Although the Dog Man books do not need to be read in order,[23-42] readers will get more context and continuity by reading them in publication order,[1-22][43-51] as shown below:
| Order | Cover | Title | First published | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Main books | ||||
| 1 |
|
Dog Man | 2016[1] | Introduces Dog Man’s origin, Chief, and the rivalry with Petey. |
| 2 |
|
Dog Man Unleashed | 2016[2] | Adds Flippy and develops the recurring cast around a birthday celebration. |
| 3 |
|
Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties | 2017[3] | Introduces Li’l Petey and begins the family relationships that shape later books. |
| 4 |
|
Dog Man and Cat Kid | 2017[4] | Develops Li’l Petey’s superhero role and the household’s partnership with 80-HD. |
| 5 |
|
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas | 2018[5-6] | Introduces the FLEAS while expanding Petey’s history and his relationship with Li’l Petey. |
| 6 |
|
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild | 2018[7] | Follows the FLEAS conflict with an accusation that tests Dog Man’s place among his friends. |
| 7 |
|
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls | 2019[8] | Advances Petey’s family story and introduces Grampa. |
| 8 |
|
Dog Man: Fetch-22 | 2019[9-10] | Builds on Flippy’s history and introduces Molly and the tadpoles. |
| 9 |
|
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment | 2020[11-12] | Continues Grampa’s family conflict while Dog Man faces dismissal. |
| 10 |
|
Dog Man: Mothering Heights | 2021[13-14] | Develops Chief’s relationship with Nurse Lady and revisits Petey’s childhood. |
| 11 |
|
Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea | 2023[15-16] | Continues the damaged-laboratory storyline and returns to Piggy and his former allies. |
| 12 |
|
Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder | 2024[17-18] | Builds on Chief’s relationship and Petey’s reform during a new technological crisis. |
| 13 |
|
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins | 2024[19-20] | Begins an alien conflict alongside Big Jim’s childhood recollections. |
| 14 |
|
Dog Man: Big Jim Believes | 2025[21] | Directly continues the alien conflict from Dog Man: Big Jim Begins. |
| 15 |  |
Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time | 2026[22] | Announced for November 3, 2026, with Grampa altering time and space. |
| Companion books | ||||
| 1 |
|
Dog Man With Love: The Official Coloring Book | 2023[43-45] | Optional coloring companion. |
| 2 |
|
Dog Man: Official Sticker Book | 2024[46-48] | Optional sticker companion. |
| 3 |  |
Dog Man: Official Supa Buddies Sticker Book | 2025[49] | Optional sticker companion. |
| 4 |  |
Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers | 2026[50] | Optional kit for making puffy stickers. |
| 5 |  |
Dog Man Saves the Day! | 2027[51] | Optional Colorforms activity companion. |
Works in sequence
The main books carry the ongoing narrative, including the Big Jim adventures. Dog Man With Love: The Official Coloring Book, Dog Man: Official Sticker Book, Dog Man: Official Supa Buddies Sticker Book, Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers, and Dog Man Saves the Day! are supplementary creative activities rather than additional steps in that storyline and can be enjoyed separately.[23-42]
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins must be read before Dog Man: Big Jim Believes because the latter directly continues the former’s unresolved alien storyline.[35-36]
Main books
1. Dog Man
Dog Man (2016)[1] introduces a crime-fighter created when a police dog’s head is joined to a police officer’s body. Four adventures pit him against Petey, corrupt authority, and inventions that turn ordinary objects into threats.[23]
As the opening volume, it establishes the hero’s instincts, his relationship with Chief, and George and Harold’s comic-book framework.[23]
2. Dog Man Unleashed
Dog Man Unleashed (2016)[2] begins with preparations for Chief’s birthday and Dog Man’s search for a suitable pet. A superpowered fish, a paper version of Petey, and competing criminal schemes turn the celebration into a citywide crisis.[24]
Following the first book, it preserves the established rivalry while introducing characters and inventions that become important in subsequent adventures.[24]
3. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties
Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties (2017)[3] follows Petey’s attempt to create an assistant, which instead produces the kitten Li’l Petey. Dog Man becomes involved in the kitten’s care while an old enemy returns with new powers.[25]
This installment begins the central family storyline, offering a later entry point while rewarding familiarity with Dog Man Unleashed.[24-25]
4. Dog Man and Cat Kid
Dog Man and Cat Kid (2017)[4] takes Dog Man onto a movie set while Petey tries to influence Li’l Petey’s understanding of good and evil. The kitten’s growing independence intersects with robotic props, superhero identities, and his developing friendship with 80-HD.[26]
It builds on the household introduced in Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties, giving those relationships a new superhero dimension.[25-26]
5. Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas (2018)[5-6] brings Petey’s childhood grievances into the present when former acquaintances threaten him and Li’l Petey. Dog Man and his allies confront a giant robotic adversary while Petey struggles with whether he can change.[27]
It develops the superhero team and establishes adversaries who return in later installments.[27]
6. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild (2018)[7] follows Dog Man after evidence implicates him in a bank robbery. His friends investigate the accusation while Petey confronts his own discouragement about becoming a better person.[28]
