Five True Dog Stories

by Margaret Davidson, Susanne Suba (Illustrator), Lisa McCue (Cover Illustrator)

This collection of true dog stories will fascinate young readers. Dox finds jewels, and criminals. Grip picks pockets, and Barry rescues people from the snow. Adventure, suspense, and animals are all here.

Genres: Animals, Childrens, Nonfiction, Chapter Books, Picture Books, Dogs, School

48 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

Margaret Davidson grew up in New York City. As a child, she always loved to read.

She initially published books under her nickname and maiden name of Mickie Compere and also as Mickie Davidson

She has written many biographies, true stories about people's lives. Some famous people she has written biographies about are Helen Keller, Annie Sullivan, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Golda Meir.

Reviews

[Jennie Louwes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful read, tinged with sadness and irony too.

My kids and I really like true stories. The fantastical that don't seem as if they could possibly be real; but, are. They pull at your heartstrings like nothing else can❤️

I'm not necessarily a dog lover. Having grown up with a Mom, that in another life must have rescued animals for a living; I've had my fair share of exposure to dogs. I find myself on the other side of the extreme with nary an animal in sight or underfoot (unless, you count my children.)😉 The above being said, it doesn't take being a dog lover to fall in love with this book.🙂

It's not about the writing, that makes this book 5 stars, but the stories themselves. The dogs found within the pages of this book are strong, smart, driven, kind, and good. They represent the best of humanity (save one - and even he ends up being redeemed); except, they aren't even human at all.

Animals: You can't live with 'em, you can't live without 'em; we're all in this life together.❤️

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't believe this author made me cry about a dog. I don't even like dogs.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This is a book about five true dog stories. Some are sad; some are really good. You should read it. My favorite is the story of Wolf.”
-Levi, age 7

[J.E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I loved this book because the dogs were heroes. They were being the hands and feet of Jesus." -James, age 6

note-this precious little book made James curl up and have a good cry. It really touched his heart.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

about 5 dogs and their impact in the world. Dox who was a dog detective and helped solved crime cases. Grip who would pick pocket people until his master got taken to jail and he was picked up by a preacher. Wolf who risked his life to save a dog on the railroad tracks. Barry who was trained to save people in the snow. Balto who traveled a great distance in order to deliver medicine to a town who was in desperate need. { it was sad to hear about these dogs deaths in some of the stories. the tales also were not equal for each dog and I thought that was interesting. a good read for an older elementary kid who likes dogs }

[Emily Farquhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is for all dog lovers. This book follows the story of five dogs who were detectives, thieves, friends, and heroes. This is a perfect feel-good story and great for those who are beginning to independently read.

F&P: F
AR: 1.4

6 Traits:
Ideas, word choice

[M.L. Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with one of my tutoring kids. It was a good book, easy enough for struggling readers yet still sounding intelligent. I wish I had known two of the five dogs are killed before reading it with a sweet, sensitive 9-year-old though (ALWAYS PRE-READ!)

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book aloud to my boys. There is something about people or animals doing heroic acts that are interesting, even though one story is about a dog that is a thief. It kept my kids' interest, and it showed us how amazing animals can be.

[Kristin O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids’ favorite story was “Grip, the dog who was a thief”.

[Omar Aly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learn about five unforgettable dogs.

[Raul Resendiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love this story i love the 1 and 3

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five short stories about smart dogs who accomplish brave deeds, including solving crimes, committing crimes, and saving lives.

[Nicole Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite story in it is Balto

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These true animal stories have captured James interest. Good thing they’re kind of short, because he took the book to bed and didn’t go to sleep until he had finished.

[Mh Weyler]

a school read for a child. It was a sweet little book about five different dogs. Very easy read. Heroic, interesting and great if your child loves animals!

[James Tetley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read to my daughter who is 6. An eclectic mix of stories of dogs who saved lives, found thieves and also stole!! A fun read. We enjoyed it.

[Adrianne Rosal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you know any of these dog stories? Well here are five to read about and find out.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five short, but engaging and true tales of dogs who lived notable lives. It is sure to appeal to young readers.

[marissa di vita · Rating 4 out of 5]

cutest. some of the stories ended really sadly but this was such a cute little book.

