Dog lovers across the country are proving they are avid readers.

The nonfiction book "Marley and Me -- Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog," has been on the New York Times bestseller list for 17 weeks."

It is poised to surpass a million copies sold, a feat achieved by only a dozen or less books each year in the hardcover non-fiction market.

In the book, author John Grogan details the life of his yellow Labrador retriever. The naughty dog chews through doors, is expelled from obedience school, and swallows expensive jewelry.

Grogan says to Reuters, "It's really not just a dog book... Before Marley, our life was about career, relationship, and ourselves. [Marley] helped us shift from an egocentric life to something more generous."

Grogan began writing about the dog in his column at the Philadelphia Inquirer after he died. Some 800 readers responded to the articles.