International Dog Day: Stories that explore the bond between humans and dogs

On International Dog Day, check out our recommendations of stories that reiterate why they truly are our best friends

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>> Inside the Mind of a Dog (2024): This new, delightful documentary prepares us to understand our canine friends better. Narrated by Rob Lowe, it has been made in a hybrid style, where the filmmaker has partially used animation, making the experience enjoyable for the audience. “How did dogs and humans become so intertwined?” Lowe asks. Using scientific study by researchers, the film points us to the behaviour and personality of dogs. It shepherds the viewers towards good training practices as well as interesting facts on their early beginnings and subsequent evolution into mixed breeds. Dog lovers and trainers will especially benefit from watching this.
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A moment from the documentary, Inside the Mind of a Dog (2024)

>> Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009): Based on a true, poignant story of a Japanese dog Hachikō, this American adaptation begins with an 11-year-old Ronnie remembering his grandfather’s dog, Hachi, during a class. The students have been asked about their heroes. Ronnie was a new-born when his grandfather Professor Wilson (played by Richard Gere) passed away. However, he feels connected with him through the stories and anecdotes of Hachi that he hears from his family growing up. The film is shot mostly in flashback, from when the grandfather rescued the pup, who stays by his side till his last breath.
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Richard Gere in a still from Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. PICS COURTESY/YOUTUBE

>> The Book of Dog: Compiled and edited by Hemali Sodhi, the book is a collection of memories about living with dogs, recollected by over 40 accomplished writers from India. These accounts range from essays about growing up and encountering dog characters in novels and comics, to those about having real life canine companions who changed the authors’ lives. There are verses on pets, a Ruskin Bond story about a dog who saw spirits, a piece on the famous dogs in the country, a humorous narration from the point of view of a dog about humans, heart-breaking stories on loss, and photo essays.

>> The Friend: Sigrid Nunez’s novel begins with an unnamed narrator, a writer living in New York, grieving the death of her best friend, who leaves a Great Dane named Apollo behind. The narrator, though initially reluctant to take him in, develops a friendship with Apollo, reading passages from Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet to him. Peppered with comments about the literary world and the job of a writer, the story is a joyful read on friendship and love. The book has been adapted into a film, scheduled to be released later this year.
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Shobhaa De mentions her pekingese Gong Li in The Book of Dog. FILE PIC

>>Dog Tales: The podcast consists of real-life stories about historic canines. These include tales of Abraham Lincoln’s first dog, Fido, whom the former President brought home from the streets and loved, and Stubby the soldier dog who saved lives in WWI. We also hear the story about the grand royal wedding between Roshanara, Maharaja of Junagadh’s favourite dog, and a golden retriever called Bobby, and Pavlov’s many dogs who suffered while he conducted his famous experiment.
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