Reading it after Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas supplies context for the returning villains and strengthens its focus on belonging among an unconventional group of friends.[27-28]
7. Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls (2019)[8] pairs Dog Man’s struggle with his fixation on balls with changes in Petey’s family life. Li’l Petey’s hopes for family reconciliation bring Grampa into a story involving new mechanical threats.[29]
It advances the relationships developed in earlier books and establishes family tensions that carry into the next installments.[29]
8. Dog Man: Fetch-22
Dog Man: Fetch-22 (2019)[9-10] introduces a disgruntled television host whose encounter with newly hatched tadpoles creates trouble for the city. Li’l Petey investigates an earlier source of superpowers while Petey faces another difficult encounter with Grampa.[30]
Placed after Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls, it connects the family storyline with Flippy’s past and introduces Molly’s place in the expanding cast.[29-30]
9. Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment (2020)[11-12] begins when Dog Man’s behavior at a public ceremony costs him his job. Meanwhile, Grampa develops a dangerous invention, and Petey wrestles with anger, forgiveness, and memories of his mother.[31]
It continues the family conflicts of the preceding books while drawing on the circle of friends expanded in Dog Man: Fetch-22.[30-31]
10. Dog Man: Mothering Heights
Dog Man: Mothering Heights (2021)[13-14] follows Dog Man through an injury and brings Chief into contact with Nurse Lady. Petey’s attempt to discuss his past on television unfolds alongside a new disaster involving animated household objects.[32]
Reading this book after Dog Man: Grime and Punishment adds context to Petey’s reflections on his mother; the book also introduces a relationship that continues beyond this adventure.[31-32]
11. Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea
Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea (2023)[15-16] finds Petey trying to rebuild his laboratory while Piggy reconnects with former allies and new companions. A flying submarine and a distorted news report draw Dog Man’s friends into another shared crisis.[33]
It follows the consequences of Dog Man: Mothering Heights and continues the development of Chief’s relationship with Nurse Lady.[32-33]
12. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder
Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder (2024)[17-18] begins with Chief’s wedding before a skunk encounter and a false accusation put Dog Man in danger. Petey faces a difficult bargain as artificial-intelligence replacements spread through the city.[34]
It belongs after Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, building on the rebuilding effort, Chief’s relationship, and Petey’s commitment to changing his life.[33-34]
13. Dog Man: Big Jim Begins
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins (2024)[19-20] brings Big Jim and Grampa into a superhero adventure interwoven with recollections of Big Jim’s childhood. Their contrasting outlooks become part of a present-day conflict with alien visitors.[35]
Despite its origin-story material, it belongs late in the main sequence and opens the unresolved alien storyline continued in Dog Man: Big Jim Believes.[35-36]
14. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes
Dog Man: Big Jim Believes (2025)[21] returns to a city still altered by the earlier alien attack. A renewed invasion unfolds alongside further stories about Big Jim’s optimism and Grampa’s lifelong dissatisfaction.[36]
It continues the unresolved citywide transformation from Dog Man: Big Jim Begins.[35-36]
15. Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time
Companion books
1. Dog Man With Love: The Official Coloring Book
Dog Man With Love: The Official Coloring Book (2023)[43-45] offers more than a hundred panels featuring Dog Man, Petey, Li’l Petey, Chief, and other recurring characters. Its activities invite readers to add color to familiar scenes from the series.[38]
It is an optional creative companion[38] published between Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea and Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder.[15-18][43-45]
2. Dog Man: Official Sticker Book
Dog Man: Official Sticker Book (2024)[46-48] contains twelve sticker sheets with more than 250 stickers featuring the series’ characters and adventures. Readers can assemble sticker scenes or decorate items such as notebooks and water bottles.[39]
Published between Dog Man: Big Jim Begins and Dog Man: Big Jim Believes,[19-21][46-48] it is an optional activity book.[39]
3. Dog Man: Official Supa Buddies Sticker Book
Dog Man: Official Supa Buddies Sticker Book (2025)[49] is the second interactive sticker-book volume, featuring Dog Man, Petey, Li’l Petey, Big Jim, and their friends. It contains twelve sheets with more than 250 stickers.[40]
This optional companion lets readers combine characters, props, villains, sound effects, and backgrounds into comic scenes inside the book, or use the stickers to decorate items such as notebooks and water bottles.[40]
4. Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers
Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers, which will be published on October 6, 2026,[50] is an optional sticker-making kit featuring Petey, Li’l Petey, Chief, Sarah Hatoff, 80-HD, and other characters from Dog Man. It includes materials to make 60 puffy stickers.[41]
Users layer sticker backers, puffy pieces, and artwork between plastic plates, then squeeze the tool to join them. The stickers can decorate water bottles and notebooks, or be used with the included comic-inspired pages to create original Dog Man adventures.[41]
It is scheduled for publication on October 6, 2026.[50]
