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Dog Man #1
Policán
George and Harold have created a new breed of justice. With the head of a dog and the body of a human, this heroic hound digs into deception, claws after crooks, rolls over robbers, and scampers after squirrels. Will he be able to resist the call of the wild to answer the call of duty?
231 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2017
4854 people are currently reading
49770 people want to read
About the author
Dav Pilkey
244 books3,366 followersDavid "Dav" Pilkey (b. March 4, 1966), is a popular children's author and artist. Pilkey is best known as the author and illustrator of the Captain Underpants book series. He lives near Seattle, Washington with his wife, Sayuri.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,239 reviews
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February 17, 2021Turns out I have the sense of humor of an 8-year-old and that's okay, I guess. (these jokes had me giggling so hard I teared up)
March 25, 2016
I am not a fan of intentional misspelling and bad grammar.
November 26, 2025
From my reread in November of 2025:
Why reread this classic tale of a hybird cop:
🌟 My overseas reading buddy and grand went to an event at their local library last month featuring Dog Man. I got to see a photo from the meeting. J wants a Dog Man birthday party next month. My husband said, "Who is Dog Man?" Checked out a copy on Libby to educate him and amuse me.
🌟The humor is still hitting even though I have seen it before. Lots of cultural references and word play like: "Philly, Don't be a gyro! Don't be a fool with your life." in a plea to the Philly Cheesesteak mascot come to life and on a rampage.
🌟Where else will you find the melding of a dog and man to make a supa cop? An evil genius orange tabby named Petey who gets ahold of Invisible Spray? An army of hot dogs attacking a town? And more?
🌟This first book includes the story of how George and Harold met in Kindergarten and their comic book partnership was born.
🌟After you read the book, the How2Draw section includes step-by-step instructions for Dog Man, Petey, Philly, and Invisible Petey (probably the easiest).
A 14th book was just published earlier this month. I am on hold at my library, waiting for the next Dog Man book: Dog Man: Big Jim Believes: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #14): From the Creator of Captain Underpants
. J and I will be able to read this one together IN PERSON.😻
From March of 2022:
Read this hilarious graphic novel last month and hosted a kids' book group. All the books in my kit were checked out quickly showing me how popular this series is. I read all the Captain Underpants books with my kids back in the early 00's. This book is so much better. Well done, George and Harold. I am definitely down to read more of the series if I can get my turn in line. They are always all checked out! On a side note, I was just in Latvia visiting my son and family. We stopped in at the newly remodeled library in their town of Talsi. It was a beautiful facility and while we were there I handed a copy of Dog Man and Cat Kid to my six-year-old grandson. (This first book in the series was not there -- I'm pretty sure. My knowledge of Latvian is pretty small.) He was engrossed in the book immediately. We had a hard time getting him to put it down to eat. Books are the best all around the world.
Why reread this classic tale of a hybird cop:
🌟 My overseas reading buddy and grand went to an event at their local library last month featuring Dog Man. I got to see a photo from the meeting. J wants a Dog Man birthday party next month. My husband said, "Who is Dog Man?" Checked out a copy on Libby to educate him and amuse me.
🌟The humor is still hitting even though I have seen it before. Lots of cultural references and word play like: "Philly, Don't be a gyro! Don't be a fool with your life." in a plea to the Philly Cheesesteak mascot come to life and on a rampage.
🌟Where else will you find the melding of a dog and man to make a supa cop? An evil genius orange tabby named Petey who gets ahold of Invisible Spray? An army of hot dogs attacking a town? And more?
🌟This first book includes the story of how George and Harold met in Kindergarten and their comic book partnership was born.
🌟After you read the book, the How2Draw section includes step-by-step instructions for Dog Man, Petey, Philly, and Invisible Petey (probably the easiest).
