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Underwater Puppies

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New York Times bestselling author and photographer Seth Casteel's follow-up to the phenomenal Underwater Dogs -- now with puppies.

The world fell in love with swimming canines in Seth Casteel's first book, Underwater Dogs. Now, in more than 80 previously unpublished portraits of underwater puppies, we see man's best friends at their most playful and exuberant. Each vibrant and colorful underwater image shows off the wild and sublime range of emotions of puppies, cute and irresistible to the very last.

144 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2014

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261 people want to read

About the author

Seth Casteel

15 books28 followers
Seth Casteel is an award-winning photographer and the New York Times Best Selling Author of Underwater Dogs. His forthcoming book, Underwater Puppies, will be published September 16, 2014.

In 2007, Seth began volunteering to photograph homeless pets to help them find loving families. These improved, positive photos showcased unique personalities, resulting in countless adoptions.

Since then, Seth has developed a career as a Lifestyle Pet Photographer, accepting commissions and commercial assignments, collaborating with dozens of publishers and exhibiting his artwork in galleries around the world. His work has been published in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times and in hundreds of other magazines, newspapers and calendars. You may have also seen him on Good Morning America, EXTRA, Jeopardy!, The Insider and Inside Edition. He has traveled the world in pursuit of his passion, working with animals on five continents. Seth's non-profit campaign, One Picture Saves a Life, inspires, empowers and educates animal ambassadors around the world to improve the image of rescue and adoption through positive photography.

Seth lives in Venice Beach, CA. He loves 80's music and is a fan of the DeLorean automobile. He plans to one day go back in time, and change nothing. His rescue dog, Baby Nala, has accepted the fact that she will be photographed every single day. People often say that Seth and Nala have similar hairstyles.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
Profile Image for karen.
4,012 reviews172k followers
July 8, 2018
this is the time of year i float reviews of fun books that would make nice presents. not for me, i already have them. i’m just being a kindly readers’ advisory holiday angel.



okay, because underwater dogs wasn't adorable enough, this guy took it one step further and now it is PUPPIES!!!!! UNDERWATER!!!!! i am powerless to resist them.

what i learned from this book is that puppies, unlike dogs, do not really look like monsters when they are underwater. these photos are less "what are you doing with all those TEETH??" and more "oh, you are quite at ease there under the water." i assume it has something to do with their only recent emergence from the fluid-party of the womb, but as you can see, they appear to be right at home despite an absence of gills.



just chillin'



no one has told them they are not fish!











in fact, some look a little bit annoyed to be bothered in their watery enclave



oh, and those FEET!











but some of them are just phoning in this underwater adventure



ALL THE WAY, PUPPY, OR IT DOESN'T COUNT!!!



oh, who am i fooling - it's still freaking adorable.

and, in belated full disclosure - some of the puppies are teeth-monsters, just not as many as were in the grown-dog version.



WHEEEE!



you will probably need this book. picture it - you're home all alone; you're sick, you're sad, you're exhausted, and then you look at these pictures??















instant therapy. and much much cheaper than traditional therapy.

come to my blog!
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,516 reviews68 followers
December 9, 2015
I spent a glorious amount of time in a three story Barnes and Noble, and this is one of the ones that was hanging out in the displays in the Pets section. This is precisely the kind of thing everyone needs when they're having a bad day. Adorable puppies without a care in the world, splashing around like it is the most normal thing to do. What is the best way to be a little more carefree; less hindered by the stresses of life? Puppies. And barring actually getting a pile of puppies to play with, the next best thing is to see them being adorable in their environments. Underwater Puppies gives them a unique dynamic instead of the traditional puppy-in-a-basket calendars you see in an office cubicle.
Profile Image for Fishface.
3,300 reviews242 followers
December 10, 2016
This was an even more enjoyable experience than Underwater Dogs. It's a book you flip through, smiling, rather than read, because there's no text except for the names of the puppies. Not to be missed if you are an animal lover.
Profile Image for John Boettcher.
585 reviews42 followers
September 25, 2014
Titling your book, "Underwater Puppies" is kind of like saying "Internet Videos With Kittens" or "Kaleidoscopes Full Of Bush Babies". You know that we as the public know there is probably no discernible value in actually purchasing these things and displaying them on shelves in our houses. HOWEVER, we WILL shamelessly go through the entire book inside Barnes and Noble, looking at cute puppies doing cute things in the cute water.

