Go West, Young Dog!: A Brief History of Railroad Dogs, America's Forgotten Heroes

by Paul Koudounaris

144 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2026

About the author

Paul Koudounaris is an author and photographer from Los Angeles. He has a PhD in Art History and his publications in the field of charnel house and ossuary research have made him a well-known figure in the field of macabre art and art history. He is a member of The Order of the Good Death.

Reviews

[Bobina · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful read. Loved the author's ability to write about these dogs with clear whimsy, respect, and love. It's so hard to think of dogs in this current day and age running wild and free and following their own passion and path. It's almost painful to think of all the lost adventures, and all the rail-road dogs that could have been, or that were but were lost to time. On the flip side it's equally painful learning about the downfall of most of these adventurous pups: the very rail-road itself (and too often the disgustingly deplorable humans along the way). Either way, I'm very glad I bought this one on a whim. Really enjoyed this book.

[Johanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will never be one of the great books of the world, but for what it is, and how successfully it meets the goals of the author, it is clearly a 5-star achievement. In researching his book on pet cemeteries, the author found all sorts of stories about railroad dogs. That didn’t fit the plan of the pet cemetery book so here the stories are on their own.

It’s obviously the author loves animals, loves pets. He extolls the virtues of these hardworking dogs, raising them on the pedestals they deserved but never got. The book is full of photos, illustrations, newspaper clippings, and quotes from newspaper articles. It’s small but charming, a paean to both dogs and trains.

[John Memling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully composed essay on forgotten canine heroes. Written with passion.

[Wendy Zuern · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was something I’d never heard of and I’m glad I got to read it.

[Denise Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent stories of man's best friend

Another excellent book by Paul, the rich history and the telling of the tales, add in some photos. Never disappointed.