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This January, we’re exploring our extraordinary bond with dogs through every lens imaginable. From fascinating insights into the canine mind to practical guides on communication, our selection bridges the gap between species.
Discover global breed histories, light-hearted mysteries, and adventurous kids' training games designed to spark curiosity. Whether you’re seeking deep discoveries or a heart-warming bedtime story, there is a treasure here for every dog lover.
THE SCIENCE & SECRETS OF DOGS
Amazing Facts About Dog Intelligence, Senses, Emotions, Body Language, and Everything We Now Know About Our Best Friends
by Bruce Miller
What if everything we thought we knew about dogs was only scratching the surface?
From how dogs think, learn, remember, and dream to how they interpret human emotions, time, fairness, love, and loss, this book uncovers the hidden logic behind familiar behaviours dog owners witness every day. Readers will discover why dogs can sense illness, anticipate events, read our moods with uncanny accuracy, and form emotional bonds that rival our own.
Written in a warm, narrative-driven style, The Science & Secrets of Dogs blends rigorous research with real-world stories, making it ideal for dog lovers, gift buyers, and curious readers alike. It is not a training manual or veterinary guide, but a thoughtful, illuminating look at the inner life of dogs-grounded in modern science and presented with clarity, humour, and heart.
Perfect for libraries, bookstores, and educational collections, this title appeals to readers interested in animals, popular science, psychology, and the enduring bond between humans and dogs. It is the first book in The Family Dog Series, designed for broad consumer appeal and strong gift-market potential.
The Science & Secrets of Dogs invites readers to see their dogs not just as pets, but as thinking, feeling companions whose extraordinary abilities science is only beginning to fully understand.
Paperback, 164 pages
Series: The Family Dog Series
Publisher: Pacific Trust Holdings NZ Ltd., 5th January 2026
Paperback, 186 pages
A charming and informative gallery of more than 600 dog breeds from around the world
In Dogs of the World, animal illustrator Lili Chin introduces more than six hundred breeds of dog from around the globe in a captivating canine gallery, from the English Springer Spaniel and Moroccan Aidi to the Thai Ridgeback and the New Guinea Singing Dog - as well as those dogs with no defined breed at all.
You'll learn about different dog types and their working roles, such as herding, livestock guarding, scent detection, dog sports, and companionship; understand what terms like pure breed and landrace mean; trace the history of modern dogs through a vibrantly visual timeline; and pick up insights on breed health risks, personality traits, and how ancestry DNA tests work.
Featuring adorable artwork alongside rigorous research vetted by dog history experts, behaviour professionals and veterinarians, Dogs of the World is a loving and accessible guide to the diversity of our canine companions.
Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin UK, 8th July 2025
Price: $28.20 from www.amazon.com.au
Family Fun Activities, Detective Games, and Adventures for Kids Teaching Dogs Scent Skills
by Agent Max
Sniff Squad: Dog Training for Kids Who Love Mysteries is a unique children's adventure that turns dog training into a detective mission filled with science and storytelling. Written for ages 8-13, this interactive book is perfect for retailers, schools, and libraries seeking titles that inspire curiosity, responsibility, and joy while teaching practical skills.
At the Sniff Squad Academy, kids become junior detectives, solving scent-based mysteries while teaching their dogs real skills. Each chapter unfolds like a mission: decoding the canine mind, following ghost scent trails, cracking indoor drift zones, and capturing the elusive Crumb Bandit. Along the way, readers earn badges, complete checklists, and unlock achievements that make learning feel like a game.
What makes Sniff Squad truly special is that it teaches children how to train their dogs to be real sniffer dogs. Through simple, safe, and fun exercises, kids discover how scent detection works, how dogs follow trails, and how teamwork between children and animals leads to amazing results. This approach is exciting, empowering, and genuinely cool, giving young readers a sense of accomplishment while strengthening the bond with their pets.
✔️ Interactive Missions: Badges, checklists, and debriefs make every chapter feel like a game.
✔️ Shared Activities: Parents and children can complete training challenges together, turning dog care into family fun.
✔️ Keepsake Value: The companion field journal allows kids to record progress, celebrate achievements, and create a personal memory book.
✔️ Adventure Factor: Combines mystery storytelling with hands on training, so kids feel like detectives while dogs become their partners.