In my head, I am imagining Underwater Puppies to be that book you see in doctor's offices and waiting rooms, that you can flip through and make cute little embarrassing noises as you try to hide your giggles under a few throat clears and a cough or two. This book seems like doctor's offices are prime locations for this book. My own father has his own practice and I would like nothing more to see these puppies while I am getting a tooth filled.

I am not embarrassed to say that the book WILL make you smile on virtually every page. However, it would probably be much more enjoyable reading it stoned, the enjoyment could literally last for hours!

Seriously though, I was kinda impressed by the photographers ambition to actually take underwater shots like that of a subject in a situation that had to be a tad difficult to set up. I have enough difficulty taking pictures of my dogs above water. I can only imagine the increased difficulty Casteel faced.

A great gift book if you are so inclined. It is almost guaranteed that it will put a smile on the face of the person you give it to.
Profile Image for John Tankersley.
67 reviews8 followers
January 11, 2015
Sometimes in our lives, we get stressed out. We get high blood pressure. We get unreasonable. This book is a solution to all of that. Just look at these puppies and your worries will melt away. This is a book that should be in every dentist's office. The images allow me to set aside my worries and focus. I'm not sure what it is about them, but they tap into something primal and real in me. Maybe in you too?
Profile Image for Kaethe.
6,572 reviews531 followers
October 26, 2016
Underwater Puppies - Seth Casteel Photographs of puppies under water. Just for fun, I put “puppies and kittens” into the library subject search, and this is one of the books returned. Good little dogs. Unusual and appealing pictures.
 
Puppies are their own reward; as are books about them.
 
Library copy
Profile Image for Christyn.
587 reviews23 followers
October 6, 2014
Underwater Puppies is the wonderful and even cuter follow up to Underwater Dogs. I loved paging through this book. It will not fail to put a smile on your face and lighten your heart. There isn't much text (aside from the introduction) just a few words about the dog - Name, Breed, Age. But this is one of those books that doesn't need a lot of words - the pictures speak for themselves.

The pictures are beautiful, hilarious and continually amusing. You will be charmed by the adorability, the calm, the enthusiasm and the plain hilariousness of these dogs. Some look positively regal, like the princely Brando (American Pit Bull Terrier), some look very calm, like Ceru (Chihuahua Mix) but let's face it most of them are positively hilarious like Grits (Yellow Lab) and Monty (Cavalier King Charles Spaniel). It's a great book for anyone in who needs (or wants) a smile, the perfect little pick me up.
Profile Image for Teena in Toronto.
2,470 reviews79 followers
March 30, 2022
I like puppies ... I like pictures ... I like pictures of puppies so this book caught my eye.

Casteel photographed more than 250 dogs for his book Underwater Dogs, most of whom had never been underwater before or even been swimming. In this book, he focused on puppies in water.

It was important to Casteel to feature adoptable and adopted puppies in this book to remind people that adopting a rescue puppy is a fantastic option when bringing a puppy into your life. The puppies photographed in the book were ages six weeks to six months when he swam with them. Though puppies apparently know how to swim even at just a few weeks old, each one received swimming lessons to help them prepare for this book. The puppies were cute and looked like they were having fun.

