by Sandra Murphy

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book and a link to purchase it.

Gathering hundreds of quotes about dogs should be an easy thing to do, unless you have to dodge copyright issues or make sure the proper person is given credit.

I was asked to do just that and immediately found a wonderful quote that apparently six different people said first. There’s no tracing it back to where and when so I deleted it from my file. Copyright was another glitch. Only works published in 1925 or before can be freely used.

I made lists of quotes, researched, rejected, added more, and decided to sort them into categories—inspirational, humorous, and sentimental. T-shirts and memes added a lot of fun. I used only those I found in numerous places.

Breed specific quotes are often the best, teasing a dog’s quirks. For instance, about Border Collies—“I only know what I herd.” In the final count, there are multiple quotes involving thirty-one different breeds from Basset hounds to Yorkies.

Because I review mystery and thriller books here at Kings Rive Life, I know books have characters with dogs or as in the case of Spencer Quinn (the Chet and Bernie mysteries), the main character and narrator is the dog, Chet. Some authors have dogs of their own but not in their books. I contacted the writers through Facebook Messenger and asked for original quotes. I thought I’d have to wait for them to straggle in. Within minutes, I had a dozen tabs open as the authors sent their thoughts. Readers won’t see them anywhere else.

Going through the list, I found a quote used both in both the breed and humor categories. It led to a key word search with a lot of duplicates. Apparently, once I love a quote, I really love it!

In the end, there are over 300 quotes. Some will warm your heart, a few will bring a tear to your eyes, and the rest should carry a Spew Alert. Do not drink while reading or the screen or page may be damaged as a guffaw erupts mid-sip.

Untreed Reads Editor-in-Chief Jay Hartman lives with a Guinea pig named Gizmo who was adopted from the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). In Gizmo’s honor, a portion of the net proceeds of sales will be donated to them. To order and save 25%, go to: untreedreads.com/author/sandrajmurphy.

Mungo Ferguson, wondering why he wasn’t the cover dog, photographer Ginger Ferguson

Cats can’t be left out either! Look for cat quotes, coming in 2022. If you have a pithy saying or favorite quote, based on the rules above, email me at submissions@mindspring[dot]com.

If your rescue group, shelter, bookstore, pet supply store, gift shop, etc. is interested in a bulk purchase for resale, email general@untreedreads[dot]com.

To order and save 25%, and support small publishers go to: untreedreads.com/author/sandrajmurphy.

Check out more pet and animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories. You can also keep up with our pet articles by joining our KRL Facebook group.

To enter to win a copy of Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “snore,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen January 29, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

You can also use this link to purchase the book or click here. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook. She is also the author of Happiness Is Listening to Your Dog Snore.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.