This book pairs seamlessly with Sniff Squad: Dog Training Field Journal, a companion workbook designed to extend the adventure. While the main book introduces missions and training techniques, the Field Journal gives children space to record progress, celebrate achievements, and explore extra challenges.
Paperback, 138 pages
Series: Sniff Squad
Publisher: Imperium Ink, 30th November 2025
For Ages: 8 - 13 years old
Perfect for libraries, bookstores, and educational collections, this title appeals to readers interested in animals, popular science, psychology, and the enduring bond between humans and dogs. It is the first book in The Family Dog Series, designed for broad consumer appeal and strong gift-market potential.
The Science & Secrets of Dogs invites readers to see their dogs not just as pets, but as thinking, feeling companions whose extraordinary abilities science is only beginning to fully understand.
Paperback, 164 pages
Series: The Family Dog Series
Publisher: Pacific Trust Holdings NZ Ltd., 5th January 2026
Price: $18.28 at www.amazon.com.au
BUTTON TRAINING FOR DOGS
Teach Your Dog to Talk: A Practical Guide to Button Communication
by DVM Karen Mueller
Button training opens a powerful new channel of communication between you and your dog, giving your dog an empowering way to express herself — even if you’ve never trained a dog before.
In this practical, science-informed, and heart-warming guide, veterinarian Karen E. Mueller, DVM walks you step by step through teaching your dog to “talk” using sound buttons. With clear explanations, real-life examples, and thoughtful problem-solving strategies, you’ll learn how to build a communication system that works for your dog and your home.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
BUTTON TRAINING FOR DOGS
Teach Your Dog to Talk: A Practical Guide to Button Communication
by DVM Karen Mueller
Button training opens a powerful new channel of communication between you and your dog, giving your dog an empowering way to express herself — even if you’ve never trained a dog before.
Inside, you’ll learn how to:
✔️ Choose the best first words for your dog
✔️ Set up a button board for success
✔️ Build word meaning through consistent use
✔️ Tell true communication apart from random presses
✔️ Add new words without overwhelming your dog
✔️ Troubleshoot common training challenges
✔️ Support senior dogs, multi-dog households, and special-needs learners
Along the way, you’ll meet Paddy — a real-life button-pressing dog whose unexpected “conversations” bring humor, insight, and unforgettable moments.
Whether your dog is a still a puppy, a curious adult, or a wise senior, button training can deepen your connection, build confidence, and give your dog a meaningful new way to be understood.
✔️ Set up a button board for success
✔️ Build word meaning through consistent use
✔️ Tell true communication apart from random presses
✔️ Add new words without overwhelming your dog
✔️ Troubleshoot common training challenges
✔️ Support senior dogs, multi-dog households, and special-needs learners
Along the way, you’ll meet Paddy — a real-life button-pressing dog whose unexpected “conversations” bring humor, insight, and unforgettable moments.
Whether your dog is a still a puppy, a curious adult, or a wise senior, button training can deepen your connection, build confidence, and give your dog a meaningful new way to be understood.
Paperback, 186 pages
Publisher: K. Mueller Publishing, 14 December 2025
Price: $35.75 from www.booktopia.com.au
DOGS OF THE WORLD
An Illustrated Compendium
by Lili Chin
An Illustrated Compendium
by Lili Chin
A charming and informative gallery of more than 600 dog breeds from around the world
You'll learn about different dog types and their working roles, such as herding, livestock guarding, scent detection, dog sports, and companionship; understand what terms like pure breed and landrace mean; trace the history of modern dogs through a vibrantly visual timeline; and pick up insights on breed health risks, personality traits, and how ancestry DNA tests work.
Featuring adorable artwork alongside rigorous research vetted by dog history experts, behaviour professionals and veterinarians, Dogs of the World is a loving and accessible guide to the diversity of our canine companions.
Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher: Penguin UK, 8th July 2025
Price: $28.20 from www.amazon.com.au
DOG'S KITCHEN
A Golden Retriever Mystery
by Neil S. Plakcy
Lights, cameras... and sabotage in the kitchen.
Steve Levitan expects summer at the Friar Lake Conference Center to be peaceful-until the Cuisine Network shows up with a full production crew, celebrity chefs, social media dog-fluencers, and a brand-new reality show: Dog's Kitchen, where every dish must be safe and delicious for both humans and their dogs.
