Book dedication examples for your dog
A dedication to your dog works best when it names one habit only your dog has, such as the spot where it sleeps while you write. Below are examples for dogs still by your side and dogs you miss, sorted by tone. Choose one to see it on the page, or write your own.
By the Proselis team · Updated
Short dedications to your dog
For Biscuit. Good dog.
For Biscuit, my writing partner.
To the dog under my desk.
For Maple, who heard it all first.
Funny dedications to your dog
For Biscuit, who ate the first draft. It was a fair review.
To Biscuit, who insisted on a walk at the start of every good idea.
For Maple, who never once asked how the book was going.
For Biscuit, who slept through the whole thing and still takes credit.
To my dog, the only reader who has never asked when it’s coming out.
Tender dedications to your dog
For Biscuit, who slept on my feet through every draft.
To Maple, who reminded me to stop writing and go outside.
For my dog, who was there for the first sentence and the last.
For Biscuit, the most patient listener I have ever had.
Dedications for a dog you miss
These suit a dog who died while you were writing, or long before.
In memory of Maple, who kept me company through every page.
For Biscuit, who didn’t see the ending. I wrote it with you anyway.
In memory of Scout, my first dog and my first reader.
For Maple. The house is too quiet to write in now, but I finished it for you.
How do you write a dedication to your dog?
Use your dog’s name and one true habit, such as where it slept, when it demanded walks, or what it chewed. Readers who love animals will smile at the detail, and you will too, years from now.
Is it okay to dedicate a book to a pet instead of a person?
Yes. Many authors do, and readers rarely mind. If a person in your life might feel left out, thank them in the acknowledgments, or dedicate the next book to them.
Where does the dedication go?
In a printed book, the dedication gets its own right-hand page after the copyright page, usually centered about a third of the way down. Some books share that page with the epigraph. In an ebook, it comes right after the copyright page.
How long should a dedication be?
Most are one or two lines. Anything longer usually belongs in the acknowledgments at the back, where you can thank everyone by name.
Questions
How do I dedicate a book to a dog that died?
Begin with “In memory of” and the dog’s name, and then add one detail about them. Keep it simple, since a short line often says more than a long one.
Can I dedicate the book to my dog and my family together?
Yes. Put the people first and the dog last, as in “For Sam, Ella, and Biscuit.” Readers will understand.
Can I dedicate a book to more than one person?
Yes. Name them together, as in “For Maya and Leo,” or give each person a line. If the list grows past three or four names, move your thanks to the acknowledgments.
Do I have to include a dedication?
No. Many books have none. Leave it out if nobody comes to mind, because a forced dedication shows.
Should the dedication be in italics?
It’s common but not required. Most dedications are centered and set in italic or small type so they stand apart from the text.
Give your dedication its own page
Proselis has a dedication page ready in its Front Matter menu, so your dedication lands in the right place in your EPUB and print PDF. Writing is free. Publishing a book as an EPUB and a print-ready PDF is a one-time $20.