A 14th book was just published earlier this month. I am on hold at my library, waiting for the next Dog Man book: Dog Man: Big Jim Believes: A Graphic Novel (Dog Man #14): From the Creator of Captain Underpants
. J and I will be able to read this one together IN PERSON.😻From March of 2022:
Read this hilarious graphic novel last month and hosted a kids' book group. All the books in my kit were checked out quickly showing me how popular this series is. I read all the Captain Underpants books with my kids back in the early 00's. This book is so much better. Well done, George and Harold. I am definitely down to read more of the series if I can get my turn in line. They are always all checked out! On a side note, I was just in Latvia visiting my son and family. We stopped in at the newly remodeled library in their town of Talsi. It was a beautiful facility and while we were there I handed a copy of Dog Man and Cat Kid to my six-year-old grandson. (This first book in the series was not there -- I'm pretty sure. My knowledge of Latvian is pretty small.) He was engrossed in the book immediately. We had a hard time getting him to put it down to eat. Books are the best all around the world.
July 27, 2016
This book is supa good!
August 31, 2016
Oh my gosh, this book is HYSTERICAL!! I haven't laughed this hard in a good while. As an elementary librarian, I can see this book being highly popular with 2nd-5th grade. And a sequel in January 2017? Yeah!! This one's a winner Dav Pilkey!
January 8, 2026
Fourth-graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins sure know how to tickle the funnybone, don't they? Whether they're creating adventures for Super Diaper Baby, Captain Underpants, or Dog Man, theirs is a sublime mix of intentional and unintentional comedy, superintended by that great funnyman of children's literature, author and illustrator Dav Pilkey. Based on George and Harold's earliest sketches, Dog Man is a unique hero dedicated to stopping evildoers, and chapter one of this book is his origin story. Officer Knight and Greg the Dog, members of the police department, aren't particularly liked by the chief. Officer Knight has the physical strength and toughness to be a star cop, but lacks intelligence; Greg is sharp-witted enough to challenge savvy lawbreakers, but isn't physically suited for police work. When Petey the Cat figures on eliminating them both at once with a bomb, he doesn't realize he's actually creating his own greatest rival on the police force. Officer Knight and Greg barely survive the blast, but the only way doctors can keep them alive is to surgically combine Officer Knight's body and Greg's head. The resulting "Dog Man" has the brains and physique to capture Petey, and the cat doesn't wait long to test his half-canine pursuer with a gigantic vacuum cleaner programmed to hunt Dog Man down and do away with him. But Dog Man turns the tables, destroying the vacuum and hauling Petey off to jail. The competition between criminal and crime stopper has begun.
Chief is just as annoyed by Dog Man as when Officer Knight and Greg were separate. He yells when Dog Man jumps on him to lick his face in greeting, or makes a mess in Chief's office. There's a plot afoot for the mayor to replace Chief with an evil robot, but Dog Man gets wind of the underhanded deal and investigates. Meanwhile, Petey escapes from jail, secretly aided by the mayor. The dastardly cat is back on the streets committing crimes, and the mayor has her excuse to fire Chief and install her robot in his position. Dog Man is sad, but determines to stop the bad'uns and get Chief his job back. Petey and the mayor are soon locked in a struggle to be crime lord of the city, and Dog Man uses them to defeat each other. With Petey behind bars and the mayor disgraced, all that's left is for a new police chief to be selected...and I think you know where a loyal friend and public servant like Dog Man will turn to find the right man for the job.
Contemplating his failure in a jail cell, Petey realizes he's been challenging Dog Man the wrong way. Getting away with crime requires an ineffective police force, so Petey decides to drain their intelligence by removing every book in the world. The plot works: Petey is back on the loose and everyone but him is so intellectually deficient that he can commit felonies and they don't even notice. It's exactly what Petey wanted, but over time he grows irritated with the universal lack of rudimentary intelligence. No one else can do anything right, and it sorely tries Petey's patience. Luckily, Dog Man stumbles upon Petey's hidden stash of literature. After reading a few smart tomes, he regains his wits, then disperses reading material to everyone else, restoring the world's critical balance of knowledge. Petey heads back to the stony lonesome, and Dog Man has again triumphed over evil.