Steve agrees to put up with the chaos to save his budget...and maybe his job. His golden retriever, Rochester, just wants to stay close to the food.
But as filming begins, things start to go wrong. Equipment fails without explanation. Key ingredients disappear. A star chef threatens to walk. Someone swaps precious truffles, ruins dishes, and injures a staffer in the chaos. If the show collapses, Friar Lake's future might go down with it.
Steve needs Rochester's nose for trouble to follow a trail of suspicious scents. It's a mystery without a murder, but careers, reputations, and futures are at stake. And the truth could cost more than money.
Dog's Kitchen serves up a delightful blend of culinary creativity, behind-the-scenes TV drama, lovable dogs, and light-hearted mystery-perfect for fans of cosy fiction who prefer tension without tragedy and sleuthing with a wagging tail.
Paperback, 234 pages
Series: Golden Retriever Mysteries
Publisher: Indy Pub, 15th December 2025
A Golden Retriever Mystery
by Neil S. Plakcy
Lights, cameras... and sabotage in the kitchen.
Steve agrees to put up with the chaos to save his budget...and maybe his job. His golden retriever, Rochester, just wants to stay close to the food.
But as filming begins, things start to go wrong. Equipment fails without explanation. Key ingredients disappear. A star chef threatens to walk. Someone swaps precious truffles, ruins dishes, and injures a staffer in the chaos. If the show collapses, Friar Lake's future might go down with it.
Steve needs Rochester's nose for trouble to follow a trail of suspicious scents. It's a mystery without a murder, but careers, reputations, and futures are at stake. And the truth could cost more than money.
Dog's Kitchen serves up a delightful blend of culinary creativity, behind-the-scenes TV drama, lovable dogs, and light-hearted mystery-perfect for fans of cosy fiction who prefer tension without tragedy and sleuthing with a wagging tail.
Paperback, 234 pages
Series: Golden Retriever Mysteries
Publisher: Indy Pub, 15th December 2025
Price: $21.99 from www.amazon.com.au
SNIFF SQUAD - DOG TRAINING FOR KIDS WHO LOVE MYSTERIESBOOK CLUB - KIDS CORNER
Family Fun Activities, Detective Games, and Adventures for Kids Teaching Dogs Scent Skills
by Agent Max
Sniff Squad: Dog Training for Kids Who Love Mysteries is a unique children's adventure that turns dog training into a detective mission filled with science and storytelling. Written for ages 8-13, this interactive book is perfect for retailers, schools, and libraries seeking titles that inspire curiosity, responsibility, and joy while teaching practical skills.
What makes Sniff Squad truly special is that it teaches children how to train their dogs to be real sniffer dogs. Through simple, safe, and fun exercises, kids discover how scent detection works, how dogs follow trails, and how teamwork between children and animals leads to amazing results. This approach is exciting, empowering, and genuinely cool, giving young readers a sense of accomplishment while strengthening the bond with their pets.
✔️ Interactive Missions: Badges, checklists, and debriefs make every chapter feel like a game.
✔️ Shared Activities: Parents and children can complete training challenges together, turning dog care into family fun.
✔️ Keepsake Value: The companion field journal allows kids to record progress, celebrate achievements, and create a personal memory book.
✔️ Adventure Factor: Combines mystery storytelling with hands on training, so kids feel like detectives while dogs become their partners.
This book pairs seamlessly with Sniff Squad: Dog Training Field Journal, a companion workbook designed to extend the adventure. While the main book introduces missions and training techniques, the Field Journal gives children space to record progress, celebrate achievements, and explore extra challenges.
Paperback, 138 pages
Series: Sniff Squad
Publisher: Imperium Ink, 30th November 2025
For Ages: 8 - 13 years old
Price: $36.44 from www.amazon.com.au
THE GOOD DEED DOGS
by Emma Chichester Clark
A timeless picture book from bestselling author, Emma Chichester Clark. Bodger, Billy and Betty are VERY good dogs.