5. Dog Man Saves the Day!
Dog Man Saves the Day!, which will be published on January 5, 2027,[51] is an official Colorforms activity book and play set featuring Dog Man, Petey, Li’l Petey, Big Jim, Chief, and other characters. It includes sixteen pages of backgrounds and more than 50 reusable vinyl stickers.[42]
This optional companion lets readers mix characters, speech bubbles, Petey’s inventions, and other props to create their own Dog Man adventures.[42]
It is scheduled for publication on January 5, 2027.[51]
References
- Dog Man. Library of Congress.
- Scholastic Hardcover & Paperback Books: Spring 2017. Scholastic.
- Dog Man : a tale of two kitties. Library of Congress.
- Scholastic Announces 3 MM Copy First Printing of Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas, the Newest Book in Dav Pilkey’s Bestselling Series. Scholastic.
- Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9780545935395.
- Dog man. Lord of the fleas. Library of Congress.
- Scholastic Announces Dog Man ‘Do Good’ Campaign Inspired by the Global Bestselling Series by Dav Pilkey. Scholastic.
- Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338236590.
- Dog Man: Fetch-22. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338323238.
- Dog man : fetch-22. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: Grime and Punishment. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338554274.
- Dog Man : grime and punishment. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: Mothering Heights. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338680478.
- Dog Man : mothering heights. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338801934.
- Dog man: twenty thousand fleas under the sea. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338896442.
- Dog Man : the scarlet shedder. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: Big Jim Begins. Graphix. Copyright page. ISBN: 9781338896473.
- Dog Man : Big Jim Begins. Library of Congress.
- Dog Man: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey Coming November 11, 2025. Scholastic.
- 100 Little Free Libraries Launch Nationwide featuring Dog Man Creator Dav Pilkey’s Beloved Characters to Bring Books to Kids in Book Deserts. Scholastic.
- Dog Man. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741032.
- Dog Man Unleashed. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741049.
- Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741056.
- Dog Man and Cat Kid. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741063.
- Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741070.
- Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741087.
- Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338236590.
- Dog Man: Fetch-22. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338323214.
- Dog Man: Grime and Punishment. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338535624.
- Dog Man: Mothering Heights. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338680454.
- Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338801910.
- Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338896435.
- Dog Man: Big Jim Begins. Graphix. ISBN: 9781338896459.
- Dog Man: Big Jim Believes. Graphix. ISBN: 9781546176183.
- Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time. Graphix. ISBN: 9781546199359.
- Dog Man With Love: The Official Coloring Book. Scholastic. ISBN: 9781339027272.
- Dog Man: Official Sticker Book. Scholastic. ISBN: 9781546147589.
- Dog Man: Official Supa Buddies Sticker Book. Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9798225037024.
- Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers. Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9798225063863.
- Dog Man Saves the Day! Scholastic Inc. ISBN: 9798225087067.
- Dog Man with Love: The Official Coloring Book: Pilkey, Dav, Pilkey, Dav: 9781339027272. Amazon.com.
- Dog Man with Love: The Official Coloring Book by Dav Pilkey, Paperback. Barnes & Noble.
- Dog Man with Love: The Official Coloring Book by Dav Pilkey. The Scholastic Parent Store.
- Dog Man: Official Sticker Book by Scholastic, Paperback. Barnes & Noble.
- Dog Man: Official Sticker Book (Paperback). Harvard Book Store.
- Dog Man: Official Sticker Book: Scholastic: 9781546147589. Amazon.com.
- Scholastic Trade Catalog: July to December 2025. Heyzine.
- Make Your Own Dog Man Puffy Stickers: 9798225063863: Editors of Klutz: Books. Amazon.com.
- Scholastic Hardcover & Paperback Books: Spring 2027. Scholastic.