Petey used Invisible Spray in his first jailbreak, and he goes a similar route to start our final adventure. After receiving a can of Living Spray in a package sent to his cell, Petey sprays a hot dog to life, and orders the meaty meal to fetch the guard's keys. Once he's on the outside, Petey blows a dog whistle to summon every canine in the city—including Dog Man—then traps them in a cage with spikes slowly descending from the ceiling. With Dog Man neutralized, who will protect the public from Petey's maniacal mischief? But the hot dog Petey brought to life didn't just go rot. It used the Living Spray on other hot dogs, and they're all furious at the lack of respect shown them by the city's people. They're not cute, they're an army in revolution mode! Maybe an enforcer with imposing size is what the talking hot dogs need to be taken seriously, and with the Living Spray in hand, they can bring any inanimate object to life. Can Dog Man leverage the wrath of the hot dogs to thwart Petey one last time?
The main area of excellence in Dog Man is humor, and that's difficult to convey in a review. Every chapter has laugh-out-loud moments, nuggets of comedy gold that ensure readers of any age will enjoy themselves. My favorites are in chapter one, the origin story, but the humor is spot-on throughout Dog Man. There's some light sentimentality, too. Chief is constantly down on Dog Man, aggravated by his best cop's canine quirks, but when there's serious trouble and Chief needs a friend, Dog Man never fails him. The glimmers of appreciation for Dog Man shown by the chief warm the heart because they're rare, and because Dog Man earns them with his personal loyalty and indefatigable defense of justice. Dog Man is a book with humor and heart, and I appreciate its subtle messages about freedom of expression, the value of learning, and dogged perseverance (*rimshot*). I'd consider giving it two and a half stars, and if there's an especially reluctant young reader in your life, this might be the book that can get them interested.
Chief is just as annoyed by Dog Man as when Officer Knight and Greg were separate. He yells when Dog Man jumps on him to lick his face in greeting, or makes a mess in Chief's office. There's a plot afoot for the mayor to replace Chief with an evil robot, but Dog Man gets wind of the underhanded deal and investigates. Meanwhile, Petey escapes from jail, secretly aided by the mayor. The dastardly cat is back on the streets committing crimes, and the mayor has her excuse to fire Chief and install her robot in his position. Dog Man is sad, but determines to stop the bad'uns and get Chief his job back. Petey and the mayor are soon locked in a struggle to be crime lord of the city, and Dog Man uses them to defeat each other. With Petey behind bars and the mayor disgraced, all that's left is for a new police chief to be selected...and I think you know where a loyal friend and public servant like Dog Man will turn to find the right man for the job.
Contemplating his failure in a jail cell, Petey realizes he's been challenging Dog Man the wrong way. Getting away with crime requires an ineffective police force, so Petey decides to drain their intelligence by removing every book in the world. The plot works: Petey is back on the loose and everyone but him is so intellectually deficient that he can commit felonies and they don't even notice. It's exactly what Petey wanted, but over time he grows irritated with the universal lack of rudimentary intelligence. No one else can do anything right, and it sorely tries Petey's patience. Luckily, Dog Man stumbles upon Petey's hidden stash of literature. After reading a few smart tomes, he regains his wits, then disperses reading material to everyone else, restoring the world's critical balance of knowledge. Petey heads back to the stony lonesome, and Dog Man has again triumphed over evil.
Petey used Invisible Spray in his first jailbreak, and he goes a similar route to start our final adventure. After receiving a can of Living Spray in a package sent to his cell, Petey sprays a hot dog to life, and orders the meaty meal to fetch the guard's keys. Once he's on the outside, Petey blows a dog whistle to summon every canine in the city—including Dog Man—then traps them in a cage with spikes slowly descending from the ceiling. With Dog Man neutralized, who will protect the public from Petey's maniacal mischief? But the hot dog Petey brought to life didn't just go rot. It used the Living Spray on other hot dogs, and they're all furious at the lack of respect shown them by the city's people. They're not cute, they're an army in revolution mode! Maybe an enforcer with imposing size is what the talking hot dogs need to be taken seriously, and with the Living Spray in hand, they can bring any inanimate object to life. Can Dog Man leverage the wrath of the hot dogs to thwart Petey one last time?
