This is the name of a bright star that has a place in the
mythology of more than one human
culture. See
Dog Star.
It is also the title of a book by Olaf Stapledon, about a dog given human intelligence by a scientist who enlarges his brain capacity, while leaving his body and instincts largely unchanged. Ultimately it is more about human nature than speculation about altered dog biology, but Olaf Stapledon's fertile imagination provides much of the latter.
This novel takes place in the period of the World Wars. It is not meant as historical fiction, these were current and recent events when he wrote this novel. For modern readers however, there is an additional historical interest.
Lively human empathy and an intricate knowledge of the habits and work of the sheepdogs which Sirius was bred from make this a compelling novel. Passion and human interest are never far from center stage, although this is a very scientific and religious and philosophical novel.