Price: $28.75 from www.booktopia.com.au
RUNTY RALPH
Visits The Big Dogs
by Catherine Martell
Meet Runty Ralph - a tiny pup with a huge heart! When everyone says he's too small to join an adventure, Runty refuses to back down. With his loyal friend Grace by his side, he steps into a world full of challenges, new friends, and a few scary moments.
This heart-warming story celebrates courage, friendship, and self-belief, showing young readers that true strength comes from within.
by Emma Chichester Clark
They like doing good deeds and are always on the lookout for ways to help people. Unfortunately, things don't always go to plan. From flying socks to runaway shopping, chaos follows them wherever they go. But when a little girl's kitten gets into trouble, the good deed dogs are determined to save the day.
A heart-warming picture book celebrating the power of kindness, friendship and never giving up.
Hardcover, 32 pages
Hardcover, 32 pages
Publisher: Walker Books Australia, 1st January 2026
For Ages: 3-7 years old
For Ages: 3-7 years old
Price: $28.75 from www.booktopia.com.au
Visits The Big Dogs
by Catherine Martell
This heart-warming story celebrates courage, friendship, and self-belief, showing young readers that true strength comes from within.
Because no matter how small you are, you can do big things when you lead with love and confidence. "Never give up!".
Paperback, 36 pages
Publisher: Louey's Library, 1st February 2024
For Ages: 1 - 7 years old
Price: $19.80 from www.booktopia.com.au
Little Tom doesn't want to do his math homework, so he asks his family for help.
Paperback, 52 pages
Publisher: Catherine Martell, 6th December 2025
For Ages: 5 - 12 years old
Price: $24.96 from www.amazon.com.au
by Bridget Farmer
The most recent in Bridget Farmer's bird book range for children and included on the Children's Book Council of Australia's shortlist for best information book Eve Pownall award.
From magpies to currawongs, from finches to thornbills, this hardcover book introduces readers to a few little details to look out for when in Australian gardens and parks, on the beach or in the bush. It is a book about noticing, and the more you look the more you see in the natural world around you!
Perfect for pre-schoolers discovering birds in their neighbourhood, or for early readers learning through rhyme and repetition. Printed on sturdy recycled paper, with thick pages. Its compact format is ideal for little hands.
Illustrated using hand coloured drypoint etchings this CBCA-shortlisted book is both a visual and educational delight.
Price: $28.99 from bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com
Minky is a sheepdog pup, but there is just one problem - he is afraid of sheep! Will he overcome his fear and become the dog he dreams he could be?
A true story told in rhyme about a Working Kelpie puppy who needs to overcome his fear of sheep in order to be able to stay on the farm. With some courage, assistance, self-belief and persistence, Minky conquers his fear, proving that anything is possible.
The most recent in Bridget Farmer's bird book range for children and included on the Children's Book Council of Australia's shortlist for best information book Eve Pownall award.
Perfect for pre-schoolers discovering birds in their neighbourhood, or for early readers learning through rhyme and repetition. Printed on sturdy recycled paper, with thick pages. Its compact format is ideal for little hands.
Illustrated using hand coloured drypoint etchings this CBCA-shortlisted book is both a visual and educational delight.
Price: $28.99 from bridgetfarmerprintmaker.com
THE SHEEPDOG WHO WAS AFRAID OF SHEEP
by Catherine Rains
A true story told in rhyme about a Working Kelpie puppy who needs to overcome his fear of sheep in order to be able to stay on the farm. With some courage, assistance, self-belief and persistence, Minky conquers his fear, proving that anything is possible.
Paperback, 36 pages
Publisher: Louey's Library, 1st February 2024
For Ages: 1 - 7 years old
Price: $19.80 from www.booktopia.com.au
CAN DOGS DO MATH
Educational bedtime story for children and infants
by Jimmy Pindot
Educational bedtime story for children and infants
by Jimmy Pindot
When they are all too busy to help, he comes up with a wacky idea.
In the end he learns that "patience is virtue".
Hardcover, 26 pages
Series: Brainy Bedtime Stories
Publisher: Indy Pub, 7th November 2025
For Ages: 0 - 6 years old
Price: $14.97 at www.amazon.com.au
Hardcover, 26 pages
Series: Brainy Bedtime Stories
Publisher: Indy Pub, 7th November 2025
For Ages: 0 - 6 years old
Price: $14.97 at www.amazon.com.au
