed something off, then focused on enjoying time with her fellow writers, which may be why she said, "I'm still a little, 'Really?' And I may feel that way for a while."

Adding to the surreal aspect might be the high profile — and the dollar amount — of the prize. Ganeshananthan has just begun to think about the "respect and care and heft" that come with it.

"I've been fortunate to have a secure job, teaching creative writing to amazing students, and to work with brilliant colleagues. Not all writers have that or want that. But that's quite a bit of privilege," said Ganeshananthan.

She said she's considering a couple ideas for "Brotherless Night" follow-ups. While she's working on that, the writer — who also co-hosts Lithub's "Fiction/Non/Fiction" podcast and is on the boards of the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop — will have the summer and beyond to decide what's next.

"What everyone wants is more time to write," she said. "The idea that this could go to partly supporting that is encouraging and a stroke of luck."

Review: 'Brotherless Night,' by V.V. Ganeshananthan

Interim books editor Chris Hewitt previously worked at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where he wrote about movies and theater.

• Trump says Minneapolis would have burned down without him, that he won 'out of control' Minnesota

Guthrie reports a record $3.8 million deficit

• A rousing Minnesota unwelcome for Donald Trump
• The ultimate patio guide: 60 all-star patios in the Twin Cities
• Live from Game 6: Timberwolves lead Nuggets by 19 at halftime
• Reusse: 378 pitches of agony at Target Field

Jason Aldean honors Toby Keith in moving tribute at the 2024 Academy of Country Music Awards

What to stream this weekend: 'bridgerton,' billie eilish and zayn malik albums, 'american fiction', pen america, facing ongoing criticism over its response to the mideast war, gathers for annual gala.

Music Review: Billie Eilish's 'Hit Me Hard and Soft' is zealous outsider pop in a league of her own

• University of Minnesota professor wins $150,000 literary prize • Books
• 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' writer Lemony Snicket/Daniel Handler pulls back the curtain • Books
• Stretching from WW II to the present, Claire Messud's new novel is a 'masterpiece' • Books
• University of Minnesota professor's book investigates shocking medical research abuse • Books
• Review: 'Dear Memory,' by Victoria Chang • Books

© 2024 StarTribune. All rights reserved.