It's a quick read as it's just pictures, both full colour and black and white ... but it was a fun book.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2022/03...
Profile Image for Sarah Daniluk.
229 reviews2 followers
June 18, 2019
If you're down and need a smile, I recommend checking out this book. It sure brought a smile to my face. I wish there would've been more writing, funny captions or something. Overall, I did enjoy it.
Profile Image for Naomi.
4,816 reviews142 followers
May 1, 2015
I can see why the first book by this author was a best seller. This book was unique and the pictures were just awesome. I loved that the book was loaded down with Pit Bull pups that were just adorable.
Profile Image for AmberBug com*.
493 reviews107 followers
September 23, 2014
www.shelfnotes.com review

This isn't so much a review of the book but a post ABOUT Seth Casteel and how he came about the idea for Underwater Dogs and Underwater Puppies. I can promise you, the book is wonderful and everyone would benefit if they opened it up when feeling gloomy.

Seth Casteel @ R.J. Julia in Madison, CT



I was lucky enough to get out of work early enough to catch this fun event at R.J. Julia in Madison, CT. Since Arianna couldn't make this one, with her moving so far away (sad times), I asked Marsha (she's reviewed for ShelfNotes as well) to come down with me, and we also got to meet up with Mary, friend and avid book lover who lives nearby.

My first impression of Seth Casteel, Photographer and Author of "Underwater Dogs" and "Underwater Puppies" was HOT. Yep, this guy had it going on... AND he loves dogs. I'm sure I wasn't the only one in the audience who thought so, but I might be the only one to admit it on the internet, hehe.

Moving on... We missed a few minutes in the beginning where I believe he was discussing his charity, One Picture Saves a Life. After doing a little research of my own, I found out what this charity is all about. The basis behind the charity is to make sure as many dogs as possible get a gorgeous photo, and you might ask why? Well, for starters... which dog would you adopt?



As you can tell, a picture can do WONDERS. One Picture Saves a Life is an amazing charity that gives away software and cameras to shelters to help them with adoption. I hope everyone heads over to that site and checks it out, I'll definitely be trying to help out in whatever way I can. I don't want to give anything away... but stay tuned, Seth Casteel might have won your heart with his philanthropic endeavors.... but they don't end there.

The majority of his talk was the history behind "Underwater Dogs", which was very inspiring. To be honest with you, I didn't do much research coming into this event and thought this 'Seth Casteel' was just another lucky guy with a lucky idea that someone else hadn't come up with first. Which, if you ask him, he'll probably say is true. But there is more to this story, not everyone would have come across this magic, only someone with a true love of dogs and photography would have persevered.

His first underwater dog was Buster. This was an accident that happened on a commission, one that was offered through Groupon no less! Seth was fired from Disney for being a bad "multi-tasker" which led him to think things over and he decided to try his hand at pet photography full time. Groupon was offering assignments to photographers for $59/shoot (minus whatever Groupon takes for listing it). This sounds okay but when it came down to it, some of the shoots ended up being 3 hours away and would take multiple hours to do. After all is said and done, Seth would find himself in the hole.

At one of these Groupon sites, he met Buster the (Cocker Spaniel? Brittany Spaniel?), who loves the water. Now, he was commissioned from the owner to take a nice beauty shot of this dog... but Buster had another idea. The dog jumped in the pool and came out looking like this: (The picture is a little dark but we all know how attractive a wet dog out of water looks).



So instead of scrapping the shoot and admitting defeat, Seth heads to the nearest store to buy himself an underwater camera (disposable). Again, remember that Seth has already LOST money at this point, so spending more money just sounds crazy, right? If you think so, you'd be wrong because look at the pictures he captured from this:




Seth pretty much told us that he owes this dog more than he'll ever know. BUT that's not all folks. Casteel isn't done yet, oh no! His next adventure involves PUPPIES! Okay, so you probably knew that since you've read the title of this. Why puppies? Why not? So cute, adorable... and wait... they can drown? Why are you telling me this?!? Yep, puppies can drown and in the United States it happens quite often due to lack of awareness and the amount of unfenced pools. Seth decided to head out and spread awareness and take it one step farther... even TEACH these puppies to swim and be comfortable getting in and out of pools. Meanwhile, if he caught a good shot during these lessons, GREAT. If not, that's okay too. Is this guy the bomb or what? His story is that timeless rags (okay maybe not that low) to riches story that evolves into something even more beautiful, art for a cause. Here are a few of the puppy shots:




So I could go ON and ON about what types of equipment he used, some of the cute stories, or even statistics on how many dogs he had to shoot or how many states he had to go to... but I won't. I felt like I've taken up too much of your time already. Seth Casteel is already working (almost done?) on his third book which will feature "Underwater Babies". My question to him was "what was next?" and as much as he'd like to do an "Underwater Cats" series, he isn't sure if the possibility will arise. He HAS bought the domain name though... just in case? He even suggested that a possible "Underwater Creatures" which would cover various wild animals, but alas, this type of project would be quite costly. So here is my plea to you... BUY all his books, and then he'll have PLENTY of money to make this book. We can do it! The link to buy both books & 2015 calendars is down below... now go do it!

Last but not least... The New Haven Animal Shelter attended the event and brought us a puppy that needs a home. Please contact the shelter if you would like to adopt this adorable puppy (Toby) or ANY of the dogs that need a home. Website -- Adoptable Pets.



P.S. - I'm not using links for the ebook, because really? Why would you want this beauty as an ebook? Nope, buy the Hardcover already!

***Please click on shelfnotes blog post at the top to purchase books/calendars.

Profile Image for William V.
48 reviews
June 12, 2025
This collection of photographs is an absolute delight, offering a uniquely joyful and often hilarious glimpse into the playful world of puppies diving underwater. The sheer artistry and precise timing of the captures are remarkable, transforming fleeting moments into stunning, expressive portraits that highlight each pup's personality. While undeniably captivating to look at, the book is primarily a visual experience, and those seeking extensive narrative or deep insights beyond the charming imagery might find the textual content limited. Nevertheless, it's an incredibly charming and uplifting volume that guarantees smiles and is a perfect visual treat for any dog lover.
Profile Image for Melissa Lee-Tammeus.
1,625 reviews39 followers
July 11, 2019
A beautiful, fun coffee table book that shows adorable puppies under and in water. I actually liked the first installment better with adult dogs as I have to admit these little ones seemed so tiny to be out in open water alone, but it is still super clever, cute, and fascinating. Beware: if you were thinking about getting a puppy and look at this book, you most likely will run out to a shelter right after. Well, go ahead. We need people to adopt. Go for it.
Profile Image for Heather R.
402 reviews19 followers
October 20, 2019
Having a tough time meeting your Goodreads reading goal by the end of the year? This photography book of puppies swimming in pools is the book for you! Lots of puppies, cute expressions, and dog-induced happy feels. On another note, I truly hope there’s no “Underwater Cats” or “Underwater Kittens” as that would be a totally different thing. A horrifying thought indeed.
1,107 reviews3 followers
January 30, 2018
Delightful pictures of puppies from underwater and playing. A good way to spend a few minutes to just enjoy.
Profile Image for Emma.
246 reviews19 followers
April 19, 2018
Absolute grace and beauty
Profile Image for Heather Jo.
1,879 reviews9 followers
August 9, 2018
megan summer reading 2018, photography, puppies, adorable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dawn.
1,542 reviews13 followers
October 5, 2019
A perfect coffee table book! The puppies are so cute and they are all from rescue organizations.
Profile Image for Cris.
2,304 reviews26 followers
May 4, 2022
Underwater Puppies

The pictures are truly amazing! I would love to see a photo exhibit of his work. Some of the photographs looked like they were paintings, truly amazing!
Profile Image for Edward Zeauskas.
70 reviews4 followers
February 25, 2024
1.) Read the intro, good information 2.) Them faces 3.) Some of their names are fantastic 😂
Profile Image for Carol Farrington.
461 reviews7 followers
November 2, 2024
This book made me smile a lot. Although I am biased, I was excited to see a white boxer included, her name is Sugar. I also have a white boxer, but mine is named Casper.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews

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