I recently recalled a book that I read as a boy, and enjoyed – would love to revisit it, but i remember only scant details other than enjoying it. Here is what i remember:
I read the book ~1976 (i was 12, it was age appropriate)
That doesn’t indicate the publishing date – i wouldn’t have paid any attention, so it could be older.
It was new, so it was in print around that time.
paperback, ~150 pages, few or no illustrations.
I do recall a white cover, with a pen/ink drawing of a black-lab type dog.
(very few) plot details:
a bookish boy, best friend is his dog – he refers to the dog as Cerberus (the mythical 3-headed hound of hell) even though it has a real name, and only one head. The boy’s father is mildly irritated at this “he has a name” but isn’t cruel, just concerned about his son’s introversion.
at least a portion of the story is told from the dog’s POV – i remember that the dog was confused by the human practice of “showing teeth” when happy, instead of the canine snarl.
the rest of the plot (i seem to remember some separation – lost dog or something but wouldn’t bet much on that) has pretty much faded from memory.
this isn’t much to go on, but perhaps it jars the memory of another visitor to the site.
Lost Classics of Teen Lit: Name That Book! 
I know the book you’re referring to. The dog’s name was Tarr (because he was a black lab) and the book was told from his perspective, including being dognapped and sold to a man to be a hunting dog (but Tar turned out to be gun-shy and fled at the sound of the first shot) only to being picked up by a shelter where his owner found him. The book was called “That Dog Tarr” and it was by Nan Hayden Agle. (It was originally marketed under the title, “Tarr of Belway Smith.”
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