The main area of excellence in Dog Man is humor, and that's difficult to convey in a review. Every chapter has laugh-out-loud moments, nuggets of comedy gold that ensure readers of any age will enjoy themselves. My favorites are in chapter one, the origin story, but the humor is spot-on throughout Dog Man. There's some light sentimentality, too. Chief is constantly down on Dog Man, aggravated by his best cop's canine quirks, but when there's serious trouble and Chief needs a friend, Dog Man never fails him. The glimmers of appreciation for Dog Man shown by the chief warm the heart because they're rare, and because Dog Man earns them with his personal loyalty and indefatigable defense of justice. Dog Man is a book with humor and heart, and I appreciate its subtle messages about freedom of expression, the value of learning, and dogged perseverance (*rimshot*). I'd consider giving it two and a half stars, and if there's an especially reluctant young reader in your life, this might be the book that can get them interested.
May 20, 2023
مجموعه کتاب "پلیس قهرمان"، توسط نشر پرتقال چاپ میشه. تا الان سه تا کتاب چاپ شده و برای رده سنی ۸+ سال هست. یه کمیک بامزه که من جلد اولشو خوندم و با بعضی قسمتهاش خندیدم. بنظرم برای سرگرم شدن بچهها مجموعه خوبیه و به همین خاطر به یه دختر ۸ ساله کادو دادمش.
درواقع برای کسی که تازه کلاس اول رو تموم کرده خریدم و بنظرم هم جذابه، هم تصاویر قشنگی داره و هم متنش بزرگ و ساده هست.
درواقع برای کسی که تازه کلاس اول رو تموم کرده خریدم و بنظرم هم جذابه، هم تصاویر قشنگی داره و هم متنش بزرگ و ساده هست.
August 30, 2016
I am a huge fan of Captain Underpants and loved the days I would read them aloud to my son, Tra-La-LA!-ing and fliporama-ing and laughing along the way. So I was super excited for Dog Man, another Pilkey Underpants companion book. While I thought the level of potty humor in the Underpants books I read were just right - enough to appeal to boys but not enough to be completely tasteless, I thought Dog Man just took it too far. I sat through enough pee and poop references without flinching until page 129 where one officer holds up a pile of poop in his hand and then another officer instinctively high-fives the hand full of poop creating a huge poop explosion and shower. Really? Totally unnecessary. And I was just kind of done. But I still sat through the remaining poop and pee jokes along the way wrapped up in a less than stellar storyline and which lacked the level of fun and charm of Pilkey's Captain Underpants. Sorry, I'm going against the grain here and just saying I'm not a fan of this one.
December 29, 2020
It starts off really horrifying in my opinion for a kids book as the dog's head is put onto the man's body but other than that it was pretty entertaining. Outrageous but entertaining nonetheless.
I especially loved the hot dog coming alive part and I laughed the hardest at that. Looking forward to read the rest of the series.
3 stars
I especially loved the hot dog coming alive part and I laughed the hardest at that. Looking forward to read the rest of the series.
3 stars
April 14, 2017
this book was hilarious. god bless this book. omg. hi. hello. it's me. this book is funny.
September 8, 2016
SOOO funny...my 8 year old couldn't stop laughing. Perfect for any reluctant or struggling readers. Beware...potty humor ahead.
Read
December 20, 2018I like it beacause it is funny
November 16, 2021
Superb book with incredible wit.
I highly recommend.
I highly recommend.
April 23, 2019
For years now, boys in the 7 to 10 age range have been asking for the Dog Man series. Since that seems to be the age group where the male sex frequently gives up on reading for pleasure, Miss Nancy finally relented, and now we have the first four volumes on our library shelves.
I can definitely see what all the fuss was about.
Unlike the Captain Underpants series, these are full-on graphic novels, full of gross humor, and wacky situations: poop jokes, hot dogs coming to life and plotting mayhem. And, like Pilkey's more famous series, there are throw-away lines for the adults to chuckle over: "Philly, don't be a gyro!"
