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Series · graphic novel

Dog Man

by Dav Pilkey

The Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey has 15 known books (15 published). It is best read in publication order, starting with Dog Man (2016). Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time is the latest book with a fully recorded publication date.

Books
15 known books (15 novels)
Published
15
First published
2016
Status
ongoing
Start here: Dog Man (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Book one
Cover of Dog Man
Dog Man (2016)

Reading order

The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.

  1. Dog Man

    Novel
    Dog Man (2016) opens Dav Pilkey's graphic novel series with the origin story itself: a police dog and his handler, both critically injured in the same explosion, sewn together by a panicked surgeon into one good-hearted, not-especially-bright canine cop. Presented in-universe as a comic drawn by Captain Underpants characters George and Harold, it runs 240 pages.
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  2. Dog Man: Unleashed

    Novel
    Dog Man: Unleashed followed the same year, 2016, as the second entry, continuing Dog Man's chaotic run-ins with supervillain cat Petey in Pilkey's trademark mix of slapstick, wordplay and flip-book action. It runs 224 pages.
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  3. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties

    Novel
    Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties is the third entry, published in 2017, part of the series' early build-out of its rivalry between Dog Man and the scheming Petey. It runs 256 pages.
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  4. Dog Man and Cat Kid

    Novel
    Dog Man and Cat Kid came out in 2017, the fourth book, as Pilkey's found-family throughline -- Petey's slow, resistant journey from villain toward reluctant good guy -- keeps developing alongside the sight gags and bathroom humor. It runs 256 pages.
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  5. Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas

    Novel
    Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas holds the fifth spot in the series, published in 2018, keeping to Pilkey's relentless pace of sight gags, wordplay and slapstick set pieces. It runs 256 pages.
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  6. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild

    Novel
    Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild is book 6, also from 2018, continuing the best-selling graphic novel series' heavily illustrated, low-text-density format built for kids who find prose novels intimidating. It runs 224 pages.
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  7. Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls

    Novel
    Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls was released in 2019, book 7 of the series, with Dog Man once again facing the ever-escalating cast of oddball threats Pilkey built the series around. It runs 240 pages.
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  8. Dog Man: Fetch-22

    Novel
    Dog Man: Fetch-22 holds the eighth spot in the series, also published in 2019, continuing the emotional throughline of found family and forgiveness underneath the flip-book action. It runs 240 pages.
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  9. Dog Man: Grime and Punishment

    Novel
    Dog Man: Grime and Punishment is the ninth entry, published September 1, 2020, keeping the series' now-annual release rhythm going with another round of Dog Man versus Petey's oddball threats. It runs 240 pages.
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  10. Dog Man: Mothering Heights

    Novel
    Dog Man: Mothering Heights is the tenth entry, published March 16, 2021, developing the series' found-family arc around Petey's cloned kitten Li'l Petey, who by this point is firmly part of Dog Man's household. It runs 224 pages.
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  11. Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea

    Novel
    Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea, published March 21, 2023, is the eleventh entry in Pilkey's best-selling graphic novel series, continuing the large ensemble cast built up around Dog Man, Petey and Li'l Petey. It runs 240 pages.
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  12. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder

    Novel
    Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder was published on March 19, 2024, book 12 of the series, keeping up the roughly annual release pace that's made Dog Man the best-selling graphic novel series in the US. It runs 227 pages.
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  13. Dog Man: Big Jim Begins

    Novel
    Dog Man: Big Jim Begins holds the thirteenth spot in the series, published December 3, 2024, expanding the ever-growing ensemble cast around Dog Man's world. It runs 224 pages.
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  14. Dog Man: Big Jim Believes

    Novel
    Dog Man: Big Jim Believes is the fourteenth entry, published November 11, 2025, continuing Pilkey's fast-paced mix of sight gags and slapstick built around Dog Man's found-family cast. It runs 224 pages.
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  15. Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time

    Novel
    Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time is the fifteenth entry, due for release on November 3, 2026, continuing the series' now-established rhythm of roughly one new Dog Man book a year. It runs 240 pages.
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Key facts about the Dog Man series

The Dog Man series has 15 books on our list. Since all 15 are out now, you can read the whole list today.

Start with Dog Man, since it opens the publication order in 2016. Dog Man: Unleashed is book 2, from 2016. Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties is book 3, from 2017.

Dog Man and Cat Kid is book 4, from 2017. Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas is book 5, from 2018. Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild is book 6, from 2018.

Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls is book 7, from 2019, while Dog Man: Fetch-22 is book 8, from 2019. Dog Man: Grime and Punishment is book 9, from 2020.

Dog Man: Mothering Heights is book 10, from 2021, while Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea is book 11, from 2023. Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder is book 12, from 2024. Since the list above shows all 15, you can find the rest there.

Each title links to its own page, while the list keeps them in date order. Each book page shows its dates and editions.

Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time is the latest book with a full release date, out on 3 November 2026. The catalogue marks it as ongoing, yet no next book has a date so far.

The books came out between 2016 and 2026, while their length runs from 224 to 256 pages. That is a run of 10 years.

Dav Pilkey has 67 books on our list. Additionally, they write Dragon, Big Dog and Little Dog and Captain Underpants, plus 2 more series. We shelve the books under graphic novel.

About the Dog Man series

When a police dog and his handler are both critically injured in the same explosion, a well-meaning surgeon panics and sews the dog's head onto the cop's body -- creating Dog Man, a good-hearted, not-especially-bright canine police officer who chases squirrels mid-chase and eats evidence when nobody's looking. Dav Pilkey's graphic novel series (a spin-off from his own Captain Underpants, narrated in-universe as a comic drawn by fourth-graders George and Harold) follows Dog Man as he squares off against the scheming supervillain cat Petey, protects the city from an ever-escalating cast of oddball threats, and slowly develops an actual family when Petey's cloned kitten, Li'l Petey, ends up in his care.

The jokes are broad, silly, and relentlessly paced -- Pilkey packs sight gags, wordplay, and slapstick into every spread -- but underneath the flip-book action sequences and bathroom humor is a real emotional throughline about found family, forgiveness, and Petey's slow, resistant journey from villain to reluctant good guy. It's one of the most effective on-ramps in children's publishing for kids who find prose novels intimidating: heavily illustrated, low text density, high page-turn momentum, and genuinely funny for adults reading along too.

Dog Man is the best-selling graphic novel series in the US and has spun off its own hit animated film, cementing George and Harold's post-Captain-Underpants comic as a franchise in its own right.

Frequently asked questions

How many Dog Man books are there?

There are 14 books as of Big Jim Believes (2025), with book 15, A Sprinkle in Time, due November 3, 2026.

What order should I read Dog Man in?

Publication order, starting with Dog Man (2016). The story and character arcs are continuous across the series, so reading in order matters.

Do I need to read Captain Underpants before Dog Man?

No. Dog Man is a spin-off of Captain Underpants but works perfectly as a starting point on its own.

Is Dog Man finished?

No, it's ongoing, with a new book roughly once a year and book 15 already scheduled for late 2026.

What is Cat Kid Comic Club and where does it fit?

It's a companion series starring Li'l Petey, best read after you've met the character in Dog Man.

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