Dogs are the most popular species of pet in the world. They are often featured in movies, books, and artwork, and, as you’ll see below in the 15 titles listed, they are also the topic of songs by some of the world’s most famous musicians.
The 15 Songs for Dog Lovers
1. How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?
| Artist: | Patti Page |
| Year: | 1953 |
Patti Page recorded How Much Is That Doggie In The Window in 1953. It was very different from her usual ballads and country tracks, but it was a massive hit. Page openly talked about regretting its success due to fears of promoting puppy mills and the suffering that mother dogs endure.
Still, it was a massive hit, and most people know of the song even today, despite it being more than 70 years old.
2. I Love My Dog
| Artist: | Yusuf/Cat Stevens |
| Year: | 1967 |
I Love My Dog was written when Cat Stevens was 17 and released when he was 18. It opens with lyrics comparing the love of his dog to the love of the lady in his life, saying that his dog will come through even when his girlfriend fades.
3. Puppy Love
| Artist: | Paul Anka |
| Year: | 1959 |
Originally released by Paul Anka in 1959, Puppy Love is perhaps best-known thanks to the Donny Osmond version recorded in 1972. The cover topped out at number 3 in the UK charts, but most people can sing at least the main line from the song.
4. I Wanna Be Your Dog
| Artist: | The Stooges |
| Year: | 1969 |
I Wanna Be Your Dog was part of The Stooges’ self-titled album launched in 1969, which helped launch them as punk idols. The song isn’t really about dogs, but, in some way, it does speak of the devoted relationship that a dog can have with their owner.
5. Martha My Dear
| Artist: | The Beatles |
| Year: | 1968 |
Performed by The Beatles, Martha My Dear was written by Paul McCartney. The title was inspired by his beloved Old English Sheepdog, Martha. However, the song does not refer to a dog and is believed to be referencing McCartney’s relationship with Jane Asher.
6. Hound Dog
| Artist: | Big Mama Thornton |
| Year: | 1953 |
Big Mama Thornton was the first to perform and record Hound Dog in 1953, but the song had been written for her by Leiber and Stoller. As well as being Thornton’s only hit song, Hound Dog would go on to be covered by Elvis Presley, which sold around 10 million copies worldwide.
7. Old Shep
| Artist: | Elvis Presley |
| Year: | 1956 |
Old Shep was another Presley song featuring a dog in the title written by somebody else. In this case, the writer was Willis Arthur, and Presley first performed the track at a school talent contest when he was 10 years old. He came fifth but later recorded the song professionally in 1956.
Other artists who released the song include Hank Williams, Hank Snow, Johnny Cash, the Everly Brothers, and Pat Boone.
8. Cracker Jack
| Artist: | Dolly Parton |
| Year: | 1974 |
While some of the songs on this list don’t necessarily have to do with real dogs, Cracker Jack by Dolly Parton certainly does. It’s about a rescue dog Dolly took in and nursed back to health who, according to the song’s lyrics, “had a spot around one eye that looked just like a patch.”
9. Gonna Buy Me A Dog
| Artist: | The Monkees |
| Year: | 1966 |
Gonna Buy Me A Dog is a song about a man who splits from his girlfriend and decides he will get a dog instead. The famous version of the song features plenty of ad-libbing, but it was written as a straight song, and singer Davy Jones performed a straight version on The Farmer’s Daughter sitcom.
10. Diamond Dogs
| Artist: | David Bowie |
| Year: | 1974 |
Diamond Dogs was the opening track from the album of the same name by David Bowie. While it has nothing to do with dogs, it did mark the launch of Bowie’s new persona, Halloween Jack, and the start of his punk era.
11. Doggy Dog World
| Artist: | Snoop Dogg |
| Year: | 1993 |
If nothing else, Doggy Dog World by Snoop Dogg is one of the most dog-centered song titles, and it was on the album Doggystyle.
12. Gulliver/It’s Hay Chewed
| Artist: | Elton John |
| Year: | 1969 |
Dogs can bring a lot of joy and love, but one stage of dog ownership is a lot less cheerful and gleeful—having them put down. Gulliver/It’s Hay Chewed is a ballad that laments having to have a beloved pup put to sleep.
13. Do the Dog
| Artist: | Rufus Thomas |
| Year: | 1964 |
Rufus Thomas was seemingly obsessed with dogs, but Do the Dog was meant as a twist on The Twist. However, Thomas’s following four songs were also all about dogs.
14. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
| Artist: | Led Zeppelin |
| Year: | 1970 |
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp is a song about a dog, but Led Zeppelin doesn’t tell you until the last verse. The song also gets extra credibility because it references Old Shep, the song by Elvis featured in the list above.
15. Who Let the Dogs Out
| Artist: | Baha Men |
| Year: | 2000 |
It’s infuriating. It isn’t very pleasant. It’s also catchy, and most people can sing at least two lines from Who Let the Dogs Out by Baha Men. It is a song about toxic masculinity, but the barking is fun to join in with.
Summary
The relationship between people and dogs is powerful, which is why there are so many songs written about or, in some way, featuring dogs. Even when the lyrics aren’t necessarily about dogs, because we have sayings and idiosyncrasies related to our canine companions, dogs still feature heavily in the tracks.
Featured Image Credit: Monkey Business Images, Shutterstock
The 15 Songs for Dog Lovers