[Anne Wise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great children’s book about real dogs that did amazing things. It will make a good read-aloud.

[Madelaine Pope · Rating 3 out of 5]

My 4-year-old enjoyed hearing the stories about the dogs.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great read aloud for younger kiddos.
5 short stories about famous dogs and their amazing feats.

Our kids, of course, loved the Balto story best of all.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my kids and really enjoyed it. It is a good introduction to chapter books. The stories are wholesome while also offering variety from each other.

[John Morr · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some of the stories. Some of the stories were sad and a few were happy. If you like dogs you will like the book.

[Emmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was part of our Sonlight Core A curriculum this year. These are fascinating stories about dogs doing interesting things. They are short stories, clearly written for kids. I think my kids liked the stories fairly well and hearing what dogs are capable of doing. While definitely interesting and easy to read, because I'm not huge on animal stories, I can't say it was my favorite. There is nothing wrong with this book, though if you have kids who are sensitive to things happening to animals or people, this may not be a good read for them.

3.5 stars for this book.

Review from 2021

This book, as the title indicates, has five stories about dogs who did heroic deeds to help humanity throughout the years. Each story had its own flare and you see how different types of dogs are geared for different things. It's neat to see dogs doing what God created them to do to help humans. One fought crime another worked to protect people crossing the Swiss Alps. It was a vast array even in five stories.

Our children enjoyed these stories a lot with many laughs and a few tears. Each chapter was a quick and easy read so everyone could sit through a chapter without issue. This was a great read for the whole family to enjoy.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ah, yes. I will always be more inclined to like dog stories best! The classic dog stories contained in this little big were fun to read. It just goes to show how amazing God's creation is and how much animals are capable of learning.

We read of Dox, the greatest dog detective in the world, who lived in Italy whose master was a police man.

We read of Grip, the dog who was a thief, whose master trained him to pick pockets, but the hilarious twist at the end when his master is thrown in jail for his crimes is... a minister of the church adopts him!

Wolf, the dog who saved other dogs, a collie who gave his life saving another dog.

Barry, the dog who saved people, the St. Bernard who lived in the Swiss mountains.

Balto, the dog who saved Nome, a dog part wolf, who lead the dog sled team through a snow storm to deliver the medicine to people in need. A favorite of mine growing up.

[Cortny Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five True Dog Stories is a cute nonfiction book for children to read, especially if they like dogs. Dogs from all over the world are in this book. You have a dog from Italy, and another dog who can pick locks. There is a fun little twist to the story about the dog who can pick locks. You have dogs catching criminals and you have dogs helping the criminals. You have dogs saving other dogs and dogs saving people. Each of these dogs have a wonderful story to share.

For a class assignment, there are two things you can do with this book after having a class discussion about each of the dogs. For the younger students, you can have them take their favorite dog from the story and have students recreate these dogs using whatever arts and crafts supplies you have. Another thing you can do for older students is have students write and draw their own story about a dog, it can be true or it can be fiction. Have some students share their stories when they're done.

[Kathryn]

Grade: 3-4
Genre: Nonfiction
Awards:
Use: ( ) I would have my students read this book at home with their parents and we would complete a reading log, similar to the one in the link. I would add onto this log by having the students write what happened in each chapter at home, like the two sections for Dox and Grip. In class, we would go over vocabulary words for each chapter and at the end of the week they would draw their favorite dog and explain why. Finally, for a follow-up activity, I would have my students write a brief description of their favorite pet and how they are special just like the dogs in the story (if they do not have a pet, I will have them either make one up or use a friend/family member's).

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very enjoyable compilation of dog stories for young adults and children.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five true stories about dogs. I am not sure how the author knows that the second dog story is even true. The last two (Barry, the Swiss Saint Bernard, and Balto, the Alaskan dog) were the most interesting. But really the writing style in this book is nothing special.

I am extremely disappointed the book doesn't include the famous true story of Hachiko, the Japanese dog who waited faithfully for his master even after his master dog. (There is a statue of this dog in Tokyo.)

And now that I think about it, also missing is the story of Greyfriar's Bobby, the faithful dog who stayed by his master's grave.