Even though I guess this means that intellectually I'm about the same place as a young boy's mind, call me a fan.
I can definitely see what all the fuss was about.
Unlike the Captain Underpants series, these are full-on graphic novels, full of gross humor, and wacky situations: poop jokes, hot dogs coming to life and plotting mayhem. And, like Pilkey's more famous series, there are throw-away lines for the adults to chuckle over: "Philly, don't be a gyro!"
Even though I guess this means that intellectually I'm about the same place as a young boy's mind, call me a fan.
October 18, 2016
I really appreciate how Pilkey pushes boundaries of good taste here, but in a way that's going to thrill kids and probably annoy adults. The whole premise for Dog Man is a little macabre--a dog gets his head sewed onto a cop's body--but because the whole thing is couched in such silliness, you're not inclined to put that much thought into it. My favorite moment was when two cops high five each other while one of them is holding a pile of crap, and it splatters everywhere. Soooo gross, but if you're a 5 to 11 year old, sooooo awesome!
May 20, 2016
The first graphic novel under the Graphix imprint for Dav Pilkey will not disappoint kid readers. In fact, it maintains a lot of the charm and humour from his Capt Underpants series but feels totally new and original. Continues to push boundaries in regards to crass, scatalogical and off-colour humour - I laughed out loud in many parts, which means your kids will be rolling on the floor reading this.
September 3, 2016
Supa good! Many laugh out loud moments and clever ideas. Kids will gobble this up.
January 2, 2020
A riot! I will be continuing on with the series!
5 stars !
5 stars !
May 5, 2020
Checked this out just because it seems to be so popular with the kiddies at the library, and I can certainly see how the wild energy and dumb scatological humor would appeal to them. Doesn't do much for me, though I am impressed by the unexpected darkness of Dog Man's origin and spent way too much time doing the Flip-E-Rama pages. I worry this might grow on me if I tried a second volume.
Best part: cameos by Pilkey's Big Dog and Little Dog. I read those board books to my daughter hundreds of times and never ever tired of them.
Best part: cameos by Pilkey's Big Dog and Little Dog. I read those board books to my daughter hundreds of times and never ever tired of them.
February 10, 2023
An interesting and funny book for your free time.
September 28, 2016
Dav Pilkey always delivers. I don't even really know how to review this book and do it justice, so instead, here's a list of hilarious reasons why you should pick it up and/or definitely give it to your nine-year old. (Spoilers ahead.)
January 3, 2020
How did I go this long as a children’s librarian not knowing this is a piece of Cronenberg-ian body horror for kids? A dog’s head sewn on the body of a man. Sentient hot dogs being eaten alive by regular dogs. Pure madness. It was alright.
October 5, 2024
absolutely fantastic
December 8, 2020
Wait... Dog Man is the head of a dog sewn onto a man's body??
I work on the Bookmobile for my local library so I'm aware that Dog Man is all the rage with kids, just like how Captain Underpants (also by Dav Pilkey) was super popular when I was in elementary school. (NOTE: I was in forth or fifth grade when Captain Underpants hit big, so it missed me by a year or two. I still read a couple of the books back then and while I thought they were funny, I was already reading books like Harry Potter and the Fear Street series, so I "was onto bigger things".)
As someone who works with kids lit, it is my duty to stay up with trends so I can talk to kids about what they're reading. So, when I heard Dog Man was 2020's most requested series, I picked up the first book while I was at work... and I was surprised to find out that dog man is literally a dog's head stitched onto the body of a cop. I didn't know this was full on Robocop for kids! Reading this reminded me of what a weirdo Dav Pilkey is. And I love it.
No, this isn't a book that will be a favorite of 2020, but it was something super goofy and fun to read in a single sitting, just to mix things up. I guffawed more than once, which is desperately needed in this day and age. I'll definitely be reading more of these!
I work on the Bookmobile for my local library so I'm aware that Dog Man is all the rage with kids, just like how Captain Underpants (also by Dav Pilkey) was super popular when I was in elementary school. (NOTE: I was in forth or fifth grade when Captain Underpants hit big, so it missed me by a year or two. I still read a couple of the books back then and while I thought they were funny, I was already reading books like Harry Potter and the Fear Street series, so I "was onto bigger things".)
