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middle-grade comedy
Series · graphic novel
Dog Man
The Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey has 15 known books (14 published; 1 announced) and is best read in publication order, starting with Dog Man (2016). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is Dog Man: Big Jim Believes. The next announced book, Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time, is due 3 November 2026.
- Books
- 15 known books (15 novels)
- Published
- 14
- Announced
- 1
- First published
- 2016
- Status
- ongoing
- Shelved under
- Children's & Middle Grade, Humour
- Last checked
Start here: Dog Man (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series. Announced future books are marked below.
- Book 1:
Dog Man
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man - Book 2:
Dog Man: Unleashed
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Unleashed - Book 3:
Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: A Tale of Two Kitties - Book 4:
Dog Man and Cat Kid
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man and Cat Kid - Book 5:
Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Lord of the Fleas - Book 6:
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild - Book 7:
Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: For Whom the Ball Rolls - Book 8:
Dog Man: Fetch-22
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Fetch-22 - Book 9:
Dog Man: Grime and Punishment
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Grime and Punishment - Book 10:
Dog Man: Mothering Heights
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Mothering Heights - Book 11:
Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Twenty Thousand Fleas Under the Sea - Book 12:
Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: The Scarlet Shedder - Book 13:
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Big Jim Begins - Book 14:
Dog Man: Big Jim Believes
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: Big Jim Believes - Book 15:
Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time
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.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dog Man: A Sprinkle in Time
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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Reading order last verified .