As someone who works with kids lit, it is my duty to stay up with trends so I can talk to kids about what they're reading. So, when I heard Dog Man was 2020's most requested series, I picked up the first book while I was at work... and I was surprised to find out that dog man is literally a dog's head stitched onto the body of a cop. I didn't know this was full on Robocop for kids! Reading this reminded me of what a weirdo Dav Pilkey is. And I love it.
No, this isn't a book that will be a favorite of 2020, but it was something super goofy and fun to read in a single sitting, just to mix things up. I guffawed more than once, which is desperately needed in this day and age. I'll definitely be reading more of these!
April 4, 2024
It's a hilarious graphic novel with witty dialogues.
It's an easy read that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face 😃
It's an easy read that is sure to leave you with a smile on your face 😃
Read
September 1, 2016Heroes come in all shapes and sizes, human and non-human. They can be ordinary individuals placed in extraordinary circumstances, the victors in an unexpected challenge. Some heroes have remarkable skills or characteristics unknown to others until a situation demands their use. Heroes can be a part of everyday life or come from the pages of fiction.
For a moment let's agree on two things. Dogs' lives are simply too short. Not all humans use their brain power to its fullest capacity. In the wonderful, wacky realm of "What-If" from the marvelous mind of a beloved author and illustrator a new hero is born. Dog Man (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, August 30, 2016) written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey is a hilarious collection of four adventures penned by those creative comedians George Beard and Harold Hutchins
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
For a moment let's agree on two things. Dogs' lives are simply too short. Not all humans use their brain power to its fullest capacity. In the wonderful, wacky realm of "What-If" from the marvelous mind of a beloved author and illustrator a new hero is born. Dog Man (Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic, August 30, 2016) written and illustrated by Dav Pilkey is a hilarious collection of four adventures penned by those creative comedians George Beard and Harold Hutchins
My full recommendation: http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/2...
September 26, 2016
This newest book by Dav Pilkey is a full-colour graphic novel. While wondering about the loose threads left at the end of the last Captain Underpants book George and Harold start searching their house and come upon hundreds of comics they wrote in first and second grade featuring Dog Man. They edit them, making the pictures better and correcting the spelling mistakes (though not all grammar ones) and present to us here three adventures of Dog Man a superhero cop. It's a lot of fun and just what one expects from Dav Pilkey. The target age group is younger than the Captain Underpants crowd but even I enjoyed it. Looking forward to the next instalment which the last page says is coming Jan. 2017.
November 21, 2020
I give this a five for the fact that my seven year old has read it about 76 times during COVID and now takes great pleasure in reading it to me.
Pilkey is successful for many reasons, but the biggest being that he has completely squelched the adult desire to give children a moral. This teaches no lessons and serves no purpose other to be a silly, playful read.
Pilkey is successful for many reasons, but the biggest being that he has completely squelched the adult desire to give children a moral. This teaches no lessons and serves no purpose other to be a silly, playful read.
June 20, 2025
20/06/2025
"Eu gostei do livro; a minha personagem preferida é o Homem-cão.
A primeira parte da história é sobre robôs, e a segunda parte do livro é sobre um spray que o Petey encomendou, que dava vida às coisas. Deu vida aos cachorros quentes e a uma bolacha musculosa.
Meninos, leiam muito e aprendam com os livros!"
Óscar, o meu pequeno leitor de 7 anos que adora ler!! 😍
"Eu gostei do livro; a minha personagem preferida é o Homem-cão.
A primeira parte da história é sobre robôs, e a segunda parte do livro é sobre um spray que o Petey encomendou, que dava vida às coisas. Deu vida aos cachorros quentes e a uma bolacha musculosa.
Meninos, leiam muito e aprendam com os livros!"
Óscar, o meu pequeno leitor de 7 anos que adora ler!! 😍
September 23, 2020
3.5 stars
Read aloud to D.
Read aloud to D.
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